Board of Education

Russell Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 6:30pm Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown CT Draft minutes and other supporting items can be requested in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Present: Trustees Andy Becker, Bill Foster, Shanay Fulton, Jennifer Hadley, Greg Harris, Cindy Harrison, Steve Nelson, Ann Percival, Tom Russell, Sarah Schulenburg, Andrew White, Eamonn Wisneski; Library Director Ramona Burkey Absent: Trustee James Belin DRAFT MINUTES 1.​ Call to Order - The Meeting was called to order by President Wisneski at 6:32 p.m. a.​ Review Community Dialogue Framework - President Wisneski referred to the bullet point “Trust that dialogue and disagreement will take us to deeper levels of understanding and acceptance.” b.​ Mission Moments (Mission: “We empower people to grow, connect, strive and thrive.”) Trustee Harris shared that being on the Russell Library Board of Trustees is a great way to connect with the community. Trustee Schulenburg shared that Bonnie and Carlene, Russell Library staff members, came to talk to Snow School students, along with all the other elementary schools in town, about the summer reading program. This connection between the schools and the library has been well-received at all schools and is greatly appreciated. 2.​ Public Comment - There were no members of the public present, nor pertinent emails or submissions through the website. 3.​ Approval of Minutes a.​ May 20, 2025 Board meeting - MOTION: It was moved (Trustee Harris) and seconded (Trustee Nelson) to approve the minutes of the May 20, 2025 Board Meeting. The motion passed unanimously in favor of approving the May 20, 2025 minutes. 4.​ Administration Report – Ramona Burkey, Library Director a.​ In addition to her written report, Director Burkey shared that three of the library’s employees graduated from MHS on Saturday. The door count on Saturday was 950, which was a huge turnout and only slightly below the number of patrons on Pride Saturday. On Saturday, there was the Summer Reading program kickoff, visiting animals, chess club, and more all happening! She spoke with Representative Brandon Chafee and was able to secure $50,000 in the state budget to support things such as DPIL, door delivery service, and maintenance. Director Burkey noted that our state representatives are highly accessible for communication - they respond to texts! The library will have a presence at the Juneteenth celebration on Thursday but will not have a table. The library is giving out selected Juneteenth-themed books while supplies last. Trustee Harris asked about the state legislation around the rising costs of e-books. The bill passed but has provisions that it will not go into effect unless other states pass similar bills. 5.​ Committee Reports  a.​ Executive Committee – E. Wisneski - Per the Executive Committee meeting this month, there is an officer slate that will be voted upon later in this meeting. There were 2 Company trustees who were reinstated and there is potentially a city trustee position available. b.​ Finance Committee – A. Becker - The Finance Committee did not meet this month. c.​ Governance Committee - J. Hadley - The Governance Committee did not meet this month. d.​ Strategic Planning Committee - A. White - The Strategic Planning Committee will meet on 6/26. 6.​ Unfinished Business a.​ Russell Library/City Hall Feasibility Study Committee updates i.​ Economic Impact Study - The study was completed prior to the last Board meeting. ii.​ Concept Cost Estimates - The cost estimate came in at about $58 million, which was slightly lower than the original estimate. This includes room for cost increases and money to rent another facility during construction if needed. The cost estimate includes a library specialist consultant that can help support running the library and support staff as needed during construction. Trustees pointed out that right now there is a freeze on four library staff positions that may need to be reinstated to support in a transitional space or in a new library. In order to provide this vastly improved resource to our community, we need to be sure we are appropriately staffing for the space. It is reasonable to expect that there will be more demand on collections, facilities, etc. which could impact the operating budget. On the other hand, there would likely be less expenses for utilities and repairs. An updated library as proposed will consume the property of the Broad Street property owned by the Russell Library Company, demonstrating a contribution to the project from the Company. This would be a tax-neutral event but contributes to the value of the project. iii.​ Referendum Timeline - President Wisneski and Director Burkey have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow with Mayor Nocera. They will then meet with city officials such as the Acting Director of Public Works, the Finance Director, the mayor, and other parties to discuss possible timelines for a referendum. There is a City Council workshop scheduled for July 24th (tentatively at 5 p.m.), which will be a workshop for a library referendum. If this is a public meeting, board members are encouraged to attend. Director Burkey will present the library’s story to date, sharing the history of the facility and the most recent steps toward a 21st century library building in a collaborative process with the city. It would then go to Finance and Government Operations on July 30th. If they agree to send it to the full council, it would go to the Council on August 4th. b.​ PBS documentary: “Free For All: The Public Library” - There is nothing new under this item. c.​ Officer elections for 2025-2026 - MOTION: It was moved (Trustee Harris) and seconded (Trustee Hadley) to confirm the existing slate of officers to the same positions in the next fiscal year, as presented by the Executive Committee. The motion passed unanimously in favor of confirming the officer slate for next year. Executive Officers include Eamonn Wisneski as President, Shanay Fulton as Vice President, Andy Becker as Treasurer, Sarah Schulenburg as Secretary, and Steve Nelson as the fifth committee member. 7.​ New Business a.​ MOTION: It was moved (Trustee Harris) and seconded (Trustee Nelson) to make a recommendation to Middletown Common Council to approve a “Resolution Providing for Referendum” and proposed bond ordinance of up to $60,000,000.00 for a rebuild/expansion of the Russell Library, on the November 4, 2025 ballot. Discussion: This resolution shows that the Board is in support of going to referendum, provided that the other necessary steps to the referendum timeline are completed. The motion passed unanimously with all in favor of the resolution. 8.​ Announcements - none 9.​ Open Forum/General Good and Welfare - none 10.​ Executive Session to discuss strategy, security, Library Director’s annual review  a.​ Invitees: Ramona Burkey, Library Director b.​ MOTION: It was moved (Trustee Harris) and seconded (Trustee Nelson) to enter Executive Session to discuss strategy at 7:35 p.m. with an invitation for Director Burkey to stay for the first portion. The motion passed with all in favor. c.​ MOTION: It was moved (Trustee Schulenburg) and seconded (Trustee Harris) to exit Executive Session at 8:10 p.m. The motion passed with all in favor. 11.​Adjournment - MOTION: It was moved (Trustee Nelson) and seconded (Trustee Schulenburg) to adjourn at 8:10 p.m. The motion passed with all in favor. Next regular board meeting: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 6:30 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Sarah Schulenburg Sarah Schulenburg, Secretary