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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-06-2017 minutes COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC LIBRARY 3939 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421 BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 Approved 10/4/2017 The meeting was called to order in the History Room by Chair, Patricia Sowada, at 5:30pm. Members present: Patricia Sowada, Catherine Vesley, Stephen Smith, Tricia Conway; and Council Liaison Robert “Bobby” Williams. Also present: Library Director Renee Dougherty; Recording Secretary Nick Olberding; Columbia Heights City Councilmember Nick Novitsky, and Columbia Heights Public Works Director Kevin Hanson. • The Minutes of the August 2nd, 2017 Board Meeting were approved. • The Bill List dated August 9th, 2017 was reviewed. It was moved, seconded, and passed that the bills be paid. • The Bill List dated August 23rd, 2017 was reviewed. It was moved, seconded, and passed that the bills be paid. • The Accounting Sheet as of August was reviewed, and approved. • Questions and discussions from Bills and Accounting: o Operating Reserve: As a tax funded institution the library must maintain an operating reserve to cover unforeseen expenditures, over-budget items that cannot be covered by under-budget line items, and to see the library through the first portion of the year (to pay salaries, etc.) before city property taxes are collected in May. The library has not gone over-budget to the point of needing to use the reserve during the time the Board members have served. Comprehensive Annual Finance Report would show what level the reserve fund is at. o Lighting Dimmers: Was asked whether the library would be able to utilize lighting dimming features? Might be something to look into in the future. The staff area already employs motion sensors that turn off lights when no one is in the rooms, and the lights along the Central Avenue windows are dimmed when the sun is brightest. New Business: • Meeting Dates for the Remainder of the Year: October 4, November 1, and December 6. Mainly brought up as a reminder to the Board for the remaining meetings for the year. • Library Solar Project – Kevin Hansen: Kevin passed around a report that was prepared for the City Council before the Solar Project got underway. It laid out the details of the project, and the cost/savings projections that were involved. o The library’s solar panels are under a 15-year contract with an investor that paid for the units, the installation, and the ongoing maintenance for 15 years…at that point the City gains control and benefits from the energy produced. In going over the options, this method was considered to have the most benefit for the city; as opposed to financing, installing, and maintaining the system on its own. o The library’s solar system is a rated at 140kW (Public Works-85kW, Public Safety-101kW, Top Valu-40kW), and is estimated to provide 55-65% of our yearly energy consumption (has been running closer to 65%) o The way it works now is that we pay two electric bills; one to the solar investor at a set rate (slightly above regular utility rate), and then a bill from Xcel Energy for the portion of our electric that the solar panels do not provide. For at least one month this season, the panels generated more power than we used, which was put out into the grid and offset our Xcel bill. o Our electricity budget for the current year is over-budget at 143% (Current: $17,551/ Budget: $12,284), but it was based on best estimates. It will take at least 3 years in the new building to generate a better understanding of the ongoing utility costs. Each quarter the building systems are evaluated and tweaked to be more efficient. When the library opened the building systems (eg. HVAC) were running at full bore, and over time Public Works is learning how to optimize the various aspects. • Public Art Committee: It is still planned that the Library Board will serve as the Committee through the end of the year; until a formal method of selecting a Committee is determined. Catherine Vesley and Tricia Conway both expressed interest in remaining part of the Committee going forward. o The Committee will likely meet 1-2 times per year to review exhibit applications that have been submitted; will rank and determine which are in the best interest of the Library. o The Committee would also be in charge of purchasing (if any) and/or commissioning art or literary works. There is a possible proposal in the works for an updated history of Columbia Heights book (last one was Bootstrap Town by Irene Parsons, ©1986), which the Committee would be interested in. Old Business: • Foundation Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser – September 13, 4:30-7pm: Still looking for volunteers if possible. Lion’s Club will be operating the full-service bar during the event. • Circle Terrace Park Eat and Greet event – September 20, 5-7pm: Cortni O’Brien will be attending the event and perform outreach for the library. Steve Smith will be there volunteering with SACA, but will hop back and forth to provide Cortni with backup. • 2018 Proposed Budget: Includes an 8.4% increase necessary to cover building operation costs and personnel wage increases. The increase in the part-time pay-scale was enacted to stay competitive with other metro library systems. • City Council Goal Setting: City departments have been asked to incorporate the Council-adopted goals into 2018 budgets. Goals most applicable to the library include serving as a resource for public education and potential venue for property improvement seminars. The library, as will all city departments, participate in the staffing study and the engagement of a communications director. The library may be able to demonstrate how to incorporate art in the community. The library also has established collaborations with local schools which will be enhanced. Finally, the library utilizes volunteers, and could provide guidance in establishing a city-wide program. Board members wondered how goals would be incorporated into Council agendas, and how success would be measured. Items from the Floor: • Steve Smith will be presenting at the next City Council Meeting (September 11) for Library Card Signup Month. He will be briefly speaking about the countless benefits of a library card. Your passport to a world of information and imagination… • High School/Middle School sharing one librarian? Brief discussion of proposed changes to school library media instructors in the school district. Tricia proposed engaging the School Board after additional fact-finding. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30pm by Patricia Sowada, and seconded. Respectfully submitted, Nicholas P. Olberding Recording Secretary, Library Board of Trustees The City of Columbia Heights does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs, or activities. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all City of Columbia Heights services, programs, and activities.