Attendance: Board – Sylva Staab, Patti Roberts, Pat Eck, Chris Kowrach, Loreca Stauber; Staff – Carol Kampenhout, Debbie Fischer; Director – Anne Cheadle.  No members of the public were in attendance.

Staab called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM.

There was no public comment.

Staab solicited comments on the June meeting minutes.  Roberts moved and Kowrach seconded to approve the minutes as written.  Motion unanimously carried.

Eck presented the Treasurer’s report.  He asked board members to note that less than $1,000 remained in the discretionary budget, and that interest income remained strong.  He mentioned the idea of using some of the remaining capital expenditure funds to improve the library director’s office and there was brief discussion of this possibility.  Eck said that overall the district’s financial position looked good.

Roberts moved and Stauber seconded to approve the Treasurer’s report.  Motion unanimously carried.

Staab solicited questions on the June expenditures and there were none.  Roberts moved and Eck seconded to approve the June expenditures.  Motion unanimously carried.

Cheadle presented the Director’s report.  She informed the board that the paperwork approving the Gates Foundation grant requests had just been received.  As a result, the library is ordering seven new patron Internet stations, one per location.

Cheadle and Eck also discussed the success of the recent Bovill Days events.  The Bovill Library and Friends group played a key role in the celebration.  Eck said that, in accordance with the Bovill Friends’ recent commitment, the group sent 5% of the proceeds from their fundraisers as a contribution to the Bovill sub-fund of the Latah County Library District Foundation.  That 5% had been matched by a local Bovill family.  Eck also noted that a former Bovill resident had donated a copy of the U.S. Constitution to Bovill for display in the library.

Cheadle presented the Use and Program Statistics.  She pointed out that she had recently become aware of discrepancies in the reporting of the Interlibrary Loan statistics and that those numbers would be corrected by the August report.  She noted that the circulation and program attendance numbers looked good.

Deary library supervisor Debbie Fischer presented her annual report.  A copy of the report is appended to the minutes.  Fischer noted the many contributions made this year by the Deary Friends group.  Eck commended Fischer for her work maintaining a relationship between the library and the local after-school program.

Staab thanked Fischer for her report and for her service to the library.  Cheadle commended Fischer and thanked her for her excellent service in both the Deary and Moscow libraries.

Staab called for discussion of the 2007-2008 proposed budget.  Eck began by addressing the list of questions submitted by Kowrach in June. The first question asked whether funds had been budgeted to cover election expenses.  Eck answered that no specific funds had been set aside since in 2008 the district would not face the possibility of an independent election.  Kampenhout noted that the proposed services and supplies budget could easily cover incidental election expenses in 2008.  After discussion, it was decided not to include a separate budget line for election expenses and to consider the fund balance the reserve in case of need.

The second question asked if, and how many, district in-service days were budgeted for.  Cheadle said that there were sufficient funds built into the proposed budget to cover multiple district meetings.  She reminded board members that the cost of an in-service day could vary significantly depending on scheduling.  She added that the district is currently using the courier runs to deliver specific training and to help foster teamwork.

The third budget question asked whether funding was available to help the busier libraries during special projects.  Cheadle said that the source of that funding was the substitute, or “sub”, budget and that the same $10,000 was built into the proposed budget that was built into the current one.  That money covers all replacement and supplemental staff hours.  This year district libraries that requested staffing help with special projects received it.  The proposed budget does not include additional regularly scheduled staffing hours at
any library.

The fourth question asked whether the auditor had suggested any budget changes.  Eck noted that the auditor had advised keeping staff benefits and salaries strong and suggested that the board consider a judicious reduction of the fund balance.

The fifth question asked whether the liability insurance premium had been separated on the district’s L-2 form so as to advantage the library.  Cheadle answered that Kampenhout had researched this issue and found that the amount involved would be very small and that until the district came closer to the maximum levy rate there was no need to pursue this.

Finally, Kowrach had suggested specific formatting changes to the monthly board reports.  Cheadle suggested that the board form a work group to review the current formatting and make recommendations regarding changes and enhancements to be implemented in 2007-2008.  She also suggested that the approved format then be consistent throughout the fiscal year in order to make monthly comparisons easier.  Staab solicited volunteers and a work group was formed consisting of Eck, Kowrach, Cheadle and Kampenhout.

In addressing the proposed budget, Roberts asked if funds had been budgeted for the educational opportunity offered to Cheadle by the board.  Cheadle noted that those funds would likely not be needed until the 2008-2009 budget year.

Stauber asked whether insurance through ICRIMP would be less expensive for the district.  Kampenhout answered that this question had been researched and ICRIMP insurance would actually be more expensive.

Staab recommended increasing the staff development budget line and specifically mentioned the possibility of sending a board member to the annual state-wide Idaho Library Association conference.  She will work with Cheadle and Kampenhout and make a specific recommendation at the August meeting.

Stauber asked about the possibility of providing a library drop-box across town in Moscow.  Cheadle will investigate.

Kowrach asked if funds were available to the director for thank-you notes and other acknowledgements.  Cheadle will work with library managers and staff to develop a manageable protocol for acknowledgements.

Kowrach recommended that the legal notice informing the public of the district’s August budget hearing be posted not only in the Daily News but also in the Latah Eagle.  Kampenhout confirmed that the expense for both legal notices would be less than $100 and Cheadle endorsed the recommendation.

Staab addressed the issue of orientation and training for new board members.  Cheadle distributed copies of the 2006 board training checklist as well as the list of orientation materials provided to Stauber at the June meeting.  Staab noted that in the past new board members had been asked to work with the director to identify and address training as needed.

After discussion, Staab asked board members to consider the issue of board training as well as the possibility of a retreat for board members, and bring their thoughts to the next meeting.

Stauber asked for clarification regarding grant writing on the district’s behalf.  After discussion, Staab confirmed that revisions to that policy will be addressed as part of the next annual policy review.

There was no public comment.

Staab confirmed there was no need for an executive session.

Staab adjourned the meeting at 7:00 PM.