https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/25617/archive/files/7201c750883569260722867da9eb887a.pdf?Expires=1785369600&Signature=WS5fbyKFcBHIpxmV-CLPE7oAOt5%7EGZSqXaD9o5D%7EN4jyMhL5e4Pgs%7EH9in84MM2xISeRV6xS57OM1Jx5mC14EvNbL%7EuMVLsogF1WvTQOa%7EinOK4CU-w9bXP6Oh%7EMhWaCdkucI4B%7E0OAb9hpQkRGLS3K8Bk2akkfM92IcjJDE-2DzxRRLAZ3iLTQEDb7fhkoocYXxJna-%7ES%7EBE3yofCPK%7EF5okhOB%7EJIoUH%7EJOh7L3d2BJolDimU8YVlhGny%7EZN0-K409CbEHMk93R5bR29gvWH4wq%7ESe1VVk47BfksY9R5C5ZgDx69h2MPTjFTJrhyKuCNWZKWGPvwhKx4wIrdakSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 8b62b15849264bf20b3be9061c6686ed PDF Text Text May 13, 2020 Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Skokie Public Library held virtually via Zoom, Wednesday, May 13, 2020. CALL TO ORDER Mark Prosperi, President, called the meeting to order at 6:37 pm. Members present: Mark Prosperi, President; Eugene Griffin, Vice President; Karen Parrilli, Secretary; Mira Barbir; Jonathan H. Maks, MD; Magnolia Rivera-Pulex; and Richard Kong, Director Member absent: Susan Greer Staff present: Laura McGrath, Deputy Director; Blythe Trilling, Finance Manager Visitors present: Josh Campanelli, SMC; Andrew Berman and Alex McLean, Andrew Berman Architect Observers present: Scott Harrod, Earl, Denise, J. Doren COMMENTS FROM OBSERVERS There were no comments submitted prior to the meeting as requested on the agenda. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 8, 2020 Mrs. Parrilli made a motion, seconded by Mr. Griffin to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of April 8, 2020, subject to additions and/or corrections. There being no additions or corrections, the minutes were approved unanimously and placed on file. The vote was 6 ayes and 0 nays. DIRECTOR’S REPORT (Written report provided by Mr. Kong to the Board prior to the meeting) Temporary Building and Bookmobile Closure Following Governor Pritzker’s extension of the state’s stay-at-home order through May 30, I made the difficult decision to extend the temporary closure of the library building and bookmobile through the end of the month. Given all of the information that I have seen from health and government officials, including the Governor’s recently released plan to safely reopen regions of the state in different phases (see attached), I believe this is the best thing we can do to help keep our staff and patrons safe and healthy. I also spoke with Dr. Counard, Director of the Skokie Health Department, and she expressed support for my approach with the library’s temporary physical closure. �Library staff continue to work from home to offer online services and digital resources to our community. Patrons have expressed appreciation for our eBooks and other digital collections, online programming, and information and advisory services. A small number of staff are working in the library for limited periods of time to take care of basic operations (i.e., facilities, technology, and finance). All staff in the building are wearing masks and staying at least 6 ft. apart from one another. The management team meets every Monday morning online and I host a weekly “Dialogue with Donuts” gathering open to all staff, in which I share updates and invite staff to ask any questions they have for me. We are also in constant communication with our community partners to support efforts to meet the needs of our community and provide uplifting messages. The library spearheaded the “Skokie Lights the Night” project, meant to encourage people with a hopeful message and show gratitude for “frontline” workers who are serving the community. Library staff are also coordinating volunteer efforts to provide masks for Niles Township Food Pantry clients. We are also participating in an upcoming event to celebrate the school graduates of 2020 later this month. I continue to participate in regular phone calls and videoconference meetings with Niles Township leaders (i.e., school superintendents, village managers, park district directors, library directors, Niles Township Supervisor), local library directors, and national library directors. Tentative Plan for Reopening Building and Bookmobile Staff have developed a tentative plan to reopen the library building and bookmobile in stages. This plan is not meant to be rigid in nature, but it has helped us thoughtfully prepare for what may be possible in June and beyond. The stages may include bringing more staff back into the building to prepare the physical spaces and collections for service, possibly offering an option for picking up materials through the east driveway before reopening the interior of the building to the public in a limited manner. One of the key aspects of reopening our in-person services is how to handle our physical materials and spaces. Whether we provide materials through contactless curbside pickup or allow the public back into the building to access materials, it is important that we carefully consider the safest way to allow circulating materials to be brought back into the library and then circulate back into the community. Many in the library community are waiting for the results of a scientific study being conducted by OCLC, IMLS, Battelle (a research institute in Columbus, OH), RAILS, and other partners. The focus of the study is to study how the COVID-19 virus interacts with materials commonly found in libraries and museums, and effective methods of handling these materials. Our staff have shared our concerns and questions with RAILS, and we hope to gain some insights from the study over the next few months. Another aspect of safely reopening the building and bringing staff back is being able to provide supplies to keep people as safe as possible. We have ordered some masks for staff use, and have ordered extra cleaning supplies and equipment. �Financial Outlook for FY 2020-2021 Finance Manager Blythe Trilling and I have discussed our financial position and our projected outlook for FY 2020-2021 and beyond. We have prepared a spreadsheet (see attached) that provides an idea of what our financial position will be by the end of the fiscal year given a number of scenarios, including several possible levels of reduced revenue from real estate tax (RET) collections. Obviously, it is difficult to predict what the next year will look like entirely, but we received our spring tax revenue and our fiscally conservative and responsible approach over the years has resulted in a strong reserve fund. As a result, we feel that we will be able to maintain a stable position throughout the current fiscal year. The attached spreadsheet provides an estimated cash flow analysis for one year (FY 2020-2021), but we will also provide an analysis and projections for additional years (i.e., FY 2022 and FY 2023) within the next few months as we approach the time when the Board will need to consider the 2020 tax levy. Separate sheets are included based on assumptions (i.e., 10%, 25%, and 50%) of reduced real estate revenues. At the top of each page, there is an indication of our starting balance for the general operating fund at the start of the fiscal year in May. Projected expenditures for payroll, IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) employer portion payments, and accounts payable are shown for each month of the fiscal year. Our actual expenditures for accounts payable will be lower than these projected amounts since we are still temporarily closed through at least May and certain services (e.g., in-building programming) will not likely resume right away. We will also spend less on continuing education as I expect it will be quite some time before staff are allowed to attend conferences that require air travel and lodging. Our two payments related to the 2001 Bond (which expires this year) are also included under the expenditures column on each sheet. At the bottom of each sheet, you will see additional revenues ($1.35 million) from architectural fees that were initially paid out of our general operating fund but will be paid back to us from the new bond proceeds for the renovation project. There is also an additional revenue of $370,000 shown for what will remain from the 2001 Bond account, which may be transferred into the general operating fund after the bond is paid off in December. We will not have these two additional sources of revenue in subsequent years after FY 2021. Renovation Update We continue to make progress on the construction work for our renovation of the second floor and the first floor staff workroom. The new AMH (automated materials handler) was installed in the new first floor workroom this week. Since we extended the duration of our temporary building closure to the public, Shales McNutt Construction (SMC) is also close to completion of the public restrooms adjacent to the MR Gallery on the first floor, originally scheduled for Phase 3B in early 2021. SMC will also begin work on phase 2 (the west side of the first floor) on May 18. This phase was originally scheduled to begin in June after the completion of phase 1, but it will now overlap for a short time with phase 1, which is now projected to be completed in early July. Staff and SMC are working hard to clear the west side of the first floor to prepare for the start of phase 2. This involves the removal of furniture, packing staff offices, and moving or storing collections. Phase 2 will also �include work on the three interior courtyards, which will be key features of the finished spaces throughout the first floor. SMC Project Manager Josh Campanelli and Site Superintendent Mike Glover continue to ensure that they are following safety recommendations from health and government officials. Andrew Berman Architect (ABA) and SMC are in constant communication with each other and the library. Everyone involved continues to show tremendous adaptability and cooperation as we work together to make progress on the renovation. Roof Assessment SMC recently made arrangements for an assessment of the library’s roof systems in order to determine their condition and remaining estimated useful life. The roof systems are right at or within two years of their useful life. It appears that we can wait until 2022 to replace them, but we should also make some immediate repairs estimated at $17,000-$24,000 in the meantime. When we obtain multiple quotes for these repairs, I will present the information for Board consideration. Plan for Current Displays in Public Areas During a previous Board meeting, the Board requested a spreadsheet of how the current displays located in public spaces on the first floor would be used or discarded once they are replaced during the course of the renovation. I am providing a “Re-use Plan” (see attached) that includes the current location of each display, manufacturer/size information, the original purchase year of each display, and how we will use each display. Mark Kadzie, IT Manager, and his staff prepared this information, and have a plan for making good use of the displays for mobile dividers that will be used throughout the building for group work (e.g., the new Business and Community Center), some staff co-working spaces on the third floor, and other areas. Discussion of Director’s Report The Board discussed the plan for reopening the library and the process for accepting returns of physical materials. They also discussed other area libraries’ plans for the same. The trustees also asked for and received clarification about the financial outlook predictions provided by Mr. Kong. They requested that COVID-19 response and financial outlook be a standing agenda item for the time being. Andrew Berman joined the meeting at 7:00 pm. APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION PAY APPLICATION #5 The Board reviewed Construction Pay Application #5 and change orders #030 and 062-72. None of them were in amounts that required Board approval. Mr. Prosperi asked about the current completion date for the second floor. Mr. Campanelli explained that there might be an additional delay related to the manufacturing of light fixtures �which would mean an opening in mid-July. If that delay does not happen, SMC will be ready for a turnover on July 1. Mr. Berman shared that construction is going remarkably well despite the setback with the light fixtures. He expressed praise for SMC and the daily communication with his team. A motion was made by Dr. Maks, seconded by Mr. Griffin: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE CONSTRUCTION PAY APPLICATION #5, SUBJECT TO AUDIT. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. BILLS The trustees asked for and received clarification about some of the paid bills for the month. A motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Dr. Maks: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE BILLS, SUBJECT TO AUDIT. The roll call vote for approval was 6 ayes and 0 nays; the motion passed unanimously. YEAR-TO-DATE BUDGETARY STATUS The Board noted the year-to-date status. ANALYSIS OF GENERAL OPERATING FUND FOR THE SEVEN FISCAL YEARS The Board noted the analysis. CONSENT AGENDA (Financial Statement; Statistics Report; Reports) Dr. Maks made a motion, seconded by Mr. Griffin: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT, SUBJECT TO AUDIT, AND THAT THE FOLLOWING CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS BE PLACED ON FILE: 1. STATISTICS REPORT; 2. REPORTS A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. FOURTH QUARTER (FEBRUARY-APRIL) STRATEGIC UPDATE The Board noted the Strategic Update. Mrs. Parrilli asked about the sharing of WiFi hotspots with local schools. Mr. Kong explained that the library circulates hotspots and Ms. McGrath mentioned the program with the Village human services department to refer patrons who need internet access. Mr. Griffin mentioned the Skokie Community Foundation’s efforts help community members financially. �APPROVAL OF CHANGE ORDER FOR RENOVATION OF COURTYARDS Phase 2 of the renovation project, scheduled to start on May 18, 2020, includes the renovation of the courtyards. During the bidding process for construction in 2019, the original amount for the courtyards was comprised of three alternates accepted by the Board, and included in the total construction budget. The total amount for all three alternates was $160,030. As mentioned in the past, there was an expectation that the designs would be further developed before the start of phase 2. From the start of the project, the revitalization of the interior courtyards throughout the building was seen as a key component of the renovation, so there has been a special emphasis to make sure the designs for the courtyards were carefully considered and refined. Andrew Berman Architect (ABA) has now fully developed the designs for the courtyards to include planting selections for both the south and north/youth courtyards. The most recent designs also include much more space for people to walk around the courtyards and more trees. They also incorporate advice from an arborist to optimize drainage in order to ensure long-term maintenance and health of the plantings, as well as the general usability of the courtyards. ABA and Shales McNutt Construction (SMC) reviewed the new courtyard plans and shared them with contractors and landscaping experts. They determined that a change order for $85,000 would be sufficient for the additional demolition, concrete, pavers, plantings and trees, and drainage piping and catch basin work needed. Mr. Kong recommended that the Board approve change order #074 (see attached) for $85,000. If approved, he recommend that the additional cost be paid for from the capital line of the library’s operating budget, which is budgeted at $425,935. This would leave more of the remaining construction contingency for the rest of phases 2 and 3. If the contingency is not fully spent upon completion of the project, the library could possibly recoup this amount. The Board briefly discussed the plantings for the courtyards. A motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Ms. Barbir: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE CHANGE ORDER #074 FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE COURTYARDS AT A TOTAL COST OF $85,000. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. APPROVAL OF CHANGE ORDER FOR RENOVATION OF LOADING DOCK AREA Phase 2 of the renovation project, scheduled to start earlier than originally planned on May 18, 2020, presents an opportunity to renovate the exterior loading dock area on the south side of the library. Currently, the existing area presents a number of problems, including the following: • The area is not accessible. There are only steps in the loading dock area, with no ramp present to allow for wheelchair access. In order for someone using a wheelchair to access the �• • loading dock entrance, the person would need to travel further east along the south driveway where the sidewalk is level with the driveway. Additionally, there is currently no accessibility at all for someone to access the exterior staff entrance to the bookmobile garage in a wheelchair. The design of the steps is such that delivery vehicles make contact with the steps when they back into the area. This has led to an ongoing issue of the steps deteriorating, leaving broken pieces on the ground where staff and delivery people walk. The current design of the walkway from the loading dock to the staff entrance to the bookmobile garage would not allow for staff to transport the exterior book drop bins from the south driveway to the new staff workroom along the west side of the building. The steps approaching the staff entrance to the bookmobile garage would make it impossible to bring the book drop bins through that path. Andrew Berman Architect (ABA) and Shales McNutt Construction (SMC) worked together on a new design for the loading dock area that would address all of the aforementioned issues. Staff would be able to bring exterior book drop bins to the new workroom along the west side of the first floor without having to push the bins through public interior spaces. This would help keep the library’s floors cleaner and allow staff to handle materials in a manner that is less disruptive to patrons walking or standing in the first floor of the building. The ramp in the new design would make the loading dock entrance and the staff entrance to the bookmobile garage accessible, and make it easier for delivery people to use carts and dollies. This would also eliminate the need for vehicles to back up into any steps. Since SMC is already on-site managing the rest of the construction, and since the library is already working with contractors, this change order to enhance the functionality of a key area of the exterior is timely and beneficial to the library. The work would include the railings, concrete ramp, walkway along the south brick wall (on the other side of the south courtyard), and additional lighting to improve safety. Mr. Kong recommended that the Board approve change order #073 (see attached) for $114,143. If approved, he recommended that the additional cost be paid for from the capital line of the library’s operating budget, which is budgeted at $425,935. This would leave more of the remaining construction contingency for the rest of phases 2 and 3. If the contingency is not fully spent upon completion of the project, the library could possibly recoup this amount. Mrs. Parrilli asked for clarification regarding the need for wheelchair access. Mr. Kong explained that it is a primary entrance for staff and that is why that was a consideration. A motion was made by Mr. Griffin, seconded by Mrs. Parrilli: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE CHANGE ORDER #073 FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE LOADING DOCK AREA AT A TOTAL COST OF $114,143. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. �Messrs. Campanelli, McLean, and Berman left the meeting at 8:06 pm. APPROVAL OF RENEWAL OF BIBLIOCORE The library’s subscription to the BiblioCore catalog product is up for renewal and we would like to renew for a three-year term effective June 5, 2020. BiblioCommons offers their BiblioCore product for a minimum annual fee of $12,000. This renewal will guarantee that same annual fee through May 2023. The BiblioCore product is well-used and well-liked by patrons with over 600,000 user sessions per year. The initial three year investment in BiblioCore totaled $60,000 which included a one-time implementation fee of $20,000. The library identified BiblioCore as the best available option after a thorough review in late 2016, and there have been few additional products added to the market since that review. Mr. Kong recommended that the Board approve a three-year renewal of BiblioCore for $36,000. A motion was made by Ms. Barbir, seconded by Ms. Rivera-Pulex: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE A THREE-YEAR RENEWAL OF BIBLIOCORE AT A COST OF $36,000. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. REVIEW OF THE BYLAWS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Board Bylaws were last revised in September 2018. Since the Board recently approved a revised borrowing policy that included the elimination of overdue fines for patrons, Mr. Kong recommended that the Board consider removing Article VII Section 3 in its entirety. According to Article VI Section 1 of the bylaws, any changes to the Board Bylaws must be approved by a majority vote of the Board, with the actual changes presented for consideration at the regular meeting prior to the one at which action shall be taken. If the Board would like to make this revision to its bylaws, it may approve the revised bylaws at the next meeting in June. There was consensus among the trustees in support of the proposed revision. REACHING ACROSS ILLINOIS LIBRARY SYSTEM (RAILS) RAILS Board of Directors Meeting Friday, April 24, 2020 �The following are highlights from the April 24, 2020, RAILS Board of Directors meeting’s supporting documents and recorded video conference via Zoom. Financial Report: Mr. Jim Kregor reported that the unassigned General Fund total cash and investment balance ending February 29, 2020, was $16,700,000, covering 17.8 months of operation. He informed the Board that RAILS entered into a three-year electricity supply contract with NIMEC, beginning on May 7, 2020. This should result in annual savings, based on the past twelve months’ usage, of approximately $4,200. The unassigned General Fund total cash and investment balance ending March 31, 2020, was $16,100,000, covering 17.1 months of operation. There was no update on the Area and Per Capita grant for FY2020, and he is unsure, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what funds may be received in the near future. He announced that RAILS staff issued an RFP for auditing services. He will bring the results and staff’s recommendation to the next May meeting for Board approval. Since 2011, RAILS has been a client of Sikich, LLP. Executive Director Report: Since the COVID-19 crisis affected the country, the greater part of Deirdre Reynolds’ Director’s Report consisted of how she and staff are conducting RAILS business with restrictions, building closings, delivery and program cancellations, and ALA Conference cancellation. Staff are more creative with virtual services and planning for the future. They are currently active in establishing guidelines for safe curbside services. She talked about discussions with IMLS about the safe handling and cleaning of library materials. State Library suspended library certification for 2020. All libraries certified in 2019 will remain so. State Library also relaxed the rules on issuing non-resident library cards, so more Illinois residents can access virtual programs and services. She discussed how a few libraries have experienced budget cuts and subsequently instituted furloughs and layoffs, specifically Moline and Mt. Prospect public libraries. Board President Paul Mills detailed the upcoming Executive Director’s evaluation and recommendations, which will be voted on at the May 22 meeting. Next meeting: Friday, May 22, 2020, via Zoom. Mrs. Parrilli mentioned the survey from RAILS regarding steps being taken towards reopening. Mr. Kong stated that he would share information with the Board about how other local libraries are handling reopening. Mrs. Parrilli also mentioned an upcoming RAILS webinar designed to help library trustees understand the issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The trustees requested that information be sent to them about the webinar. The Board noted the RAILS report from Mrs. Parrilli. COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES Ms. Rivera-Pulex had a question regarding access to youth materials through Hoopla and other �library apps. Ms. McGrath provided an explanation. Dr. Maks asked about the format for June’s Board meeting. The Board was in agreement that a virtual meeting would be appropriate. CLOSED SESSION At 8:19 pm a motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Ms. Rivera-Pulex to go in to closed session pursuant to 5ILCS 120/2(c) of the Open Meetings Act (the appointment, employment compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body). The motion was approved unanimously. The vote was 6 ayes and 0 nays. The motion passed. The Board discussed personnel matters. ADJOURNMENT At 9:10 pm a motion was made by Ms. Barbir, seconded by Mr. Griffin: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADJOURN FROM CLOSED SESSION AND RETURN TO OPEN SESSION. The motion passed unanimously. The vote was 6 ayes and 0 nays. OPEN SESSION ADJOURNMENT At 9:12 pm a motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Ms. Barbir to adjourn the regular meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Karen Parrilli, Secretary � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Minutes, Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Skokie Public Library. Board of Trustees Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Parrilli, Karen (Secretary); Chavez, Monica Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-13 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Subject The topic of the resource Public Libraries -- Illinois -- Skokie Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LBM20200513.pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Skokie Public Library, Skokie, IL Language A language of the resource eng Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 2020s (2020-2029) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Serial publication, paper document Extent The size or duration of the resource. 10 pages 2000s 2020s COVID-19 library board meetings Renovation 2020