All Library Branches Will Remain Closed on Sundays
Through September 15th Due to Budget Cuts
Geauga County Public Library (GCPL) - July 15, 2025
Original Publication Date: August 10, 2025 Revision Publication Date: August 17, 2025
Meeting: The GCPL Board met on Tuesday, July 15th at 4:00 pm at the Bainbridge Branch. This Board Meeting was in-person with a virtual attendance option. To access the virtual option see information here. The meeting was not recorded. Minutes of this meeting will be posted on the GCPL website after they are approved at the August 19, 2025 meeting.
Observer Note: Each member of the GCPL Board and Staff receives a copy of the meeting packet, as does this Observer. It is available upon request in accordance with Ohio public records law (ORC 149.43). The board discusses and votes on the information in the packet. This Observer Report is made up of discussions held at the board meeting and information taken from the board packet.
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 Karen Delano, Vice President Kristen Brickman, Secretary Crist Miller and Board Trustees Joshua Hutchinson and Jake Yanchar were present. Trustees Kate Pitrone and Paul Newman 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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Deborah Schrock - Development Coordinator
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Erika Noark - Geauga West Branch Manager
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Mary Balog - Thompson Branch Manager
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Rachael Hartman - Middlefield Branch Manager
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Mike Pope - IT Manager
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John Johnson - Facilities Manager
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Judy Lasco - Chardon Branch Manager
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Danielle Hollar - Bainbridge Branch Manager
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Marlene Pelyhes - Tech Services Manager
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Denise Javins - Marketing Manager
Public: President of the Chagrin Falls Herb Society and this Observer attended in person. There was one person attending online.
President Karen Delano called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm and roll call was taken.
Minutes: Minutes of the June Budget Hearing and June 17, 2025 Board Meeting were approved as presented. 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.
Communications: None
Agenda: The agenda presented in the Board packet was approved with no changes.
Fiscal Officer’s Report - Ms. Havlin
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The library’s budget hearing with the County Budget Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 9:00 am. The hearing will be held at 231 Main Street, Chardon in the Auditor’s Appraisal Conference Room.
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Ms Havlin said she will include a Total Cost Summary for the Chardon Branch Project in each month’s board information going forward. The spreadsheet will track estimates and actual costs. Estimates will be updated as the design process progresses.
Director’s Report - Ms. Carroll
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The Governor vetoed the proposed language in the State Budget Bill regarding collection segregation; however, the approved state budget will result in an estimated reduction of approximately $250,000 in GCPL’s funding. In response to several vetoes issued by Governor Dewine on House Bill 96, the Ohio House announced plans to reconvene from summer recess on Monday, July 21 to consider overriding select vetoes related to property taxation. Reviewer Note: The only vetoed measure taken up by the Ohio House was a property tax provision that includes the elimination of certain types of levies, such as emergency levies and combined school district income tax and fixed-sum property tax levies. The Ohio House voted to override the Governor’s veto of this budget item on July 21, 2025; the Senate’s vote on the potential veto override has not been scheduled yet. More information is available here.
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The County Commissioners signed the Letter of Intent to purchase the Administration Center on Tuesday, July 8th. The Commissioners and GCPL are in the process of negotiating a lease and purchase agreement.
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In anticipation of sharing space with County offices in the Administration Center until the Chardon Branch is open, the Administrative Team is developing a workspace consolidation plan to ensure a smooth transition and continued operational efficiency.
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The Facilities team is reorganizing storage areas in preparation for the upcoming consolidation of space at the Administrative Center, to optimize space usage and improve operational efficiency
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Ms. Carroll met with the Bostwick Design team to review the interior layout of the new Chardon Branch and Administrative Center, focusing on workflow issues.
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At the Middlefield Branch, the drainage repair project was more expensive than anticipated but was completed. The Middlefield Branch experienced HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) issues on June 23rd and had to close at 1pm. The system is currently operating at 50% capacity due to a failed coil. The Facilities team coordinated with branch staff to provide temporary cooling solutions, including fans and keeping doors open, to maintain a safe and comfortable environment until the necessary replacement is installed. Later Ms. Carroll asked for approval to expedite the manufacture and delivery of the coil to 2 weeks by paying an additional $2,000. This was voted on and approved. If the coil isn’t delivered in 2 weeks, the money would be refunded.
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Seal coating and restriping have been completed at the parking lots of the Administrative Center, Bainbridge, Thompson, and Middlefield locations, improving both safety and appearance.
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Ms. Carroll is coordinating with the League of Women Voters and the County Auditor to offer a series of public education programs focused on property taxes. These sessions will aim to provide residents with clear, accessible information on how property taxes are calculated and how recent legislative changes may impact taxes and individuals. Reviewer Note: This joint venture among LWVG, GCPL, and the Auditor’s Office is in the planning stages, with the programming estimated to begin in 2026.
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Library Services:
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- New STEAM {Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Kits were completed with updated labels and colorful catalogs, and they were distributed to branches in July. Marketing is finalizing the online catalog to promote the collection and encourage circulation.
- Hallmark Movie Reorganization: In response to patron feedback, Hallmark DVDs have been consolidated under “H” for easier access. Patrons are expressing appreciation for the improved organization.
- Staffing Update: Sarah Osinsky, who had a key role in centralizing materials selection since 2019, is leaving GCPL on July 25 to become the Technical Services Manager of Willoughby Eastlake Public Library. Her leadership helped transition the system from 28 individual selectors to a centralized model, while still empowering staff to contribute to branch collections.
Assistant Director’s Report - Ms. Farrell
June 2025 Statistics:
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36,579 patrons served at the branches
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14,965 computer and wi-fi users
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219 programs presented for 4,468 patrons
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11,805 reference interactions
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Total circulation of items: 223,604
Observer Note: The board packet contains a report of activities from all branches and departments. This is under the heading of the Assistant Director’s Report. The report includes Patron feedback reported at the branches. The host/local branch manager gives an oral report at the board meeting. This month’s branch was Bainbridge and a report was given by Dani Hollar, Bainbridge Branch manager.
Ms Hollar highlighted the Color Our World activities, a Maker Space Camp for High School students and library tours for young students.
Human Resources - Ms. Burnside
Committee Reports - None
Unfinished Business - None
New Business - Ms. Carroll
There was a lengthy discussion of possible budget cuts:
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All branches will remain closed on Sundays through December 31st. Patrons comments will be noted. Motion passed that a decision for all of 2026 will be made at the November meeting. Reviewer Note: This report erroneously stated that all library branches would be closed on Sundays through September 15, 2025 when it was originally published on August 10, 2025. This report was republished on August 17, 2025 with the correction that the Sunday closures will remain in place for the rest of 2025.
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The Chardon Maker Space located in Chardon High School will close at the end of 2025. It will be relocated to the new Chardon branch on Park Avenue when it opens. The Maker Space averages 2.5 users per day during November and December. Patrons that have been using the Chardon Maker Space will be contacted. The Bainbridge Maker Space will remain open.
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Lines & Links paper magazine. The mailing is expensive at $65,000/year. It is already available online. Options are still being discussed, and no motion was made at this time.
Board Development - Ms. Carroll
In the new State budget, the terms of 2 Board members were shortened from 7 to 4 years. The Board members affected are Kate Pitron and Crist Miller.
Foundation Report - Ms. Schrock
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The GCPL Foundation received a $6,000 donation from the Geauga County Board of Developmental Disabilities designated to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
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The Library Book Barn was open during the July 4th festivities and experienced good sales.
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The Bainbridge Book Sale brought in $1,518 in proceeds, surpassing last year’s total of $1,387.50.
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The Friends Committee is setting the dates for the 2026 and 2027 book sales so marketing can get the dates published.
Public Comment
The Chagrin Valley Herb Society President thanked the GCPL and Bainbridge Branch and offered to give anyone a tour of the garden CVHS maintains at the Bainbridge Branch. This observer said she looks forward to the printed copy of Lines & Links, highlights it and registers for programs online and appreciates emailed reminders. Observer Note: After the meeting, Marketing Manager, Ms. Javins, and Assistant Director, Ms. Farrell, spoke with this observer. Ms. Javins said that her mother calls the library to register. She also said that one of the options discussed was having a print version available at the library main desk with either no mailings or a reduced mailing.
Executive Session - None
The meeting adjourned at 5:47pm
Upcoming Events:
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August 2 - Audio Visual Booksale at the Geauga West Branch
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September 26 - Foundation Donor Appreciation Event at the Bainbridge Branch
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October 10 -Murder by Moonlight: A Psychic Mystery Event at the Geauga West Branch
Next Meeting: The next Regular Board meeting is August 19th at 4:00 pm at the Chardon Branch. See website for information on meeting dates and locations.
Minutes: The latest minutes are posted here. Prior to March 2023, videos of meetings were available to the public here. GCPL is no longer posting videos of their meetings.
Observer: Cris Takacs
Editor: Sarah McGlone
Reviewer: Carol Benton
Date Submitted: August 17, 2025
The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.