Carbondale Public Library Board

Carbondale Public Library Board of Trustees 405 W. Main Street, Carbondale, IL 62901, Library Meeting Room Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 4:30 p.m. MINUTES Call to order. Ms. Anterola called the meeting to order at 4:32 p.m. Roll call. Present: Frances Anterola, Vice President (1) Philip Brown (1) Barbara Levine, Treasurer Susan Tulis, Secretary (2) Julian Pei (1) Roland Person Don Prosser (1) Candice Watson (3) Absent: Chastity Mays, President (4) The number following the Trustee’s name indicates the number of absences this fiscal year. Staff present. Jennifer Robertson, Director Gwen Hall Grosshenrich, Finance Manager Visitors or Guests Justin Zurlinden, Landmark Realty Group Charlie Howe President’s report. None. Secretary’s report. 1.​ Approval of the January 14, 2025, Board Meeting minutes. Mr. Prosser motioned to approve the minutes. Mr. Person seconded the motion. The motion carried with unanimous approval. Correspondence and communications. 1.​ A letter was received from Michael Wright offering to sell property at 409 W. Main St. (west of library) at reduced price. Mr. Pei inquired about negotiation possibilities. Mr. Zurlinden reported that City's Neighborhood Services confirmed willingness to vacate alley for building purposes. Mr. Zurlinden indicated flexibility on the property price though the current offer is his preferred minimum. Mr. Howe shared that he and his brother would each pledge a  donation toward land purchase, with Mr. Howe expressing willingness for future building contributions. Ms. Robertson recommended discussing the acquisition in closed session later in the meeting. 2.​ Hafer invoice. Hafer's invoice for a percentage of their fee was included in the board packet. Following the project planning meeting, Ms. Robertson consulted with the Illinois State Library grant specialist, confirming the Construction Grant deadline extends to June 2026, providing sufficient completion time. Discussion focused on timeline for bid documents and concerns regarding potential HVAC system disruption during work. 3.​ Email from City of Carbondale about upcoming tax appeal hearing. 4.​ Mr. Prosser shared correspondence to Mr. Riley Barker regarding the Greenfield Trust. The current status of the matter remains uncertain. Financial report. 1.​ Approval of the bills payable up to and including February 12, 2025, through March 12, 2025. Mr. Prosser motioned to approve the bills payable. Mr. Person seconded the motion. The motion carried with unanimous approval. 2.​ Acceptance of the financial report for January 2025. Mr. Person motioned to approve the financial report. Mr. Brown seconded the motion. The motion carried with unanimous approval. Librarian’s report. 1.​ FY26 budget. 2.​ Property acquisition. 3.​ Building and maintenance. a.​ Approval of the Library Roof & HVAC Project Planning Meeting minutes. Mr. Prosser motioned to approve the meeting minutes. Ms. Tulis seconded the motion. The motion carried with unanimous approval. 4.​ Cybersecurity grant. The library received a $45,000 FCC Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program grant spanning three years, being one of only three Illinois libraries selected. 5.​ Printing system update. The library’s printing, scanning, and faxing system has been updated and now includes a self-service payment and print release station. 6.​ Other. Committee reports. None. Unfinished business. 1.​ Approval of revised Credit Card Policy. Mr. Prosser motioned to approve the revised Credit Card Policy. Mr. Pei seconded the motion. The motion carried with unanimous approval. New business. 1.​ Approval of FY26 budget. Mr. Prosser motioned to approve the FY26 budget. Mr. Brown seconded the motion. The motion carried with unanimous approval. 2.​ Discussion of property acquisition. The Board was requested to pass a motion to hold a closed meeting to discuss the purchase of property (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)). Mr. Prosser motioned  to hold a closed meeting to discuss the property purchase. Mr. Pei seconded the motion. Voting yes: Barbara, Susan, Julian, Roland, Don, Candice, Frances, Phil. Voting no: None. The motion carried with unanimous approval. 3.​ Final action in open session regarding purchase of property. Based on closed session discussion, Mr. Prosser motioned to table the property acquisition. Ms. Levine seconded the motion. Voting yes: all. Voting no: None. The motion carried with unanimous approval. Other. 1.​ Patron behavior. Staff expressed concerns about shopping carts being abandoned on library property. Ms. Robertson will research policies implemented at other libraries to address this issue. Agenda building. 1.​ Opportunity to suggest topics for future board meetings. Adjournment. Ms. Anterola adjourned the meeting at 5:36 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Susan Tulis, Secretary Prepared by: Jennifer Robertson, Library Director Board Meetings for 2025. Board Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Carbondale Public Library meeting room unless noted. Agendas for regular Board Meetings are posted on the Library website no later than forty-eight (48) hours before the meeting date at links.carbondalepubliclibrary.org/agenda Meeting Dates. January 8, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 8, November 12, & December 10