HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-04-2020 Library Board Minutes
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC LIBRARY
3939 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421
BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
Approved
5/6/2020
The meeting was called to order in the History Room by Chair, Catherine Vesley at 5:30pm. Members present: Catherine
Vesley; Patricia Sowada; Stephen Smith; Christopher Polley; and City Council Liaison, Nick Novitsky; (Planned Absence:
Tricia Conway). Also in attendance: Renee Dougherty (Library Director), Nick Olberding (Recording Secretary); Jonathon
Rehlander (Fridley Resident/MN Senate District 41 DFL); and Amada Simula-Marquez (Columbia HeightsResident/Mayoral
Candidate/HeightsNEXT).
The Minutes of the February 5th, 2020 Board Meeting were approved.
The Bill List dated February 19th, 2020 was reviewed; It was moved, seconded, and approved.
Questions and discussions based on Bills and Accounting:
• 883 Donation Fund: This fund containing all donations to the library, many from the CHPL Foundation (501c3)
• Motor Power: This was a youth S.T.E.A.M Saturday program funded by the 21st Century Community Learning
Centers Grant.
Old Business:
1. Revision of Collection Development Policy: Not discussed.
2. Update on Facility Use, and City Council Reconsideration of Policy:
a) Background: Provided view a Council Letter drafted by Renee and oral summaries by Chair and Council
Liaison.
b) City Council: The City Council was presented with three options for consideration: Eliminate all public use
of the Community Room; Revise the existing policy to indemnify the City by clarifying allowed users,
defining expectations/consequences, and training staff; or allow any public use. Council believe there
should be a fee for all Community Room usage, regardless of time of day; and that there should be staff on
premises when the Community Room is in use after-hours (proposed new room usage hours: 7am-9pm).
c) Clarification from City Attorney: Jim Hoeft suggested that fees for use of the Community Room need to
apply to everyone, or no one. Reservations can only be made by legal adults (18+). Room usage is public;
even if a private birthday party were scheduled, the group cannot restrict the general public from entering
the event.
d) Board Discussion/Inquiry:
i. Does it make sense to have a separate policy for the Community Room, and the other meeting rooms
inside the library space?
ii. Charging a fee for all usage may create equity issues for groups/individuals that aren’t able to pay for
the space, especially when fees add up over the course of the year. Could the Library Foundation
fund a scholarship type account for groups to apply for? For the record, John Rehlander said that his
group would be willing to pay for use of the room.
iii. Having staff on premises whenever the Community Room is in use is ideal, but we do not have the
staff or the budget to be feasible. Right now it is up to the group to make sure the room is
straightened up and the building is empty and locked after their event. Novitsky conveyed that the
only unstaffed rental space the city allows (other than the Community Room) is warming houses at
several of the parks. Library door locks are controlled by Public Works, which can be an issue if a
group cancels last minute. Without staff here, if a booked group does not show up, the
lobby/bathrooms/Community Room are left unlocked for anyone to enter.
iv. Anyone should be able to use the room (except for business/commercial entities), as long as there
are no entry fees/fundraising/financial transactions, and the event is open to the public.
v. A similar room with fewer amenities at Murzyn Hall rents for $200/hr. With the new City Hall being
planned, what is decided for the Library could have implications for spaces in City Hall that will be
reservable by the public. Recreation department will waive fees for reservations under certain
scenarios, but it needs case-by-case approval from the Park and Recreation Board.
vi. If we charge for all usage, or change allowed usage, when will this take effect? Would already-
scheduled events be grand-fathered in?
vii. Anything the Library Board decides is only a recommendation to the City Council, and they get
ultimate approval, and a member of the Board is absent tonight. Motion to Table approval of the
Draft Meeting Room Use Policy made by Sowada, seconded by Smith.
viii. In the interim, how do we proceed? Can we remove the resident/non-profit restriction to allow for
continued use of the Community Room until a new Policy goes into effect? Motion to remove the
resident/non-profit restriction from the current Facility-Use Policy made by Polley, seconded by
Smith.
Items from the Floor:
• Annual Report: This required report is due very soon to the Department of Education.
• 2020 Census: The Library is an official Questionnaire Assistance Center for the 2020 Census to help ensure
everyone has the resources to insure a complete count.
• Coronavirus Planning: Renee is attending the planning session at the Anoka County Library system tomorrow,
but the City is also putting plans together that we will need to adhere to.
• Kanopy: The Library has received access to a demo of the Kanopy video streaming platform, but there have been
some recent major shake-ups at the company that may affect our go-live timing.
• Adult Education: Pat Sowada suggested that we plan some trainings for Real ID pre-application.
• Public Art RFP: Catherine Vesley met with the CHPL Foundation and requested that they earmark funds for a
public art installation at the Library. She requested $1,000 for planning, and $60,000 for the artwork/installation.
The Foundation is taking some time to consider the request.
• Parking Lot: The City is receiving bids for several projects, including the proposed Library parking lot expansion;
so far the bids have come back much higher than previously estimated. In the interim, the public will continue to
be made aware of the parking space available in the adjacent public parking ramps.
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made at 6:42pm by Catherine Vesley, and seconded.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicholas P. Olberding
Recording Secretary, Library Board of Trustee