Library Board Minutes 2021 05-10-21Page 1 of 7
APPROVED 6/14/21
Yorkville Public Library
Board of Trustees
Monday, May 10, 2021 7:00pm
902 Game Farm Road – Michelle Pfister Meeting Room
Note: In accordance with Public Act 101-0640 and Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation issued by
Governor Pritzker pursuant to the powers vested in the Governor under the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency Act, the United City of Yorkville encouraged social distancing by allowing
remote attendance at this meeting due to the current Covid-19 pandemic.
The Board of Trustees meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by President Darren Crawford, roll was
called and a quorum was established.
Roll Call:
Jason Hedman (joined meeting electronically at 7:35pm), Wamecca Rodriguez-yes, Russ Walter-yes,
Julie Brendich-yes, Susan Chacon-yes, Darren Crawford-yes, Rosie Millen-yes, Ryan Forristall-yes,
Theron Garcia-yes
Staff Present:
Staff: Library Director Shelley Augustine, Technical Services Director Dixie DeBord, Circulation
Manager Sharyl Iwanski-Goist, Youth Services Director Jennette Weiss. See guest lists for other staff.
Others Present:
In order to comply with current pandemic restrictions, there were guests present in the meeting room,
via Zoom and in an overflow area. See attached guest lists. In addition the following were present on
Zoom: Melissa Dixon, Nancy Aschauer, Audrey (no last name given), Rick & Patty Potenza, Carol
Hirsch, Trish Kinnavy
Recognition of Visitors: President Crawford recognized and welcomed city officials, Library staff
and other guests.
Amendments to the Agenda:
Trustee Walter asked to move the Library/City Partnership to #7a and the Library District discussion to
#7b on the agenda.
Minutes: April 12, 2021 Personnel Committee; April 12, 2021 Board of Trustees; April 26, 2021
Special Board of Trustees meeting
Ms. Garcia moved and Mr. Crawford seconded to approve the above sets of minutes as presented.
Roll call: Rodriguez-yes, Walter-yes, Brendich-yes, Chacon-yes, Crawford-yes, Millen-yes, Forristall-
yes, Garcia-yes. Carried 8-0.
Correspondence:
President Crawford noted there were several correspondences.
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Public Comment: The following attendees all spoke against the proposal to locate a pre-school inside
the library.
Judy Somerlot: She said the taxpayers own the library, the Trustees operate it and it is a violation of
state statute to give, lease or sell any part of the library. If the current proposal were to pass, she
wonders what the library will be like in 5 years--she urged the Board to vote no.
Sandy Lindblom: She is both a former library trustee and pre-school owner and is angry and frustrated
that the city would consider a pre-school in the library. She also stated library policy does not allow a
business in the library nor is there space for a playground. Taking any library space will detract from
library function and service to patrons. She urged a “no” vote.
Dan Fapp: He was a former City Council member and familiar with library operations. He said the
library staff provides unique help, is welcoming and functions well. He said the library has a
fiduciary responsibility and the Board must represent the patrons. He said decreased space would
hamper staff operations and interfere with library workflow. Mr. Fapp cited other issues such as
security and after-hours access to non-library personnel. He sees only a slight benefit to the library and
he urged trustees to approach the vote with strong concern.
Anne Engelhardt: She is a long-time patron of the library who voted in favor of the 2004 library
referendum, but not for a pre-school. She summarized how the library carefully planned for the future
prior to the referendum. Ms. Engelhardt asked how the pre-school and library would each benefit by
re-locating the pre-school here and said if it doesn't benefit both, it's a bad idea.
Melissa Dixon: (via Zoom chat), she is a frequent library patron opposed to the pre-school.
Dale Budde: He has served on a library board and other boards. He said this proposal is not well-
planned and space should not be taken from a needed service in the community.
Nettie Badgley: She worries about safety, services and busy parking lot if the proposal is approved.
She said there are better location options for the pre-school. She said the staff is welcoming and
provides wonderful service. This proposal is not good for the community.
Jo Ann Gryder: She is a former Board member and was on the Board when the referendum was
passed. She said the proposal is a big step back from the vision for the library and taxpayers. All space
is being used.
John: (via Zoom chat) He does not feel the library is sufficiently able to handle the safety of the
children. He does not want the public in the same space where there are kids and would feel very
unsafe with that scenario.
Gail Gaebler: She was on the Library Board for 20 years including when it was built. The Board
worked hard to make space for all services and a pre-school is not compatible with the building. All
space is being used for library services and library law/policy states the Board may not lease space.
Trish Kinnavy (via Zoom): She thinks the proposal is a bad idea and an alternative should be found.
She questioned why city officials are looking at the library as the location. She recommended voting
against the proposal.
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Lou Uridel: (from overflow meeting space): He and his wife are library volunteers. He believes the
pre-school idea is ill-conceived, should be rejected and the City Council should find another solution.
Daniel Chacon: He has spent many years volunteering at the library and it is not a suitable place for
the pre-school. He said the library should not be forced to provide space and the space suggested is
already serving another purpose. He urged the Board members to vote no.
Susan Smithmeyer: (from overflow meeting space) She is a Friend of the Library and knows that
many years of planning went into the library building and it was designed for future growth, not a pre-
school. It would take away integrity and displace library staff and space. It is not the Board's
responsibility to relocate the pre-school inside the library so their current building can be sold for
needed funds. Ms. Smithmeyer said the Board of Trustees has a fiduciary responsibility to do what is
best for the library.
Trustee Jason Hedman joined the meeting at this point (7:35pm).
Staff Comment:
An unnamed staff member said the library is not conducive for a pre-school. The staff works hard and
has a commitment to make the library a safe place. Another staff member said there are many other
buildings that could be used. Joan Knutson is on staff and also a member of the Friends group. She
said there is no place for a playground and there is a lot of traffic generated from the school.
President Crawford thanked everyone for their comments.
Unfinished Business: (out of sequence)
Library/City Partnership
Mayor Purcell stated that after previous discussions regarding the pre-school, another potential space
has come to light which is behind the circulation desk. He said there are 2 pre-school classes in the
morning and 2 in the afternoon. Ms. Brendich commented that in library correspondence to the city,
the Board wants to insure that library operations are not disrupted and that there would be adequate
space for deliveries, etc.
Mayor Purcell said that the library annual reports show a 12% downtrend in the number of library
patrons. However, Library Director Augustine said that the digital count has increased. The Mayor
said a pre-school would provide an opportunity to bring kids to the library. He is trying to generate
more taxes in the downtown by selling the city-owned buildings, one of which houses the pre-school.
He noted the library is looking for additional maintenance assistance from the city in exchange for the
space.
City Administrator Bart Olson referred to the city's response to the Library regarding the pre-school. In
his memo, he addressed maintenance issues, agreement terms and number of maintenance hours for
library.
Questions from Board
Increased traffic by the library was addressed by Trustee Rodriguez who said the parking lots near the
library are used by the high school and there is great difficulty in getting in/out due to traffic. She
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asked if a traffic analysis had been done. No analysis will be done, but Mr. Olson will make some
recommendations. Mayor Purcell said the times could be staggered to avoid traffic congestion.
Ms. Rodriguez also inquired how many students are in each pre-school class.
Trustee Brendich asked if current city services provided to the library would be eliminated if the
partnership does not comes to fruition. Mayor Purcell indicated there are no plans to do so, however,
he said there may be pressure from Council members or others to ask the library to pay for services.
Trustee Millen inquired if the pre-school kids would be walked in or dropped off. Mr. Evans replied
they would be brought to the door.
Comments by Board Members and Director:
Trustee Forristall: While the proposal is a great idea, the negatives outweigh the benefits in his mind
and there is no real benefit to the library. A hasty decision would have to be made by June and
continuing discussions would not meet the timeline needed. He is concerned about risk, disruption,
drop-offs/pickups of kids.
Wamecca Rodriguez: She said there is a library term that asks “are you future-ready”. She applies this
to the pre-school as well and wonders how it will grow when an increasing population wants to use it
and there is limited space. She said rentals are done occasionally, but without interference to library
programming. Construction during library hours would disrupt workflow and other operations. She
is concerned about staff, she desires city partnerships and said the library needs city services. The
library may have to pay for some services, but in the long run, the proposal is not a good fit and not of
benefit for both entities.
Russ Walter: He was on the Board when the new Library was built. The library law disallows use as
a pre-school and part of the library levy may have to be forfeited if the entire building is not used for
library purposes. He said at this time, the only city service provided is mowing. Volunteers recently
did cleanup around the building, even though a cleanup should be provided under an old agreement.
All other cleanup/repair services are paid by the library. Illinois law states the library is independent
and paid programs are not allowed. Mr. Walter said the Parks and Rec should have their own building
since they provide many other programs in addition to the pre-school.
Susan Chacon: A pre-school in the Library is not forward-looking for either Parks and Rec or the
library. She wants to improve city relations, but this proposal is not the way to accomplish that.
Theron Garcia: She said this idea started as exploratory, but she said she did not think of the
stakeholders (patrons and employees) who all need to be involved. She received many emails in the
last couple weeks about this matter. She cited security, safety and workflow interference along with
library law. She said employees were concerned about their space being taken away.
Darren Crawford: He cited various risks to the library including legal matters, litigation, infrastructure,
safety, tax levy etc. President Crawford said the library operates with taxes collected directly for the
library. Litigation could occur if a child is hurt on library grounds or playground. Mr. Crawford
listed all the new infrastructure that would be needed to convert the space. He also said that Kendall
County could revoke the tax-exempt status for the pre-school portion of the library. Finally, the library
needs space for their future growth. He said a pre-school is outside of the scope of the library's
mission.
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Julie Brendich: She spearheaded the discussions for this exploratory conversation and thought it was
an exciting endeavor. She said the Board must do what is best for the library. President Crawford's
discussion of the legalities was an eye-opener and she thinks of the risk that the library would be
taking. She does not want to close the door to more partnerships, but this concept would not be in the
best interest of the library.
Rosie Millen: Ms. Millen is a new Board member, a 20-year resident of Yorkville and serves on 3
other boards. She knows that other entities also use this building for meetings, etc. and to say the
building is only for library use is a conflict. She said it is a wonderful opportunity for children to be
exposed to the library. In other research, she said the City of Chicago just opened another library and
they will offer daycare services there. When she was a child, there was a Park District that partnererd
with the library for a tots program.
Jason Hedman: Mr. Hedman said the Board should continue to explore the legalities, other concerns
and look at what would really be impacted. He read all emails and he has concerns over the library/city
relationship which he hopes to stabilize. He sees the proposal as an opportunity for the Board to not
have to look at contracts, renewals, etc. His ultimate goal is to find the best path forward to explore
opportunities for the library and Parks & Rec. In conclusion, all legalities must be considered first.
Shelley Augustine:
The area behind the Circulation desk is where books are processed, deliveries are received and Friends
bring donations there. The staff lounge and restroom are accessed through that area and Ms. Iwanski-
Goist said staff would have to leave that area entirely.
New Business: (out of sequence)
Library District Creation
President Crawford said the library attorney stated that creation of a district is in the best interest of the
library and that most surrounding libraries are districts. There are three methods to become a district
and President Crawford explained how each would work. He asked Ms. Chacon to determine if the
library is solvent to consider being a district. Mr. Walter said a district was discussed in 1996 and again
in 2010. He listed some of the additional costs such as snow removal, water/sewer, electricity,
accounting/audit service, insurance workman's comp, etc. The Community Relations committee was
asked to explore this idea.
Discussion of Library District from Audience Members:
The comments included: a district would be forward-thinking; Board would be elected; taxpayers
should have a say; public needs to be aware of how process works; Fact-Finding committee should
include Board, Library Director and a community member and must be covered by press; community
needs publicity and facts; want to insure a referendum would be held at time of another election to
reduce costs.
A 5-minute break was observed at this time (9:00pm).
Report of the Treasurer:
Financial Statement
Mr. Hedman said $6,000 was spent on books, budget is at 98.6% of revenue and finished FY at 95% of
expenses. He reported the budget was up by $43,000 contrary to the predicted (-$17,000) deficit. He
thanked library staff for managing expenses well.
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Payment of Bills
President Crawford made a motion to pay the bills as follows and it was seconded by Ms. Garcia.
$10,406.38 Accounts Payable
$49,804.33 Payroll
$60,210.71 Total
Roll call: Walter-yes, Brendich-yes, Chacon-yes, Crawford-yes, Millen-yes, Forristall-yes, Garcia-yes,
Hedman-yes, Rodriguez-yes. Carried 9-0.
Report of the Library Director:
Director Shelley Augustine reported she attended a Chamber of Commerce lunch; a circulation staff
member resigned; new entrance readers installed and new FOB's to come soon; Chamber hosted a
meeting at library; library saved $600 by obtaining 300 free CD cases from another library; Ms.
DeBord attended Prairiecats assembly and those membership fees will rise to $15,861; PUG (Prairiecat
Users Groups) Day will be virtual; will schedule in-service day in September for staff training; summer
reading plans underway with possible business partnership--staff member has done great job with
project and Friends are supplementing prizes.
Also, Ms. Weiss has been busy with various programming including stories in the park, drop-in story
time, 3D printing program and many others. Facebook has super heroes; several staff members,
Friends and high school students did a cleanup of the property; tours of the library were given along
with storytime; Ms. Augustine attended Friends meeting and she shared stats of the amount of money
the Friends raised for the library since 2009 which total $90,274. Director Augustine will begin
attending Library University for 12 weeks starting in June.
Ms. Rodriguez advocated for all students to have library cards including those students outside of the
library boundaries. She will work on this endeavor with the schools.
City Council Liaison: None
Standing Committees: None
Unfinished Business:
Library/City Partnership cont.
At this time, Trustee Walter asked to return to the Library/City Partnership and he referred to the letter
from President Crawford dated April 29, 2021. Mr. Walter made a motion as follows---that based on
the discussions, needs of the library and moving forward into the future to protect the library, that we
reject the city partnership to have Parks & Rec use the library facilities for the purpose of a pre-school
or any paid city function. Ms. Chacon seconded. He clarified that a “yes” vote would be to reject the
proposal for the pre-school and there would be no further discussion.
Roll call: Millen-no, Forristall-yes, Garcia-yes, Hedman-no, Rodriguez-yes, Walter-yes, Brendich-yes,
Chacon-yes, Crawford-yes. Passed 7-2.
Metronet Update
Mr. Walter reported that Metronet is waiting for a permit from the city to do a directional bore under
Game Farm Road. Comcast will not be canceled until Metronet has approval to establish their service.
Mr. Walter will contact Comcast to determine if a month to month service plan is allowed.
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TCG Phone System
Jeff Norris of TCG Phone Systems provided a quote for updated phone installation at last month's
Board meeting. Mr. Walter said Mr. Norris had excellent references with a large amount of work being
done in Yorkville and Mr. Norris is a Yorkville resident. TCG would provide all phones in the 3-year
agreement for phone service only. Mr. Walter made a motion to accept TCG Solutions to convert the
phones to an updated system for a monthly payment not to exceed $500/month along with $1,000
installation costs. Ms. Garcia seconded the motion.
Roll call: Forristall-yes, Garcia-yes, Hedman-yes, Rodriguez-yes, Walter-yes, Brendich-yes, Chacon-
yes, Crawford-yes, Millen-yes. Carried 9-0.
Showalter Roofing Snow Bar and Gutter Repair
Director Augustine met with a representative from Showalter Roofing regarding the repair needed and
was told the snow bars are under warranty. Repairs would be made to a gutter in front and back, a
gutter over the main entrance that is pulling away and clean the gutters over the older part of the
library. To make those repairs and do the cleaning, the quote is $950 (option #1). If they clean the
entire gutter system it is $2,150. The Director will clarify that the $2,150 includes repair also. Mr.
Walter moved to accept the proposal for option #1 not to exceed $950 or $2,150 for option #2, pending
clarification. Ms. Garcia seconded.
Roll call: Garcia-yes, Hedman-yes, Rodriguez-yes, Walter-yes, Brendich-yes, Chacon-yes, Crawford-
yes, Millen-yes, Forristall-yes. Carried 9-0.
Executive Session: None
Adjournment:
There was no further business and the meeting adjourned at 9:42pm.
Minutes respectfully submitted by
Marlys Young, Minute Taker