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Mr. Hogan called the meeting to order at 12:20 p.m.

Mr. Hogan mentioned that the minutes from the February 18, 2004 board meeting should be corrected to include that Mrs. Traci Smith did attend the February 18 meeting. Mr. Johnson made a motion to accept the corrected minutes from the February 18, 2004 board meeting. Mrs. Pasmore seconded the motion, which passed five to zero.

The automation system bids were discussed. Since the library has been a customer with Dynix since 1994, they gave the library a big discount making their bid approximately $50,000 less than the bid received from The Library Corporation. A revised automation proposal from Dynix along with the hardware summary sheet compiled by Mr. Bearden was presented to the board. Mr. Bearden explained that one of the revisions to the Dynix quote is MS SQL, which is the core of the operating system. Horizon Enriched Content for the public is the other change. Mrs. Dancer explained that in addition to straight bibliographic content pictures of book jackets and reviews for mainly the new titles would also be included. Mr. Waddell asked if the new system would allow customers to have a comment board at the site. Ms. Burkett said that she is not sure if it will or not but the library is thinking about doing something similar inside the library. PC Reserve, which will come with Dynix and will require all users to have a library card before they can access the Internet or other databases. Since it will authenticate users and will be equipped with timers on the Internet, the staff will no longer be required to keep sign-in sheets for customers and will not be tied up monitoring usage. The program will alert users warning them that their time will expire in a certain number of minutes. This can be over-ridden by staff when necessary. It should also provide better statistics on usage. It was discussed that the transition from the old Dynix system to the new one shouldn’t be difficult for most of the staff. The biggest change will be for the Circulation staff. Technical processing should adapt easily and it is anticipated that the new system will increase productivity. Some procedures will be revised to accommodate the changes. Mr. Bearden sent the original hardware specifications out to seven companies. Of the seven, two didn’t respond and several didn’t adhere to the bid specs. The bid prices received were much higher than expected so he decided to contact distributors directly and was able to secure a better price in the process. He stated that the original hardware specifications had been changed to a more powerful server and larger hard drives since he discovered that the Dynix system required them to operate properly.

Ms. Burkett found out from Mr. Paul Waddell, Mr. Al Haines, Purchasing Agent for Craighead County and from Arkansas Legislative Audit that if the library enters a lease agreement that an ordinance will have to be written requesting approval through the County Quorum Court. Mr. Haines wasn’t aware of any of the county agencies asking for a lease agreement. Mr. Steve Kent, Purchasing Agent for the City of Jonesboro, said the city hasn’t had any lease agreements either. Mr. Waddell offered his expertise in writing the ordinance. The library will check with different leasing companies to secure the best rate for a three-year lease with a $1 buyout at the end of the lease. Mr. Hogan reminded the board that the library would be financing 2/3 of the cost since it has budgeted to pay for 1/3 of the cost on the front end. Ms. Burkett will contact leasing companies asking for bids. The Board delegated the authority to the Finance Committee to accept the best rate from the leasing companies when the Committee meets at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, 2004. The name of the leasing company, the rate and term of the loan will be provided to Mr. Waddell to include in the ordinance. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to accept the Dynix proposal for software & server. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed five to zero. Mr. Johnson made a second motion to accept the proposal allowing the library to purchase the hardware components. Mr. Waddell seconded the motion, which passed five to zero.

Ms. Burkett reported that she & Mrs. Dobbins had contacted Mr. Arnold Cooper at A. G. Edwards and he has made a recommendation to place the money from the capital improvement account into an American Funds Capital Index account. The information received from Mr. Cooper was shared by mail with Mr. Johnson who reviewed it and agreed with Mr. Cooper’s recommendation. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to move the funds from the Union Planters savings account into an American Funds Capital Index investment account. Mr. Waddell seconded the motion, which passed five to zero.

A report on the chemicals used by S & S Landscaping to date and the anticipated schedule for future treatments was given.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:04 p.m.

After adjournment it was realized that a new appointment was necessary to the Finance Committee since Mr. Tony Sauser’s term had expired in February. Mr. Hogan appointed Mr. Wayne Wiggins, who graciously agreed to serve on the Finance Committee.

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Board Meeting
February 18, 2004
Approved

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library Board of Trustees met in regular session at noon on Wednesday, February 18, 2004. The following board members were present: Chairman, Mr. Lennie Hogan, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Mr. Mike Johnson, Mrs. Jean Pasmore and Mr. Tony Sauser. Also in attendance were Library Director Ms. Phyllis, Burkett, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, and Mrs. Kellie Bardis representing the Jonesboro Sun.

Mr. Johnson made a motion to accept the minutes from the October 15, 2003 board meeting. Mr. Waddell seconded the motion, which passed.

Board members were asked to volunteer to serve on the Crowley Ridge Regional Library to fill the vacancy when Mrs. Jo Ann Cooper’s term expired Mr. Waddell made a motion to appoint Mr. Johnson to the Crowley Ridge Regional Library board. Mr. Sauser seconded the motion, which passed.

End of year financial reports for 2003 were presented. The Finance Committee recommended that $50,000 from the capital improvement account should be invested in an investment account if it can be placed in one for 12 to 18 months. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to accept the 2003 financial reports. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion which passed.

Financial reports for 2004 were presented which included revisions to the 2004 operations & maintenance budget. Mr. Waddell made a motion to accept the 2004 financial reports. Mr. Sauser seconded the motion, which passed.

The board was presented with bids for repainting the ’88 addition and replacing stained ceiling tile in the building. The board discussed whether or not board approval should be required for regular maintenance and other items falling under regular budget categories within a set dollar range. After some discussion, the board agreed to make their conclusion in the form of a motion. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion stating that the Director and administrative staff is allowed to spend a maximum of $7,500 for regular budget items without board approval. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed. The board requested that they be provided with a summary sheet when work of this type is performed and that quotes or bids for expenses be maintained in administrative files.

Mr. Johnson made a motion to accept the Finance Committee’s recommendation of First Community Bank for the first and second mill accounts at the rate of 1.75% providing that this rate will still be offered if the library decides to place the capital improvement money in an investment account. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion, which passed.

The Finance Committee made a recommendation to stay with the K & K Cleaning to provide cleaning service for the library. The board agreed there is less of security risk involved by having one person in the building and using their family as backup. The board feels that K & K has a good track record by keeping the building clean and has been accommodating when asked to do special cleaning. Sunday has been added to their cleaning schedule to avoid having a three-day span without cleaning. Mr. Sauser made a motion to accept the bid for cleaning services from K & K Cleaning in the annual amount of $23,508. Mrs. Pasmore seconded the motion, which passed.

Bid specifications for building insurance and workers compensation insurance were presented with no changes made. The specifications will be placed out for bid and the bids received will be presented to the board at the May meeting for approval.

Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to accept the Electronic Collection Development Policy, Web Site Policy, and Web Link Selection Policy. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.

The board discussed the advantages of having Mr. Jim Corter perform services which will include revising the library salary schedule, annual leave review and revision, make a recommendation for a policy on educational leave with and without pay, and evaluate and recommend a suitable cafeteria plan for the staff. The board emphasized their concern that the lower portion of the salary schedule should be setup to receive raises on a more frequent basis as an incentive to stay with the library. The board discussed that it will be necessary to establish a set amount at the beginning of each budget year and place into a category for paid educational leave with strict guidelines as to who will qualify for this benefit. They agreed that it should be stated that if the library provides substantial support to an individual staff member the staff person should understood that they will be expected to remain with the library for two years after they finish their classes. Mr. Johnson made a motion to hire Jim Corter to do the revisions to the employee handbook and salary schedule at a maximum of $4500. Mr. Waddell seconded the motion, which passed.

The board agreed to wait until after the salary schedule has been revised and presented to the board before making a decision to add the two additional holidays that most county, state and federal workers are receiving to the library staff’s holiday days being earned.

It was noticed that the Finance Committee minutes from the February 4, 2004 meeting were not included with the October 2003 when they were approved earlier in the meeting. Mr. Johnson made a motion to approve the Finance Committee minutes from February 4, 2004. Mrs. Pasmore seconded the motion, which passed.

Ms. Burkett reminded the board that she is having hip replacement surgery in June.

Ms. Burkett informed the board that the Friends of the Library purchased new furniture for the staff break room and that the staff is enjoying the new furnishings.

The possibility asking the Friends of the Library to assist with leasing an electronic LED outdoor sign to be located at the corner of Madison & Cherry Streets is being investigated. Electrical lines have been placed in this area with the anticipation of a future sign being placed there. Leasing cost is $592.87 monthly plus sales tax for a 60-month agreement. Purchase price is $27,298.73. This location has a large traffic flow of 9,000 vehicles per day.

A called meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 31 to review bids received for the automation lease agreement.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m.

Finance Committe Meeting
February 4, 2004
Approved

The Finance Committee met at noon on Wednesday, February 4, 2004. Present for the meeting were Chairman of the Committee Mr. Mike Johnson, Mrs. Jean Pasmore, Chairman of the Board Mr. Lennie Hogan, Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, Mr. Greg Chance from KASU Radio Station.

Mr. Hogan called the meeting to order at 12:20 p.m.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the automation system was distributed to committee members to avoid mailing costs.

A copy of the February 18, 2004 Crowley Ridge Regional Library board booklet was also shared with the committee members. The booklet includes second quarter financial reports and 2003 statistics for all libraries.

The Poinsett County Library board will meet Tuesday, February 10 at noon in Harrisburg. Ms. Burkett, Ms. Marilyn Griffin and Mr. Chris Bearden have all been keeping job diaries of their job related Poinsett County Library activities. This information is included in the Crowley Ridge booklet.

Financial reports were presented including the final report for 2003 for CCJPL income and expenses, a report detailing PCL reimbursements to CCJPL, and the status of CCJPL investment accounts. The committee recommended that Ms. Burkett and Mrs. Dobbins investigate investing $50,000 from the Capital Improvement account in a mutual fund account if the minimum investment term could be 12 months and if a high penalty could be avoided if the money is withdrawn after 12 months. At this point the committee reviewed the bids for bank account interest. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to accept the interest rate of 1.75% offered by First Community Bank. Mr. Hogan seconded the motion, which passed. If it is possible to purchase the mutual fund, First Community Bank should be contacted that the library has decided to invest a portion of the Capital Improvement account into an investment instead.

The mill tax collection report for 2002 vs. 2003 shows that a check for November and one for December 2003 were received in January 2004. Collections for 2003 were up 7% over 2002.

The 2004 Operations & Maintenance Budget was reviewed with a few revisions being noted. Software databases for Information Services has been included in the materials category in order to shift some money from other materials categories to cover added databases. An estimated amount was placed in the category for the automation software lease and for the computer hardware lease, which are factored over a three-year period. Building maintenance was increased to cover painting of the ’88 addition and the replacement of stained ceiling tiles. Staff development was increased to cover the $4,500 bid from Jim Corter to do a salary study and to review the staff leave and other benefits. The committee agreed that the salary study would be considered a recommendation and would not be something that they would have to strictly adhere to. The committee wants the hourly staff to be included in the study so that hourly staff will start at a higher wage than the current minimum wage being used and include increment increases on a regular basis. This would be done to encourage part-time staff to stay with the library. The committee would like for Ms. Burkett and Mrs. Dobbins to investigate a cafeteria plan for the staff. Adult programming was increased to cover a television ad campaign to reach more residents who are without library cards since only 22% of the current population in the county have one. Ms. Burkett mentioned that she and Mrs. Reiser would be attending the Public Library Association conference being held in Seattle, WA later this month. There are no plans to send staff to any other national meeting during the year. Other categories of the budget were briefly discussed.

After some discussion on the cleaning service bids received the committee agreed to recommend to the board that the library stay with K & K Cleaning Services for another year. The committee feels that K & K is reliable and has provided a job well done and a consistent performance. They feel it is less of a security risk having one person with keys and access to the security codes instead of having different shifts of people in and out of the building.

Paid time off and one half of the tuition was paid for Mrs. LaTonya Jones (library secretary) to attend an Introduction to Computers class at ASU. Mrs. Sarah Brown from the Children’s Department has indicated her desire to earn her Masters in Library Science by attending Texas Women’s University. State aid to public libraries will provide some funding if she is able to take 12 hours. Ms. Burkett feels that it is important for the library to support Mrs. Brown’s goal and provide educational leave and as much financial support as possible to her and anyone else that wishes to further their education when it directly relates to their job performance. For this reason, Educational Leave will be part of the Corter study.

Salaried library staff currently receives nine paid holidays each year. Committee members were asked to revise library paid holidays to include the two extra holidays that county, state and federal workers are receiving. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion that the committee to recommend to the full board for approval a revision to the leave policy including the two additional days as paid leave time for salaried staff. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.

Ms. Burkett informed the committee that the RFP’s for the automation system are expected in by March 5 and a special called meeting to review the submitted proposals will be Wednesday, March 31. In the meantime, staff will be working on contacting hardware computer vendors to compare prices and investigate leasing options for the computer hardware lease.

The meeting was adjourned.

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Board Meeting
March 15 , 2005
Approved

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in regular session at noon on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 in the Round Room of the Public Library in Jonesboro. Board members present were: Mr. Mike Johnson, Vice-Chairman acting as Chairman in the absence of Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell. In attendance were Craighead County Jonesboro Library Board members Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mrs. June Morse, Mr. Wayne Wiggins, Mrs. Tracy Smith, CRRL member Mr. Buzzy Faulkner, Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, CCJPL Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, and Ms. Kellie Bardis from the Jonesboro Sun.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the minutes from the October 20, 2004 board meeting. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion which passed.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the minutes from the February 2, 2005 Finance Committee meeting. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion which passed.

End of the year financial reports for 2004 were presented. Mr. Wiggins made a motion to accept the 2004 financial reports. Mr. Hogan seconded the motion which passed.

The 2005 projected income and the revised M & O Budget were presented. Ms. Burkett recommended holding the $116,501 unallocated in the second mill accounts until the library is better able to see where 2005 collections will be. It is anticipated that collections will grow by only 3 to 3.5% in 2005. Mr. Johnson feels positive that the Jonesboro City Council will consider the request from the library to be included to receive the benefit from the anticipated increased sales tax revenues. Ms. Burkett reported that the materials budget may be re-shifted in the audio-visual and software categories to accommodate the increased demand for these areas. If the regional library receives an increase in state aid we may use it to pay for databases. Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the 2004 financial reports and the revised M & O Budget. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion which passed.

The board reviewed the options for the staff that have excess hours in order to start the new paid time off policy plan. A spreadsheet detailing the staff who will have over one year’s worth of time accumulated and the cost of a 1 to 3 and a 1 to 2 buyout were shown. The professional staff was grouped with an average hourly rate given for each of them for the buyout cost and the para-professionals were grouped accordingly. Mr. Johnson stated that he felt the 1 to 3 buyout was reasonable amount and felt that none of the staff would object to it. Mr. Johnson made a motion of a 1 to 3 buyout for the hours over one year’s worth for staff affected with a deadline of May 1, 2005 to decide if they wanted to take the buyout or if they wanted to use their time which will have to be taken by December 1, 2005. Mr. Hogan seconded the motion which passed.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the recommendation from the Finance Committee to accept the bid from K & K Cleaning to provide cleaning service. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion which passed.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the recommendation from the Finance Committee to accept the bid from Liberty Bank to provide bank account service at the interest rate of 3.097%. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion which passed.

Ms. Burkett reported that due to the requirements set forth by Arkansas legislative audit for public libraries, a contract would be required between the library and the City of Jonesboro and one between the library and Craighead County. Mr. Al Haines, Purchasing Agent for Craighead County drew up the contracts between the library and the county. Two weeks prior to today’s meeting, Jonesboro City Council passed an ordinance with an emergency clause to a public service contract with the library and appropriate approximately $1.4 million dollars which is the city’s collection side and to have the County Treasurer to send the check to the City of Jonesboro. The City of Jonesboro will then send a check back to the library. The county will continue to write the county check to the library and mail directly to the library. Mr. Wiggins made a motion authorizing Ms. Burkett as Library Director to sign the contracts with Mayor Forman from the city and with Judge Haas from the county. Mr. Hogan seconded the motion which passed.

Advertisements have been placed in the Jonesboro Sun announcing the new CCJPL branch library hours.

A RIF Lending Libraries Report from the four community parks and recreation centers was presented to the board. Ms. Burkett and Volunteer Services Director, Mrs. Margo Reiser attended a meeting for the Parks & Recreation Department and thanked them for their support of the program.

Mr. Hogan asked that Ms. Burkett meet with the Kiwanis Director and the Director of Consolidated Youth Services (CYS) to discuss the possibility of placing books at CYS.

Some building maintenance items have surfaced at the library. A HVAC unit installed in 1988 has gone out and a replacement unit is on order to connect it with the boiler which will be more energy efficient. Another problem has surfaced with a 4 ton unit dating back to 1964 serving approximately 460 square feet in the Civic League Room and the Office of Reading has also gone out. This unit is much larger than what is required to satisfy the area. Ms. Burkett & Mrs. Dobbins met with Carrier staff and were told that there is also a 5 ton unit the same age which they feel could be replaced at the same time using one unit to cover the two areas. Ductwork will have to be removed and additional return air vents will be needed to insure that the unit runs efficiently and properly. Ms. Burkett requested that Carrier submit the bid for the project in three phases so that the board can determine which work can be afforded at what time. Ms. Burkett suggested that the board may want to employ the services of Mr. William M. Cain who was the engineer for the recent 2003 HVAC project. Mr. Hogan recommended having Mr. Wiggins review the plans for the project since he used to work with HVAC systems and is knowledgeable about them. Mr. Wiggins requested that specifications and flyers be provided for the units. Another item needing to be replaced is the security system. Mr. Bearden is investigating system and will provide more information to the board at the May meeting. Ms. Burkett suggested that the board may need to have a special called meeting in April to discuss the HVAC issues. The idea of having an early morning meeting for the called meeting is a possibility which will be considered.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) were instrumental in getting a new reader/printer machine with an $11,000 donation from Dr. John Stull in memory of his mother Marjorie Stull. DAR has also generously contributed genealogy books valued at $2,000.

Board members were invited to an author luncheon featuring Jeanne Ray to honor the Friends of the Library volunteers. The luncheon will be at noon on Tuesday, April 19 in the Round Room at the library.

The meeting was adjourned.

Next meeting date will be August 17, 2005.

Board Meeting
April 13 , 2005
Approved

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in special session at 7 a.m., April 13, 2005 in the Round Room at the Public Library. Board members present were: Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Mike Johnson, Treasurer, Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mr. Wayne Wiggins, Mrs. Jean Pasmore, Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, and Ms. Kellie Bardis from the Jonesboro Sun.

After looking at remodeling needs in the Civic League Room, the meeting was called to order at 7:30 a.m. by Mr. Waddell.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the minutes from the March 15, 2005 board meeting. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion which passed.

Ms. Burkett reported that most of the library staff has indicated that they are going to accept the paid time off buyout offer. Some of the staff is taking time off now to use up their excess hours before the deadline. Ms. Burkett & Mrs. Dobbins will work on the wording in the employee handbook regarding the Paid Time Off Policy since some of it is unclear.

The board was presented with a request from Mrs. Nechia Whittingham to be given credit for the five years of experience she earned while employed at the Poinsett County Library towards how much leave time she is earning. In the past employees of Crowley Ridge Regional Library were grandfathered into the CCJPL system and were given credit for their time towards their leave time being earned. Ms. Burkett stated that since PCL is not a part of CCJPL directly that she felt if this consideration was granted for Mrs. Whittingham then it would only be fair and uniform to do the same for Mrs. Diane Sandberg who brought 20+ years of experience with her from another library system. The board discussed Mrs. Whittingham’s request and decided not to approve it since it would open the door to everyone who has previous experience at another library and since the professional staff has already received consideration for previous service in other libraries when salary schedule was redone a few years ago. 

The board reviewed the bids for heating & air work from Carrier & RGB Mechanical to replace a 4-ton unit which has bearing problems and a 5-ton unit with one unit to serve the area that the two units are serving. RGB was the company providing HVAC service before Arkansas Mechanical was awarded the contract for the 2003 project. Library staff had encountered problems in communicating with RGB staff because different technicians who were being sent out to perform work who were unfamiliar with the library equipment. Since the board felt that neither Carrier nor RGB gave enough detail on the equipment being installed, Mr. Wiggins & Mr. Hogan agreed to meet with Carrier & RGB staff to follow up and gather more information on the project. The board agreed that it was ok for Mr. Wiggins & Mr. Hogan to ask Carrier what type of discount will be given if the library pays for the equipment only in advance since it could factor into the decision if the discount is a substantial savings. They will bring their findings back to the board to review and decide upon at the May 18 meeting. Mr. Waddell mentioned that he will abstain from voting if voted upon at the May 18 meeting since one of the top executives at Carrier, Mr. Arthur Delano is one of his clients and that it might appear to represent a conflict of interest if he participated in the vote.

The board toured the Civic League Room prior to the meeting being started to evaluate the condition of the walls, lighting, carpet and furniture in the room. Mr. Waddell suggested contacting the Wood Knot Shop for determining what should be done to the wood paneling since they have someone on staff who is a master at wood refinishing. The board felt that the bid from INTAC Services to replace the lighting in the room with flat ceiling lights was reasonable. The work will be postponed to replace the lighting until the HVAC work is done. Mrs. Pasmore volunteered to work with Ms. Burkett to find a table & chairs for the room which will be functional and also suitable for a board room. Prices to replace the carpet will be obtained and will be included along with the price for the above mentioned items to be presented to the board at the May 18 meeting.

Ms. Burkett gave the board updates on legislation pertaining to libraries and included copies of bills which have passed recently. Hiring Martha Perry, as a lobbyist for Arkansas Advocates for Public Libraries (AAPL) has paid off. Due to her efforts, the state should see one million dollars included in state aid for public libraries. Ms. Burkett encouraged the board to be sure and to extend a thank you to the legislators for supporting funding for public libraries. The library will invite them to an informal event to thank them personally for their support too.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 a.m.

Upcoming Meeting Dates:

May 18 – CCJPL Board Meeting

August 17 – CRRL & CCJPL Combined Board Meeting

October 19 – CCJPL Board Meeting

Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
Board of Trustees
August 17, 2005

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in regular session after the Crowley Ridge Regional Library board meeting at 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2005 in the Round Room at the Public Library. Board members present were: Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mr. Wayne Wiggins, Mrs. Jean Pasmore, and Mrs. June Morse. Also present were Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, Mr. Jeff Wicker from Thomas Speight & Noble, auditor for the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library & Crowley Ridge Regional Library, and Ms. Kellie Bardis from the Jonesboro Sun.

During the Crowley Ridge Regional Library board meeting, Mr. Wicker presented a 2004 tentative audit for CCJPL including a management letter which reports an internal control weakness. Mr. Wicker stated that the weakness occurred due to a breakdown of communication between the departments at First Community Bank. Bank staff in new accounts did not remind the accounting department that collateralization was required on all funds over $100,000 in the library’s accounts. Library funds held at First Community Bank during 2004 were not collateralized. Mr. Wicker felt that this error was failure on the banks part rather than on the library since bid specifications were given to First Community Bank prior to setting up the accounts stating that collateralization was required on all funds over $100,000. Written confirmation has been received that all current funds over this amount being held at Liberty Bank are collateralized. The completed audit for CCJPL will be ready for presentation at the October board meeting.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to approve the minutes from the June 13, 2005 board meeting. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion, which passed.

Carrier Corporation was the only company submitting a bid for a HVAC Preventive Maintenance Agreement by the specified deadline. RGB Mechanical submitted their bid after the deadline. Mr. Hogan suggested that the board should not consider the RGB bid since they missed the deadline for submission and their price was significantly higher too. After reviewing the Carrier bid, the board decided not to renew the contract for HVAC preventive maintenance and to only call repair people when units needed attention. Staff should contact the repair people to have filters changed on a quarterly basis.

Ms. Burkett reported that the library sustained damage to several heating and air units during a recent power outage which occurred after an electrical storm passed through the area. The library was closed when the outage occurred. Mr. Tom Chester, electrician from INTAC Services was called the day after since lights were out in a large portion of the building. He recommended along with Carrier staff that installing phase protectors on the HVAC equipment would prevent damage from occurring during power outages. Carrier has been contacted to install the phase protectors as soon as possible. The library will submit a claim to the building insurance to recover some cost on the damaged equipment.

Job descriptions for four staff members were modified to reflect changes in their job and to better describe their positions. Since the Purchasing Agent has taken on so much cataloging responsibility, her title is being changed to Associate Administrative Assistant. Since the Secretary will become more statistically oriented and will be taking on some purchasing responsibilities, her title is being changed to Administrative Assistant. The current position of Administrative Assistant is being changed to the title of Senior Administrative Assistant to better reflect the responsibilities of her position. The Circulation Supervisor position title is not being changed, the job description is being updated to reflect added responsibility. Ms. Burkett conferred with Mr. Jim Corter & Mr. Waddell before changing the titles and positions. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to accept the changes in the job descriptions. Mr. Hogan seconded the motion, which passed.

Bid specification for lawn maintenance & sprinkler system maintenance were discussed. The board agreed that if the library staff is pleased with the service being provided and the price does not exceed $15,000 (which is the maximum amount before having to request bids) then the staff shouldn’t spend time requesting new bids.

The board suggested that the library ask the county for an additional $4,000 for the county appropriation since the library has not received an increase in amount received of $13,944 in the past eight years. When writing the letter requesting the funds, emphasis should be placed on the fact that the extra funds will be used to place additional computers out in the county.

Since there is uncertainty as to when the Tax Increment Funding legislation will exclude public libraries from TIF projects, Ms. Burkett requested authorization from the board to ask Legislator Chris Thyer to ask the Attorney General to offer up an applicable date as to when public libraries will be excluded from TIF projects. Mr. Hogan made a motion authorizing Ms. Burkett to write a letter to Legislator Thyer requesting his assistance in obtaining the date that public libraries will be excluded from TIF projects from the Attorney General. Mr. Wiggins seconded the motion, which passed.

Arkansas Legislators are in the process of preparing new legislation regarding public library funds. If the library gets an ordinance prepared and in place to be effective January 1, 2006, we will hopefully not have to submit it for approval each year.

The next CCJPL Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 17, 2005.

The meeting adjourned at 1:47 p.m.

Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
Finance Meeting Notes
October 10, 2005

A finance meeting was held at noon on Monday, October 10, 2005. Present for the meeting were Chairman of the Board Mr. Waddell, board member Mr. Mike Johnson volunteered to attend, Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, and Sr. Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins.

Income & expenditure projections to finish out 2005 were presented. It is projected that $45,000 of the 2005 M & O Budget will be unspent and that interest will become forward funded. The library received a check from the building insurance in the amount of $4,992.59 for the power outage in August. Information on proposed merit awards to staff that have performed outstandingly in 2004 will be presented to the board for approval. Ms. Burkett will contact Mr. Arnold Cooper at A.G. Edwards and ask if the Nannie Case fund should be placed into another type of investment account to receive a better rate interest since the account is currently paying 3.8%.

The 2006 Income projections and proposed M & O Budget were reviewed. Since interest will be forward funded in 2005, the projected amount of $22,819 to be collected for 2006 collections will be used as interest income in 2006. A letter has been sent to the County Judge requesting that the county appropriation be increased from $13,944 to $18,000 for technology to increase the number of computers in the branch libraries. Ms. Burkett stated that she would contact Quorum Court members to solicit their support for this request. It is proposed that the graduated salary schedule currently being used for pages continue to be used in 2006. A 3% increase for salaried staff is being proposed. Information on the need to add three new positions to the salaried staff was presented. 20% of the projected total income for 2006 was used for the materials budget. Board members present agreed to recommend the 2006 M & O Budget to the board for approval.

Information on the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) was provided since Ms. Burkett indicated that she is considering entering the plan in 2006 upon board approval. A written request for permission to enter the plan will be presented to the board at the meeting on October 19.

A price breakdown with detailed sheets from S & S Landscaping was given to the board present for review. Members agreed to recommend acceptance to the board of the price from S & S since it represents approximately a 5% increase in cost over 2005.

Specifications for bank account interest and janitorial bids were presented. It was noted that a line stating that “Proof of collateralization will be expected to be provided on the date that the accounts are opened” has been added to the bank account interest specifications.

Ms. Burkett shared information from the Arkansas State Library report on comments made by Public Library Directors on getting county funds from their county treasurer. Mr. Waddell was asked to review a sample ordinance from Cross County Library to see if it could be used by Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library as an ordinance between the Public Library and Craighead County for the distribution of library funds by the county.

Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
February 15, 2006

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in regular session at noon on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. Board members present were: Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Mike Johnson, Treasurer, Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mrs. June Morse, and Mrs. Traci Smith. Also present were Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Sr. Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, Systems Administrator, Mr. Chris Bearden, and Mrs. Myra Buhrmester, reporter for the Jonesboro Sun.

Minutes from the October 19, 2005 Board meeting and minutes from the February 8, 2006 Finance Committee meeting stood approved as printed.

The board discussed the By-Laws regarding term limits. Library By-Laws state that Board members can serve two consecutive five year terms with the option of serving additional terms after going off of the board for one year. A sub-chapter of Arkansas state law regarding term limits for library board members allows members who serve on city library boards to have no term limits. Considering this, Mr. Waddell recommended that the library continue to abide by the current Library By-Laws since it does allow for a rotation in members. The board discussed members who are appointed to fill positions of partial terms. Mr. Hogan agreed to talk to the County Judge and ask him to amend the current By-Laws to state that if a member assumes a partial term they will also be eligible to serve two consecutive terms. Ms. Burkett suggested that the board should also discuss the issue with the Mayor to address the city side of the By-Laws.

Mrs. Smith has recommended Mrs. Karen Hook to the County Judge for her replacement. Mr. Hogan stated that he would also talk to the County Judge regarding Mrs. Smith’s recommendation.

The 2005 end of the year expense and income reports were presented along with a report on the Nannie Case and other investment accounts. Ms. Burkett reported that she had contacted Mr. Arnold Cooper at A.G. Edwards and he was able to recommend a higher yielding investment account for the Nannie Case Fund. The account has been moved in a Capital Growth Income account. The 2005 Capital Improvement amount of $38,000 was added to the American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund. Mr. Johnson made a motion to accept the 2005 financial reports. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion, which passed.

The 2006 projected income, maintenance & operations and materials budget were presented to the board. Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the 2006 financial reports. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion, which passed.

Equipment issues were discussed which included replacing the materials security system, the phone system, computer purchases and a outside library sign. Mr. Bearden has been researching security systems since the one in place now is not working properly. Only one side of the system is working. Not all items in the library would have to be re-tagged in the first year of the new system. Tagging of approximately 16,000 items would be required. This will include the reference, AR Genealogy, A/V collection and new books. Mrs. LaTonya Jones, Circulation Supervisor will visit security system vendors in March while at the PLA Conference in Boston. The phone system has been in place since 1998 and there have been complaints recently of lost calls. A fifth phone line could be used since the pay phone has been taken out. Mr. Bearden has been able to secure a great price for laptops of $867 each compared to $1,200 for a regular computer. Taking advantage of this price will hinge on whether or not Poinsett County Library is willing to go in with CCJPL to boost the number being purchased on the same order. If regular computers are purchased they will not only cost more but additional furniture will be needed to accommodate them. The laptops will be stripped down to have only the basic programs on it. If a patron needs one with more programs on it regular computers will be available for them to use. PC Reservation will be installed on all branch computers in May. An outside sign was the last item discussed. Ms. Burkett suggested that the library may be able to utilize city financing for the sign. The board requested that more information be gathered for each of the items being considered to be discussed at a future meeting.

Ms. Burkett reported that changes made in the Circulation Department have made the department run smoother and staff more productive. She requested that the main library be open at 9 a.m. each day Monday-Saturday with the exception of the Children’s Library opening at 11:00 a.m. on Monday to allow the staff programming time. This will amount to an extra five hours each week. Mrs. Morse made a motion to approve the library being open and extra five hours each week. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion, which passed.

A copy of the City agreement & County ordinance which was passed by the county on December 13, 2005 and the County agreement for the annual appropriation were presented to the board. The City agreement needs to be taken to the Mayor for his signature and approval by the City of Jonesboro. Mr. Hogan made a motion accepting the wording for the City agreement, County ordinance and County appropriation agreement. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion, which passed.

A discussion was held on revising the Meeting Room Policy to include a $50 fee for use of the Training Lab if library computers are used by the group. No fee will be charged to groups using the room without using library computers. Mr. Hogan made a motion to revise the Meeting Room Policy to include a $50 fee for groups to use the Training Lab when using library computers and no fee when not using library computers. Mrs. Smith seconded the motion, which passed.

Mrs. Morse made a motion to accept the Finance Committee’s recommendation to accept the bid from IAT Facility Services to provide janitorial services during 2006. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the Finance Committee’s recommendation for bank account interest from First Community Bank at the rate of 4.656% providing that First Community Bank submit a letter of collateralization before the accounts are opened. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.

The specifications for building insurance coverage on all buildings, boiler and workers compensation coverage were approved with no changes made.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the Finance Committee’s recommendation of five hours a week at one hour per day increments for educational support for not more than three certifications per year for the Systems Administrator and the library will pay the class fee of $411 and the cost of three exams each year for a total of $771. The motion includes that if the Systems Administrator fails to pass an exam, the library will expect reimbursement for the exam fee and for each year of support the library will expect a year of continued service or reimbursement of the previous year of support. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.

Mrs. Morse made a motion accepting the revised wording to the Employee Handbook regarding paydays to state that salaried employees are paid on the 15 th and last day of each month and hourly employees are to be paid every other Friday, effective January 1, 2006 with each check including earnings through the Thursday prior to payday.

Ms. Burkett recommended that the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library Board meet with the Poinsett County Library Board on a Monday or Tuesday evening to discuss long range planning and a new regional contract since the current regional contract dates back to 1978 and no mention is even made of technology when it was written. Since state aid is being restored it is important for the boards to decide in which direction the libraries will need to go for the future.

Mrs. Morse shared a compliment to the library. She had someone come into her office who was very complimentary of the library and that computers are provided for the public to use.

Mr. Waddell presented Mrs. Smith who is retiring from the library board in March with a plaque expressing the board’s appreciation for her years of service on the library board.

The meeting was adjourned.

The next meeting dates will be:

February 15, 2006
May 17, 2006
August 16, 2006
October 18, 2006

COMBINED BOARD MEETING OF
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY JONESBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY,
CROWLEY RIDGE REGIONAL LIBRARY
AND POINSETT COUNTY LIBRARY
APRIL 4, 2006

A special called combined board meeting of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, Crowley Ridge Regional Library, and the Poinsett County Library Board to discuss long range planning was held at 6 p.m. in the Training Lab at the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library. CCJPL Board members present for the meeting were: Board Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Mike Johnson, Treasurer Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mrs. June Morse, and Mrs. Jean Pasmore, and Mr. Lynn Haag. PCL Board members present for the meeting were: Mrs. Johnita Faulkner, Mrs. Patsy McClain and Mrs. Mary Norris. CCJPL staff present was: Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Library Director, Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, Sr. Administrative Assistant, and Mr. Chris Bearden, Systems Administrator.

The Poinsett County Board met first. Ms. Burkett announced that she received a letter from the AR State Library that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are distributing funds to Arkansas public libraries under the Public Access Computer Hardware Upgrade Grant (PAC HUG). CCJPL is eligible to receive $21,600 and PCL is eligible to receive $12,000 under the grant. Funds must be used only for public access computers. CRRL will receive an additional $30,047 in GIF money in 2006. Ms. Burkett recommends that the per capita amount for CCJPL of $16,536 be held to build an electronic sign. A spreadsheet showing the number of current public access computers, the number of computers that will be added by the Gates Grant, and the number which will be added by the GIF funds reflecting the revised total was presented. Mrs. Pasmore made a motion to accept the proposed spending of the Gates Public Access Computer Hardware Upgrade Grant to replace older public access computers for Poinsett & Craighead County libraries and to set aside the $16,536 for CCJPL to purchase an electronic sign. Mrs. Faulkner seconded the motion, which passed.

The Poinsett County Library Board meeting was adjourned.

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library Board met immediately after the PCL adjourned.

Ms. Burkett has been contacted by a Leadership Jonesboro Committee member asking if the library would be open to receiving a donation in the form of a project on the grounds from their organization. Ms. Burkett told the member that the library is investigating the possibility of adding a sign on the corner of Madison & Cherry Streets and that this area might be one they should consider for their project. The board was in agreement that Mr. Jerry Brackett, architect for the library should be consulted to draw up plans for the sign which should include landscaping which the Leadership Jonesboro group may want to consider for their project to be completed over a two to three year period. Mr. Brackett will be asked to have the plans ready to be presented to the board for approval at the May board meeting. Ms. Burkett will also get a price for the electronic sign and will return with the information for the May 17, CCJPL Board meeting.

A proposal in the amount of $4,869.93 from Mr. Tom Chester, electrician and owner of INTAC Services to update the lighting in the Round Room to include spot lights which will highlight the stage area was presented to the board. Dimmer switches will be added and the light control switches will be relocated to the back of the room for ease in accessing. Since no programs are scheduled for the during the third week in May and it will take approximately five days to complete that is the week selected for the work to be done. Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the proposal from INTAC Services to replace the Round Room lighting at the cost of $4,869.93. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion, which passed.

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library was adjourned.

Mr. Waddell proceeded to lead the meeting by passing out sheets with points for discussion to be considered for the long range planning process. Ms. Burkett stated that since state aid will soon be restored completely to public libraries the boards need to decide in what direction the libraries need to go for the future. She feels that it is important that the boards read the current regional contract and revise it since there are few services if any that are still being performed from the original contract. The boards need to decide how funding issues should be handled such as the $25,000 that CCJPL is currently paying for online databases and receiving no reimbursement but benefit from by the regional system.

Charts reflecting statistical information for 1995, 2000 & 2005 circulation & people counts for each library along with the children’s programming counts for 2000 & 2005 for each library showing the trend for growth or decline for each chart were shared.

Possible reasons for growth and decline in usage and participation were discussed. It was agreed that most of the working population drives mainly to Jonesboro to do most of their shopping and other activities. If they do not own a car or cannot drive and live out in the county, they have little access to library services. Children who live out in the county have no way to get in to the library if their parents work. Branch hours have been extended to later but it is difficult still for parents to get their children to the library after coming home from work. Most don’t want to return to town for another trip.

Board members were also given population statistics for the areas served showing growth or decline in the areas. Mrs. Norris felt that the PCL population statistics should be updated to include the areas of Waldenburg, Fisher and Grubbs. Other board members noted that Tyronza and Dyess should also be added. It was suggested that CCJPL population statistics should also add Bay, Cash & Egypt. Ms. Burkett will add these communities information to the other areas served. Mr. Johnson noted that Craighead County is growing at the same rate as the City of Jonesboro.

CCJPL is currently offering two children’s workshops each year. Ms. Burkett is considering cutting back to one children’s workshop in the spring and a fall workshop on how to use databases.

Members discussed what the library of the 21 st Century will offer. Since the statistical charts on usage reflect that usage is up on computers and down on material circulation, members agreed that libraries will have to become more technology driven in the future. One way is by offering e-books through a plan the AR State Library is planning on implementing. Mr. Bearden feels that possible mobile devices which will offer multi-tasking for listening to music, books and other media will be offered to customers. Mrs. Norris stated that technology is not the only direction that libraries should focus on for the future that children especially should be targeted to try and introduce them to new areas of reading and possibly open new doors of interest by doing so. She was surprised to find out that 75% of the boys in her school in the grades of K-3 are checking out juvenile non-fiction books rather than fiction books. Mr. Johnson stated that they have noticed the same trend in the Nettleton School District.

Mrs. Pasmore would like for a computer dedicated for genealogy users to be added to the computers.

Mrs. Karen Newberry-Robinson, Assistant to the Children’s Librarian is compiling information that she saw while attending the Public Library Association Conference in Boston regarding e-books and other new media forms. Her findings will be shared with board members at the next long range planning meeting along with some recommendations from Mr. Chris Bearden, CCJPL Systems Administrator.

Ms. Burkett mentioned that she would like for board members to be considering attending the American Library Association meeting which will be held in New Orleans June 22-28. More information will be shared later on the conference details.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AUGUST 16, 2006
Approved

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in regular session at noon on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 Board members present were: Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Mike Johnson, Treasurer, Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mrs. Jean Pasmore, Mrs. June Morse, Mr. Wayne Wiggins, and Mr. Lynn Haag. Also present were Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Sr. Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, and Ms. Kellie Cobb, reporter for the Jonesboro Sun.

Mr. Wiggins made a motion to accept the minutes from the May 17, 2006 board meeting. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion, which passed.

Second quarter financial reports were presented which included the Income, Maintenance & Operations and Investment accounts. It was noted that the library will comply with the new Arkansas law increasing minimum wage effective October 1, 2006 to $6.25 per hour. The library has been starting the hourly staff at $6 per hour which is already above the current minimum wage by $.85 per hour. Ms. Burkett will check with Mr. Jim Corter of Corter Consulting to see what impact this increase could have on the salaried staff. Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the financial reports. Mrs. Morse seconded the motion, which passed.

Proposals from three different companies for an electronic sign and a directional sign were presented to the board for approval. After some discussion, the board agreed that they preferred the electronic sign from Sign Systems featuring the colored LED message center at a cost of $19,509.69 installed. When Ms. Burkett checked with city officials to determine the highest traffic flow pattern for the corner of Cherry & Madison Streets the statistics indicated that the highest flow on that corner is from the east & west direction. Therefore, the electronic sign will be placed to get the most visibility and will the electronic readout will face east & west. Travelers going north & south on Madison Street will also be able to see the sign. The board requested that the staff find out if the electronic sign will include a temperature control. Arkansas State Library Administrative GIF funds in the amount of $16,536 will go toward the sign purchase. Additional funds to pay for the signs can either be taken from building maintenance or the capital improvement fund. The board agreed that the directional sign from James Sign Service at a cost of $1,020.60 installed would be suitable for the corner of Madison & Oak Streets. Information on a proposal from Mr. Jim Hargis to pay for and install brushed aluminum lettering (similar to the lettering of “Public Library” on the building) which will provide signage for the round wall located on Oak Street with the words “ Freedom Plaza”. Mr. Johnson made a motion to accept the proposal from Sign Systems for the electronic sign with the colored LED message center, accept the proposal from James Sign Service for the directional sign and allow Mr. Hargis to purchase and install lettering on the round wall on Oak Street. Mr. Hogan seconded the motion, which passed.

The board reviewed a bid from Laws Flooring Center to replace carpet and add vinyl flooring in the heavy traveled areas at McAdams Public Library at the cost of $4,618.29. Due to the high cost and the fact that furniture will be needed to accommodate the new branch computers, the board decided to postpone the McAdams flooring needs until 2007. Mr. Wiggins suggested that the library could possibly save money by purchasing the furniture with state surplus. Ms. Burkett stated that she would have the Purchasing Agent investigate what was available through them.

Mrs. Morse made a motion to accept adding the line “Upon hiring one condition of permanent employment might include an Arkansas Individual Civil Record background check” to the Nature of Employment section in the Employee Handbook. Mr. Wiggins seconded the motion, which passed.

Since the staff is pleased with the service being provided by the landscaping company, the board agreed to review their bid at the October meeting and not put the service out for bid. If their price exceeds the $15,000 limit set by the county, then the library staff will either have to negotiate on the price or the service will be placed out for bid.

The board discussed security issues pertaining to loss of materials. Staff checked the loss rate over the last 18 months and since the library is not having a serious problem, the board decided not to implement a new RFID security system. A RFID system would provide a running account of where things are and would require that all materials be re-tagged. Mr. Wiggins recommended that Ms. Burkett gather more information on the RFID system and present at the October board meeting.

The board discussed placing security cameras in the library for monitoring the computers especially since laptops are being provided for public use. Mr. Waddell stated that it shouldn’t be a legal issue as long as the system is being monitored on a regular basis. The board felt that just having the cameras in the library and having them visible to the public could be a deterrent for doing anything wrong. The laptops will be cabled to the furniture for added security. Mr. Wiggins made a motion to go ahead with purchasing a camera security system for monitoring the laptops. Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.

Ms. Burkett suggested that the board may want to have a special called meeting to discuss the issues with Crowley Ridge Regional Library & Poinsett County Library as a long range planning meeting in September. Mr. Hogan felt that the board should wait to see how the Poinsett County Library Board responded after the board meeting in August. Ms. Burkett felt that it was important to include the statement from the board booklet that CCJPL must require execution of Horizon policies and procedures including monitoring of these activities as well as PC Reservation and site blocking software which will require setting up additional monitoring procedures. Mr. Johnson stated that regardless of what transpires, the boards need to be ready to adopt a new contract which will add the Horizon policy to the overall policy for the regional library system.

The board was pleased to hear that the library received a bequest of $2,500 for genealogy materials from the C.B. Finch, Jr. trust.

Ms. Burkett told the board that they should start seeing TV spots promoting getting a library card and what the library has to offer advertising the Clay, Greene, Randolph, & Poinsett County Library systems on KAIT and on Sudden Link Cable. The libraries participating will be billed for their portion of the commercials. The fall newsletter for the main library will be mailed out shortly informing readers of upcoming events at the library.

A letter from West Elementary School thanking the library for starting the Anti-bullying program was shared with the board.

The library has hired K. Srivatsan as the Assistant Systems Administrator. A copy of his resume was provided to the board.

The meeting adjourned.

Next meeting dates are:

CCJPL Regular Board meeting, Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Combined CRRL & CCJPL – Wednesday, February 21, 2007

CCJPL Regular Board meeting, Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Combined CRRL & CCJPL – Wednesday, August 15, 2007

CCJPL Regular Board meeting, Wednesday, October 17, 2007

CRAIGHEAD COUNTY JONESBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OCTOBER 18, 2006

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in regular session at noon on Wednesday, October 18, 2006  Board members present were: Chairman, Mr. Paul Waddell, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Mike Johnson, Treasurer, Mr. Lennie Hogan, Mrs. Jean Pasmore, Mrs. June Morse, Mr. Wayne Wiggins, and Mr. Lynn Haag.  Also present were Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Sr. Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, Systems Administrator, Mr. Jeff Wicker, auditor from Thomas Speight & Noble and Mrs. Myra Buhrmester, reporter for the Jonesboro Sun.

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the minutes from the August 16, 2006 board meeting.  Mrs. Pasmore seconded the motion, which passed.

The Board was given a copy of Resolution No. 2006:126 approved by Mayor Doug Forman to reappoint Mike Johnson to the Library Board for another five year term which will expire on August 1, 2011.  The Board members stated that they appreciated the Mayor approving the request.  Mr. Johnson appreciated the confidence that the board has in him.

Mr. Wicker presented the 2005 audited financial statements for the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library.  He assured the board that he didn’t discover any deficiencies or non-compliance while he was performing the audit.  He stated that the audit conforms to the federal government accounting standards.  After the presentation, Mr. Wicker was available for any questions regarding the audit.  Mrs. Morse made a motion to accept the 2005 audit for Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library.  Mr. Johnson seconded the motion which passed.  Mr. Wicker excused himself after the presentation.

Financial reports through the third quarter were presented.  It was noted that administrative software will be overspent due to having to replace the print control software.  Crowley Ridge Regional Library had budgeted $21,284 for databases in their 2006-2007 budget and $5,000 of this will be used to offset the unexpected cost for this software.  $7,000 will be used from the amount budgeted for CRRL database to cover databases added for the public.  The investment accounts are all doing well with the endowment account income up by 43% over the amount earned for the previous year.

The board discussed the proposed merit awards totaling $9,000 and the language used to describe who qualified for and who was receiving the awards.  Ms. Burkett explained how the staff chosen to receive merit awards was selected.  The board felt that using merit awards might be setting the staff up to be disappointed if they receive an award one year and perform at or above the same level as they did the year before and take on additional projects but do not receive an award in the upcoming year.  Mr. Wiggins commented that he felt that Mrs. Dobbins deserved a merit award for the remaining $1,000 budgeted for 2006.  Ms. Burkett stated that she was going to include Mrs. Dobbins in the list of employees to receive one and that Mrs. Dobbins stated that she would rather pass on it since she was uneasy how other staff members would perceive her having received one.  Mr. Wiggins made a motion to give Mrs. Dobbins the $1,000 merit award with the stipulation that Mrs. Dobbins would not be allowed to decline it.  Mr. Johnson seconded the motion, which passed.  The board feels that there is a better way to compensate other than using merit awards and that special projects taken on by staff should be considered a part of the staff’s regular job.  Mr. Hogan suggested that the board might want to discuss this further at the February 2007 board meeting and have suggestions ready to consider.

The 2007 projected income and maintenance & operations budget were presented to the board for approval.  Ms. Burkett informed the board that Mrs. Donna Rolland who is the McAdams Public Library Librarian and that Mrs. Elise Cobb, clerk at the main library had both has submitted their letters of resignation effective December 31, 2006.  Mrs. Donna Vickers who currently works in the Information Services department at the main library has expressed interest in the position at the McAdams Library since she lives in Lake City.  Ms. Burkett stated that since Mrs. Vickers has many years of library experience at the main library and also at ASU that she feels that she would be a good choice for Mrs. Rolland’s replacement.  The board agreed and felt that there would be no need to advertise for the job since it could be filled in-house.  The board dismissed Ms. Burkett, Mrs. Dobbins and Mrs. Myra Buhrmester in order to hold an executive session to discuss hiring and salaries.

Upon returning to regular session, the board stated that they had come to a decision not to create a new full time public relations position and would like for the staff to explore the current two positions and find out how we can get one 22 hour a week person to perform more efficiently.  Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the 2007 M & O Budget without the new full time public relations position.  Mrs. Pasmore seconded the motion, which passed. 

Changes to job descriptions were presented for board approval which included: The Children’s Librarian’s job description was changed to read under essential duties and responsibilities that they supervise and provides leadership to Children’s Library Staff; Participates in training of Children’s Library Staff; and Provides cataloging advisory.  The Assistant Children’s Librarian’s job description was changed to read under essential duties and responsibilities that the person supervises cataloging activities in Children’s Library.  The Children’s Services staff job description was changed under the summary statement to say that responsible for duties of circulation, cataloging, and programming in Children’s Library.  Under essential duties and responsibilities for cataloging purposes was added to the line reviews materials to be classified and searches electronic or physical information sources.  The last change to this job description was under supervisory responsibilities to state that this job has no direct supervisory responsibilities except for overseeing pages in the Children’s Library on weekends.  The Branch Librarian’s job description was changed to state that the salary range would be according to education or library experience, a new hire would start from $20,000 to $25,000.  Mr. Hogan made a motion to approve the changes to the job descriptions.  Mr. Wiggins seconded the motion, which passed.

The board reviewed a request to add the Assistant Systems Administrator to the education support policy allowing the Systems Administrator five hours a week and one hour per day increments for educational support for not more than three certifications per year with the library agreeing to pay the class fee and the cost of three exams not to exceed a total of $771 each year.  The same stipulation will apply that if the Assistant Systems Administrator fails to pass an exam, the library will be reimbursed for the exam fee and also the library will expect one year of service for each year of educational support.  Mrs. Morse made a motion including the Assistant Systems Administrator to the education support policy.  Mr. Wiggins seconded the motion, which passed. 

An inventory report on AV material was given showing that the library is experiencing a low number in lost AV items.  RFID security systems are labor saving but are not as effective when it comes to security.  Staff has discovered that in order to use this system a library needs to implement as their building is being constructed in order to compensate for the building requirements by the system. 

Ms. Burkett mentioned that the security cameras have not been purchased yet since the laptops have been locked down.  Staff will evaluate to see if the need still exists for them.

The bid from S & S Landscaping for landscaping & sprinkler system service was presented to the board.  The board agreed that since the bid was not significantly higher than last year that they would go with S & S to provide the service during 2007. 

Bid specifications for janitorial service and bank account interest were presented for approval with no changes made.

Mr. Waddell proposed the following slate of officers:  Mr. Mike Johnson, Chairman; Mrs. June Morse, Vice-Chairman; and Mr. Wayne Wiggins, Treasurer. The new slate of officers was held by election.  Mrs. Dobbins tabulated the ballots and all votes were unanimously cast for the proposed slate. 

2006 people count statistics were given to the board for review.

Ms. Burkett invited the board to an author luncheon featuring Shirley Abbott, author of “The Bookmaker’s Daughter” which is the one selected to be used for “If All of Arkansas Read the Same Book”.  The luncheon will be held on November 10 from 12-1 p.m.

Ms. Burkett also invited the board to attend a ten year anniversary celebration of the McAdams Library including acknowledging Mrs. Rolland’s years of service from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, November 19 at the McAdams Library and the Friends of the Library Christmas Open House on Wednesday, December 13 in the Round Room at the main library at which Mrs. Rolland & Mrs. Cobb will be acknowledged.

The meeting adjourned at 2 p.m.

Next meeting dates are:

Combined CCJPL & CRRL Board meeting, Wednesday, February 21, 2007
CCJPL Regular Board meeting, Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Combined CCJPL & CRRL Board meeting, Wednesday, August 15, 2007
CCJPL Regular Board meeting, Wednesday, October 17, 2007

CRAIGHEAD COUNTY JONESBORO PUBLIC LBIRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
FEBRUARY 21, 2007

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library met in regular session at noon on Wednesday, February 21, 2007.  Board members present were: Chairman, Mr. Mike Johnson, Treasurer, Mr. Wayne Wiggins, Mr. Lennie Hogan, and Mrs. Jean Pasmore.  Also present were Library Director Ms. Phyllis Burkett, Sr. Administrative Assistant Mrs. Nancy Dobbins, Systems Administrator, and Mr. Jerry Brackett, architect from Brackett Krennerich & Associates.

Mr. Brackett reported on the roofing recommendations & budget submitted from Jonesboro Roofing.  The roofing company suggested a couple of options for fixing the Round Room roof and an option for fixing the roof in the penthouse which included covering the brick on the outside of the penthouse with 24 gage metal since they feel that the penthouse leaks are due to water coming in around the joints in the brick outside of the walls. He recommended accepting the option to fix the mechanical room but is not sure that the source of the problem is due to the water coming in through the outside of the brick.  He is concerned about how it will look if the brick is covered with metal.  To fix the Round Room roof, he recommended the option of torch applying a modified bitumen roof and agreed that it would be good to hire a waterproofing contractor to waterproof the masonry on the Round Room walls above the flat roof.  He agreed with roofing company’s recommendation of cutting five random 2’ X 2’ cuts in lieu of the 13 small cores to verify attachment of the existing membrane since it will give a better picture of the condition of the lightweight insulation.  The cost to do the 13 core samples would be $590; $530 to cut and patch five samples.    The price to do this work will be deducted from the final cost to do the other roof work if they are the company chosen.  Mr. Hogan made a motion to have Jonesboro Roofing do the five random cut samples to verify the condition of the lightweight insulation.  Mrs. Pasmore seconded the motion, which passed.  Mrs. Pasmore made a second motion to hire Mr. Brackett as the architect to do the roofing specifications for roofing bids to be presented for approval by the board at the May 16, 2007 board meeting.  Mr. Hogan seconded the motion, which passed.  To insure that quality work will be done, the board requested that Mr. Brackett be very detailed in the bid specifications and contractor qualifications.  Mr. Brackett assured the board that if a company doesn’t meet the qualifications required they will be disqualified. 

Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the minutes from the October 18, 2006 Board meeting and notes from the February 13, 2007 Finance Committee meeting.  Mr. Wiggins seconded the motion, which passed.

In other roofing issues, Ms. Burkett informed the board that there is some ceiling damage inside the building in the barrel vault roof area which will have to be addressed.  The asbestos in the sprayed ceiling material is not an issue unless breached.  The company who has done asbestos work for the library in the past has gone out of business.  One of the original staff works at a new company contacted to submit a price to repair the damage.  Since this company has failed to get back with the staff with a price another company will be contacted to submit a price to repair the damage. 

The financial reports through the end of 2006 were presented for approval.  Mr. Hogan made a motion to accept the end of the year 2006 financial reports.  Mr. Wiggins seconded the motion, which passed.

The revised budget which was reviewed by the Finance Committee at the