Library Board Approved Minutes - November 5, 2020

DeForest Area Public Library Regular Library Board Minutes
Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

  1. Call to Order and Roll Call
    • The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. by President Van Iten.
    • Present: Englesby, Gorres, Lawrence, Lowery, Runez, Van Iten, and Zeimet
    • Absent: None
    • Also present: Library Director Berg
  2. Approval of Agenda
    • Motion to Approve as presented: Gorres
    • Second: Lawrence
    • Action: All approved
  3. Approval of Minutes of October 1st, meeting.
    • Motion to approve minutes: Lawrence
    • Second: Englesby
    • Discussion: None
    • Action: All approved
  4. Public Presentations / Communications
    • There were no communications.
  5. Approval of Bills
    • Motion to Approve the Bills: Runez
    • Second: Zeimet
    • Discussion: Berg noted that this is a much bigger bill run than usual. There are two bills for Alliant and two for DeForest Utilities. One set was already paid immediately following the last library board meeting. There are lots of books and AV Items. Lowery asked about the self-check unit. Berg explained that the self-check unit is our share of a grant provided through CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) to help minimize person-to-person contact at libraries. Our two current self-check units are almost antiques, but have another year on a maintenance contract so this will add a third self-check station for now.
    • Action: All Approved
  6. Reports
    1. Director's - Berg noted that the Madison Community Foundation recently transferred the fundraising challenge grant money that ended back in 2019 into the library’s endowment account. Kwik Trip donated $1,000 to the library which we will be using to make more craft and STEAM kits as well as pay for more presenters. We are working on a big program for November and December and think we have figured out how to do Christmas movie watch parties. In previous years we had done both “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Christmas Story”. We created bags or in the case of “Christmas Story’ a Chinese food container with activities or things about the movie. We could send those out, provide a zoom link to talk about the movie at designated times and see how that goes. Apparently the Director’s Report had failed to attach to the board packet email so Berg noted items mentioned in it such as: 200 Halloween grab bags were picked up by patrons; Glow-in-the-dark slime making kits were immensely popular and part of the Wisconsin Science Festival: the Eye-spy windows created for Halloween were a huge hit; our big event for this month is Dinovember presentations by Colossal Fossil out of Wausau there was already a program about dinosaurs. Upcoming presentations include Cave Art, Sea Monsters, and Flint Knapping; and the Go Big Read book this year “Parkland” is being facilitated by Stuart Stotts next Wednesday.
    2. President's - President Van Iten thank Calvin Lawrence for running the October meeting.
    3. Village Update - Lowery reported that the village had applied for a grant for a splash pad. The first Tuesday of December will be the public hearing on the budget. She invited all to attend. The village board is looking at a 2.68% overall increase. Martin Luther King Day is now a holiday observed by the village. HR has been doing equity training. The Village Board is looking to update the Comprehensive plan. The Water Utility is looking at a 3% increase. Lowery noted that the Steve Fahlgren and LuAnn Leggett were planning on retiring next year and that the Public Works director had resigned.
  7. Old Business
    1. Discussion and possible approval of the 2021 budget.
      • Berg attended the Village Board’s Committee of the Whole yesterday and talked about the various line items, answered questions, and shared an infographic about what the library has been doing since the pandemic struck. Berg had sent the info graphic out earlier today and walked the board through it. Approval will some once the final numbers are known.
  8. Discussion of including Zoom link on meeting agenda.
    1. After discussion it was determined by consensus to add Zoom and telephone link to the Library Board agenda during the pandemic.
  9. Future Agenda Items
    1. 2021 Budget
    2. Annual Report
  10. Adjournment
    • Motion to Adjourn: Gorres
    • Second: Runez
    • Action: All approved.

Meeting was adjourned at 4:58 p.m.

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