‘Home School Picture Day’ at Bainbridge Branch Served 80 Students from Geauga, Trumbull and Cuyahoga Counties
Geauga County Public Library (GCPL) - October 15, 2024
Meeting: The GCPL Board met on Tuesday, October 15th at 4:00 pm at the Geauga West Branch. This meeting was in-person with a virtual option. The meeting was not recorded. Minutes of this meeting will be posted on the GCPL website / GCPL Board after they are approved at the November 19, 2024 meeting.
Public Comment: Permitted and included in the regular order of business per GCPL bylaws. Further clarified in Policy 215 - Public Participation at Board Meetings.
Board Attendance: President Paul A. Newman, Vice President Karen Delano and members Joshua Hutchinson, Crist Miller, and Kate Pitrone. Kristen Brinkman and Jake Yanchar were absent.
Staff Attendance:
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Kris Carroll - Director
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Katy Farrell (Assistant Director) - Recording Secretary
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Lisa Havlin - Fiscal Officer
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Nicole Burnside - Human Resources
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Debbie Schrock - Development Coordinator
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Kevin Barton - Thompson Branch Manager
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Erika Noark - Geauga West Branch Manager
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Denise Javins - Marketing Manager
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Rachael Hartman - Middlefield Branch Manager
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Judy Lasco - Chardon Branch Manager
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Marlene Pelyhes - Tech Services Manager
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Mike Pope - IT Manager
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Dani Hollar - Bainbridge Branch Manager
Public: This Observer attended in person. It is unknown if anyone attended virtually.
President Newman called the board meeting to order at 4:00 pm and roll call was taken.
Minutes: Minutes of the August Board Meeting were approved without discussion. Board minutes are available online. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to access minutes. The minutes are posted as soon as they are approved at the following month’s Board meeting.
Agenda: Agenda was approved with agenda item 13. B (Approval to engage Legal Council for CMR Procurement) deleted (see also below).
Communications - Ms. Carroll
Fiscal Officers Report – Ms. Havlin
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The September disbursements and gifts were approved.
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Ms. Havlin is working with a representative from the law firm of Bricker Graydon to complete rebate filings for the library’s 2017 Notes, 2018A Bonds, and 2018B Bonds. A small rebate payment of $9,855.16 is due on the Notes. Bond rebate refers to the arbitrage and rebate provisions under the Internal Revenue Code. These rules require the issuer to rebate to the Federal government any investment earnings more than the bond yield paid. Since the government provides a federal tax credit on public bonds to encourage investors to purchase the investment, the public entity cannot make a profit on the proceeds of the investments.
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Approval of a new Natural Gas Contract was postponed. A new contract for Chardon will be negotiated when it is time.
Director’s Report - Ms. Carroll
teams to review safety, focus on teamwork, and take part in technology training.
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The new Aspen Discovery catalog is set to launch on October 28th. This updated catalog will offer a more detailed and cohesive experience, enabling GCPL to showcase its unique collections and services more prominently. The new Clevnet app will be released later this year.
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The Admin team is reviewing updates to the 2024-2025 Strategic Plan, the 2025 Project Plans, and the Department and Branch budgets.
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Ms. Carroll attended the Ohio Library Council [OLC] Advocacy Tour. These meetings are to ensure that Ohio Libraries speak with a unified voice as they begin advocating for Public Libraries for the 2026-2027 state budget.
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Facilities coordinated the installation of a new concrete pad and recycling dumpster at Geauga West Branch. They also oversaw the addition of a shed.
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IT met with Branch managers to discuss security for the voting machines at Bainbridge, Geauga West, and Middlefield.
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The marketing department has created the Location Landing Page, the Bainbridge Branch Location Page, and an Aspen Discovery Page to help patrons navigate the new catalog system launching at the end of the month. They’ve also finalized the proof for the Local History and Genealogy Page and are continuing to work on the America 250 Prezi presentation. They also developed a new Notary Service brochure, which has been printed and is ready for distribution.
Assistant Director’s Report - Ms. Farrell
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Bainbridge - Homeschool Picture Day had 80 students from Geauga, Trumbull, and Cuyahoga counties come for pictures.
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Chardon - Baby Storytime at Chardon Branch is going well, with positive feedback from caregivers.
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Geauga West - Increase in the number of students coming into the library after school - 1,000 in September, up from 400 in September of 2023.
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Middlefield - Fully staffed for the first time in months after welcoming new Circulation Assistants and Shelvers to the team.
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Mobile Services -The Fun Bus was out on the road for the bookmobile in mid-September while the bookmobile was serviced. Six more Amish schools were added for a total of forty.
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Thompson - Rascal’s Bookworm Club has a new format alongside the regular storytime and craft. There are simple craft kits that parents and children can take home.
Human Resources Report - Ms. Burnside
Committee Reports - None
Unfinished Business - None
New Business - Ms Carroll
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Requested approval to publish RFQ (request for quotes) for Design Professional Services for the new Chardon Library Construction Project - Approved
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Requested approval to Engage Legal Counsel for CMAR (Construction Manager at Risk) Procurement. This was removed from the Agenda, as it was decided that it would be better to check prices and report next month. Reviewer Note: An explanation of CMAR procurement can be found here.
Board Development - None
Development Coordinator - Foundation report - Ms. Schrock
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At the Foundation September Board Meeting, the board approved the update of the Foundation’s purpose and mission: The purpose of the Foundation is to support, promote, and encourage the library services, activities, and facilities of the Geauga County Public Library. The mission of the Foundation is to support and promote the Geauga County Public Library through financial support and community engagement.
Upcoming Community Events
Public Comment - No one from the public spoke.
The meeting adjourned at 4:15 pm.
Next Meeting: November 19, 4:00 pm, Thompson Branch, Records Commission and Regular Meeting
Minutes: The latest minutes are posted here. Prior to March 2023, videos of meetings were available to the public here. The GCPL is no longer posting videos of their meetings.
Observer: Cris Takacs
Editor: Sarah McGlone
Reviewer: Carol Benton
Date Submitted: 11/3/24
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