Cleveland Heights – University Heights Public Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights 5-15-2017

MAY 15, 2017

  • Public comments
  • Hotspot lending services
  • Updated service and administration policy
  • April financial report
  • Director and fiscal officer salaries

Present were President Ron Holland, Vice President Abby Botnick, Secretary Chris Mentrek, Suzann Moskowitz, Susan Beatty and Jim Roosa. Max Gerboc was absent.

Public comments

Computer keyboard issues: Library patron Bill Frank stated that he had difficulty on May 3 with the computer keyboard at public computer terminal 11. He e-mailed the director, came back a week later, and the keyboard was not fixed. He had not received a response to his e-mail. He asked if there was a policy on the time frame to respond to an e-mail. Ron Holland stated that the board would provide that information to him within 24 hours. Frank was asked if he had spoken with anyone from the library since that time. He said he had spoken to Deputy Director Kim DeNero-Ackroyd and indicated that, although she was very helpful to him, his issue was unresolved.

Hotspot lending services

Jackie Mayse, technology librarian, reported on the Hotspot Lending Program offered by Heights Libraries. Beginning May 22, 2017 hotspot kits will be in circulation at Coventry Village, Lee Road and Noble Neighborhood libraries. A hotspot is a small portable device used to connect wireless enabled devices such as a laptop, smar phone, or tablet to the Internet. The hotspot kit comprises a micro case, the hotspot device, a micro USB cord, and a USB wall adapter. The hotspot works in any area covered by the Sprint 3G or 4G LTE network. Library patrons can borrow a hotspot for 14 days.

Updated service and administration policy

Abby Botnick presented a resolution for approval of the libraries’ updated service and administration policy. Updates to this policy included changes reflective of current practices such as the removal of the word “cassette” from the libraries’ loan periods and policies because cassettes are no longer in circulation. The resolution was approved and the updated service and administration policy will be available to the public on the libraries’ website.

April financial report

The board accepted the financial report for the month of April. Highlights of the report included a total cash balance from all fund accounts of $14,403,708.04. It was also noted that the library is still awaiting property tax reimbursements from the state. The fiscal officer also informed the board that the current iteration of the 2017–19 Ohio budget bill under consideration reduces the Public Library Fund from 1.7 percent of the general fund to 1.66 percent.

Director and fiscal officer salaries

The board annually conducts performance evaluations of the director and fiscal officer. As a result of the most recent evaluations, the board approved salary increases for the director and the fiscal officer, effective the first payroll of 2017. The annual salary of the director shall be $109,000 and the fiscal officer salary shall be $78,500.

LW Observer: Khaliah Fisher-Grace.

[The observer was unable to attend the meeting in person, but was able to provide a report based on an audio recording of the meeting.]

To receive regular email postings of full reports, send an email to mbarnes9515@gmail.com or join through Google groups using “lwv-chuh observer reports” as a search phrase.

These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.

Read More on Library
Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 2:02 PM, 07.25.2017