Regular Meeting of the Library Board of Trustees
April 17, 2007
MINUTES

Anyone requiring these minutes in an alternate format, such as large type, Braille or an audiotape, please contact the Library at 384-3150.

Location: Central Services Building, 5205 Northwest Dr., Bellingham, 384-3150.
(Note: “Library” refers to the Whatcom County Library System.)

1. Call To Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m. A quorum was determined.

Roll Call: Trustees Present: Amory Peck, Jan Hunter, Janet Boyhan, Nina Cox
Trustee Absent: Donna-Lee Elke
Director: Joan Airoldi
Staff: Sigrid Brorson, Robin Barker, Sally Crouse, Kyle Teeter, Catherine Sarette, Mel Freal, Kathleen Neece, Sarah Koehler

2. Public Comment: There were no public comments.

Ms. Peck announced there would be an addition to the agenda following item 7, at the request of Ms. Airoldi, regarding her request for authorization to write two letters on behalf of the Board.

3. Minutes:

Special Board Meetings:

March 20, 2007
Regular Board Meeting: The minutes of the following Special Board Meetings were reviewed:
• October 24, 2006, Facilities
• January 31, 2007, Strategic Planning
• February 8, 2007, Strategic Planning
• February 13, 2007, Strategic Planning
• February 28, 2007, Strategic Planning

Ms. Hunter moved to approve the minutes of the five Special Board Meetings. Seconded, carried.

The minutes of the March 20, 2007 Regular Board Meeting were reviewed. Several trustees commented that they liked receiving the minutes earlier in the month. The written list of upcoming dates was also appreciated.

Moved by Ms. Cox to approve the minutes of the March 20, 2007 Regular Board Meeting. Seconded, carried.

4. Financial Report and Resolutions:
a. Expenditures: Mr. Teeter gave the financial reports in the absence of Mr. Lazenby who was at a training seminar.

March 2007 payroll Nos. 4018-4169: $259,414.46.
March 2007 second set of claims nos. 1-123: $64,243.62.
April 2007 first set of claims: $49,449.73.
The only notable expenditure is the purchase of the new Prius automobile at $24,428.10.

Ms. Cox moved to approve the March and April expenses. Seconded, carried.

4. Financial Report and Resolutions:

b. Resolutions: Mr. Teeter presented the following resolutions:

4/17/07-09: In the Matter of Cancellation of a Warrant
The vendor’s name was changed between the time the bill was issued and the time it was paid.
4/17/07-10: In the Matter of Supplementing the 2007 Budget
To amend and supplement the budget for travel and a donation.
4/17/07-11: In the Matter of Reallocating Appropriations for the purchase of Accounting Software
Money that will not be used to upgrade Horizon in 2007 will be reallocated to pay for accounting software instead. This resolution will be addressed after agenda item 5, the accounting software upgrade presentation.

Moved by Ms. Cox to approve resolutions 4/17/07-09 and 10. Seconded, carried.

4. Financial Report and Resolutions:

c. Budget Report:
Mr. Teeter reviewed the March 2007 Month End Report for the Trustees.

Ms. Cox requested a column be added to this report to allow the Trustees to see what portion of the total budget had been expended in each category. Following discussion, it was agreed that the percent of total budget for both income and expenditures be represented, with the understanding that the revenue comes in throughout the year as taxes are paid and timber revenue determined.

5. Accounting Software Upgrade Mr. Teeter spoke to the Board about Accounting Software for Middle-Market Governments and handed out copies of his presentation. He mentioned several of the products he has researched saying it is very hard to compare pricing because all the products have a variety of modules as well as options to choose from which are not directly comparable. In addition, the products are changing and being bought up by different companies which also alters pricing.

Mr. Teeter, Mr. Lazenby and the Finance committee recommended the purchase of a temporary solution that would allow improved system controls and reduction of risk levels. They requested permission to purchase QuickBooks Premier as a short term solution, allowing time to work on a long term solution.

Ms. Airoldi verified with Mr. Teeter that use of Optimum for HR would continue and the QuickBooks program would be used for accounting and purchasing.

In response to a question from Ms. Peck, Mr. Teeter answered that the QuickBooks program should work for up to 3 years. The long term solution will take time and may include seeking grant funds to help pay for it.

Mr. Lazenby and Mr. Teeter had presented a more complete report to the Finance Committee, and as a member of that committee, Ms. Cox stated that she was very happy with this temporary solution and recommended approving the resolution.

Moved by Ms. Cox to approve resolution #4/17/07-11. Seconded.

Ms. Airoldi asked about a timeline. Mr. Teeter said he can have it up and functioning within 2 weeks to a month and that both the old and new systems will be run concurrently as a test of accuracy for a few months. Ms. Airoldi thanked Mr. Teeter for doing such a great job.

The question was called. Motion carried.

6. Policies:
a. Employee Handbook Ms. Read updated the Trustees on the progress of the Employee Handbook. She handed out the current draft of the Table of Contents as well as Section 1: Introduction. She has completed a draft of the complete handbook, and the Directors Advisory Committee (DAC) is going through it, section by section, with some of the policies being sent to attorney Deborra Garrett for legal review. New policies that are to be included in the Handbook will also be submitted to the Trustees for approval.

Ms. Read explained that everything that is in the handbook will be in the Policy and Procedure Manual but not everything in the manual, such as forms, will be in the handbook. In addition, some things that currently stand as policy may be changed to procedure with Board review. Ms. Airoldi commented that this is a very complex project and will be a great improvement for all.

The Trustees commented on the value of the Employee Handbook project and thanked Ms. Read.

6. Policies:
b. Temporary Adverse Working Conditions The Trustees reviewed the first draft of the new Temporary Adverse Working Conditions Policy.

Ms. Cox voiced the concern that there did not appear to be any limits to the amount of paid time off an employee could claim under this policy the way it is currently worded. She believes there should be some limits written into the policy.

The Trustees asked supervisors to get creative when faced with difficult work environments. For example, drive to Lynden if the CS conference room is not usable.

Ms. Cox suggested some type of reasonability test. Ms. Peck suggested requiring a letter from a doctor; she commented that 99% of employees would not abuse.
Ms. Read said she would work on the policy to incorporate their suggestions.

6. Policies
c. Workplace Safety Policy: The Workplace Safety Policy and Workplace Safety Program were prepared by Jeff Lazenby. They are an alert to all staff not to be casual about safety problems and to supervisors to be sure to review safety protocols with staff at least once a year. WCLS employees are to be prepared and proactive. This policy mentions firearms which are not to be brought into the library. Statutory verification of this will be done for the next draft.

There was a general discussion about safety in the workplace and in our libraries. Ms. Cox mentioned she believes there is reluctance in our libraries to dial 911. She emphasized that staff are not to wait before deciding to report incidents.

The Trustees took no action on the Workplace Safety Policy as this was only the first reading.

7. New Early Childhood Advocacy Position @ State Level Ms. Airoldi told the Board of a request from Jan Walsh of the State Library to libraries serving populations over 100,000 to help fund a position supporting Early Childhood Learning Advocacy. The WCLS portion would cost $5,500 over two years.

The following questions emerged during discussion:
• What about accountability? Will the library get a true advocate for libraries and will the library get reports?
• Will we be asked for more funding in the future (for office space, etc?)

Ms. Hunter reminded the Board that the library still needs to join the Washington Library Association which costs about $5000 per year. So this will add about $7000 per year. She questioned where the money will come from in the budget and what will be the result of that expense?

Ms. Cox said she is interested in joining the project but she wants the above questions answered. Ms. Boyhan also wants to say yes to participating but notes that this is the year the library is supposed to start conserving.

7.1 Letters Ms. Airoldi asked the Board for permission to write two letters on their behalf:
one to the Kendall Area Subarea planning committee regarding the priority status of the library project, and the other to Governor Gregoire regarding signing of the levy lid lift legislation. The Board authorized both letters and requested that they be from the full Board.

The Board took at 10 minute break at 10:30.

8. Planning Update:
Levy Lid Lift The Trustees discussed the planning of a levy lid lift election. Ms. Airoldi provided a handout with information about Temporary and Permanent lid lifts and general legal requirements which had been prepared by Mr. Lazenby. Election dates in 2008 are Feb. 5, March 11, April 22, May 20, Aug. 19, and Nov. 4. Participation in a general election requires 84 days notice. A special election requires a 52 day prior notice.

Another consideration is the cost. It is very expensive to hold a special election but the cost can be shared if partnering with other measures. Ms. Airoldi suggested discussing the timing of an election with BPL. Ms. Boyhan suggested professional help to negotiate the election process.
Mr. Teeter presented a spreadsheet of projected income and expenditures. Ms. Airoldi emphasized that this information verifies the need for the levy lid lift. She said that the facilities bond measure is a related factor in this timing.

Ms. Cox said she believes the library should work toward doing the levy lid lift in 2008. Ms. Peck suggested that she and Ms. Airoldi meet with Ms. Kiesner and Mr. Edelstein of BPL to discuss timing.

8. Planning Update:
Strategic Planning Meetings Ms. Airoldi reported that most of the Strategic Planning meetings with staff groups have been scheduled and she and Ms. Elke conducted the first one with the Administration department and good questions and discussion resulted.

9. Statewide Catalog Ms. Barker told the Trustees about a project the Library Council of Washington has undertaken to support a statewide catalog using LTSA (Library Services and Technology Act) funds. Group Services will be set up through OCLC after which a Washington statewide catalog can be produced. Ms. Barker is on the Implementation Committee which has met one time.

Ms. Barker distributed the document OCLC Group Services Implementation In Washington that shows the phases leading to the statewide catalog. Once established the Library Council will pay the cost of the statewide catalog indefinitely. They are trying to encourage maximum participation among all libraries in Washington, both large and small. A statewide catalog is a step toward a statewide library card.

Ms. Barker also reported that she is hoping to have the online request form on the web for public use within a month.

10. Staff Bouquet: Sarah Koehler: 10 years of service
Kathleen Neece praised Sarah’s versatility and adaptability. Sarah has served as a Page, Aide and now Public Services Assistant at Ferndale and in Mobile Services. She drives the bookmobile and manages many stops. She works with outreach and jail patrons. She is creative, organized and uses those talents to the advantage of the library.

11. Committee Reports: Facilities: Ms. Cox reported that she and Ms. Airoldi attended a Ferndale City Council study session to discuss the plan for a new library facility in Ferndale. They used the WCLS Facilities Plan to communicate the site requirements. Discussion included funding of the project and making best use of the million dollar donation which may be used for land acquisition. A site study committee was established, and Ms. Cox and Ms. Airoldi will work with that group.

Ms. Hunter reported that work on the foundation for the addition to the Deming Library has begun.

Finance: Ms. Cox reported that the Finance Committee has been reviewing the financial procedures and clarifying the responsibilities of Board members and staff. Mr. Lazenby and Mr. Teeter are going to look into the laws regarding whether a Board member must sign on payroll changes. Regarding the bills, the Board will look to Mr. Lazenby for certification rather than to Ms. Cox. Ms. Peck said the changes sound fine as long as they conform to state law. Ms. Airoldi commented that she and Mr. Lazenby had been in contact with Patty Duitman of Fort Vancouver Regional Library as part of the research on this and expressed appreciation for Mr. Lazenby’s leadership in updating these procedures.

Ms. Cox continued with other topics the Finance committee discussed: They talked about accounting programs in depth, and they discussed timber revenue. Ms. Cox said she would like to explore how to remove timber revenue from the operating budget because it is so unpredictable from year to year. The Finance Committee will be meeting every two months.

Personnel: Ms. Boyhan handed out a worksheet from the Trustee’s Manual for the self-evaluation planned for June 5th from 2:30 to 4:30 at CS. As this task will include developing a job description for themselves, the Trustees decided they would need a second meeting to complete the task. This was planned for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., the afternoon of June 19th , the day of the Board meeting in Blaine.

12. Library News Ms. Brorson shared news from several branches:
Deming: Ground has been broken for their expansion. The monthly circ record was broken in March with a new high of 10,025.

Everson: Approximately 40 persons gathered to commemorate the library’s 30th anniversary at the Friends’ Annual meeting. The Mighty Everson Library Infonauts (Jennifer Dixey, John Frey, and Max Bronsema) represented the Everson Library at the Whatcom Council Trivia Bee.

Lynden: Jim Lynch, author of The Highest Tide, will be speaking at the Lynden Library on Thursday, April 26. Reference staff, led by Regan Robinson, submitted an LSTA Targeted Competitive grant proposal for $10,000 to the State Library which would fund staff presentations for the public on databases and information literacy throughout our communities. A decision is expected at the end of May.

Sumas: The Friends of the Sumas Library showed a DVD with an Earth Day theme on April 12. The branch now has Self-Checkout which is going really well.

Ms. Airoldi reported that work on the feasibility study of the site purchase in Kendall is going well with the work divided out among the library staff and supporters. The Pre App meeting with County Planning went well with no setbacks anticipated. Several staff and community volunteers attended this meeting.

Ms. Airoldi noted that eight persons have applied for the Community Relations Position and stated that with the tasks ahead, the library needs someone with a very high energy level.

Ms. Airoldi asked the Board to authorize one of the Trustees to sign the option to purchase after both the Mt. Baker School Board attorney and our attorney have come to final agreement on the terms; there are only one or two points left to agree on. The Trustees agreed that either Ms. Peck or Ms. Hunter could sign the option, and Ms. Airoldi will send the final document to all Board members.

Staff Bouquet: Mel Freal: 10 years of service
Catherine Sarette said she hired a storyteller 10 years ago and got much more. While Mel Freal is a superb storyteller, she is also wonderfully organized and has an incredible memory for knowing the where and the when of everything about storytime. Ms. Sarette shared several projects that Mel has organized that have been a great help to the Youth Services department. Theresa Hadley and Tammy LaPlante sent written comments about their sincere appreciation of Mel’s work.

13. Director’s Report Ms. Airoldi submitted a written Director’s Report including the following topics:
• Strategic Planning: Learning and Moving Forward
• Trivia Bee, thanking both teams Everson and Staff Association as well as those who contributed to the funding that allows this participation in the event
• Remotely Placed Holds Statistics
• National Library Week, Library Workers Day & National Poetry Month—You’ve got to love April!

Today (April 17) is National Library Workers Day. Ms. Airoldi passed around an advertisement from the Bellingham Herald which was funded by the Whatcom County Library Foundation. The ad recognized the contributions of volunteers and was timed to help celebrate and recognize National Library Week.

Ms. Airoldi also asked the Board to remember Mr. Dan Addis, a previous WCLS Board member who passed away this last month. Ms. Brorson pointed out that his term ended in 1994 and that he was a very active and contributing Board member.

May 15, 2007 Board Meeting: The May 15, 2007 Board Meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Maple Falls branch.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m.