Call to Order and Roll Call
The Governance Committee called the meeting to order at 5:04 pm.
Present: Megan Butman (Board Trustee, Governance Chair), Mika Yamamoto (Board Trustee, Governance Chair), Billy Treece (Director of Finance & Human Resources)
Also attending: Jaimie Rachlin, Meristem Advisors LLC Public commentators: none
Public Comments
There were no public comments received in person or in writing for this meeting.
Agenda items
The following agenda items from this meeting were reordered to accommodate Jaimie’s late arrival for discussion of the Fund Balance Policy Review Process, which had originally been scheduled as the first agenda item.
Consent Agenda Discussion
The Governance Committee held a brief discussion regarding the consent agenda for future meetings, focusing on which items could be included. Carman will consult with legal counsel, and the committee agreed to maximize the use of the consent agenda where appropriate.
Executive Director Session Overview
The Executive Director will take place on Monday, February 9 at 6:30 pm, as a special meeting. Trustee Yamamoto confirmed that Leah Mayers, will facilitate the process and the meeting and has questions from board members.
Board Strategic Planning Session Plan
The Governance Committee discussed the upcoming Board Strategic Planning Session, which will be held as a working session at the next Governance Committee meeting on Thursday, February 26, at 4 pm.
Fund Balance Policy Review Process
Jaimie Rachlin of Meristem Advisors LLC joined the Governance committee meeting and discussed with the committee the Fund Balance Policy. Rachlin, who serves as a financial advisor to many public libraries in Illinois explained that the top goal of the fund balance policy is to make it an intentional policy that future boards can easily understand and follow. Trustee Yamamoto and Butman plan to present the information at the next Finance Committee meeting and for Rachlin to come present to the full board at a regular meeting. The tentative plan is for Rachlin to present at the regular library board meeting, on February 24th.
Exhibiting Art in the Library Policy Review
The Governance Committee reviewed the Exhibiting Art in the Library policy and agreed that the policy looks fine, while noting the importance of ensuring consistent language and alignment across all policies if the framework shifts from Anti-Racism to Belonging.
Board Training Discussion
The Governance Committee discussed board training and agreed to defer discussion and planning to the spring.
Crisis Plan Policy Review
The Governance Committee reviewed the Crisis Plan Policy and came to an agreement that the library should have one so that staff and the public knows there is a crisis plan for the library.
Adjournment
The Governance Committee adjourned their meeting at 6:32 pm.