who you are. >> It is Monday, May 4th at 7 o'clock. This is the city of Brainard's personnel and finance committee. Let's start with introductions. Welcome back. >> Kelly Beavenons, award to city council. Nick Bro, city administrator.
>> Karen Johnson, president of Public Library. Guest Tony Hillman, finance director. >> Comment, HR director. >> Alderman at large. Kevin Stunick, >> Teresa Breen dispatch, >> Dave Johnson, chair of the committee. We have three items in front of us tonight.
First of which is a request for annex space from friends of the library. >> Connie, Kelly, kick it off quickly. Um, just thank you Karen for being here. Um, I won't steal Karen's thunder. I think she just wanted to address the committee, but um, she
approached us about potentially um, acquiring this first floor for the friends of the library activities. Um, I think she'll get into this a little bit more, but obviously I think she would be interested in a no cost or reduced cost perhaps, but I'll let her make that
argument. Um, so this is really just we want to know from the council. Um, do you guys want us to start drafting up some type of terms for an agreement? And if so, we will do so. >> And I believe this had come to us already once and we did direct staff to
come up with terms of an agreement. It was held off mistaken. >> It was going to be then we pulled it. >> It was on the agenda then we pulled it. >> So I'm having deja >> there's no d there was no direction provided by two or two staff on that
>> to look up lease terms and compare that. >> Okay. >> So Karen if if you if it's okay Mr. Chair. >> Well thank you all and thank you for your support. We've met a couple times and I truly appreciate the support for
the Brainer Public Library does. Um I owe you a little apology I think for we had had a campaign about advocacy really directed at the county primarily because we had not seen an increase in 11 years. So last fall we did a little
campaign and really asked people to get out and talk to your decision makers, talk to the people that can make a change. That was really directed towards the county and it was our We did not acknowledge that we have gotten steady increases every single year from Brain City Council and that's truly
appreciated. So, first and foremost, um, and we're I'm here to talk about the book sale. So, we've had that going for 12 years. It's a perpetual book sale at West Mall. Anybody ever been that Kelly? It is a book sale setup in space that
they have donated free of charge, which I mean free of charge mean they even have us, we can use the monsters. Um, what that means for our community is that we meet once a week. We accept donations. You would be amazed at the amount of donations that come in all from the community. People that are
downsizing, people that have to go into home, kids that have all their parents things that they have to do something with. Um, and we receive those donations and go through them. We want to make sure that they're um can get out on the table to sell. make sure that the standard is that if you would put it on
your nightstand then we'll put it in the book sale. Books are 50 cents for the most part, 50 cents for adult books, whether it's a paperback or a hard cover, 25 cents for kids. So our goal is to get books into people's hands into
young readers, old readers. So they meet once a week. They go through these um donations, sort them, put them out on the shelves to sell, and then we have a sale once a month or have a sale once a month. Twice a year we have a three-day
sale. And to give you an idea of the impact, yep, that's our I want to pass them around with that. Um the impact, uh day one, we had people lined up to come into the sale until 1:30 in the afternoon. 75 people could be in the website. At
one time, we sold 5,700 worth of items, which equates to 11,000 items. When we say items, it's not just books. It's puzzles. This has really grown. It's puzzles, it's games, it's
audio, CDs, uh books on tape. Well, books on not on tape are audio books. Um, and that's what we just take in and then we get out into the community. Overall impact, uh, 2,76 hours last year of volunteer time. 19
people regularly volunteer, um, on Tuesdays. About 50 people sign up for that 3-day sale. Um, books that don't sell, we invite nonprofits to come in, do shopping. We invite uh, anybody with special needs, any disabled people to
come in and shop after the sale is done. We give books to the Have you seen the little libraries about Browntown? If people want to have their books restocked with ours, they can. If you've flown out of the Bridged Airport or gone to Wings, we also have a free cart at
that station. Um, that started like a year ago. And we go through 50 books a month that people just can take when they're flying in or out. Um, and about 25 young adult or kids books we go through there a month. Um, we also had books that went actually to Africa and
Thailand on two different mission trips last year. We asked about the We asked our volunteers, "What do you think the main thing is that we do?" Right? We want to raise money because we want to be able to help fund the library. Anything that we fund, we look to our
librarian to say, "How can what do you need?" You know what? We all know we will never have enough money to bud to spend what any uh director feels is necessary. So, we look at what what do you need help funding? What can we do? What's the icing on the cake? Um, we
look to the librarian to help us with that. But, um, we asked to our crew, what do you think is the most important? And it's definitely getting people to read books, getting kids engaged. Um, and really making sure that anybody that feels they can't afford a book that we
can get a book to them. We had a young couple come in, not the last sale before that. She was obviously pregnant. They were for some books. She shared that she was overwhelmed because she said, "I will now have books when my baby comes home." Um, statistically when I worked
at Crowing Energize, we know that brand new itself. We have a lot of uh people living in poverty in the city itself. Just a different diversity in our area. When I looked it up, it said 16.7 residents live below the poverty level compared to 9.3 in the state of
Minnesota in our um city. So, we really want to books into people's hands that um if they can't afford them or you know it's expensive to go out and buy a new book that you're going to read once and pass on. The other plus that we think is
really a positive for our community is building that relationship but also keeping books out of the landfill. When you think we just take those books in and we repurpose them, somebody else gets that book. You know, if we weren't there and people come and mask, you
know, we've a lot of um traffic through there as we were packing up at Westgate and it's like you found a new site. What are you going to do? You know, people keep suggesting areas that we could look into when Habitat vacated their space. You all read about, you know, they could
afford that space either. We can't afford that space. So, um, the reason why it seems like a good fit with the city of Brainard is the fact that we are good stewards when it comes to our library. Um, last year, if you have been
in there recently and have seen the kids area, we spent quite a bit of money um, in the kids area that 6,856. There's little um, stools in there that look like walks. They're made out of fabric. We updated the little kitchen
area. We updated the table that they play at. Our most recent purchase isn't on here. They're called the Tony's and it's a little square box. You put a Are you familiar? You put a little character on top, Elsa or Mickey Mouse or Elmo and
then it reads to your little one for their reader. And then Wonder books. So what you might have when you were little, you had to take the set. If you had the set and it beeped at you, you turn the page. So those were April's ideas. We had never, you know, we didn't
realize that beforehand. Um, we also fund Battle of the Books that this year it's going to be a scaled down version. That's a summer reading program um for middle school, primarily middle school. We do our Brown events that today we had
an author there and talked about her book. During the month of um June and July, every Monday at noon we have an author that comes in very charged for the uh community. We have a lot of people that come in from
out of our area, but I feel like we work hand in hand with with what Brainard is here for. Um and when we're talking about the annex site, we've looked we've looked at it. It would be an ideal site to to accept donations at probably not
to hold a book sale because we just have takes so much space to hold a book sale. So, what we talked about is that really utilizing for that drop off. People come in on Tuesdays, say, "Drop the books off." We would sort through them, but probably not have like book sales there.
It's probably not big enough to do what we're currently doing because that takes up a big space. So, we have discussed that we would use that space once a week. Um, and realizing that's going to be increased cost to you because right now you're, you know, don't have to worry. Well, you do heat it, you do cool
it, but there be somebody in there. um which could be beneficial, but we would gather once a week, accept donations, and then probably have a sale someplace else, whether that be West State Mall or Approach the Army or something like some
other companies do. >> So, questions? Any questions? >> Okay. Motion, Kelly. >> I do. I move that we direct staff. Oh, yeah. >> I was just going to say if if you if you guys make a motion, if you have any specifics that you any criteria that you
want in in that or you don't want. In other words, if you say draft up a an agreement for no cost, if that's what you guys want, let us know. If you want minimal cost, let us know that. If there's any criteria that you want, let us know so we can get closer to the
solution. That make sense? Perfect sense. >> Sorry to interrupt you. >> Is that a motion? >> I'm not qualified. >> No, I would make the motion direct staff to draw up an agreement, bring it back to council for approval
um as to what our cost would be and then we can approve that. You know what I'm saying is if if if we have to heat it anyway. Well, I'll see if there's a second. Just a second. All right. If we have to heat it anyway,
does it cost us any extra to have them there? I don't think it would, but maybe air conditioning would, maybe garbage. And then what I'd like to see is a no cost, a no rent agreement, but with our cost being covered,
>> our direct cost being covered to see what that would be. >> I agree with that. I would support that motion because, you know, I don't think the taxpayers should be should be subsidizing it. But since that space is there and not being
utilized, this would be a good use of it as long as it could be a net zero to the taxpayers, 16% of whom are living under property level, I hear. >> Well, and I certainly agree with that. And anything we charged them for rent would just come off of this. So, what
good would that do? You know, they do a lot of good stuff. I've worked the sale. I've been to the uh author events. There's just so much good stuff that and and and if the thing is just sitting there, while we don't want to incur any
additional cost for the taxpayers, we certainly could benefit from having somebody through sometimes just using a space can be can be beneficial rather than just sit there and buckle. We just put $160,000 into the building and
that was just to not use it. of all strange things >> just because we hate money. Kathy, >> I understand that we could get some of that >> Walmart taxation. >> Anything else?
>> All those in favor say I. I posted sign. That motion carries. >> Next up is an MOA with IBW public utility. >> Britney, >> thank you. On January 5th, city council approved the job description for the water wastewater operating position and
authorized staff to negotiate the wage for the position of W BPU union. Um, attached is the sign MOA from the union establishing the wage for the water wastewater operator position as well as information on how current employees may
reclassify at this time if they so choose. Um, the recommended motion is to approve the MOA with IBW local 31 public utilities union setting 2026 wages for the water wastewater position further to authorize staff to be in the merit
process for the water wastewater operator position. So move >> second. >> How many open positions do we have? >> So we have one currently but at this time with the open posting we'll accept
any water operators or waste water operators currently to reclassify. >> Oh. water, >> they want to get the extra certification, >> correct? >> Then it's a boost in pay for the joint position for the to >> water operators, you they'll see a
little bit, but wastewater operators, the wage came up to the same. So, I think there's one that would see the increase, but the others would just land where they're currently at. >> Okay. >> You did. I Any discussion? >> None.
>> All in favor say I. >> I. >> That motion carries. All right, let's get back on track. >> Next up, personal leave of absence request. >> The meter reader, David Nelson.
>> Um, David Nelson, our meter tech volcing a personally put absence to attend alignment program at Midwest Line College in Iowa. The leave of absence will be from June 8th, 2026 through August 28, 2026. So per the union
contract, they state 60 day leave, our employee policy manual states 90day. Um, this is more than 60 days. So we did get approval from the union to utilize the employee policy manual so that he's allowed to go for the 90 consecutive
days. Um staff has also determined that there is no need to hire a temporary employee at the time. All necessary duties will be absorbed and managed by the technical services division. The recommended motion is to approve the personal leave of absence as requested by Mater locator David Nelson that will
begin on June 8th, 2026 and end on August 28th. >> So second any discussion? >> I got a couple questions. So are we paying for that? No. And for our employee boss manual, it'll be unpaid,
his leave, and his benefits will also, >> but that training helps us >> if he applies for our library position. >> Correct. >> It's more so allowing an employee to further his >> he could leave.
>> Well, if it benefits the city, then I might do whatever. >> Yeah. Yeah, there's no guarantee that it does, but it it's another person who works here presumably enjoys working here and would have another skill set to maybe fill in a different job.
>> Okay. How long has David been here? >> Long time. >> Longer than me. >> Okay. Long time employee. >> I mean, I can have that answer if you ask that question. >> Perfect.
But it it just helps to know it's not somebody who just came home. Oh, he's been here a long time. >> Yeah. >> Hired him six months ago. We use his paid family leave. Now he's got you can understand why I ask. >> Yeah. No, it's a good question. >> Okay. All in favor say I. I.
>> That carries. And with that, we're returned. Nicely done.