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Library Board Meeting

Highlights

  • 👋 Welcomed several prospective board members (Emily Waldron, Megan Poole, Elaine Lamb) and introduced them to the board’s role, term limits, and library priorities.
  • 🏛️ Councilor Trista Pen briefed the board on recent council actions (budget adoption, Brownfield grant, public-safety funding conversations, Glencoe/West Union traffic study) and answered questions about board appointments.
  • 🧾 Reviewed the FY 25 budget adoption and the new quarterly-report process that keeps council informed of library milestones.
  • 🗳️ Discussed how volunteer boards can help council understand recruitment challenges (term limits, inside/outside city representation, keeping seats filled) to inform the upcoming boards-and-commissions review.

Notes

  • Introductions

    • Current board members, staff, and applicants introduced themselves. Many noted their longtime ties to North Plains, library fandom, or story-time volunteering.
    • Board Chair Tim Shalik explained the bylaws: members may serve two consecutive four-year terms but can reapply later (as David Hatcher recently did).

  • Council Update (Trista Pen)

    • Budget: Council adopted the biennial budget aligned with the new pillars and now turns attention to public-safety funding (additional WCSO deputy, etc.). They want community feedback on priorities and funding mechanisms.
    • Grants/Projects: EPA Brownfield award will help remediate the Glencoe Opportunity Area; MITIP funds are underwriting a Glencoe/West Union intersection study (roundabout vs. signal).
    • Boards & Commissions: Council is evaluating term limits, appointment processes, and communication cadence to ensure fairness and transparency across boards (library board vs. planning commission operate very differently). Quarterly check-ins and shared reporting are part of that effort.

  • Board Questions

    • Members asked how council evaluates applicants and why some vacancies linger. Pen acknowledged each board’s needs differ; council wants to balance inside/outside-city representation, keep term limits equitable, and avoid long gaps when seats open.
    • The board emphasized that library seats occasionally sit open; clearer recruitment messaging (via newsletters, social media) could help.

  • Library Operations

    • Library Director Robin Dodie thanked volunteers, highlighted continuing growth in programs (story time, ILL usage), and noted the next quarterly report will capture summer-reading stats.

Follow-Ups

  • Library staff to finalize the quarterly report for council, including summer events, volunteer highlights, and facility updates.
  • Board chair to relay recruitment pain points to council/staff so they can incorporate feedback into the boards-and-commissions reforms.
  • Interested applicants (Emily, Megan, Elaine) to complete formal applications per the city’s appointment process; board will provide letters of support as needed.

Video Recording