Board Meeting Minutes 5/26/2026 (html)

Tuesday, May 26, 2026
LIBRARY BOARD MEETING & BUDGET HEARING
SILVER FALLS LIBRARY DISTRICTSilver Falls Library Program Room
410 S. Water St., Silverton, Oregon
 
            Board Members Present:                                         Staff Present:
            Ingrid Donnerstag                                                       Christy Davis, Director
            Nancy Miller (Zoom)                                                  Stacy Higby
            Megan Smith                                                  
            Michelle Sanguinetti                                                   Public Present:
                                                                                                None
            Board Members Absent:
            Dmitry White
           
BUDGET HEARING
 
Call to Order – Board Member Donnerstag called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.
 
Acceptance of Budget Committee Report and Budget Resolution 2026-2027
 
Motion: To approve Resolution 2026-2027 Adopting the Budget, Making Appropriations, Imposing the Tax, and Categorizing the Tax.
(Motion by: Megan Smith. Second by: Ingrid Donnerstag).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
 
Motion: To accept the Budget Committee Report as presented.
(Motion by: Michelle Sanguinetti. Second by: Megan Smith).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
 
Adjournment of Budget Hearing 5:35pm.
 

 
Regular Board Meeting called to order at 5:36pm.
 
REVIEW OF AGENDA
No changes    
 
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
 
Motion: To approve the April 28, 2026, Board Meeting minutes as printed/circulated
            (Motion by: Megan Smith. Second by: Michelle Sanguinetti).
            Vote: Unanimously in favor.
 
 
FINANCIAL REPORT, APRIL 2026
The Board received and reviewed the following reports:
  1. Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Fund Balances (as of April 30, 2026)
  2. General Fund Statement of Cash Receipts (as of April 30, 2026)
  3. General Fund Statement of Cash Disbursements (as of April 30, 2026)
  4. Check Register – Citizen’s Bank (April 1-30, 2026)
  5. LGIP Account Statement (as of April 30, 2026
  6. Purchase Order – Visa (closing date March 20, 2026)
  7. Journal Entries (as of April 30, 2026)
 
Check Register
What is the payment for Ingram? Ingram is the main supplier of books, and this payment is split between books for children and young adults, and nonfiction, fiction, and replacement books for adults.
 
Motion: To approve the APRIL 2026 Financial Report as presented, including checks #18402 through and including #18423, and all EFTs, for a total of $95,065.87.
            (Motion by: Ingrid Donnerstag.  Second by: Michelle Sanguinetti).
            Vote: Unanimously in favor.
 
 
OLD BUSINESS
 
  1. SDIS Best Practices – Public Meeting Law training requirements
Two Board Members have completed the training requirement, and the remaining three Board Members need to complete the training before the SDIS deadline of November 6.
 
  1. Roof repair updates
Pfeifer Roofing repaired the leak again and it seems to have worked so far after yesterday’s rain. We’ll continue to monitor the area.
 
  1. Community Renewable Energy Project (C-REP) updates
More information will be covered in New Business, but the process is about 2 weeks behind schedule currently. We are trying to keep communication with the attorney to a minimum due to cost. Randall Feldhaus from Sunbreak Energy sent a contract and Eileen Eakins from Cable Huston reviewed and modified it. Randall, Christy, and Stacy created a Request for Proposals (RFP) and Eileen reviewed and modified it.
 
NEW BUSINESS
 
  1. Exemption Resolution for RFP solicitation for ODOE C-REP grant
The highlighted areas need to be completed with dates after Christy and Stacy meet with Randall tomorrow. The proposed exemption resolution was created because projects over $250,000 are generally required to use an Invitation To Bid (ITB) process, and this process would require the District to select the lowest bid, rather than choose based on qualifications and expertise as well.
 
Motion: To approve Resolution 2026-02 adopting findings of fact, declaring an exemption from competitive bidding, and authorizing a Request for Proposal process for construction of a solar photovoltaic (PV) and 240 KW hour energy storage (ESS) project.
(Motion by: Megan Smith. Second by: Michelle Sanguinetti).
  • Unanimously approved.
 
  1. Patron complaints sent to the Board
A patron complained to the Circulation Supervisor, Christy, and the Board about being charged for a damaged item on their child’s account. The regular process is that a note is made on the patron’s account, “Patron claims not responsible for damage.” If the patron does not have a history of similar notes, the fines are often waived. However, if a pattern of claiming no responsibility of multiple items emerges, the Library may not waive the fines. This particular patron has several damaged items noted on both their account and their child’s account with claims of non-responsibility by the parent. Christy will reply to the patron’s complaint via email, outlining this process and saying that the fines will not be waived. The patron has indicated that they will not be returning to our Library, but may still escalate with further Board communication, at which point the Board will need to respond. District policy is to fine the last patron who checked out an item before the damage was noted – but this is done at the point of check-in, not after the book has been reshelved - and staff members check each item for damage as they are checked in, so we are fairly confident that this patron is responsible for the damage, especially since the last time this item was checked out before this patron was in January and the food stains and particles were fresh.
 
  1. Proposed use of program room as cooling shelter with other-agency staffing during extreme heat
Christy distributed and read aloud a letter from Sarah White from Sheltering Silverton proposing that the Library’s Program Room could be used as a temporary cooling shelter during an extreme heat event. Sheltering Silverton staff and volunteers would supervise the room and supplies in coordination with Library staff. The letter gave hours of operation as Monday 10am-8pm, Friday 6-8pm, Saturday 4-8pm, and Sunday 10am-8pm, hours when the Library is closed to the public. If the temperature threshold is reached or predicted, Sheltering Silverton staff and Library staff will communicate about Library staff unlocking the building and disarming the alarm. Only the Program Room, the attached restrooms, and the lobby would be accessible during cooling shelter activities.
 
The C-REP grant already includes allowing trained volunteers from the Red Cross, Rotary, the Lions Club and other community partners to supervise use of the building for power outage events. This proposal could be used as a test run for problem solving before the solar project is completed. 
 
Christy will contact SDIS to ask if insurance will cover these activities if no Library staff are present on site and consider drafting an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Sheltering Silverton, maybe including a requirement that insurance claims or deductibles resulting from damage to the building during a cooling shelter event be paid by Sheltering Silverton. If a cooling shelter is needed before the next Board Meeting, Library staff will be present.
 
  1. Proposed 2026-2027 Holiday Closure Schedule
 
Motion: To approve 2026-2027 Holiday Closure Schedule as presented.
(Motion by: Michelle Sanguinetti. Second by: Megan Smith).
Vote: Unanimously approved.
 
LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT
 
Director Davis reported on the following:
 
Good things:
  • We marched in the annual Pet Parade on May 16th and had a great time!  We carried our banner with the summer reading theme for this year which is, “Plant a Seed, Read!” We had two dogs, two cats and at least 8 people and a very warm response from the crowd.
  • The bugs are worked out of our ILS system upgrade. It did take several days but things are running smoothly now.
  • There’s been an increase in federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and this means that libraries in Oregon will be receiving additional funding for Ready to Read for next fiscal year. This is the grant that makes most Oregon public libraries’ summer reading programs possible.
  • We were pleased that Melissa Zimmer Wagoner and the Our Town publication agreed to run a story on Shelly Brown’s many accomplishments and her retirement.  We got to honor her – which we wanted to do – without throwing a party – which she most decidedly didn’t want. It was very easy to find people who wanted to talk about Shelly’s importance in their lives and in their children’s reading development.
  • The library has signed up to participate in the 2nd annual Pride in the Park event on June 27th. If any board members would like to volunteer alongside our staff in the booth between 1:30 and 5 (maybe two different shifts?) we would welcome your supportive presence. Michelle volunteered to come at 1:30pm. Megan and Ingrid also offered to help based on checking their availability.
  • Flower baskets from the City have been hung in front of the building. Former Board Member Kathy Beutler paid for them. She also plants flowers in the planters beneath them to catch the water that drains out.
Challenges:
  • Like many/most libraries in the CCRLS system, we are proud that the City of Keizer managed to get its library recognized as an official public library by the State Library of Oregon. Keizer has long been Oregon’s largest incorporated area without a public library.  However, there is real concern amongst member libraries of CCRLS, and CCRLS administration that Keizer has no long-term funding plan.  The CCRLS membership committee will be carefully considering the application we believe to be forthcoming from Keizer Community Library.
  • Several years ago in Josephine County, a person inside their district petitioned to be exempt from property taxes for the library, stating that his household did not use the library.  This petition was defeated in court. This same household is now petitioning to completely dissolve the library district.  All library districts will be paying attention to this. Josephine County has quality legal representation, and the State Library is aware of this development.
Changes:
  • From 2013 through 2023 the City of Silverton had an Enterprise Zone (EZ) designation which they let expire. They have reapplied for the EZ designation. Christy spoke with the community development project manager from Mid-Willamette Council of Governments about what the impact of the EZ could mean for the Library District. Very few businesses can meet the requirements for an EZ designation. In the last decade that the city had an EZ, three businesses applied and were accepted, and all three are still in business.  EZs do NOT divert tax revenue away from districts in the way that the Urban Renewal Zone does.  Rather than divert, an EZ defers property taxes for a qualifying business for 5-7 years. After that time, the business resumes paying fully assessed property taxes to the various districts and other tax-based entities who utilize such funds.
Miscellaneous:
  • The director used 3 hours of sick leave in April.
 
AGENDA SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
 
1.  Proposed Internet Usage Policy updates – not sure we need to change policy anymore, Christy feels that in her authority she can tell patron that we can suspend usage for number of days while we investigate, will review policy to see if it’s strong enough
 
ADJOURNMENT
 
Motion: To adjourn the meeting at 6:55 p.m.
            (Motion by: Megan Smith. Second by: Nancy Miller).
            Vote: Unanimously in favor.
 
____________________________________________________________
 
The next Library Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the library program room.
 
 
            Approved: __________________________ (date)
 
 
            __________________________________________
            Nancy Miller
            Vice-Chair, Library Board of Directors
Silver Falls Library District