Board of Trustees
of the
Huntley Area Public Library District
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
March 20, 2024
Call to Order: A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Huntley Area Public Library District was held in Program Room 3 at the Huntley Area Public Library District, 11000 Ruth Road, Huntley, IL 60142 on March 20, 2024. President Budzynski called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.
Attendance:
Trustees Present: Chris Budzynski, Sandy Domagalski, Stephanie Duncan, Katie Kunde, and Shannon McKibben
Trustees Absent: Leslie Threadgill-Smith and Stephanie Weil
Library Staff Present: Frank Novak, Library Director; Loralei Getty, Business Manager; Pamela Kampwerth, Head of Programming & Outreach Services; Elizabeth Steffensen, Head of Public Services
Visitors Present: Marjorie Smith
Pledge of Allegiance: President Budzynski led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Public Comments: There were no public comments.
Secretary’s Report: McKibben motioned, Kunde seconded that the Board approve the minutes of the Policy Committee Meeting held on February 21, 2024 as amended. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
Duncan motioned, McKibben seconded that the Board approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on February 21, 2024 as presented. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
Financial Reports and Checks: McKibben motioned, Duncan seconded that the Board approve the checks and financial report for February 2024 as presented. Roll call votes were: Budzynski-Aye; Domagalski-Aye; Duncan-Aye; Kunde-Aye; McKibben-Aye. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
Monthly Income/Expense Report (Discussion): Trustees reviewed the Income/Expense Report-February 2024 and there were no questions.
Library Director’s Report: Presented by Novak. The library’s monument sign is installed and functional. The library has made a couple of basic changes to the electronic message to enhance the image resolution. The sign still needs lettering and landscaping. Lands’ End blankets are available for each board member as an appreciation gift.
Committee Reports:
Policy: There was no report.
Finance: There was no report.
Facilities: There was no report.
Friends’ Liaison: Presented by Kampwerth. The next book sale will be on March 23 & 24 in Program Rooms 2 & 3. Letters for the luncheon sponsorship are being mailed. This event will be held on May 17, 2024 at the library.
New Business:
Sick Leave Policy Revision (from Policy Committee): At the last Policy Committee meeting on February 21, 2024, Novak asked members to revise the library Sick Leave Policy to eliminate the requirement that employees work for the library for six months before being able to take a sick day. Kunde motioned, McKibben seconded that the Board approve the Sick Leave Policy revision as presented where employees are allowed to take sick time regardless of how long they have worked for the library. Roll call votes were: Budzynski-Aye; Domagalski-Aye; Duncan-Aye; Kunde-Aye; McKibben-Aye. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
Staff Development Policy Revision (from Policy Committee): At the last Policy Committee meeting on February 21, 2024, members asked Novak to modify the Staff Development Policy related to the library’s tuition reimbursement program. The members were concerned that the reimbursement amount is no longer adequate, and the length of employment required after receiving tuition reimbursement was too long. After reviewing the tuition costs of online MSLIS programs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, Novak recommended increasing the maximum tuition reimbursement from $4,000 per fiscal year to $8,000 per fiscal year. Novak also recommended reducing the length of employment required after receiving tuition reimbursement from two years to one year. Following a discussion, Domagalski motioned, Duncan seconded that the Board approve increasing the maximum tuition reimbursement to $8,000 per fiscal year and reducing the length of employment required after receiving tuition reimbursement to one year. After additional discussion, McKibben motioned, Kunde seconded that the Board amend the original motion to approve increasing the maximum tuition reimbursement to $8,000 per fiscal year and retaining the two-year length of employment required after receiving tuition reimbursement. Roll call votes on the amendment were: Budzynski-Aye; Domagalski-Aye; Duncan-Aye; Kunde-Aye; McKibben-Aye. After approval of the amendment to the original motion, Budzynski then called for a vote on the original motion, as amended. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
EV Charging Stations Project (from Facilities Committee): A proposal from Verde Energy Efficiency Experts, regarding the EV charging stations, is in the meeting packet. An engineer, from Verde, performed a site assessment and the project can proceed with the library’s approval. In the proposal, the chargers would be place in the west side parking lot, between spaces closest to the building. The total cost for the project would be $32,710. After applying the utility incentive of $10,666, the price after incentive would be $22,044. The bond fund still carries a balance of $312,450.92 which the library needs to spend down. The first payment would be a Notice to Proceed in the amount of $2,000. Through the EVmatch Management Platform, the library can:
- Set pricing (per hour or per KWh)
- Determine payment processing
- Create a reservation system
- Customize schedules and control access
McKibben motioned, Duncan seconded that the Board approve the installation of EV charging stations at a cost of $22,044. The price should be set to cover the cost of energy and be available to the public 24 hours a day. Roll call votes were: Budzynski-Aye; Domagalski-Aye; Duncan-Aye; Kunde-Aye; McKibben-Aye. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
Old Business: There was no Old Business.
Upcoming Dates: The next Decennial Committee Meeting will be Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. The next Regular Monthly Board Meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
Board Discussion: There was no Board Discussion.
Executive Session: There was no Executive Session.
Items from Executive Session for Action: None
Adjourn: McKibben motioned, Domagalski seconded to adjourn the meeting at 6:26 p.m. All Ayes. No Nays. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Shannon McKibben, Secretary
