I actually do kind of look like Wolverine. Well, there I thought that, but I was It's all right. Everyone Everyone needs to have an alter. Yeah. Well, it's just it's a compromise between my wife and I. I wanted to have a beard and she didn't
want me to. So, all right. I will call the Thursday, May 22nd um Grand Murray Library Board of Trustees meeting to order. I am Sarah McN chair. Ryan Lang, librarian and minute taker.
Anna Luger, board member. Nancy Jagger, board member. Dave Mills, uh Cook County Commissioner. Sue Mlone, board member. Mike Gary, city council and St. John library director. Um the consent agenda we have the to
approve the agenda as presented, approve the minutes and approve payment of bills. Do we have any changes to the agenda? We do. We do. Yes. I wish that too. Okay. Yeah. Right. Right. May
May 22. Um, yes. One thing that I would like to recommend is that we table the policy for security cameras. The reason is because the administrator does have a legal counsel reviewing those and they need some more time. So, I'd like to get
feedback from them and then bring it to the next board meeting. Okay. The second thing that I want to bring to the table is discussion of the 215 account. Um, we need to make some decisions about the monies in that account and I would might recommend that
you do that before other orders of business uh for spending. Could we add that in after your report? Sure. Is that it? All right. I'll make a motion to
approve agenda as amended. I will second just in front of Nancy. You heard that right. We really have to do the consent agenda, not just the amendment. Oh, right. Y I want to broaden that motion. I will
amend my motion to include the consent agenda. I will second. Motion second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Motion passes unanimously. All right. Thank you. Let's
move on to your report. I'm very sad to say that uh librarian Erica Turness has accepted a new position at the county and her last day is going to be May 30. The position for the librarian one will be posted. It's on our website and I'm
working with the city to get it pushed out to other other outlets. For programs, we do have a winter reading update from Erica and it says that the program continues to be very popular. Over the three months the
program, patrons picked up 240 bingo cards and completed over 400 bingos. This age group six to 11 really knocked it out of the park with 39 entrance completing 240 of the bingos.
Sweet. Our pride celebration uh this month is going to feature Brian Mallaloy who is the writer and residence that we have this year doing workshops almost every month and his workshop is called writing your coming out story and
he and Ryan and Cook County Pride are working together to have that offsite as part of the event. Is there um going to be anything else that the library is doing? Not this year. I know little books stand
or Okay. Just uh um at the pride meeting we're putting together a thing to uh to say here's all the things. So if you're like if you're going to have a thing or do anything else then we'd like to put it in there in that so that we can say
hey don't you know during this month you can check out these other things for pride. Um do you have a publication date like what's the deadline for that? Um it's mainly going to be just on our our
website that's not going to be a press release. It's just going to be on the website so people can go to the website and look for other things. So if anything comes up, send it to me and I'll make sure it gets on the website. Thank you so much and thanks for working on that
program. Um, two items for the facility. The bianial carpet cleaning is scheduled for completion in June. And uh the library's home security system cameras have arrived. We need the policy first and that is the report.
Okay. Any other questions or comments? Just one comment. I was walking by and the garden looks very nice. So that must have the gardeners must have started working. They have. I actually think they'll be letting it grow a little bit for a while and come back in July for
some maintenance. But it does, it looks very different. It looks very nice. And the Binia is all in bloom for anybody who's a fan. How long did work here? Six years. Six and a half
years, I think. Okay, for the 215, [Music] um, I have some documents for everybody. I'll just send those around. Probably I should have one.
Probably. We'll do. Thanks. Put it in the notes. You didn't have to see it memorized. Oh man. [Applause] Okay. On Tuesday, I was meeting with the city finance director and received clarification about the 215
account. And long story short, there are two buckets of money in what we call the 215. one is in deficit, the other is not, and we need to make some decisions about how to move forward. So to take that a little bit
deeper, um we generally refer to this thing that we have as something called the 215. It's like an umbrella name for two accounts. One account is also called the 215 and that's generally what I use when
I am coding bills. So, you know, if we're um we're installing air source heat pumps, I code it to the 215. It goes and it that's where I've been spending from. We also have this other thing that is called the Hazel Matthews or the 216.
And 216, this name is a remnant from a way that the account had been treated in the past. Um, so now if you were to look at our expense sheets, the on the 215 where it shows
what we're spending, it says the 215 up here and it says 215 down here, but that's Hazel Matthew Matthews/216. So the naming can be just a little bit challenging, but essentially we have two accounts in this thing called the 215.
As you can see in our policy, there are some um notes about how we are how you all are trying to spend that money and have it used. And if you look at policy K, which I just passed out under restricted funds, it says account 215
restricted fund. These accounts are comprised of donations to the library and grants. Some funds are designated by the donor for specific purposes. Some are not. any funds not spent in the given years um and acrew until needed
for expenditure as designated by the library board. A minimum balance is to be maintained in this account of $10,000 for an insurance deductible, 20,000 for computer replacement. Nancy, this part I might have memorized or N said that the and
then the balance is to be considered exigency to keep uh things operating and should not drop below six months. So when a couple of meetings go, I think it was February when we did a review of the financial position and um I came and I said you
have about $271,000 and that is about the six months plus the 10 plus the 20. And that's at the point that the board said, "Hey, we've got what we want to have in that account, but we don't have a lot of more." Okay. Are uh is this are we all
on a page so far? Okay, thank you. Then um so it's specified in your policy that I should when I use from the 215 I can be using that for these reasons but not limited to them. grounds, building, furniture and
equipment, collection expansion, technology, expansion of services, security, programs and shows, marketing campaigns, and other non-s salary unanticipated expenses as may arise. The Hazel Matthews fund account 216. The next piece
says, I want you to use uh this bucket of money as follows. This is a bequest from Hazel Matthews to the city of Grand Marray to be held in trust for future needs of the library. Monies from this account are to be used in such a manner that it doesn't
lessen any or substitute any uh monetary support from the state, county, city, or any other public funds. A pause there. It's a bequest and the language that's included here is from the will and it's language that's common in any wills of
bequests for the um for money's left to the library. They always say you can't lessen whatever. Okay. So that's this is where that um statement is coming from or why it's here. Then um boards prior specified that this
money could be used but is not limited to staff development exploration and trial demonstrations of new services, certificates of deposit and investment vehicles, professional consultant fees and endowment fund building. So that's
what you um could use it for, but it's not limited to that. In general, when I code bills, I put them all to the 25 to the first account to the 215. And you can see in our expense sheets, if you um had those
handy or when you go home, you can see that um that's where all of the codes that's where we have the most expansive list of codes to meet this list and also because that's what we use all the time. Okay. Um, so
now what has what is happening is that the 215 has been overspent by $70,64 and that number keeps changing because we're still coding. We're still spending money at the library. For
example, taproot landscaping hasn't gone through the uh to for you to see it in the expense sheets um yet. What Kim wants to do is make sure that the 215 is at least balanced to zero, but understand that this is a fluctuate.
Like, we're still spending money, so it might take us a couple of passes to get at this. She's advising you to bring this to a cash zero. Um, on this colorful sheet, which is what I'm pointing at with my finger,
um, you can see a number that is 278,87155. That is all in the Hazel Matthews fund. And when I said when I said at a prior meeting when I had spoken to Kim to get
information about this and and asked like how much is in the 215 there's the 271 or whatever the number was that I was reporting in I think it was February. Okay.
So, so the first thing is we need to zero, we are advised that you might want to zero this 215 account and there are different ways to do that. And the second thing is this policy, you might consider
amending it in different ways. For example, you could consider consolidating Hazel Matthews and the 215 to eliminate all of this confusion in the future. Have one account, always know how much is in there, and so forth
and so on. Um before you make that decision, I have been reviewing the Hazel Matthews um files that I have on hand in the library and I am very curious and it
doesn't say it in here. Remember Nancy when you were talking about wanting to have a um bylaws policy that future boards would know what's going on. This is that situation, that moment, right? It doesn't explain to me in here why Hazel was
separated. It's a grant. It is a bequest like any other bequest and but it's separated in in the monies and I imagine there was a good reason for that. So, did Kim have any ideas for that? So, hold on. I'm laying it out. I'm trying
to be thorough. Okay. because I don't know um what will be useful for everybody here. You got to do the whole thing. You got to take the stack. Okay, there you go. So, what I'm providing you right now, and you might
want to take this home and review it for next meeting, too. You have a copy of the original will and testament of Hazel Matthews. You also have a sample of the will
Wilbert Storland will and I have given you two pages from the will and testament of Margaret Lacy who has also requested money to the library so that you can review and see
that the language and how each of these is written is the same. No, I got it. I'm sorry. Did we have enough to go around? I It's okay. I I'm familiar with the documents. you want to see him Ryan as the minute taker or
anything. Okay. So, for example, if you turn to the if you just open up Hazel Matthews and look to page three, that there's the language that you see in your policy. Monies from this account are to be used in such a manner that it does not lessen or substitute for monetary support. That
thing is on about the second page where it says the city of Grand So, this would be one way that you could consider if you'd like to consolidate the two accounts and function in a in that that way going forward with this
account. But I also have um one I don't know what the original the quest was, how much that was and how much of the the quest is interest. You might be interested in
knowing that to make your decision. And then I have this document which has no date, no initials. I don't know who wrote it, where it's from. It's just a typed note that says, "These rules shall
apply to trustees, library board, and gran city council regarding the bequest under the will of Hazel Matthews. The principle shall be kept intact and only the interest shall be spent. If there's a proposal to use any part of the principle, it may be used
only after a public hearing and approval by the library board and the city council. Notice must be given to the public by publication in legal newspaper and written notice must be given by mail to the library board and each library board member. The hearing shall be
conducted by the city council. I don't know who wrote this. I don't know what the original amount was. I think it was $100,000, but the records aren't clear. And I have an entire folder of communications between
board members and legal counsel about the account that I would need to go through and preferably not alone to determine what happened historically to make this account be special because the record doesn't say here's an overview of
what happened the critical decisions that were made and here's the sign off by your administrator what have you by the le the lawful enforcable will. If I'm understanding this correctly, we're meeting Hazel Matthews
request. She doesn't tell you that you you can only use it as a principle and interest, but this document suggests there might have been subsequent conversations about it that could apply.
And I can't answer those questions for you tonight. This I don't have the answer. does seem like something should go to the um you should I mean that because we're not qualified to to say that one way or
another no matter how much we want to read it. If there's a question we're going to start to deviate from from what has been done. I mean we don't know maybe we don't know 100% why they started doing it but we've been following suit. We're going to deviate from that. we should really get the city
attorney to look at it and tell us like yes, you can or there's nothing that says you can't because I don't think that we're I mean and I would bet that any documents that we have should also be at city hall and should be scanned in
at this point. So I think we hand it to them or make a request I should say. I would uh throw out your
posit since there is no signatures on this since there is no time and date stamp that this would probably in a court not be a legal document because it has we don't know where it came from. It could have been part of a bunch of other
documents that were signed. Not not uh do do we have anybody we have anybody of the Matthews family that is still around? That's a good question. Or from a prior board. I'm not saying that we ignore it, but but this is not a legal document. I
Right. No, you're you're probably right. Nobody I don't think any lawyer would stand up and say, "Well, since we found it in the city, it's a legal document because it has no time." No, but that's clearly not an original document either. Mhm. So, we would want to get those could be part of something. Yeah, that's
what I'm thinking. That's probably just one piece and that it could be part of a document that is, you know, because like when we have our meeting perhaps meetings, there are series of documents that might have been included in there and it could be there, but that's it's
going to be historical now and we have to dig back. But that I still think it would be the city attorney to tell us whether it's really in force or not. I think that makes a lot of sense. So 2004, so it's 20 years old. No, this is
Yeah. Um I think yeah, if you're looking at the time some timelines here, um I think that Hazel Well, we have the will 8788 and then um I don't think the dates are
in here. I believe that this account was uh treated like a an endowment fund. I think it was treated like our community foundation funds but inhouse and that there was a principal amount
and that the interests were being used for the library. Um the two community foundations that the library has were created much later. I think it was in the '9s. Uh I'd have to research but I believe they came later. So that this wasn't available.
Um as we get more information, a few pathways that I can present for consideration just to be thinking about or so you can give me better feedback and direction. Um, if it is the intention to continue using this like an endowment fund, we
could add to combine somehow incorporate what's we have since [Music] established. Um, one of the suggestions for how we would um proceed
with creating a zero cache in the 215 is to so There's a difference between cash and what is in a money market. If you look again at the colorful sheet that I handed to
you, the Hazel Matthews amounts are in the bottom see the top section right here. Okay. the um it says SSB, State Security Bank, LMCIT, but you want to look at the one
that's on the bottom that has the the um 137,841 in it. Um, so if you wanted to zero the account today, one of the ways that uh the
finance director would do that is to take money out of this market, turn it into cash and pay it. It's Hazel monies, Hazel Matthew monies that would pay out the outstanding
um amounts in the 215. Could you all turn to exhibit 6000 here? CCF XYZ. I'm just kidding. This this sheet right here. There it is. Okay. One another.
So you see I didn't I didn't dis I was trying to find out what the principle was on Hazel when I found that piece of paper that Eno had in his hand a minute ago before the meeting. But the plan was to discuss with you here are a list of
expenses that I have coded to the 215 that I would like to know if you would support being coded to 216 Hazel Matthews, whatever you want to call the other thing given your policy. Um, so for
example, we could let's just take some of the big ones here. Twin Ports custom climate air source heat pumps at $37,000. Does that for you fit into exploration and trial demonstrations of
new service? Yes, that could be recoded. Um, really tell me how. Well, let's see. Let's take a look at the Well, it's not limited to that though. It is not limited to those. It's not
limited to that. And well, let's see. Professional and consultant fees. There are several consultant fees and we could discuss what each of those are if you wanted to make a determination on a case-byase basis. But Hazel Matthews does specify that it covers consultant
fees. So, for example, when I worked with um ETR architects on the safety improvement plan, that would be a candidate. We could look at is Jeremy
Riddlebower working. So, the computers were purchased by library friends CR is Jeremy's support and the introduction of anti virus and DNS protection an exploration is that consultant an explorational
technology, what have you. Well, thinking about the heat pump. Yeah. I mean, exploration and trial of demonstration of new services are new services of the library. I don't I don't see how new services of the library or
new services. Well, yeah, I'm not sure about that. Um, and then professional consultant fees. I'm not sure that that's well again you know my interpretation would
not con include those kinds of consulting fees. Well would it like BCR architect like consulting with an architect? My understanding of the Hazel Matthews fund has been that it would be capital. Like
if you needed to build a new building, if you needed because even when you look at I keep talking to you guys about this um thing I put into your packet, this thing that I send you every month, right? Um 215. Here's Hazel down here. Here's
where I'm generally coding everything up here in the 215. When I get down here, the codes that I have available to do for bills are capital outlay for building for land for furniture and equipment. Ah, there is an architect
fees thing down there which we could use for one of these. Oh, the capital outlay for furniture and equipment that fits the Do you see how it really feel? It has a very different feel like this capital outlay. I would feel more comfortable doing airsource heat pump.
You can have this for a moment. You see this down here? And then staff development is listed in Hazel. Oh yeah. I mean that that seems for sure. I mean absolutely. But the big one is it would have been nice to get $37,000
all at once. That's that's a capital outlay though. Yeah. Maybe some that wouldn't fit. And that's in the policy, but it's not in the will. Yeah. Yeah. So, we we've got a code for it. And in the will, it
says possible uses, but not limited to, even if she doesn't say capital outline in the will. We've got the code for the capital outline. So, excuse me. Somebody must have decided that that was a another
possible use. But your policy doesn't say I can use it that way. Um, and so do you see where some of this confusion is coming from? Like if I were to install an emergency exit right now
and you said spend 215, I would code it Hazel because that's where the capital outlay is. Well, I guess it's in the it's in both places. So, this is another reason why like it'd be really valuable um just from a logistic
standpoint to be able to move toward consolidating the two funds and clarifying the policy. Yeah, I would. So, was that what Kim suggested is to combine those accounts? Kim suggested that if you um Yes. Yes.
Yes. Yes. Kim's that way. So, you might as well combine them. So if you look at the wills, they all use the same template language. It can't lessen government support for operations.
Um, and the and just the only hesitation I had about following the plan of advising that is that there are these conversations that involve lawyers trying to use the account in a different way and I don't have a guiding document
that says what was the principle and what were you doing with the account like what was agreed was anything agreed Yeah, that's why I would really like to get that clarified because I I'd be with you if I could see that that either doesn't matter, doesn't count, or
whatever, you know, I could I could get there. But but where other than in here, where does it say for that she can that those funds can be used for structural things? Where does it say
that? other I mean I doesn't doesn't say it anywhere that I'm well I'm still going through the records but her account her thing just don't just use it for the benefit of the library and not to lessen support
yeah from public funds right yeah no I got that 100% could we agree that we should take the steps we need which would include consulting with the county
attorney and looking at records and so on, we could take the needed steps. Yeah. Toward consolidation. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, absolutely. If we can get clarity on So, we we we can agree that the funds at
least theoretically should be combined, but we'll have to take the necessary steps to be sure that it's kosher. Yeah. Do we have to somebody have to move that or that could be an instruction? We might
want to be clear before we move on how this is going to be used while you don't know what we're none of us have agreed on anything right that there are still incoming bills that need to be coded. Then I would say we don't deviate from
what we have been doing. Can that just be the way of it? We're just gonna Makes sense. Keep going as we've done. We'll get clarity and then even if we go further in the hole, at least we know. We'd get some clarity. We'd know where we're at. We'd be now worse off.
Kevin, you had to look. Oh, I'm just trying to sink it all in. Okay. How did we get this way? Well, that's what nobody knows. That's what Well, yeah. I mean, that's why we're like, "Oh my god, why?" That's why we need clarity.
And Dave, you've been quiet. You can We can check the minutes, right? Well, that's what I was thinking or something because we've got those. Do we? We should be available, right? But it would have had
to know. Yeah, when it came to council, it could have come to council. Are the minutes all on file city? I know they scanned the heck out of everything they had. So, if the city had it, no. No more
microfish. I oppose. Yeah. Hard to work with. So, let's see if I understand this. So we agree we'll continue doing what we've been doing because we know we can do that and at
the same time we will work toward the consolidation or so to speak we'll look at all of the what surrounding circumstances. Yeah. So we can work toward the excuse me the consolidation of the two funds. Yeah. Yeah. Just got
to get clarity on that legally. is do we need to can I add another piece while we're talking while trying to do my best to represent this? Um the Hazel monies are in money accounts to put them to they have to be
moved to cash. So, the just these numbers on here are going to start changing. Um, they're going to they're going to be removed from an interest date. If they get put into if we put all the money into accounts, they'll be moved from an interest date um into the checking
accounts, if you will. I have a question. Do you ever code anything 216? Does anything ever come out of this account? Well, first of all, 216 doesn't even exist anymore. It's a remnant name. Mhm. Um because I I I have to wonder if it was used like an endowment fund where
this was like an interest fund, but yes, I code things there. Like I said, um you said you've been using 215 even. But if does money could have we ever taken money out of easil?
Do you know when I talked to Kim? So, I feel like we coded things I coded things there when we did the flood. I feel like I coded to Hazel. Um, from Kim's perspective,
nobody ever touches the Hazel Matthews fund. Please, would you do something with that money? But encouraging us to spend that. So, she's encouraging consolidation. She's encouraging as if it's not legal.
Y that's a thing. So, so what I'm hearing continue like we have been doing take this to the administrator, finance director and preferably the
uh legal counsel and get clarification on the documents that we have as to what we legally can do so that the board can make a decision. We'll have this on the board agenda for next month. And also, you provided suggestions on consulting
minutes from 8789 or finding um surviving board members who would have been working on this at that time so I can understand the context of what happened and why it's important. Remember that many years ago? Oh yeah, that's a while ago. If you really wanted
to, you could contact Steve because he was very about this into the Hazel Matthews fund like it was regular conversation conversation for him. Do you remember any of those conversations?
Well, um my memory is that uh we could use it for building building things and it's kind of a reserve for those types of improvements and investments. Um it's coded that way, but it's not in the policy that way. And yeah, well the in
the policy um possible uses but are not limited to that's I mean they they they all have a similar slant but if you if you say not limited to that's
like okay everything then like and that's the thing like what is not limited to mean and that's you know what is is what what is is you know what's the But I think there is a definition of that. That's what I'm saying. Like there
is a legal definition of what do they mean by that in this context and because it because limited not limited to but it could but there could be a limit to what does that mean in this context?
I don't think it means that it's totally wide open because if it did then what's the point? Well that's kind of what Kim is saying. Yeah. So that's that's but using it using it for capital improvements so to speak I think is in the spirit of the Yeah. using it for the Google library. Oh for sure. And then
but the only caveat there is the wanting to know like well but they they've asked for there to be a reserve of some amount. It's like okay fair enough. One thing that occurs to me and this may not be relevant but um I belong to a church
in the Twin Cities that had they were very lucky. They had a lot of funds with special purposes and that had been queased to them. Unfortunately, some of those special purposes were no longer relevant, right? And so they did get
some legal counsel and were able to change and that's what that is. That's exactly what that is. then that's what we really need to do I think is that that gives you the ability in the future to make a decision that says like well
they said these things but we don't have you know we're not using exactly these different so hopefully the county the city attorney could you know think about that in that spirit I don't know but but I know that that that was or let us know
church what yeah it could just let us know is it an open door If it is an open door, let's do it. Yeah, exactly. Given how long it took me to explain this, in other words, given the complexity of the monies, how they're used, how they're
how they're coded, how they're um in the money markets versus cash and so on, which is not my strength. Is there a board member who would feel good about um working through this with me? Did you volunteer Kevin? Is that what I
heard? She volunteered him. I don't know. Kevin's got a lot on his plate, but let's see what Kevin says. I could Would the board support Kevin acting as an agent? Hell yes. Oh, yeah. Okay. Um,
so you and I will want to get together in the next few days and um just get a handle on on the conversation a little bit and I'd like you to see the Hazel Matthews records that I have and we'll make a plan together and bring something back to the board for the next board
meeting. You know, this whole thing looks like it was a done deal by the first quarter of 87. So, they probably hopped on it pretty fast.
And you when you start looking at records, it's probably 87. Of course, is this when she passed or is this when it was filed in the city on March of 87? Well, we don't know, but we
don't know when she died. If that's when the will was filed, we probably didn't start anything before we got a will, right? Or money. So, she could have passed 10 years later. I mean, we don't know, right? Oh, gee, I didn't think of that. I assume
this is when that's a Google, right? Search. Yeah. And funny story. Um I'm pretty sure the city has capital reserve, right? But not for the library. The library has their own capital reserve. Is that that that is my understanding?
That sounds right to me. Yeah. And then what about operating reserve? Um an operating reserve. Wasn't there a um Oh, I mean you mean for us here at the library? Yeah. And well, and the city the city Yeah. also has that but yeah at the
library I think that is that is we were just that's the 211 I see okay just yeah so uh for library funds also I'm sorry 215 is just 30,000 is that the minimum three and four
sorry so the restricted fund letter D Roman numeral four down not below operating. That's where the the big chunk of it. Yeah. Well, that's that's that's why I'm like, well, that's kind of funny because I assume the city
had an operating fund for the library as well then for city employees. Like that's I don't know how the auditing would work. But we are that hybrid thing, right? Yeah. I might not be adding anything to
the conversation but your 211 operating fund also has the balance is desired to be at six months. So like together you have a year of operating. Wait, what did you say right here? You
act there's a policy about the 211 operating fund for the library. I think that is there's a goal written in there to have six months operating and when we talked about this I think I think it was February the numbers were right where
you want them to be. It's six months plus a little bit healthy, but the account es and flows with the way that monies are deposited from county or from city and um expenses that happen once a year. So um account 211 we need to have six
months of operating and account 215 we need to have six months of operating. The city would advise you that you need three uh 25 to 50% operating expenses. So aiming for six is generous and
healthy. And then the board decided plus we want to do that in our 215. Okay. And that's the part I don't quite understand. Yeah. I that's something that we could amend as the board. Yeah.
as the policy, which I Yeah. I mean, and then again, we'd only be running up against that rock if it's real. Yeah. But I agree. Yeah. I mean, as the board, we can make that choice with those funds.
That does seem egregious. And I think that came up at another early early not us board meeting, but Jay Also just you know one D there the
minimum balance for insurance deductible like at this point it seems really arbitrary like this policy $10,000 yeah I mean that's an arbitrary number because and well yeah and 20 and 20 for computer replacement I mean so the the
city's insurance deductible is still $10,000 and I know that from the flood and Um, we also had this situation with the flood because we flooded three times with breaks in between that the insurance company wanted to bill us
separately for each one and give us three insurance deductibles that happened, but 10,000 is um the recommended amount. Okay. Yeah, but the computers might be a little low. say like this is tied to when that number
changes this number changes rather than having say 10,000 because that is arbitrary. Do you know what I'm saying? Okay. Minimum balance is to be maintained in this account for number one insurance deductible just saying that yeah
whatever the yeah current insurance and the 20,000 computer replacement like absolutely that's We need to replace computers, right? And and we know it's coming, right? So, we might as well capital plan if we're budgeting for Yeah. And I think aren't we budgeting
for that anyway? Well, that was what we were hoping to No. But not this year. It's not something we that's in the current operating budget, right? It would be a capital Yeah. Okay. expense.
We had talked about Okay. And the more I learn about it, it sounded like the 211 cushion of six months would be where
we would take money to absorb a technology. Like if we had to if we had to replace all of our computers to operate, it could be considered an operating expense and it could be taken from the like the board could choose to spend from the balance.
It's just that we have healthy funds. We have healthy donations and funds in the 215 and that's where we have been like strategizing computer replacement that and um this year with the generous support of the friends
Um, also, you know, the financial policy was created in 2015 and we updated in 2019. So, I would have been here for the update. I just don't remember what the update was. Um, one thing I know that happened about
that time regards the Luth Superior Area Community Foundation and the board found out that well did they find out or just decide there was a lot of investigation into
how these funds were doing for their return and they made some changes as to where we would um prefer donations to go and they also decided that they would stop receiving annual interest checks
from DUTH. and just start reinvesting them. And you heard about this in my communication uh what happened with that money. Um so instead of going into the 215 it went back into the L and I know
that those changes I was here for those. So I think that would have been it. I think it was 2018 maybe that reinvestment is that when it happened and then the policy was updated. I don't I'm sorry I don't remember but I guess the thread I was
trying to grab again um before was again uh 1D so we talked about that minimum balance to be maintained in the account and it's got one two right 30,000 and then the balance be
considered is that exit exigency exigency um operating cash circumstances like the whole rest of the fund is to be held in case of a catastrophe. Is that what that says? The
balance to be considered. Huh? That is confusing. It's very strange. What balance needs to Right. It's very very strange. So I think Yeah, we could we could do some clean up here. Yeah. I mean it
could I Yeah. What are they saying? I think probably intentions were to try to bring clarity with the examples, but when it says not limited to it just possible, but not limited to it. I mean, that just doesn't
say anything, but it doesn't say, right? Yeah. And I think we've always been spending or the intention was to spend out of 216. um whether it's
for yeah uh trim or you know partitioning or um any of the building stuff memory but so so the reason we're not at zero in the 215 is because all this
whole list is maybe you know intended to go to the 216 or that's what I mean because we're in the negative appears that the so like when I asked him how much is in the 250 you're looking at a bunch of projects that we want to do and she would say
well you have 270 you have 270,000 your policy K and and that and then she would say and there's this 70,000 I need to move money out of the money markets to um zero that out and I would say okay thank you
um so I think it's a miscommunication between us and how this is functioning and she kept saying, you know, this this just this amount is the Hazel Matthews, but equaling that didn't equal in my brain that these um two two accounts function
the way that they do. So um we have to zero it out and according to our policy we also have to add 30,000 plus 6 months operating or right 30,000 plus 30,000 plus six months operating
then so then Hazel Matthews is like have right or Yeah, that would be about right. And then we we just want clarity on what what we legally can do.
I mean, the policy has examples of possibilities, but it doesn't have restrictions aside from the minimum balances or whatever. Yeah. I mean, if those aren't if those
aren't tied to statute in any way, which I don't think they are, then uh yeah, we're free to decide as a board or trustees to amend that to fit our current purposes, which
is the whole reason to say and whatever else comes up so that we can do that. Um yeah, I mean so we have some work ahead of us, but uh yeah, once we get clarity on the whole legal ease, I think
that will make it a whole lot easier for us to say like, "Yep, consolidate, we'll rewrite this language." So it makes sense to us. Well, so it makes sense to us and to the people who serve on the board after us. Yeah, that's our hope. And I'm sure the people before us thought they were.
Yeah. Well, but we'll we'll know what it was like before they were And this came to a head because of the discussion around the security door, right? emergency exit um or security orders and or emergency exit just the whole security um things and then the
board running into like wait we don't have much funds um which if the Hazelmat uses have say there would still be I think enough to do those but
um was there this hesitation hesitation because depleting significantly or um there wouldn't have been because we were at we're at 270 that is 6 months and 30,000
or close that is very close to it. Oh, thank you. Um but if we want to move on into the communications, um Amanda had a memo for us about other funds that might be available that wouldn't cover the full amount.
Um, the D Superior Area Community Foundation has a spendable amount. Would you like me to sh Do I need to do a thing? Should I share this with everyone? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So,
um, with talking about the emergency exit and the security camera improvements, with, uh, taking that look at the financial standing of the board, one of the jobs that I had was to get clarification on spendable amounts from
our community foundations. and I confirmed with the Duth Superior Area Community Foundation that you have a spendable amount of $33,426. I talked a little bit um a moment ago about how that money
came to be is that the endowment fund continues in perpetuity generating a return of about 4.25% on the fund balance over a 12 quarter period. And this is currently about $5,900. The market does fluctuate. It's
not a fixed number. In 2018, okay, so that's David. That's where that's coming from. In 2018, the trustees requested that annual checks from the endowment be reinvested rather than added to the 215 and that
results in the spendable amount. You can continue to rein there are options for you that you can take using this money. You can continue to reinvest the annual checks. You can redirect them for deposit to the
215 and you can also withdraw up to the total spending amount of $33,426. I would recommend I would strongly recommend that we take the 33426 spendable amount and 11,000 from
Hazel Matthews and implement the emergency exit project. Before you do that, we should have a conversation about the exit and be sure that we're all on a page about
where it's going, why it's going, what the scope of the project is. So the wait and so the 11 tell me about the 11 coming from the Matthews. The quotes for the emergency exit or 42 to $48,000. The duth superior would provide you
3,3400 of that and then you would have a balance to equal the the quote this point we're not at a point we could take that 11,000 correct I mean we would have to
change our our policy in order to make that happen and we would have to make sure that we don't have to keep the balance. Correct. Well, everyone just discussed that the Hazel Matthews has been used for building.
Yeah. So, I I'm just saying that, but 215 or Hazel Matthews, I think both apply like the 215 specifies that you can use it for building, right? And and I guess I'm not security but I'm saying that we have a at least right now the
way things are written we have a balance that we are supposed to maintain and so I think that we can do that but we couldn't do that yet. I would say we have to change the policy and agree on it and do all those things and then we could do that.
I don't think we could do that at this point. That would be my because of the minimums. Yeah. But I don't think we can we can do and so we're at the military. We are negative and then we're at par is
what I are we negative in the 215 not in the 216 right we're negative in the 215 but we have funds in the 216 but we're not 100% clear on whether we can how we move money from 216 to 215 if
that's within the scope of our uses of 216. Did you say we we needed 271 in there? Close to it. I think we could get an exact number from Kim. And that's based on the six months and 30,000
216 doesn't have doesn't have that requirement, but 215 does, which is currently at 70. So, we got to do something with that. So our year end budget for 24 was
$465,000. So call it 230,000 would be six months of operating expenses plus 30 plus the 30. So we we would be close but so we'd have to move all basically all
of 216 into 15 in order to be in order to meet policy. And I think we should just consult with Kim about the policy and like what's the why does this mean to what? Uh so the board wrote the policy. What do you want
them to answer for us? So I can I mean we could Yeah. We can change the policy. That's certainly within our ability. Doesn't make sense to policy. No. Yeah. I mean, if there's no
and if there's no statute that says that we have to do this or that, then I and I I don't see that that points us then nowhere in there is it pointing to anything any other legal anything. Well, I um I
see that there is a path to redo policy, redo things. Mhm. Um, and we're weighing that against the security and safety
of residents and workers. Um, so I I would I would say that we take the 30,000 the money from the Northshore or
the the Duth fund, you know, and target the the 216 specifically for the for the remaining balance while at the same time working to consolidate what is left of the of the two different accounts to the
policy. So that's a what we wish could happen. Yeah. I mean I think uh well I mean I think that we should follow along with proper procedure and Yes. and
do it step by step. I think you're right in the direction we want to go. Um but I think we follow it. I would agree. I made it. Yeah, we can change the policy. You know, it's I know why I wanted to talk to Mike and Kim was because if they had any
perspective on why we would need the six month operating like Yeah. On top of Right. Yeah. Like to have six and six, right? Right. Both. There are a lot of Yeah. unanswered questions. Sure. Hopefully we could Yeah. find some answers. Yeah. So
maybe that's right. Exactly where we're at. like we'd like to know that we'd like to know about the legal ease of that. We have to keep to know if the bill can be I don't know not changed exactly. Well, and you know, I I
don't think we would necessarily be I mean, other than that addendum, um we we're kind of clear able to do it in my lawyer, but you know what? Just reading that sounds like okay, maybe
there's something. Let's get clarity. And if there's nothing there, then yeah, sounds like we can like do it all and be within policy. Um I think maybe if the numbers line up because did you say 260
for 6 months plus oh 230 so 230 but then also 30 so that's the 260 and so then we have oh plus the 70 is that right I did not factor in the 70 yeah so that's taking away so that's
going to totally go against policy Yeah, that's why we're So, but we definitely have we can do that. We can change policy for next time. We can, you know, get some clarity, some legal
on that puppy and Okay. So, you are going to you and Kevin are going to work on a plan. Yeah. Go go go through documents. But I mean, we've got bids in for this project and it is I think what we're all
intending. Well, well, could we or we not? Maybe we could maybe we talk a little bit more about that project. Yeah, I would I I want to if we could separate these Yeah. issues because I would definitely Yeah, because whether
or not we go ahead with the project, we should still think about our policies. So, that's kind of a Yeah. related but separate issue, right? I mean, it brings it to the four but Yeah. Yeah. Got it. For sure. Agreed.
So, [Laughter] is this anything we need to move or I I don't Kevin's our man. Is there something there? I don't think so. Yeah,
I think we're in discussion. There's no Yeah, we might be able to make Okay, we're we're getting there. We're just trying to be legal here. Want to break anything. And under old business, we have reviewed
the strategic plan, which is just on the agenda to keep fresh forefront. If anyone has anything we need to discuss, we can certainly do that. Otherwise, I suggest we move on to the emergency proposals and question about those. Okay. Well, I've been thinking a lot
about this and the question that comes up to me in my mind is what are we trying to do? And we're trying to enhance safety, but maybe not create a 100% safe
environment. Such a thing doesn't exist. Doesn't exist. We're trying. We're trying though. But maybe we should review what safety improvements the library has instituted so far. Yeah. Okay. Because there have been a
lot. So, Amanda, do you I'm ready. She's ready. So, some of the safety improvements and changes that have happened so far are as follows. I've banned two patrons from
the library permanently and reinforced that with trespass orders through the Cook County Sheriff's Office. Those trespass orders to date have been successful. We do have experience with um one of the individuals returning when the trespass
orders are expired. And so I've proactively um submitted new trespass orders. They expire every year and they can't be extended. To date, to my knowledge, the individuals have not returned. So this has been an effective measure for the
unique situation that we had, for the specific experience that we had. I upgraded our security system and installed silent alarms. The upgrade allowed us to reduce time uh the response time from the call center from
a minute and 30 seconds to um immediately. We installed a security door between the public and staff work areas. I relocated a staff person's workstation to a place that felt safer and more defensible. Uh ideally we would
open that workstation back up. And this brings us back to the conversation of the emergency exit and its ability to service this room and that desk. Um I provided staff uh runhide fight
training with the sheriff and this month Sheriff Elias is returning to do this training citywide. I installed some opaque window cleaning like what you see behind you, although this piece was already here. And I also have a piece of one-way
privacy film on the staff exit door to reduce uh visibility from one side to the other of the person on the other side of the glass. In all of the cases, I installed a camera and a monitor at the staff exit to help increase our visibility of what's
happening outside before we exit and worked with the city to install a street light to illuminate the streets outside where we are parking. Since we don't have a parking lot, I installed an intercom system so that we could
communicate with the public from a remote space if needed. Um, and I purchased I purchased and I'm working. Oh, yeah. I got the blink cameras. So, we're moving towards security cameras
with the blink which is purchased and then we're waiting for the policy to install those. I would say those are the And how much has all of that cost? It's in the $10,000 range. So
done a lot in a short time. It's been a year. It's been a whole year. I'm I have been thinking about the door and thought that, you know, it would open back outside here in the front.
to my mind. I'm not a security expert, but it doesn't seem like it would be necessarily that much safer. [Music] Um, and I'm wondering whether putting in the door and all of
that, is it really a significant improvement given the cost in time, energy, modification to the building? And maybe we could review for a minute what well what the contractors said but
what especially Homeland Security said because I believe Homeland Security had some recommendations to and I think uh jumping jumping on what Nancy is saying there if we look back what he he wasn't really recommending the door. That's
right. He said there are probably better uses Yes. of our time. Yes. Money, energy. So, I'm not not inclined towards the door myself. Um, and you know, I considering two other locations in town. What do you
have at the new city hall? As far as as far as emergency exit? Yeah, I guess we have Well, from for clearing the room, you mean like the city hall? Yeah. There. Yeah. I mean, I guess there's a back hall that you can get into. I mean, we do have a back door. There is a door
over here. staff side. And so thinking about other locations in town, the new city hall, what about the co-op? What about books? What are their safety features? Got Yeah. I mean, most of the places you go
do not have an exit everywhere you wish there was. Yeah. Yeah. And um I got to thinking too we could you know we could put we've done a lot we could put in the door and
all of that and supposedly it would all be safe. But you know there was a something that happened in the cities recently where a restaurant a drunk drove in. What would happen if something like that happened here or if someone because this has happened in the past,
people lose control of their car, something happens with the mechanism in the car or you know, god forbid a big truck. There's no 100% we do the best we can. I think we've
done a lot. Yeah. Um, so a security or a extra door isn't necessarily for just some kind of security because you got a bad guy someplace. Yeah. because you know I've
been lived in Joplin, Missouri for a long time and they had a hell of a lot of people killed in a tornado almost 200 people in n in 2011 and one of the reasons there was not because they couldn't get out of the building because they got into the buildings that were constructed the way that they would
collapse if there was a wind lifting the roof because the roof held the sights. They they they got out where they were supposed to get out. They got to where they were supposed to get. they got to where they were supposed to be and still killed them. Yeah. So, so there's there's reasons to have these things.
You know, it isn't storm related. You know, I we're not going to be as prone to tornadoes and things like that here as they were a job. But, you know, there's other things besides What about the contractors? Do what did they say about modifications to the
building? Contractors want us to tell them where to put the door. So, they can't tell us, contractors were not in a position to tell us that the installation of the door would succeed in
um protecting people from a threat. They just want to know where do you want the door and to put it in. Um, one cont the contractors, um, I'm speaking specifically about construction individuals that I have worked with, um,
they seem a little surprised that we're willing to move forward with a project of this expense for what you're getting. One contractor said that your building meets code requirements and the door that you want to install is for
convenience. These individuals are not living in our library. they're not serving our patrons. Um they just are um really good at modifying buildings and the help that we need, but they're not understanding what it's like to be in
the building. Um does I mean does that help? So I'm just wondering the perspective is different. Was there any sense of how it would affect the structure, you know, the structure of the library? Would it would it be neutral? Would it
possibly undermine the structure? Would it I don't know. Did they have anything to say about that? Let's talk about the placement. So, the room we want to serve with an emergency exit is this space right here. And there are two viable
walls which I'm calling the west wall and the south wall. And I hope I got that right because I think we're on a pivot right. Um this wall was assessed and the contractors are consistent in saying this wall is a loadbearing wall and
there would need to be structural engineering done to get the door in. Um they were talking to me about the corbells outside. Um they're also concerned because all of the snow is coming off the roof in this direction that it
increases the likelihood of a blockade which would make the door not operable in an emergency unless staff are keeping that open. This site over here, it was um unanimous
among all of the individuals that I spoke with about being the ideal site for the door. For example, a contractor said um I don't have it here. This site is ideal because of the structural
challenges over here. This is the best wall for the for the door. Now they again the contractors aren't looking at this from the perspective of a scenario right they're just looking at which space is more viable and cost effective
for you to consider well I do come back to that question about and for me I thought it was I think it's worth noting that the person from Homeland Security did not really feel that this was a good
use of our money. And so I think I really think we have to ask ourselves is this a significant improvement given the cost in time, energy, modification to the building. I I think um well you it's it's I
understand what you're saying. Um I think um it was a staff preference like a number one feature um for safety. And so um you know our intention is to retain
staff Um, and you're right, they can't always be 100% safe, but but if if the feeling was that that would make people feel safer, but I I hear hear what you're
saying. It's a lot of money. It's not a small decision. And and if the security experts are saying, I think that's something that should we should we should really give good consideration to. Yeah. I mean, I I
you know, it wasn't it wasn't at the top of of their list. I realize it's at the top of our list and I think that we're all sympathetic to that. Yeah. Um but you know, again, you know, things change when finances change. Yeah. Um certainly
if we had a little more money, you could think about it. Endless stream of money would help, wouldn't it? What's that? Endless stream of money would really That's right. That would be great. Then it would be an absolute Oh, yeah. We can do that. Yeah.
But but then we have to think like is that really and we are limited. So we do have to think like is this the best use of those funds right now? Right. And changing the policies even it takes two or three
months. I mean, I think everybody around here agrees that having six months worth of of operating funds in a reserved fund where it's already covered on the other by operating
expenses is pretty well bull hockey. So there are funds that are going to be readily available for this. It isn't that it isn't that we're going to cut staff. It isn't that
we're not going to get computers. It isn't that we're just that we're not following the we're not following the policy right now written that we agree that is a bad policy. Yeah. And yet I well I'm I'm not gonna
go off campus with you on this one. I mean I like a vendor but you know I think uh really following the policy is the way to go. Even if we want to go that direction I think we should change the policy. I think we should amend. I think we should get the legal ease and
then we can I would agree talk about the spending after coupled to Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, but they can be coupled in a sense because then we definitely have the funds. That's true. To do the door, but but the policy, even without the door, the
policy should be Oh, yeah. Yeah. Either way, but but but but we know what our marching orders are. We get the policy square. We make sure that, you know, Kim and and our lawyers say like, "Yep, yep. Good to go." Then we say, "Okay, we've got the money now. Now we can make a
choice, right? Let's say we can definitely pay for this." But let's let's do a little more consideration about where we for sure. But we've done a lot of talking. I mean, you know, we done a lot of research, you know, a lot of that kind of stuff. So, I feel like
we do have a lot of information. Yeah. Um, but since we can't make that, we we will choose not to make that decision right now till we get the funds taken care of. Okay. I'm fine with that. Let it that works. Let it percolate. Can we
do that? Trustees. It's hard. It's a really expensive thing. People want it. What we want is to give people a way
out in a space that feels like a death trap to us. in a space where we house our most precious members of our community. It's our children's room and our public programming space where we put a lot of people in here and that's
why we feel so passionate about it. At least I can speak for myself. That's why I do. That's helpful to hear. Thank you. Um, so on the proposed I really appreciate this detail. On the proposed
facility modifications, there's also the interior remote locking doors. Um, so I in my proposal to the board or in the modification I recommended for the
strategic plan, it doesn't include those doors. But if uh so we had talked about how great an idea it would be. We talked about go big, go home. We talked about solve the safety problem rather before we talk about how much it would cost.
And so I do have one quote on internal locking doors that would be worth pursuing if we continue down a path where I'm finding funding for one or all of these projects. Like if I could get
that into a larger grant situation, that's kind of what I would the direction I would want to go. So you can take 15,000 off of the combined work if you want to look at it that way. But when I'm thinking about it in terms
of grant land, I would want it. I'm sorry. The last thing you said if I were pursuing grants Yeah. and and creating a proposal and the grant allowed for it. I would want that in in there for sure. Like it's a it's a it
would be a very nice to have feature for being able to complete a lockdown in our building. I would agree. Our priority is the emergency exit from the staff perspective. That's that's helpful. Sure. And maybe we can do the door and then next year do the
interior locking doors because we piled on all of this in a real short time. This is part of the reason we're we're running out of money. No. Could we say that we're going
to wait on the door till next month when we figure out our money and then if we've got the money? Are the quotes? How long are the post val? That's a good question. I can't imagine they're gonna change dramatically.
The one that you would Well, that I mean that's that's gonna happen. Yeah. The one that I think is the most likely to go away would be
um Johnson Wilson. They were very interested in taking this project on if it worked in their schedule with um other projects they're doing up here this summer. They're also the most expensive. So, if that vote were to be lost from us, I
don't think we would be in a worse position. I don't think so. I would agree. I mean, they if I remember right, they are willing to do all the or at least they mentioned more things in there about the disposal of that kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They just
said the words. It doesn't mean that the other people were. But yeah, I would agree. I I think that we changed the policy. Get our money made by a door. Be a lot easier once you have the money
nailed down. Yep. Change of policy. And I mean, I think Chris, you don't need the money up front. You need the money later. So, you need to know you have it. you need to know you haven't um spending money you don't
have maybe he he manages our travel oh I see driving Peter to pay Paul is professionally that's all suggest is
that I mean you don't even have you can have everything changed and you know to to your satisfaction And that's when you're going to need the money, but you can contract for your it seems to me. I see.
It's just like playing the, you know, the whole game about when am I going to submit that invoice? You know, do I have the money now or do I have it on Monday? Okay, I'll wait till Friday the next week because I got three day grace.
It's a good game. It is. I would like to bring up a safety concern and also a scope aspect of this project. There are more than a couple of people, myself included, who are concerned about putting a door in over here and then sending people right back
out to the main door where a threat could circle around. The way that we could have a conversation about that is if we um is just giving people a way out,
giving them access to a safe space, giving them a choice. Does that equal that they get that this door is helping us succeed in getting people to a safer place? Um, another way to look at it is um what
architectural additions would be needed to create screening or um a a cover that would allow people to move a different direction around the building than straight toward the front door. Another way to talk about this is do we
put it over there where it is right next to the door or do we look so all of my quotes I'm talking about the placement of the door all of my clo quotes are for that location for the reason that I talked about cost effective and structurally bearing on the south
wall. I can pursue projects that go out the front door and that work with the architect. Front wall. Sorry. Yep. Out the I want
the door. If if if we put the door here and people um are exiting that way, like we could go back to BTR architects and ask them to create screening, create rock wall, create something that helps provide cover directing people to a
specific direction. I just want to be clear that the project that I am recommending meets the requirement of helping people exit the building and that this consideration is is perhaps not fully addressed um by the location
that I'm recommending. There's no I'm very concerned about people going back out in front. That's everyone's said that at one time or another. It is a a flaw with the idea. It's got it's got so many structural
advantages, but it isn't the perfect place to spit people out. Is this I I'm assuming this wouldn't be a load structure. There's already a door over there. Well, it is. It's over there. But it's But if we created a doorway here, then people
could funnel here, go out that door, and then like a double door, double two doors out, create another doorway here so that they can just so everybody can funnel in here and then go out that side door. On that
side, then they'd be away from the main entrance. They be made away from. So they need two doors. You would add two doors. We did need a door right here and then a door on the end. And so that that on the end then we'll be reducing some of the
I see what you're saying. Also, um these double windows, it be a shame to lose them, but it would fit a door. Like you wouldn't have to modify the structure for the double windows. Yeah. So the snow issue is still there
and the load bearing issue. No, because there's already a header above those windows. So, you don't you don't need to modify the structure. It's it's all just within that framing already. You can just put a uh porch. I'm not That's not a portrait,
but a Yeah, a little sort of thing. Yeah. That would go out to the go out to create a sidewalk and then so it wouldn't be the snow wouldn't be on there. So, oh yeah, well they get the sidewalks also do
that. I meant to tell I'm sorry I cut you off again. Oh, darn it. Want you? Let me speak. No. Um, no. So, another um thing that one of the construction people said is to to manage the snow, they felt that they
would have to rework the roof line. This going out this way, if they were to engineer a solution to help move the snow, they would rework the roof line. And then there were questions about whether you want your landscaping to be a part of being
bulldozed. That seems extreme. It would be impacted, but that seems like a symmetrical problem. Yeah, we can. Yeah, that's not um Yeah, I uh I'm trying
to remember winters and there are huge snow piles right out there. Yeah, because it all just I'm actually really interested in your idea. Like if there was an archway or a door um I think people would have
to figure it like we'd have to we have to teach people where the exits are this going this way. Yeah. Two doors that way. Um but there isn't any. Is there a pitch going that way off that
wall? Is it okay? think. Yeah, because everything's sloping down here, right? Oh, okay. Well, that would be better. Seems less exposed over there. I think too it doesn't serve the desk, which was one of the concerns is that
this person is still having to try to come like that desk would have to be modified. I'm a little children's. Yeah. Okay. So, that's how I arrived at the solution that I did. Yeah.
Like this was the original kind of area, right, of preferred exit, but then there's a bunch going on right there and it's right. Ryan, where was the original location that we want that staff wanted
the door? I'm just asking you because I thought you um had maybe talked with Brian about it. Oh, last summer when Brian gave us a quote, we were looking over there originally. Yes. Um but
um you know, I think the staff's preference would actually be to do it in that double window over there. The second one in Yeah. Or the first one or second. Second. I like that. I snapped some measurements myself. It's these
corals we call them supports the eaves is about 83 in which is just under 7 ft and I think a three foot door the dam open completely and still swing open
the corals so that would be uh a staff preference I think a door in this general corner would be better than I think the staff's preference that people are in here 40 hours a week.
So over the furthest west one, is it because just kind of the the corner is a little more valuable as far as usable space or I think that would be a fine option, too. Well, no. I'm just outed I'm just wondering. I'm just thinking in terms of, you know, if an active shooter
Yeah. was planning to just circle back around and go out there. Yes. that would be more exposed right over there than it would be here where you have a bigger head start this is more visible so it's about visibility but I would say either one of those double
windows would probably be preferable uh but that's just me okay um I think you know looking at um you know the option of snow yeah there's going to be some snow if you look at this emergency
the exit back here. There's a pitch on that roof. There is a just a metal bar and I assume Lenny takes care of that. Of the snow that piles over there. Yeah. So,
same same deal. So, it's you know it's it's a it's a consideration. Um we could just put a little thing like could just put anything. No. So
well the way the library is laid out now change right um the second one I can I can visualize that there's not a couch in front of it the the book is right
there and and so it wouldn't interrupt flow like workflow or space flow or any of that so that makes sense to me door there would look okay on the outside of the building too. I think always thought that one of the these
double window spaces, you know, if the design of the building, it kind of features these windows, but if you had a door there and it was a nice wide door, it would look okay. So, I'm hearing that we should maybe ask
for new quotes on that. Sure. to explore this and let's move on to the next agenda item. Please, we're not quite ready, are we? Well, it'll be a lot cheaper to not cut into a wall, I guess. So, I mean, it's
already cut into Yeah. Okay. All right. And we've got the draft budget. paper ones. Okay. Paper. Today it's a paper day. This is It's a
sad paper extravaganza. What are you trying to say? Going over somewhere. I thought we had talked about whether or not we wanted to put programming into the operational budget.
whether we wanted to dedicate funds annually to programming so that we weren't fully dependent on grants. So that's something we may want to add in. And what
um has is it here and I'm just missing it. Like we didn't like plunk it in like We did not plunk it in. Yeah. Okay. So, what has the program been running? Last year I asked for um $15,600. Uh but let's break down what
some of that is. If you were to do a summer reading program, our programs run $2,000 to $2,500. Um, if we did winter reading program, it would be an additional $2,000 at least. That one has a lot more prizes. Um, the
summer one has a picnic. [Music] The adult programs I think are running $4,000. We try to do four holiday celebrations. their Earth Day Junth
Pride and um oh I miss Indigenous People's Day. Thank you so much Ryan. Ask the specialist. He knows it all. Um we consider those are core like more of our core programs and then there are the uh additional programs that happen
around that and I'm trying to think what the other amounts were. I know that um part of it would be a film series that we try to do in the wintertime is usually 10 weeks long and the licensing structures have changed so that the cost
of that program has gone up a little bit. I'm trying to remember if it uh if we do like 15,000 1,500 to $2,000 for that program. So, that gives you a little bit of an idea of what we're what you would achieve. Would it make
sense to just put $20,000 in the budget? You said about 15,000 is what you've Yeah. And that and that was last year. Do you have any other years that you can point to?
Just trying to get a sense of like was last year a high year, was it a low year? Yeah, that's a good question. uh last year we had two full-time librarian ones functioning in the library for the first time with capacity. So we had we had
capacity, we had staffing and that was those were the levels and then before that we had flood and pandemic. So it's a dead space before that. It was 2019 when Steve was here and but we were staffed differently again. So last year is probably the best we've
got. Okay. And we've been paying for it like friends has mostly been paying for it in the past. Yeah. Um there are library friends of Cook County
um are very generous in supporting our programs and their fundraising program with the um with the annual book sale that used to happen with Fisherman's Picnic that had a
fluctuation. It went away when we lost storage for the materials of the friends books throughout the year. And then they are they were in the process of finding a new fundraising strategy and they have their new um very
successful program with odds and ends, but they also are receiving other grants and monies that are not guaranteed. And so this is part one. Um, having a program budget approved by the
board backed by our our monies allows me to work with my two librarian ones and give them a budget they can spend rather than chasing between developing a program and trying to get the funding peace meal. Um, and
then sorry you guys, I'm getting tired. Um, I don't know what I was trying to answer for you. She asked about $20,000 would be enough. Oh, well, I think it'd be enough. Yeah. Yeah. No, it would be enough. It would be enough. I mean, maybe, you
know, maybe maybe it's we want to just go with 15. Yeah. I think I think it's a good move to have. Absolutely. To have it in there because Well, I think it should be in there for sure. Especially since that's fluctuating and that is what a lot of what people, not all what people think, but that is a big piece of
what people think of the library. Absolutely. So, for sure. I'm wondering if it might be a little lower because we probably will still get some monies from friends and so maybe just because I could see that getting pointed at by
council to say or county like cut that you know we have one one librarian doing Yeah. So that'll reduce Yeah, that's right. There's only so much capacity anyway right now. I mean I guess maybe we shouldn't budget for that. Maybe we
should budget for two because that's what we're hoping for. Our budget is set to have two full-time employees. Oh, two for programming. Yeah. So, we'll budget it, but we could budget at 10 and then know that we'll have some
fundraising. You know, I don't know when, you know, how people will look at this when we propose the budget, but what if we budgeted it for 15 and then we can cut and then say, "Oh, you really think that's too much? Let's go down to
10." One thing that happens that I've seen is um so we have a joint powers agreement between the city and the county. Yes. And if the increase is beneath 5% the county has to adopt it if they can
provide feedback but then because of that there is heightened attention around that 5% increase and um even at the city level. So, we're we are wanting to remain good stewards
of money and um also have an operational um budget that supports what we're doing. Okay. Well, if we added Well, 5% of 50,000 is 25,000. Wait, wait a minute. If we add 10% is
5,000. Yeah. If we add it to the budget. I mean, what what's I'm not obviously a numbers person, but what's our um our fudge factor, so to speak. We've got this budget proposed. It's, as
I remember, it's a little bit less than last year. It is. It's a 1% decrease from last year. Okay. So, if we want to add for programming, do we have a fudge factor that would keep us below 5%? That would keep us below 5%. Yeah, that would
be what we need to do. Then that's what we need to do. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I would just suggest that we try to shoot as straight as we can. Um Yeah. You know, instead of like the tact the strategy of, you know,
negotiating. I think I think if we have good reason for whatever number it is, just this is what we Okay. Well, spending on programming, then let's let's do that. Well, I'd rather do that, but if if let's if we're going to get increased
scrutiny to the point where maybe it'll get thrown out of the budget, then we want to stay within that 5%. That's my point. Yes. Well, it just be nice to see like what that is. Yeah. To see like what that number would be and
just so that we know like 10% is 50,000. So, okay. 5% be 25,000 is so 20 would be within that 15 would be certainly yeah or if I mean is that I'm sorry I mean use the restroom but is 15 the number that was last year
and yeah 15 15 and it sounds like we won't have the capacity right this year so we could say 10 which will give us some library friends you could say this Um, where is this though? It's not in
here. It's not in there. That's why. Maybe you're in the bathroom. I asked that, too. That's what it was. $12,000 into the budget for programming. What's that? I move that we move 12 add $12,000 onto the budget for programming.
I say 11,500. I already seconded it. Oh, damn. Any discussion? 115. No, I'm just kidding. Any further discussion? 112.
Um, I'm just really excited for this and I think it's much more accurate and and valued part of the entire community. So, yeah, it's really nice that we would normally
have a decrease, right? Um, it makes it easier to do this, too. Yeah. And usually what we get hung up on are the things we can't control like insurance. That's usually what always bites us in the Now, did we did we talk about the reason for the decrease?
Yeah, because there's only going to be librarian. Yeah. Well, yeah. And then part-time is decreased here. Can you explain it to us? It'll be full-time, but not at the same salary in a nice slow manner so that he has to process.
What did you just say? Um, is it Amanda? Is it not that there'll be two full-time librarians, but the new person will come in at a slightly lower salary? It is true. We have a newer employee right now and next year we will have a new librarian one,
which brings those rates down and it has to do with the step increases and how they land for the for the staff salaries. I actually thought we'd have a higher budget this year because of how it's looked. I mean, I I asked Sarah to check my work because I was like, "This
this looks surprising." Um, and also because we increased the budget to accommodate landscaping for next year and then the two the two or three pieces of software. But it's it's it's negative. It's a little difficult.
Um, Like we're looking at 24, 23, 22, all all of that. Those are the year ends. Those are the Yeah, those are year ends. Wow. Such rounded numbers in 24. Isn't that pretty?
Maybe that one's an estimate or something. Sure. I think Yeah. It's just surprising to me that they're like inflation, right? Where is that in here?
Well, whatever. No one another another vote. Yes. Putting that in is if times get tough and we really have to re in the budget, it will
be in the budget. Yes. And I Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I'm thinking about the like even if it gets reduced. I see what you're saying. Yeah. No, I'm thinking about the St. Paul Library. Um their board is the city council. That's
another thing. But St. Paul passed a um it was by vote that there would that the let's see the library um appropriation would never be taken out of the city budget. Nice. It can be
reduced but it can never be taken out. that's now statute. Now, this obviously is not statute, but same idea. If we've got it in and next year or thereafter, it it it'll be there and if it's there, it'll be harder to take out. If we don't
put it in, we won't put it in in the future necessarily. That's my move on to the vote. Yeah, let's move on to the vote. Thank you. Point of privilege. To the budget for programming. All those in favor? I
I motion passes unanimously. All right. Thank you all. Uh one quick question. No. Yes. What? Um I I I didn't I've been going to meeting to meeting so I didn't read the
thing. Uh we sent in we're talking about changing some bylaws. We It's not on the agenda as a This agenda was so full. So I think if we can fit it on June's we'll do that. Do you want to stay? You want to do it? No, I don't. I I was just making sure we didn't lose
sight of it. All right.