CLN votes for sparse notes

Staff will be expected to present the board with a balanced budget and pare down notes taken at Community Library Network meetings following actions taken at Thursday’s three-and-a-half-hour meeting at the Hayden Library.

Chair Rachelle Ottosen said it would be less divisive, easier to search and there would be fewer corrections in the minutes if they were taken per protocols laid out by the Idaho Commission for Libraries, Robert’s Rules and Idaho Counties Risk Management Program's risk management specialist Jim McNall during his December 2022 presentation on the subject to the board.

“Minutes are supposed to be a record of what was done, not what was said,” Ottosen said, adding they should include a brief summary of dry facts regarding what was done, why it was done and names of those who make motions.

The board unanimously voted in favor. Trustee Katie Blank was absent from the meeting.

“I would assume that after this motion is voted on, our minutes after this still might be done in a way where a trustee might have an issue with it, maybe there’s still too much information or not enough information,” Trustee Vanessa Robinson said.

She also pointed out that suggestions from the ICFL have been questioned by trustees in the past.

“I don’t know if it’s OK to pick and choose what we go by, according to the Idaho Commission for Libraries, and then we just throw other things aside that they suggest,” Robinson said. “I do have a bit of an issue with that. I don’t know if it’s good to pick and choose.”

Ottosen responded she chose ICFL note-taking guidelines because they are reflective of Robert’s Rules and McNall’s recommendations, so it would be easier to use one source to follow rather than many.

The paring down of notes will also mean public comment will be summarized in a sentence with the speaker’s name.

The board will soon begin working on the network’s financials as budget season looms. Ottosen moved for staff to present the board with a budget draft that is balanced to the best of their professional knowledge and ability, and to include a supplemental list of staff wants.

“I sure don’t want a repeat of dealing with last year’s unheard of unbalanced budget, it caused a lot of unnecessary upheaval in the community and on the board,” Ottosen said. “After we get a balanced budget, the board can alter that in whatever way that the majority feels is fit and they have the final say, but we need a proper foundation to springboard from and not cause the terrible upheaval that we had last year.”

Robinson said she believes the budget is supposed to come to the board uneven so the board does what it’s expected to do and shave off funds to supplement items that are lacking. Ottosen said it always used to come to the board balanced.

“Just for context, back in those days … they always took the extra 3%, which is one reason that they always were presented with a balanced budget,” Robinson said, adding that COVID lockdowns happened and a surplus of money was received, the library network began taking 0% tax increases and implemented pay raises, all contributing to budgetary factors.

According to Idaho Code, taxing districts are allowed to increase the portion their budgets are funded by property taxes by 3% plus a factor for growth.

Ottosen and Trustees Tom Hanley and Tim Plass voted in favor of the motion. Robinson voted against the motion.

Also during the meeting, the board voted 3-1 to implement its new holiday schedule as of Oct. 1. This schedule removes Juneteenth from the library network’s holidays and adds the day after Thanksgiving to the holiday calendar.

The board is expected to hold a special meeting from 2 to 5:30 p.m. May 6 to discuss the library network’s COVID policy and the director’s authorization, ICRMP decisions, public comment policy, agenda setup and the materials and withdrawal policies.

Ottosen said she also wants to discuss a media policy “to counteract perceived bias against non-mainstream media” at a future meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Community Library Network’s board will be from 2 to 5 p.m. May 16 at the Rathdrum Library.

The initial budget meeting is expected to be held from 3 to 5 p.m. May 30. The network’s budget hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 8.

Info: communitylibrary.net