https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/25617/archive/files/7efce1b8a9b0060fec3c3819f7a72e18.pdf?Expires=1787788800&Signature=r%7EpXhSQlYYsW72CPs%7E5KON3S-SqZZFFVKNoLWAQAh3lX5h0ycLaIiJN2ilGg%7EIrw6%7E8Rttl0UgFPoA4rcxRh%7EvgIxRzYqAFy4BLEWfM7fDLKmUU0nsPJebs3koUrXSCHrL1woIhn4gZlbsNZRuqoqByaO0YHiSklkb-L4-InwanRIPfG4k3jixeTtGqiwChHbfeMIy9UgzYRtkS0qH%7EXHqxvjYNpGWSXIitoxwkwVFGBD2SPczWQJ5yJ5c2Wk8K%7E8PUgLayUM2HAUIvEPi4fwb0xPDaFTpHInCFpgPLmsiH40z9q-gs1LLud6Eyf5Q0eRxiO-pYkEyl8BSJ2gyhp1g__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 658a2e1b7d567082ba40ef968cc2f8ab PDF Text Text April 8, 2020 Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Skokie Public Library held virtually via Zoom, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. CALL TO ORDER Mark Prosperi, President, called the meeting to order at 6:30 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 Staff present: Laura McGrath, Deputy Director; Blythe Trilling, Finance Manager Member absent: Susan Greer Visitors present: Andrew Berman and Alex McLean, Andrew Berman Architect; Josh Campanelli, Shales McNutt Construction COMMENTS FROM OBSERVERS There were no observers present. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 11, 2020 AND SPECIAL MEETING OF MARCH 16, 2020 Dr. Maks made a motion, seconded by Ms. Barbir to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of March 11, 2020, and special meeting of March 16, 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) COVID-19/Pandemic Response On Friday, March 13, 2020, after discussions with various community leaders from the Village of Skokie, Skokie Park District, and local school districts, I made the difficult decision to temporarily close the library building and bookmobile to the public for an initial period through March 29. Following both Governor Pritzker’s announcement on March 20 of a stay-at-home order for the entire state through April 7, and later an extension of the order through April 30, I adjusted the library’s period of temporary physical closure accordingly. Like other library directors throughout the state and country who also temporarily closed their buildings, I made these decisions with the health and safety of our patrons and staff in mind. Information provided by experts, such as the CDC, made it clear that early actions to increase social �distancing are the best way to contain the spread of a disease like COVID-19. This is a matter of prioritizing public health, especially considering the sheer number of people that normally walk through the library’s doors each day, and the way in which our building essentially acts as a physical community center. While we are closed physically, we have made it clear to our patrons that we continue to be open virtually, offering a great number of services, collections, and events. Staff have worked extremely hard to make the adjustment to working from home, while balancing increased family responsibilities and processing the threat of this pandemic. Many staff are communicating and collaborating regularly using email and other online platforms. Steps taken to serve our community include, but are not limited to, the following: • Providing reliable sources for health information related to COVID-19 • Making online library card registration easy for new users • Eliminating all overdue fines and waiving all existing overdue fines, following the Board’s earlier approval of the new borrowing policy • Extending due dates on all currently checked out materials • Enhancing and highlighting our digital collections and resources (eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming content, learning platforms, etc.) • Recommending books, movies/television shows, and music • Providing chat information service through our website • Designing and offering online events such as online book discussions, livestreamed story times, and Civic Lab discussions • Connecting with and supporting community partners • Donating cleaning supplies and other items • Maintaining library operations, including building maintenance and security, information technology (IT), finances, human resources, and staff learning and development Most of these efforts required coordination between staff from across the organization and the communications and multimedia engagement team. I am very proud of how all of our staff have responded to such a disruptive change to our organization and broader community. This experience thus far has highlighted the fact that we have an exceptional staff who care deeply about the Skokie community and each other. I will continue to participate in regular virtual meetings with local leaders in Niles Township, as well as other library directors and leaders throughout the state and country. There is a strong spirit of cooperation as we all try to share information and advice on how best to navigate this difficult and uncertain time. I am looking forward to re-opening the library when it is safe to do so, and staff are already working on various plans to provide altered services if needed. Renovation Update �I am in regular contact with Shales McNutt Construction (SMC) to make sure that they are taking every precaution and following CDC recommendations to ensure the health and safety of those working on site. When Governor Pritzker announced his stay-at-home order (Executive Order 202010, issued on March 20, 2020), I carefully reviewed how it would impact the library’s operations, specifically as it relates to the library’s renovation project. After consulting with library Board President Mark Prosperi, our attorney Samuel Cavnar at Robbins Schwartz, Village Manager John Lockerby, architect of record Andrew Berman, and SMC (including president John Shales, project manager Josh Campanelli, and site superintendent Mike Glover), I made the decision to continue the construction operations. A legal analysis from Robbins Schwartz on the “Executive Order 2020-10’s Effect on Construction Projects” (see attachment) states, “Construction and many construction-related activities are included in ‘Essential Businesses and Operations’ and projects may continue.” SMC also assured me that they were able to continue the construction project in a safe manner, and I made it explicitly clear that the project should be suspended if any aspect of the work would make it impossible to adhere to the safety recommendations from the government and health experts (i.e., social distancing, frequently washing hands with soap, making hand sanitizer available throughout the work site, etc.). In the past month, we have seen a significant amount of progress on the second floor and first floor staff workroom. Individual rooms and areas are taking shape, walls are being painted, ceiling grids are in place, new glass was installed around the exterior perimeter of the second floor, some flooring is installed already in the study rooms, and the restrooms have been tiled. We know for sure that there will be some delays with certain light fixtures and the millwork, and this will push back the original completion date for phase 1. SMC is working on revising the project timeline, but it is difficult to determine dates due to the uncertainty of how long the delays will be for certain elements. Over the next two months, we hope to have a clearer picture of how the timeline needs to be adjusted. I will continue to provide the Board with frequent updates as more information becomes available. Discussion of Director’s Report The Board discussed the status of the renovation project in light of the Governor’s stay-at-home order. 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. APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION PAY APPLICATION #4 �The Board reviewed Construction Pay Application #4 and change orders #045-060. The change orders were all approved by Mr. Kong prior to the meeting as the amounts did not require Board approval. The trustees asked for and received clarification about the pay application and most recent change orders. A motion was made by Dr. Maks, seconded by Mr. Griffin: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE CONSTRUCTION PAY APPLICATION #4, SUBJECT TO AUDIT. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. CONSENT AGENDA (Financial Statements; Statistics Report; Reports from Department Heads) Mrs. Parrilli made a motion, seconded by Ms. Barbir: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, SUBJECT TO AUDIT, AND THAT THE FOLLOWING CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS BE PLACED ON FILE: 1. STATISTICS REPORT; 2. REPORTS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. PROJECTED YEAR END BALANCE The Board noted the projected year-end balance, and discussed how the pandemic may impact the library’s finances. Mr. Berman, Mr. McLean, and Mr. Campanelli left the meeting at 7:11 pm. The Board decided to move the operating budget approval up on the agenda before Dr. Maks had to leave the meeting. APPROVAL OF FY 2020-2021 OPERATING BUDGET Mr. Kong provided the Board with the proposed budget for General Operating Expenditures for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. He also provided information regarding the projected revenues and expenditures, including the utilization of reserves for the 2019 bond interest payments and anticipated remaining bond proceeds that will be used for the remainder of the renovation project. The projected revenues/expenditures also included the possible utilization of reserves for additional capital projects, in case it becomes necessary to start the roofing project this upcoming fiscal year and/or incur unexpected expenses related to the renovation project. The Board would be asked to approve any expenditures from this possible utilization of reserves for additional capital projects, and any amount that is not used in the next fiscal year will simply remain in the Reserve Fund. �A few important things to note about the adjustments made to the projected budget since last month: • • • Due to the COVID-19 crisis, revenue projections for corporate replacement taxes and interest from our investments and accounts were lowered significantly. In order to make up for the more conservative projected revenues, the proposed budget lines for salaries, programming, and continuing education (which includes conference expenses) were all reduced. The amounts for the collection budget lines, such as leased content and research resources, were increased in anticipation of more use during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still a considerable amount budgeted for physical materials. It is also important to note that projections for property tax revenue are based on a 0% increase from the total levy amount from the prior year. The total amount of the 2019 levy is $13,474,986 as approved by the library Board in September 2019. This is the second year in a row that the library did not increase its total tax levy amount. Mr. Kong projects $12,347,000 in operating expenses and $14,425,935 in capital allotment (includes $14 million in anticipated expenditures from the 2019 bond proceeds and $425,935 budgeted for the regular capital line in the budget) for a total of $26.77 million in expenditures of the General Operating Fund. The 2001 bond debt repayment for next year will be $1,273,050 and the 2019 bond interest payments will be $600,000. Mr. Kong requested approval of the FY 2020-2021 Operating Budget as presented. The trustees further discussed how the pandemic may impact the library’s finances. A motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Mr. Griffin: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE FY 2020-2021 OPERATING BUDGET AS PRESENTED. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 6 ayes and 0 nays. Dr. Maks left the meeting at 7:37 pm. QUARTERLY INVESTMENT UPDATE The investment policy states that the director shall prepare a quarterly report on investments and their returns. The library’s Reserve Fund for Sites and Buildings includes the following accounts, with their respective balances, at the end of the 1st Quarter 2020. • • • Fifth Third Bank Reserve Fund ($1,092,736) IL Funds Reserve Account ($6,000,517) IMET Reserve Fund ($569) �• • • North Shore Community Bank Max Safe 4 CDs ($1,073,265) North Shore Community Bank 4 CDs ($1,060,339) First Bank Chicago CD ($1,062,400) The total balance of the Reserve Fund as of March 31, 2020, is $10,289,826. This is a 16.14% increase from the balance one year ago on March 31, 2019, but also includes the $1,200,000 that was transferred into the Reserve Fund from the Operating Fund at the end of FY 2019. The Board was provided with a spreadsheet that included more detail about the accounts that make up the Reserve Fund and their returns. The Board noted the quarterly investment update. APPROVAL OF PATRON POINT RENEWAL Last year, the Board approved a proposal to renew the library’s Patron Point Subscription for one year at a cost of $13,500. The decision was made to continue two established email programs (i.e., the “New Titles” emails” and the “New Patron Welcome” emails). Both are completely opt-in for patrons, and continue to be an important part of the library’s communication and marketing strategy. The proposal presented to the Board is for a one-year renewal of the Patron Point Subscription at the same cost of $13,500. The one-year term would begin on May 1, 2020, and end on April 30, 2021. Mr. Kong recommended that the Board approve the Service Agreement to renew the library’s Patron Point Subscription for one year at a cost of $13,500. A motion was made by Mr. Griffin, seconded by Mrs. Parrilli: MOTION: THAT THE SKOKIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE SERVICE AGREEMENT TO RENEW THE LIBRARY’S PATRON POINT SUBSCRIPTION FOR ONE YEAR AT A COST OF $13,500. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. There were 5 ayes and 0 nays. REACHING ACROSS ILLINOIS LIBRARY SYSTEM (RAILS) RAILS Board of Directors Meeting Friday, February 21, 2020 Burr Ridge Service Center The following are highlights from the February 21, 2020, RAILS Board of Directors meeting’s supporting documents and recorded video conference. Financial Report: Mr. Jim Kregor reported that the unassigned General Fund total cash and investment balance ending January 31, 2020, was $17,400,000, covering 18.5 months of operation. �He confirmed that RAILS received the entire funding from the FY2019 Area and Per Capital Grant. He mentioned that as of the end of January, RAILS received 35.6% of the FY2020 funding, with the FY2020 revenues at $943,120 above budget. Executive Director Report: From her written Board report, Deirdre Brennan highlighted the recently released video, Elders of the Internet, featuring actor Nick Offerman of TV’s Parks and Recreation (he is brother to Lauren Offerman, Director of Three Rivers Public Library). This is part of the publicity campaign to promote February’s Library Lovers Month and Library Lovers Day (February 14) and to encourage all types of libraries to tell their story about how they serve their communities. Ms. Brennan recently met with Board members of the Forreston Public Library and discussed how RAILS can provide services and support. Located in Ogle County, Forreston with a population of 1,446 has an extremely small, under-resourced library with two part-time employees and an annual budget of $40,000. They were most grateful for her visit and input. Ms. Brennan reminded the Board that nominations to fill the upcoming vacant Board positions are still being accepted. There are five openings: three for public library trustees, one for an academic library, and one for a school library. She ended with her report on the status of Strategic Plan and Goals, focusing on resource sharing and 2020 Census. Service of the Month: The topic of Member Engagement was presented by Dan Bostrum. Facility and Delivery Studies Update (as of February 2020): Delivery and Facilities Director Mark Hatch presented his report on the current delivery system and the status of the facilities. Delivery is 30% of RAILS budget. The study recommended continuing outsourcing of delivery as it stands. With the five facilities, Burr Ridge and Coal Valley are owned outright. Staff will investigate leasing another delivery facility and selling the Coal Valley Service Center because it no longer functions efficiently as a delivery hub. Board Development: Miguel Figueroa, Director of American Library Association Center for the Future of Libraries presented his report on library trends, including access to wider variety of services and materials, Smart Lockers, book drops, robotic deliveries, and expanding services within libraries. Next meeting: Friday, April 24, 2020, at Burr Ridge Service Center. (As of March 25, 2020, RAILS cancelled its March Board meeting.) Board of Directors Meeting Friday, March 25, 2020 �Burr Ridge Service Center Because of the current pandemic crisis, the RAILS March 25, 2020, Board of Trustees meeting was cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for April 24, 2020. As reported in the March 25, 2020 e-Newsletter, RAILS’ website will continue providing the latest news and general information about how RAILS and other libraries are handling the COVID-19 situation. Burr Ridge Service Center and all delivery facilities are closed until further notice. The deadline to complete Membership Certification with the State of Illinois has been extended to April 30. Nomination submission for the vacant Board of Trustees positions has been extended to April 3. COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES The Board discussed the efforts made by the library staff to provide services to library patrons while the physical building is temporarily closed. The Board thanked staff for their hard work and leadership during this difficult time. ADJOURNMENT At 7:56 pm a motion was made by Mrs. Parrilli, seconded by Ms. Rivera-Pulex 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, April 8, 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 2020-04-08 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 LBM20200408.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. 8 pages 2000s 2020s COVID-19 library board meetings Renovation 2020