Kankakee Times

Bourbonnais Public Library District Board of Trustees met Dec. 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

President David Stejkowski called to order the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Bourbonnais Public Library District at 7:00 p.m. on December 18, 2023.

Trustees present: Mary Kay Blankestyn, Kate Burgess, Deborah Hendrick, Laurie Hofman, Jessica Prentkowski, Ellen Stringer, and David Stejkowski.

Also present: Library Director Kelly McCully.

Presentation of FY2022-23 Audit by Brandt & Associates: Brittany Brandt from Brandt & Associates, P.C. reviewed the Annual Financial Report for the year ended June 30, 2023. The audit showed a clean report and excellent financial conditions for the Library. Brandt highlighted several pages of the document, commended the Library for the exceptional bookkeeping records, and felt there were very strong internal controls. Brandt expressed appreciation for the organization and ease of working with BPL.

President’s Report: Stejkowski noted there was a quorum present and expressed appreciation for the great year the Library has had in 2023.

Secretary’s Report: The Board reviewed the minutes from the Finance Committee Meeting held November 20, 2023, and the regular Board Meeting held November 20, 2023. Hofman made a motion to accept all the minutes as presented. Blankestyn seconded the motion and it passed with a vote of all ayes.

Correspondence & Communications and Public Comment (action items only): None.

Financial Report: Stringer reviewed the transactions and asked for any questions. Stringer made a motion to pay the monthly bills as presented. Stejkowski seconded the motion. Blankestyn, Burgess, Hendrick, Hofman, Prentkowski, Stringer, and Stejkowski voted yes. The balance sheet is tracking at 40% and will be submitted to the auditor.

Director’s Report: Deadlines: December 27, Last day to file Audit Report and Annual Financial Report with IL State Comptroller and Kankakee County Clerk (Auditor completes this). December 28, Last day to file a certified copy of Levy Ordinance with Kankakee County Clerk (filed 12/7/2023). December 28, Last day to file certificate of compliance with Truth in Taxation Act (filed 12/7/2023). December 31, Last day for the second half year review of all closed session minutes.

Finance: The Library received the final tax distribution of FY2023-24 on December 1, 2023, in the amount of $6,808.89. BPL has collected 99.8% of the budgeted property tax revenue for the fiscal year.

Personnel: Candidates are currently being recruited and interviewed for Circulation, Reference, and Administrative Assistant positions.

The annual Staff In-Service is scheduled for Friday, February 9, 2024. A Staff Strategic Planning Workshop has been planned with Strategic Planning consultants, Sarah Marion and Jeff Williamson. This will provide all staff in attendance with the opportunity to learn about the strategic planning process and give their feedback and input towards a Strengths Analysis of BPL. The rest of the day will include sessions on the History of BPL, the Anatomy of TikTok, BPL Staff Skill Share, and additional team-building activities. The Library will be closed on this date.

Policy: Personnel Policies 02-01 through 02-14- Review all suggested personnel policy changes as recommended by HR Source and ensure compliance with the Paid Leave for All Workers Act that will be effective January 1, 2024. A Policy Committee meeting is scheduled for December 18, 2023. Each staff member will receive a copy of the updated Personnel Policies and be asked to sign an acknowledgement after reviewing the policies.

Building & Grounds: The replacement couch for the Periodicals Area has been received. The original couch was damaged in shipment and a replacement was requested. A furniture estimate will be presented to the Board at their December meeting for two new staff desks for the Marketing and Teen Services Departments. An estimate for new modular tables for the Cardinal Room is also included.

Facilities Coordinator, Bill Johnson, is working with plumbing companies to get an estimate to update plumbing in the Youth Services Area. The goal is to bring hot water to this area and further insulate pipes to prevent ruptures when there are extremely cold temperatures.

Upcoming Programs: Upcoming programs include Cozy & Bright for 7th to 12th graders from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 21, Let’s Play Word Winder for kids 7 and up at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 28, Fridays Book Club at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 29, and an Adult Winter Reading Challenge from December 2023 to January 2024.

Library Closures: The Library will be closed Saturday, December 23, and Monday, December 25, for the Christmas holidays and Saturday, December 30, and Monday, January 1, for the New Year’s holidays.

Director McCully will be out of the office from Thursday, December 21, 2023, to Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Contact any available supervisor in her absence.

Committee Reports:

Finance: None.

Personnel: None.

Policy: Meeting held December 18, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.

Building and Grounds: None.

Long Range Planning: None.

Unfinished Business:

Review, Discuss, & Approve IT Company Proposal(s): McCully shared that True Tech continues to work on the server migration but has done nothing with the new staff PCs. She has contacted True Tech about several concerns including the time it is taking for their services to be completed. McCully reviewed proposal information from Outsource Solutions Group, Inc. from Naperville, Illinois. Their proposal offers lots of support and management with the options of $145 an hour prepaid with the purchase of a block of 100 hours or a monthly fee. After a brief discussion, Stejkowski gave McCully the authority to hire Outsource Solutions and purchase 100 hours at $1,450. Stringer made a motion to retain the IT services of Outsource Solutions Group, Inc. Burgess seconded the motion. Blankestyn, Burgess, Hendrick, Hofman, Prentkowski, Stringer, and Stejkowski voted yes.

New Business:

Approve FY2022-23 Audit: See motion below.

Review & Approve Personnel Policies 02-01 through 02-14 Updates: The Board reviewed the recommendations of the Policy Committee concerning Personnel Policies 02-01 through 02-14 updates from HR Source. See motion below.

Discuss & Approve PLA Conference Attendance: McCully shared that she would like to attend the Public Library Association Conference in Columbus, Ohio, April 3-5, 2024. The ticket cost for the conference is $347 and McCully estimates the cost for travel, ticket, meals, and hotel would be approximately $1,500. The PLA Conference allows librarians from all over the United States to share new ideas, discuss library issues, and hear innovative speakers. See motion below.

Review & Approve Furniture Proposal: McCully reviewed the proposal for new furniture from Warehouse Direct. The cost of $6,640 would be for two new staff desks and three new modular tables for the Cardinal Room. See motion below.

Blankestyn made a motion to approve the Audit, the Personnel Policy Updates, the PLA Conference Attendance, and the Furniture Proposal. Hofman seconded the motion. Blankestyn, Burgess, Hendrick, Hofman, Prentkowski, Stringer, and Stejkowski voted yes.

Review Minutes of Closed Sessions: McCully shared that there was only one closed session. Discussion of Litigation 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (11) was held in Executive Session on August 21, 2023. The minutes will remain closed.

Public Comment: None.

Adjournment: Blankestyn made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:51 p.m. Prentkowski seconded the motion and it passed with a vote of all ayes.

https://bourbonnaislibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/Minutes-12-18-2023.pdf