Quarterly Meeting
                                                              of the
                                          Columbus Public Library Board
                                                            and the
                                      Platte County Library Advisory Board

                                                       Sept 14, 2006

The regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of the Columbus Public Library Board and the Platte County Library Advisory Board was called to order at 4:35 PM on Thursday, September 14, 2006 by the President of the Board, Craig Neid. He read and signed the “Certification of Compliance” regarding the “Open Meeting” law. Other Library Board members present included Carol Keller, Jim Schaefer, and Lynne Rambour. Liz Young, a candidate for the vacant position of the County Library Advisory Board, was also present as well as Brad Hruska, the Children’s Librarian, and Robert Trautwein, Library Director. Jerry Jirka had notified the Library Director earlier that he could not attend this meeting. Craig Neid welcomed Mrs. Young to the quarterly meeting. Mrs. Young said that she is a resident of Indian Hills and teaches at the Sunrise Elementary school. She had been recommended to serve on the board by Clayton Brunt, a former board member.

Notice of this meeting was given in advance with a copy of the agenda posted at City Hall, the County Court House and in the Public Library. All proceedings hereafter shown were taken while the convened meeting was open to the public.

The Minutes of the August Board meeting were reviewed and allowed to stand as presented with a motion from Carol Keller and a second from Lynne Rambour. The motion passed by voice vote.

The Library Director distributed the September Financial Reports for the City Library, the County Library Service, and the Library Foundation. He noted that September is the last month of the 2005-06 budget year. A motion was made by Jim Schaefer and seconded by Lynne Rambour to accept the expenditures. The motion passed by roll call vote: Rambour-aye, Keller-aye, Schaefer-aye, and Neid-aye.

The Director had nothing to add to his Director’s Report

There were no Committee Reports.

Under Correspondence. the Director read a note from Marie Kapels thanking the Board for scheduling the Bookmobile to stop in the Indian Hills area this past summer.

Under Old Business, Trautwein said the city budget has been passed. The Library will receive extra money to hire a part-time Library Aide. The person in this new position will work three evenings a week and all weekends in the Children’s Room on the second floor. A “summer temporary” employee is also budgeted to work in the Children’s Room as an assistant to the Children’s Librarian during the summer reading program. Regarding the $60,000 to match $60,000 from the Library Foundation, the City Council agreed to use Sales Tax moneys to fund a “Capital Improvements” project to renovate the ceiling and light fixtures of the Children’s Room as well as to install new carpeting for the room. Additionally, Sales Tax funds will be used to purchase and install new carpeting in the art gallery, Platte River room, and the stairwell from the basement to the 1st floor.

On the topic of review and vote on ceiling and light fixture upgrade for the Children’s Room, Mr. Neid presented a chart on which he listed three of the six options suggested by RVW, Inc. Mr. Neid said that each of the options includes the addition of high strip windows on the west side of the room to add natural light in the room. There was a discussion about the strip windows and the need for blinds/curtains/UV filtering. Following further discussion, it was decided to proceed with a plan that includes the west windows and the pyramid skylight. Mr. Neid introduced a motion to renovate the Children’s Room ceiling and lighting by the addition of west windows and a pyramid skylight. This motion passed. Mr. Neid said that the Board will work with the architect to make certain that the west windows are polarized to reduce the possible fading of books by ultraviolet rays.

The next topic, continuing generator problems on the new bookmobile, had been addressed earlier. Trautwein said that the auxiliary generator had not been working well and had been taken to Omaha on three occasions to be repaired. For the first two repairs, a “mother board” had been replaced and the technicians had blamed “internal wiring” within the vehicle for the problem. Last week, when the bookmobile was again in Omaha for repair, the technicians took the generator off the vehicle, installed a new “mother board” and let it run. It failed. Extensive repair and replacement was done. The bookmobile has been on the road since Monday with no further problems.

Trautwein was urged to seek redress if not replacement of the generator should it continue to malfunction.

Under New Business, Liz Young was asked to serve on the Platte County Bookmobile Advisory Board. She agreed, pending her appointment by the County Board of Supervisors. Trautwein said that he would write a letter to the County Clerk to recommend the appointment.

On the topic of scope of Library’s outreach services, it was agreed to postpone the discussion until the next meeting.

A motion to adjourn was made by Lynne Rambour and seconded by Carol Keller. This motion passed by voice vote.