Regular Board of Trustees Meeting, April 24, 2025
Members Present: Kenneth Cheatham, Jennifer Doll, James Leonard, Terri Masich, Heather McMullen, Holly Miller
Members Excused: C. Racyne Leskanic
Also Present: Ann Hutchison, Director; Josh Brickner, Fiscal Officer; Melissa Futrell, Deputy Fiscal Officer
President Miller called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Hutchison reported that the Friends of the Library are preparing for their spring book sale, to be held on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Moved by Doll, seconded by Masich, to accept the minutes of the April 3, 2025 Board meeting. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Director’s Report
Circulation: Hutchison reviewed the March 2025 statistics, noting that utilization of Notary Services increased over 53% from March 2024.
Programs & Publicity: Hutchison distributed the March 2025 publicity packet, noting that attendance at adult Library programs increased over 66% from March 2024. Hutchison also highlighted several recent and upcoming programs.
Donations: Gifts were received from the following individuals and organizations in March 2025: Anonymous: $5.00; William Courson: BHS class of 1909 post card; Friends of Barberton Public Library: $325, Staff SRC; $500, Marketing materials; $500, Back-to-school teacher gifts; $500, National Library Week & Founders Day; $500, Children's SRC prize bags; $1,000, Early literacy programming; $1,000, Imagination Library; Nick Koelkebeck, Sr.: Barberton Pure Milk Company bottle opener; Susan McKiernan: Collection of articles by Phyllis Taylor; Donald Robinson: Henry Coal and Ice Company ice pick.
Moved by Masich, seconded by Cheatham, to accept the donations. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Community Involvement: A summary of Hutchison’s community involvement since the April 3, 2025 Board meeting was included in the information packet sent to the Trustees ahead of the meeting.
Strategic Plan: Hutchison provided an update on the Strategic Plan, noting that staff continue to work to update the Library’s policies and that she has not yet heard from legal counsel regarding the updates to the Employee Handbook and Operating Manual.
Other: The Library’s Founders Day celebration was held on Monday, April 7. Activities included a caricature artist, raffle, and a State of the Library address.
Fiscal Officer’s Report
The Public Library Fund tax distribution for March 2025 for the Barberton Public Library was $87,831.10.
Brickner reviewed the financial reports, bank reconciliations, reappropriations, and bills paid for the month of March 2025.
Moved by Cheatham, seconded by Masich, to accept the financial reports, bank reconciliations, reappropriations, and bills paid for the month of March 2025. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Committee Reports
Building and Equipment Committee: No meeting was held.
Finance and Audit Committee: No meeting was held.
Marketing Committee: Hutchison provided a summary of the meeting held on April 16, 2025.
Moved by Leonard, seconded by Cheatham, to change the name of the Community Relations Department to the Marketing Department. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Motion carried.
Personnel Committee: No meeting was held.
Hutchison presented the Board with several staffing recommendations.
Resolution 15-2025 – Moved by Cheatham, seconded by McMullen, to add a full-time Facility Services Assistant position in the Facility Services Department, regularly scheduled for 35 hours per week, replacing two part-time positions, regularly scheduled for 20 and 30 hours per week, effective April 14, 2025. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Resolution adopted.
Resolution 16-2025 – Moved by Leonard, seconded by McMullen, to transfer LaQuata Williams to full-time Facility Services Assistant, regularly scheduled at 35 hours per week, effective April 14, 2025. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Resolution adopted.
Summit County Library Trustees Council: No meeting was held.
Communications and Correspondence
OLC Legislative Update: Hutchison, Brickner, Futrell, Doll, Leonard, and McMullen will attend Northeast Ohio Trustee Dinner on May 8, 2025. Doll, Leonard, McMullen.
Hutchison and Brickner attended OLC’s Legislative Day on April 8, 2025, joining other Ohio Library Directors, Fiscal Officers and Trustees to advocate for public library funding.
Hutchison and Brickner provided an update on the state budget proposed by the House of Representatives, which has moved to the Senate for approval. While the House restored some language related to the Public Library Fund and increased the appropriations for 2026-2027, the PLF would no longer be a dedicated percentage of the General Revenue Fund but rather an appropriation administered by the Department of Taxation and subject to cuts at any time. Hutchison detailed several other stipulations outlined within the House bill, including Trustee term limits, LGBTQ library materials, and the organizational structure of libraries going forward.
Community Correspondence: Hutchison shared correspondence from several customers expressing appreciation for Library staff, as well as a thank you note from Celtic Club regarding the Tuskegee Airmen banner that was displayed at BPL.
Old Business
Hutchison shared an ad for the Library’s tax levy that appeared in the Barberton Gazette and noted that BPL was the featured business on the Ray Horner Show the week of April 14, 2025.
New Business
Resolution 17-2025 – Moved by Doll, seconded by Leonard, to allow merit-based wage increases, pending the passage of the Library’s tax levy, beginning with the pay period that includes July 1, 2025 for all employees employed by the Library as of January 1, 2025 who are not on a performance improvement plan or probation, based on their performance evaluation as follows: 0% for those employees whose evaluation average is between 1.0 and 1.99; 1% for those employees whose evaluation average is between 2.0 and 2.99; 2% for those employees whose evaluation average is between 3.0 and 3.99 and 3% for employees whose evaluation average is between 4.0 and 5. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Resolution adopted.
There was a discussion regarding performance evaluations for the Director and Fiscal Officer. Futrell will forward the evaluation form used by the Library to the Trustees.
Moved by McMullen to adjourn the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Ayes: Cheatham, Doll, Leonard, Masich, and McMullen. Nays: None. Motion carried.