HANNIBAL FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF THE MEETING of February 21, 2023
The Hannibal Free Public Library Board of Trustees held its regular monthly meeting, at 5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, in the meeting rooms on the 3rd Floor at Hannibal Free Public Library, 200 South Fifth Street, Hannibal, MO 63401.
Present were Annie Dixon, Frank DiTillo (5:06 p.m.), Gordon Ipson, Laura Judlowe, Kevin Knickerbocker J’Nelle Lee, Raymond Lee, and Sara A. North. Roy Hark was absent. Also present were Hallie Yundt Silver and Caitlin Greathouse.
J’Nelle Lee chaired the Library Board meeting. She called it to order at 5:00 p.m.
It was announced that information about meeting adjournment was needed in order to complete the minutes of the meeting of January 17th. It was further announced that information about actions taken in Executive Sessions of the December and January meetings was needed in order to complete these minutes.
Annie Dixon inquired about the Library Director’s pay raise and was told it was retroactive.
Moved by Gordon Ipson and supported by Annie Dixon to table approval of the Minutes of the meeting of January 17, 2023. Motion carried.
Distributed were Final Claims for February 2023 in the amount of $55,498.90. The credit card claim in the amount of $1,831.42 was included in the main packet. Included in this month’s claims were annual payment of sales tax, petty cash, toner, two newspaper subscriptions, and a Tracball mouse for Toni. Moved by Kevin Knickerbocker and supported by Gordon Ipson to approve the Claims for February 2023 in the amount of $57,338.32. Motion carried.
Moved by Frank DiTillo and supported by Annie Dixon to approve the Investment Report for January 2023, noting the following: Easley bequest investment maturing July 14, 2025, the Sallie Mae investment maturing January 20, 2026, the $15 a month service charge at Homebank which should end as the Library now has over $2,500 on deposit, and the $40 adjustment at AMG was for two $20 service charges. Motion carried.
Moved by J’Nelle Lee and supported by Gordon Ipson to authorize the Investment Committee to redeem the CD that matures on April 16 and reinvest it locally, cash flow permitting, or deposit the proceeds in the operating account at F&M, depending on interest rates. Motion carried.
Discussion followed on pledging by F&M Bank and the need to ladder some of the cash in the operating account into CD’s that would mature in future years.
Moved by Frank DiTillo and supported by Sara North to authorize the Investment Committee to redeem the CD that mature on June 15th at AMG and reinvest it per Brad Lukens advice. Motion carried.
Hallie Yundt Silver announced that the proceeds from the CDARS that matured at F&M on February 9 in the amount of $225,000 were deposited in the operating account at F&M. The deposit shows on the daily Library Account spreadsheet provided by the City Collector.
The City Financial Reports for January 2023 was included in the financial packet.
Moved by Annie Dixon and supported by J’Nelle Lee to approve the Transfer Recommendation for February 2023, showing no transfer. Motion carried.
There was no Correspondence or Public Comment.
Sara North distributed an information sheet about resources for the Library Board that included links for training and a summary of the Sunshine Law.
It was announced that the By-Laws Committee was scheduled to meet on March 2nd. The main packet included minutes of the Investment Committee’s meetings on January 30th and February 9th.
The Director’s written monthly report was included in the main packet. Hallie Yundt Silver went on to report the following:
Dale Ipson’s bequest was handled as follows: the two larger busts are in the children’s room and the two smaller statuettes will be kept and used in the glass display cases. We were concerned that the smaller figurines would get stolen or broken.
As reported earlier, Toni Rose returned to work on a limited schedule on Jan 11th. She returns to her normal 24-hour work week February 22nd. She will continue working Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday with other hours on occasion.
Hallie Yundt Silver announced her retirement, effective in early September on or before September 7 when a pay period ends. She made the following statement: "It is time. While I and most people are interested in protecting children and teens from library materials that are too mature for them, the actions taken by the Secretary of State have caused me to reassess my continued practice as a librarian. My professional life as a librarian for more than 40 years has centered around book selection. I do not want to do book selection under these conditions."
Several items of business that must be accomplished before her retirement were identified. One is adoption of a Collection Development Policy, which must be done by July 31 in order to qualify for State Aid, MOREnet membership, and any future LSTA funding. Another is revising the By-Laws to incorporate changes the Library Board wants to make. A third is adopting a Budget for FY23-24, which needs to be accomplished at the Library Board meeting in June. The fourth is compiling statistics and completing the Librarian’s Annual Narrative Report, which is due per Statute on August 31. In other words, Caitlin and I have our work cut out. In addition, I need to weed through my files, so my successor does not inherit the filing mess I did when I became this Library’s Director in August 2007.
Should the Library Board decide to proceed with the Roof & Skylight Project, Hallie Yundt Silver recommended that Caitlin Greathouse be named the Library’s agent.
When J’Nelle and Sara met with Hallie Yundt Silver to conduct my performance appraisal on Feb 1st, they instructed her that the Library Shelvers should not do yard work. She said that Library Shelvers have been expected to do some outside work since before she became the Library Director. There was consensus of the Library Board that Library Shelvers should assist Willie Stong with yard work and hauling book sale boxes, and watering plants when it is very hot, picking up trash around the building, etc.
There was consensus that the Building & Grounds Committee should handle arrangements for landscaping.
Larger programs planned in the upcoming weeks include outreach at Little People City on March 2, Seuss Saturday on March 4, and The Great Egg Drop on March 18. I need to attend the City Council meeting this evening to request a lane closure on South Church Street for the Egg Drop event.
Hallie Yundt Silver recommended continuing to table consideration of the By-Laws and the Audit.
The Capital Improvements Budget detail spreadsheet was included in the main packet. Information about it was included in the Director’s Report.
"Raise the Roof" was adopted by consensus as the slogan for a fundraising campaign for the Roof & Skylight Project.
Moved by Gordon and supported by Annie Dixon to allow Library staff to go for grants and fundraising for Building & Grounds Committee projects. Motion carried.
Moved by Sara North and supported by J’Nelle Lee to declare the following pieces of equipment surplus and recycle them: HP Officejet Pro x576dw MFP CN56okj0zp (KONG), Altec Lansing ACS90 speakers, Dell pc soundbar, HP Elite Desk 2UA5322N67, HP 4000 Pro 2 UA133OBOV. Motion carried.
Moved by Sara North and supported by Gordon Ipson to authorize the shredding of all computer sign-up sheets on the first day of the second month after they were signed unless there is an administrative reason to retain a specific sign-up sheet. In other words, on March 1st, Library staff would shred everything signed in January and before. Motion carried.
Moved by J’Nelle Lee and supported by Laura Judlowe to amend and adopt the proposed amended Policy Statement on Patron Registration & Eligibility for Library Services, replacing MAC for IP address on page 2. Motion carried.
The Library Board provided guidance by consensus about implementing the policy for homeschoolers and childless adults who reside in Ralls or Marion County outside the City limits: They are welcome to buy membership to our Library.
Moved by Gordon Ipson and supported by Kevin Knickerbocker to allow Ralls County borrowers to continue until their privileges expire and then renew their privileges should they decide to pay the Non-Resident’s Fee. Motion carried.
Moved by Sara North and supported by Frank DiTillo to accept Patti McClelland’s gift of biographical information about those interred in Rush Cemetery, a cemetery in Marion County on CR409 on the property of James and Jean Bishop. Further moved by authorize publication of the information on the Library’s website. Motion carried.
J’Nelle Lee read the following statement: The tentative agenda of this meeting also includes a vote to close part of this meeting pursuant to RSMO 610.021(13) "Individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment, except that this exemption shall not apply to the names, positions, salaries and lengths of service of officers and employees of public agencies once they are employed as such…"
Moved by Kevin Knickerbocker and supported by Laura Judlowe to enter Executive Session. Motion carried. (Roll call, all ayes: Gordon Ipson, Kevin Knickerbocker, J’Nelle Lee, Laura Judlowe, Frank DiTillo, Ray Lee, Sara North)
The Library Board entered Executive Session at 6:25 p.m. Hallie Yundt Silver and Caitlin Greathouse left the meeting. The meeting was closed.
Sara North provided information that the motion to adjourn the regular meeting was made by J’Nelle Lee and supported by Raymond Lee. She reported that the meeting adjourned at 6:41 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Hallie Yundt Silver, Acting Secretary
Accepted,
J’Nelle Lee, President