Switzerland County Public Library

Board Meeting Minutes

September 12^th, 2023

The regular monthly meeting of the Switzerland County Public Library Board of Trustees was held Tuesday, September 12^th, 2023 at 3:34 pm in the meeting room of the library. Attending were Debbie Margison, Mary Jane Rogers, Stacy Streett, Diane Sigmon, Michelle Hicks, Diana Barry, Heather Peelman, and Emily Fox. Not attending was Sharon Deck.

Fox asked to amend the agenda to include a Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation grant to the end of the meeting. No objections were made. Sigmon made a motion to approve the minutes of the previous board meeting, seconded by Rogers and passed unanimously. Reports of library activity and technology activity were shared. E-circulation continues to stay high. Streett asked if circulations from high school students count towards those numbers and Fox said she would find out. Peelman attended back-to-school events at both elementary schools and saw 319 people. Patron numbers continue to increase and 33 new cards were made in August. The Library made $509 in the book sale and will get more from Books for the Needy when leftover materials are picked up.

Bills and claims were presented. Barry made a motion to approve the claims, seconded by Margison and passed unanimously.

Time for Public Comments

The 2024 budget was discussed. Discussion was held about staff raises. Streett wanted to discuss the raises before voting to adopt the budget. Questions were asked about how the budget proposal was determined. Fox said she estimated based on what has been spent out of the current budget, as well as trends, but she prioritizes staff wages and benefits. It was emphasized that as long as the Library does not spend over their maximum appropriation of $422,171, money can be moved around by the board to better fit unexpected needs. Consensus was to have an executive session next month to discuss staff wages without library staff present.

Old Business

The Donations Policy review was tabled again due to time limitations brought on by the book sale and building problems.

New Business

Fox presented a resolution for additional appropriations from the Operating fund in the amount of $15,000 in order to pay for HVAC repairs. During routine maintenance, Comfort Systems discovered two units need new compressors and one needs a new fan. A quote was given in the amount of $12,100. Barry asked if we received any more quotes and Fox said they did not since the Library already has a maintenance contract with them. Discussion was held. Questions were asked about how the appropriations worked and next steps. Hicks motioned to accept the resolution, seconded by Margison, and passed unanimously. Fox will go to the county council meeting on Wednesday, September 13^th, where they will have final approval.

Rogers asked about upcoming maintenance. Fox had previously sent an e-mail about a leak caused by the HVAC. Condensation is not draining from the air conditioner properly, causing the utility closet to flood. This issue was determined to be unrelated to the $12,100 work that needs to be done. Fox said Comfort Systems came out and cleaned what they could and said if conditions did not improve, a plumber would need to fix the issue. A plumber from Hirt and Ellco out of Batesville is supposed to come by tomorrow morning. Rogers asked if there were any other major purchases that will need to be paid in the near future. Fox said so far, it is the compressors, a new server, and the plumbing issue, but if new parts are not compatible with the old HVAC system, the cost could be much more. Sigmon asked what the Casino Riverboat Fund was used for and if it could potentially be used for the HVAC and Fox said yes, but since it will be used to pay for new outdoor lighting before the end of the year, she did not want to deplete the fund further if it was not necessary.

Fox proposed to apply for a Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation grant in the amount of $2000 in order to help pay for the new server. No one was opposed. Streett signed the application as president of the board.

Due to previous discussions about the October meeting date not working for several members, Hicks asked if it would be possible to change the meeting date in order to accommodate those on vacation. Fox said it would be possible, but she would need to advertise more heavily since it is a budget adoption meeting. It was decided the meeting would be moved up one week to October 3^rd.

Fox gave some announcements before adjourning the meeting. She will be doing some outreach in Patriot by switching out books left at Town Hall with newer leftover books from the book sale. She will also donate more children’s and teen books to their little free library. Pillow Logistics was let go by the State Library, so NOW Courier has been reinstated for transit service. There have been disruptions to holds and transit services this week due to the transition. AVC Technology will be replacing the genealogy computer and switch on Thursday. There will be a 30 minute internet outage, but internet speeds will double after the change is made. Tronitech will be installing software to the microfilm computer in order to print screenshots from the reader. Fox had her annual meeting with AVC. They said if the Library switched to a voice-over IP phone system, after the initial cost of the equipment, the telephone bill would be cut in half. Fox mentioned it as a possibility if there is money leftover to purchase the equipment next year.

With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.