LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS/Cleveland Heights University Heights Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights
DECEMBER 16, regular meeting
- Board action
- Human resources report
- Director’s report
- Public service report
Present were President Vikas Turakhia, Vice President Annette Iwamoto, Secretary Patti Carlyle, Dana Fluellen, Melissa Soto-Schwartz, Tyler McTigue, and Halle Turnberrez. The meeting ran one and a quarter hours.
Board action
The board:
- Recognized Jeri Waltrip, circulation assistant, who is retiring from the library after 19 years. The majority of her years were served at the Noble branch, but she also worked at Lee Road.
- Approved the 2024 amended permanent appropriation and the 2025 permanent appropriation.
- Authorized the fiscal officer to cancel surety bonds and obtain coverage for all employees under an employee dishonesty and faithful performance of duty insurance policy with The Ohio Plan that will be equal to or greater than $500,000.
- Authorized the fiscal officer to pay the annual premium of $109,048 for the library’s comprehensive, property, casualty, and liability insurance with The Ohio Plan and to pay the annual premium of $5,906 for cyber insurance with Traveler’s Insurance.
- Granted permission for the fiscal officer to purchase nine Lenovo ThinkPad E16 laptops.
- Authorized the execution of proposed lease amendments with Peoples Choice Payee Services and DANCECleveland to terminate their lease agreements by Jan. 31, 2025.
- Approved the amended 2024 Bylaws of the Board of the Library Trustees of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library. These will be available on the library’s website.
- Accepted the 2025 salary table and renewal of vision insurance (no increase for 2025) and dental insurance (five percent increase, which the library will pay).
- Approved the 2025 salaries for the director and fiscal officer.
- Recognized Melissa Soto-Schwartz and Vikas Turakhia for their contributions to the library board of trustees.
Human resources report
There were three promotions and three new staff members. There are three open positions.
A new alternative work arrangement policy is being created to allow employees to work from home as approved by the supervisor, director, or deputy director.
ALICE (active shooter preparation and response) training was presented on Dec. 18 by Brandon Brown, manager of safety and security services, and a member of the Cleveland Heights police department. The session was recorded for those unable to attend.
Maryam Abdul-Hafeez completed a 72-hour, six-week internship in HKIC (Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center). She is a business technology student at Cuyahoga Community College. She observed and assisted with computer basics classes and gained hands-on experience with many technologies.
The library has approved six staff tuition reimbursement requests for the spring 2025 semester. Staff requests to attend national conferences are under review.
Director’s report
Anastasia McIntosh (seven-year term) and Vikas Turakhia (remainder of a five-year term) were selected by the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education at their Dec. 3 meeting interviewing candidates for the library board of trustees.
The library will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Jan. 1. It will be open at normal hours on Dec. 23 and will close at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
The Fund for the Future of Heights Libraries’ Make it a Million Campaign continues for Coventry PEACE Park. They are asking the community to match a $36,000 gift from generous donors. The Coventry PEACE Park will open Feb. 16 at 3 p.m.
The yard sign collection yielded 1,750 pounds. This was done in partnership with the Cleveland Heights Green Team and the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.
In the first six months of idea management (encouraging staff to submit ideas to improve library operations), 15 ideas were submitted. Seven ideas have been implemented, five are in review, and three were not selected.
Public service report
In late October and early November, Derick “D. J.” Todd, technology trainer and professional photographer, held a unique program: Face Forward. Over 15 patrons took advantage of this opportunity to get professional business headshots free of charge.
Coventry branch hosted four students and three teachers from Roxboro Middle School’s multiple disabilities and autism classroom for their cooking class on Nov. 13.
Noble branch Makerspace hosted the “Charcuterie and Chill” program, which taught attendees how to create their own charcuterie boards. Ten people attended and walked out with their own spreads of meats and cheeses to take home.
University Heights branch Catherine Bransky, youth services associate, and D. J. Witherspoon, circulation assistant, represented the library at Gearity Elementary School’s Math and Literacy Night on Nov. 20. They saw many families and signed up 12 people for library cards, a new record for an outreach event.
LWV observer: Judith Beeler
Information about the board, board meeting minutes, and audio recordings of board meetings can be found at https://heightslibrary.org/locations/heights-libraries-board/