Library Board 2023-06-07

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC LIBRARY Approved 3939 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421 8/2/2023 BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, June 7th, 2023 ATTENDANCE INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC Members of the public who wished to attend could do so in-person, by calling 1-312-626-6799 and entering meeting ID 862 5221 5747 and passcode 039390, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86252215747 at the scheduled meeting time. For questions, please call the library at 763-706-3690. The meeting was called to order in the Library Community Room by Gerri Moeller at 5:31pm. Members physically present: Gerri Moeller; Chris Polley; Rachelle Waldon; Melanie Magidow; Justice Spriggs (Council Liaison). Members remotely present: N/A. Members absent: Carrie Mesrobian. Also present: Renee Dougherty (Library Director); Nick Olberding (Board Secretary). Public present: N/A. 1. Amended Agenda to include ALA 2023 Conference discussion: it was moved and unanimously approved. 2. The Minutes of the May 3, 2023, Board Meeting were moved and unanimously approved. 3. Review 2023 Operating Budget: 41% of the year and 36% of the budget encumbered; no concerns raised. a. FYI: We likely need a boiler repair or replacement this year, but it will be financed through the capital equipment replacement fund rather than the library’s operating budget. Community Forum: Opportunity for public input. No correspondence or members of the public in attendance. Old Business: 4. Staffing Update: In the past month, a part-time Library Supervisor resigned to accept a job with Stillwater Public Library and Library Associate Kelly Olson retired after 31 years of dedicated service. Both positions were posted and closed on June 4. The supervisor position garnered 12 applicants; the associate position received 89 applications. City Human Resources is reviewing applications; hoping to onboard new staff quickly as the Library enters the busy season. 5. Reception & Conversation with the Artist Jeffrey Berger on July 12th @ 5:30pm. New Business: 6. Preliminary Draft of 2024 Budget: A draft budget is due in early June with presentation to the City Manager in July. The proposed budget will include a 5% overall increase to $1,262,000. Due to increases proposed from the compensation and pay equity study, personnel costs will increase 4.6%. The budget also includes a 4% increase to Supplies; and an 8.6% increase to Other Services (utilities, insurance, maintenance, and IT.) It will also set aside $5,000 for furniture repair/replacement. In 2023, $10,000 was set aside and $2,500 has been encumbered so far. 7. Approve Request to Close the Library for the Juneteenth Holiday: As it is now an official state holiday, the City will be observing Juneteenth starting this year. Most city buildings and departments will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observance, except for Parks & Recreation, Police, Fire, and Liquor operations. The Board was in favor of this decision but noted that when workers have the day off, they may want to visit their library. A MOTION was made to close the Library for Juneteenth (June 19, 2023); it was seconded, and unanimously approved. 8. Update on City’s Response to providing Narcan in City Buildings: City Administration and the Council have researched and discussed the opioid epidemic and the availability of lifesaving, overdose-reversing drugs. Administration and Council have determined that emergency responders will be responsible for carrying, dispensing, and disposing of expired Narcan. Response time is generally less than 3 minutes. Library staff know that they can call 911 without hesitation for any situation that requires it, and not all staff would be comfortable administering Narcan. Emergency responders will try to bring a social worker and encourage ongoing treatment after an overdose event. They are also trained to handle potential aggressive/violent behavior after an abrupt  reversal of opioid effects. 9. Discussion of Wellness Center at the Rochester Public Library: The Board watched the attached video link from Justice Spriggs regarding the re-launched Wellness Corner at RPL, and discussed their opinion of similar offerings here. The City of Rochester hired a dedicated Social Worker to hold office hours to address mental health, physical health, substance abuse and other concerns of residents. The Columbia Heights Library hosts Guild Services to provide outreach to people experiencing homelessness each Tuesday and Wednesday; Hope4Youth who provide outreach to homeless teens. MN CareerForce Corner and the Anoka County Job Training Center provide employment resources. The Anoka County Law Librarian visits once per month to share legal resources and information. Justice mentioned that the Police Department’s social workers started with grant funding and maybe the library could do the same. Justice will reach out to Rochester for more information on their program. 10. Discussion of Service Hours: Renee provided two charts of service hours for comparably sized libraries around the state, including rural areas. CHPL fits near the upper middle level of service hours compared to the list of hours from libraries with similar populations areas. Anoka County Library is amid strategic planning, which will include a look at service hours; this information will be valuable to us as we discuss service and hours of our own. The Board agreed that we should bring up this issue again closer to the end of the year, after we have more data. Director’s Update: 11. April Board Report: Provided as an FYI; no discussion. 12. From the Floor: a. ALA: Gerri Moeller will be attending the ALA 2023 Conference & Exhibition in Chicago this June (22-27), and asked whether there were any specific vendors we’d like her to speak with or get information from. There was nothing we needed at the moment, but we can e-mail her with any requests if we think of some. There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded at 6:37 pm; the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Nicholas P. Olberding Recording Secretary, CHPL Board of Trustees