Published using Google Docs
Zoom Trustee Meeting Minutes February 2025
Updated automatically every 5 minutes

Chouteau County Library Board of Trustees Minutes

February 26th, 2025 at 12:00 pm

Fort Benton

  1. Call to order: Nona Danreuther called the meeting to order at 12:04 p.m.
  1. Changes or additions to the agenda
  1. Janet Worrall asks about the Mission Statement being on the agenda

  1. Members present:
  1. Nona Danreuther - Chair, Jessalyn Ritland - Vice-chair, Nancy Grossman, Kim Hibl, Janet Worrall, Emily Wicks - Director
  2. Guest present:
  1. Cynthia Lenington, Nancy Jappe, Rich Jespersen, Russ Panting, Ed Lenington, Eunice Kelly, Janet Jordan, Wendy Kamm, Laurie Rettig, Shannon Walden, George Popescue, Bill Wood, Vera Conrod, Nancy Lachapelle, Jenice Fugere, Jerri Dostal, Sissy Felton, Paul Dostal, Terri Foster
  1. Guests present on Zoom:
  1. Big Sandy Library, Sissy Felton, Adrian Miller, Sami Jo - Geraldine Branch Library, Corey Sloan - Montana State Library Consultant, Maren Engen, Bethany DeBorde, Judy

  1. Minutes: Consider approval of the January 2025  meeting minutes and financials
  1. Worrall asks about the size of the weekly RP ad. Emily Wicks will talk to the River Press
  2. Nancy Grossman moves to accept the minutes and the financials for January. Jessalyn Ritland seconds.
  3. Shannon Walden comments about the River Press ad - See recording for comments
  4. Motion carries

  1. Branch Reports:
  1. Big Sandy - Darlene Cline reports
  1. Carpet installed January 17th-27th. 20 volunteers to move books and shelves. Worked on summer reading planning and continuing education through Aspen. Open 14 days in January. Spice of the Month was nutmeg.
  1. Fort Benton - Emily Wicks reports
  1. Themes: Lunar New Year, Year of the Snake, winter, dystopia, Holocaust, robots, Jimmy Carter, MLK & civil rights leaders, crafts & games, JRR Tolkien
  2. Projects: New boiler installation, free community bingo, drinking fountain delivered and installed.
  1. Geraldine - Samantha Summers reports
  1. Winter, MLK Day, Holocaust, new books
  2. Projects - Trained by Maren on how to switch the spine labels/call numbers to recategorize the MT nonfiction juvenile books to simply juvenile nonfiction, continued work on the Democracy Project.
  1. Highwood - Emily Wicks
  1. No change

  1. Director Report:
  1. Emily Wicks, Director
  1. Hasan Davis, living history program as York, in collaboration with River and Plains, and the Great Falls Public Library with funding provided by Humanities Montana. Attendance was strong with almost 60 people. All feedback thus received has been positive with requests for more programming like this.
  2. Fort Benton Library building updates:
  1. The boiler was installed in January. Boiler inspector found a concern. Wicks contacted to Matt MacDonald and will be in touch about getting that rectified.
  2. Drinking fountain installed on February 20th. Also looked at the upstairs toilet - changed a filter, checked the slow drain in the upstairs sink - fixed that, replaced a broken faucet in the basement bathroom.
  1. OSHA inspector visited. No follow up report has been received.
  2. Program updates: Heirloom quilt show throughout April at the Fort Benton Library. Open house on April 8th.
  3. Pathfinder update: Spring meeting is on May 1st. The board needs one representative to attend. Kris Goss will be in attendance to provide training on library law.

  1. Announcements/Dates to remember:
  1. March 26th-29th - Montana Library Association annual conference in Bozeman
  2. April - Heirloom quilt show in Fort Benton

  1. Unfinished Business:
  1. Policy review:
  1. Mission Statement
  1. Danreuther requests that it go back to committee
  1. Vision Statement
  1. Danreuther requests that it go back to committee
  1. Hotspot Agreement - Second reading
  2. Appoint a policy committee
  1. Danreuther appoints herself and Worrall to the policy committee. Has asked Hibl to remove herself
  2. Worrall moves to appoint Danreuther, Worrall, and Wicks to the policy committee. Ritland seconds Motion carries

  1. New Business:
  1. Capital Improvement Committee report - Kim Hibl reports
  1. Rich Jespersen - Roof report
  1. The roof does not need any repairs at this time (see recording for further comments)
  2. The gutters may need some work
  1. Kim Hibl reports
  1. Flooring in the McLeish Room - Almost through with that
  2. Roof repairs - Gutter issues, drop this to the bottom of the list
  3. Bathroom repair and remodel for both bathrooms. Utility sink in basement bathroom. Reconfiguration of basement bathroom. New flooring in both bathrooms.
  4. Lighting replacement on main floor. Outdated lighting with fluorescent lights and ballasts, safety issue for changing bulbs. This would be a good time to look at grants for energy conservation.
  5. Side entrance - add an overhang to help with drainage and ice.
  6. Remodel for a teaching kitchen in the McLeish Room.
  1. Rich Jespersen - Comments on capital planning and working between the Foundation and the trustees
  2. The capital improvement plan will be added to the March agenda for a first reading.
  1. Strategic plan continuing education planning
  1. Ritland reports about communication with Corey Sloan.
  2. We will meet with Corey Sloan for strategic planning training. March meeting will not work due to MLA. Zoom option is best.
  3. Time frame - Before the March meeting. Community meeting input is beneficial. At least two hours to meet with Sloan.
  1. Noon on Monday, March 3rd.
  1. Rich Jespersen - Adam Jespersen is the CEO of the Montana Not-for-profit Association. He and his staff do workshops for boards and teams.
  1. Recommendation to schedule a training with Adam Jespersen at the March meeting. Add to agenda.

  1. Executive session - Director evaluation. Wicks waives right to privacy and the meeting moved forward as an open meeting. See recording for discussion and comments. No action taken.
  1. The board will send Wicks all of their goal request for her. Wicks will then take that input to bring the board the goals that are in her control. The board will give input and goals will be agreed upon at the March meeting.

  1. Public comment: Items not on the agenda but under the jurisdiction of the board.
  1. Sissy Felton - See recording for comments
  2. Paul Dostal - See recording for comments
  3. Nancy Jappe - See recording for comments
  4. Eunice Kelly - See recording for comments
  5. Vera Conrod - See recording for comments
  6. Janet Jordan - See recording for comments
  7. Adrian Miller - See recording for comments
  8. Shannon Walden - See recording for comments
  9. Jenice Fugere - See recording for comments
  10. Bill Wood - See recording for comments

  1. Next Meeting:
  1. March 26th, 2025 at noon - Fort Benton, Montana
  2. Meeting adjourned at 2:41 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Emily Wicks, Director