BOARD MINUTES, 18 July, 2002

MINUTES

Board of Trustees Regular Meeting

Thursday, July 18, 2002

Traverse Area District Library

(minutes are unofficial until approved by the Board of Trustees)

The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by President Brown. Present were Brown, Welch, Lawrence, Maxson, Mesch and Luyt. Quick was absent. Also present were Roe (Counsel), McGuire, Schneider and Buchanan (Staff), and Dale Vanderwal (Auditor)

In a Special Order of Business, Vanderwal presented the Auditor’s Report, explained various points and answered questions from trustees.

Motion by Welch, supported by Mesch to approve the minutes from the Regular Meeting of May 9, 2002. Carried.

McGuire addressed the problems found in the audit and how those problems will be corrected.

A report on the results of the parking survey was included in the meeting packets. McGuire explained that the survey revealed that parking problems are worst when there is large meeting or storytime. Brown referred the report to the Facilities and Services for review and recommendations. Members of the committee asked that McGuire provide the committee with his analysis of the survey and recommendations along with the raw data.

McGuire and Bonhag will meet with representatives from Northwestern Michigan College and the Chamber of Commerce on July 23 to discuss computer training needs of the business community and how the various entities can best meet these needs.

McGuire has been invited to speak at the Sunrise Rotary Club meeting on July 24.

McGuire has requested that the Library be put on the Elmwood Township Board agenda for August 12 to discuss a ballot question for Library support. He would like Brown to attend the meeting if possible.

The LinkMichigan project has received a $160,000 grant to study ways to meet bandwidth needs for individuals, businesses, organizations and municipalities in Northwest Lower Michigan.

McGuire has been invited by WCMU to sit on the Traverse City Area Public Broadcasting System advisory committee.

The rotating DVD collection will be started within the next couple of weeks.

The previously authorized replacement computers have been purchased. Flat panel monitors were only purchased for public service desk, for a savings of several thousand dollars, but all workstations scheduled for replacement computers will receive better equipment.

McGuire sent a draft of a Local History and Genealogy Reference and Research Policy to all trustees. Comments should be forwarded to the Policy Committee.

Roe sent McGuire a letter regarding the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act, which he would like referred to the Policy Committee for further review with Roe.

In response to a question from Maxson, McGuire said that staff has been trying to connect with the Fife Lake Village President to arrange a meeting between representatives of TADL and of Fife Lake, with no luck so far, but they will keep trying.

Maxson reported that the Facilities and Services Committee had not met since the last Board meeting. Architect Richmond has been working with McGuire and Karen Rosa of Long Lake Township to resolve some issues with the Long Lake branch building design. Because the latest cost estimate has come in quite a bit higher than earlier projections, McGuire and Richmond have agreed that it would be worthwhile to hire a cost estimator. A letter from Richmond regarding the elevator in the Sixth Street facility was included in the meeting packets.

Maxson reported that the Finance Committee had met twice to review the audit. A financial report for May was included in the meeting packets. Welch would like the Finance Committee to again look at the possibility of converting the Bank One checking account to a higher yield account.

Mesch reported that the Personnel Committee had met twice with McGuire. He has given the committee a draft of his written management plan. Their next meeting is scheduled for the night before the next regular Board meeting.

J. Maxson, Peninsula Community Library, thanked the Board for the new larger computers, which are great, and thanked Ed Barrett for his tenacity in solving problems. PCL will be glad to see the rotating DVD collection come in. They have more than 90 kids signed up for the Summer Reading Club and are averaging 75 people at summer storytimes. The final Summer Reading Club party will be on the Grand Traverse Dinner Train with refreshments afterwards in TADL’s Children’s Learning Garden. PCL will have a Used Book Fair Thursday, August 8, 6:00 p.m.-closing time, with no advance sales.

J. Anderson, Interlochen Public Library, also thanked the Board for the computers. Everyone really likes the thin screens. The Summer Reading Club is well under way, with two programs so far, averaging more than 100 children at each event. They will be hosting ambassadors from the Interlochen Arts Academy, who will talk about and play their instruments. They will have three science programs on Friday mornings. The IPL Friends’ Used Book Sale was held the last weekend in June. It gets better each year and this year raised more than $4000 to help the Library. The Friends’ Annual Meeting will be Monday, September 9, with a potluck and guest speaker.

C. Downey, Fife Lake Public Library, thanked the TADL Friends for their donation for the Summer Reading Program. FLPL’s Friends are still working on their 501(c)3 application. The Thursday evening programs are continuing once a month. FLPL will host a home tour in August. Their application to become a TADL branch has been tabled.

Welch noted that in the last two months all of the member libraries had thanked the Friends’ Foundation for their grants for the Summer Reading Clubs. He reminded all that the Foundation needs donations.

Schneider announced that McGuire was elected chair-elect of the Public Libraries division of the Michigan Library Association.

Motion by Welch, supported by Lawrence to define a fixed asset as an item which has a cost of at least $500 AND has a useful life of at least three years OR adds value or extends the useful life for at least three years of an existing fixed asset. Carried.

Motion by Lawrence, supported by Maxson to enter into a revised agreement with the City of Traverse City for the purpose of cablecasting City Commission meetings. Carried.

Motion by Maxson, supported by Welch to increase the limit of billable expenses by the Breton Group for the feasibility study to an amount not to exceed $3000. Following a brief explanation by McGuire, Maxson and Welch amended their motion to change the amount from $3000 to $3500. Motion carried as amended.

Motion by Maxson, supported by Welch to amend the general fund budget, increasing professional services by $23,000. Carried.

The meeting was opened for public comment. M. TerBeek of Long Lake Reading Room thanked the Friends for their grant for the Summer Reading Program. They have about 80 children signed up for the program. They are very busy this summer, checking out more than 80 books in three hours on Tuesday mornings when they have programs. Brown suggested that the agenda be amended to include reports from “Reading Rooms” with the reports from Member Libraries.

There was no further public comment. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,