WINDING RIVERS LIBRARY SYSTEM
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD JULY 23, 2008

PRESENT: George Brandt, David Brommerich, Loren Caulum, Karen Dahl,
Louise Donohue, Wayne Gates, Clara Johnson, Myrna Kelley, Mary E.
Larson, Nancy Lerum, Frank Nicosia, Gina Rae, Tom Rauk, Karen
Thayer, Jane Walczak, John Wenum.

EXCUSED: Judy Bouffleur, Fred Goettl, Elizabeth Nutter, Vern
Olson.

ABSENT:

STAFF & GUESTS: Kristen Anderson, Randy Dagnon, David Polodna,
Marcia Sarnowski.

1. Call to Order/Open Meeting Notice Certification: The meeting was
called to order by President Brandt at 6:34 pm. He certified that
the meeting had been properly noticed as required by the open
meetings law.

2. Roll Call: Roll call was taken as indicated above.

3. Approval of Minutes: Motion by Frank Nicosia, seconded by Nancy
Lerum, to approve the minutes of the May 28, 2008 meeting as
presented. Carried.

4. Reports

4.1 Approval of Bills & Budget Update: Polodna presented the
bills, pointing out a few expenditures that were atypical. In
particular, he focused on the expenditure for van repairs and
informed the board of the June 4, 2008 accident that occurred when
a van driver swerved to miss a deer. Motion by Wayne Gates,
seconded by Mary Larson, to approve the bills. Carried. Polodna
summarized the status of revenues and expenditures through June;
brief discussion followed. Motion by John Wenum, seconded by Mary
Larson, to accept the budget report as presented. Carried.

4.2 Director's Report: Polodna informed the board that the Horizon
software that supported WRLSWEB operations was no longer being
developed, and consequently a team from La Crosse Public Library's
technical services department was beginning to analyze other
products to select a replacement. The target date for the
transition is mid-2010, though the process could take more or less
time. We have been told Horizon will continue to be supported for
about five years. The board will be apprised of progress and will
be presented with the proposed expenditure for approval before any
decision is finalized. Funding for the transition will come from
the WRLSWEB capital fund. Polodna then introduced the chart
comparing actual 2007 wages for regional library directors to the
recommended wages adopted by the board for 2007. This chart was
prepared in response to a request from Gina Rae for information on
how wages and recommendations relate.

It was briefly noted that the Tomah Public Library has still not
formally specified whether it wishes to continue as a member of
WRLSWEB, but the library has not paid the WRLSWEB fees for 2008
which were due by April 1. Finally, Polodna reported that efforts
are underway in Mindoro and Warrens to establish new libraries. In
the former instance, the new library would be a branch of the La
Crosse County Library (LCL). Loren Caulum, president of LCL,
provided background information on the discussions. The new
Warrens library would be a part of a community center for which a
large donation has been offered. Discussions in Warrens are at an
early stage. Polodna noted that new library buildings are being
planned for Arcadia and New Lisbon.

4.3 Public Comments or Topics for Discussion at Future Meetings:
None.

5. Unfinished Business

5.1 Personnel Committee Appraisal Report: Tom Rauk explained that
the responses to the appraisal surveys were not complied in time
for the Committee to present the director's appraisal at the July
meeting, but will be ready in September.

6. New Business

6.1 WRLS Vehicle Use Policy: Polodna reiterated the reasons for
pursuing the change in the vehicle policy. Various questions were
raised about the consistency of the application of the requirements
and whether the policy as revised was appropriately limiting. Jane
Walczak asked if the auxiliary contract with the resource library
could or should include recognition of this service provided by
WRLS. Polodna said that would be fitting but he had not considered
it in preparing the contract for 2009. He added that it might be
useful to monitor the actual use of WRLS vehicles by LPL and then
decide if it was appropriate to build something into the 2010
contract. Motion by Mary Larson, seconded by Frank Nicosia, to
approve the policy revisions with the amendment that the policy
would be reviewed in a year, along with cost considerations, to see
what action might be desirable for the longer term. Amendment and
revisions carried.

6.2 Patron Card Order: Polodna distributed samples of the current
library card and then referred to the picture of the new card sets
sent in the packets. Brief discussion followed, including
questions about the impact of this change on the auxiliary
contract. Motion by Myrna Kelley, seconded by Wayne Gates, to
approve the adjustment in the contract services line to cover the
additional costs of the card sets. Carried.

6.3 Initial 2009 Budget Decisions: The various financial documents
that were distributed in the packets were reviewed so that all were
clear on their content and purpose. President Brandt suggested
that the board first address the county funding request. Brief
discussion followed. Motion by Mary Larson, seconded by Wayne
Gates, to increase the county operating request from $46,200 to
$48,500. Carried. The vehicle replacement request of $500 per
county will stay as is. Discussion of the Resource Library
Contract and the Auxiliary Contract for Services then proceeded,
with questions being asked about the background to various contract
elements. John Wenum asked if the contracts had been reviewed by
an attorney in the recent past. Polodna stated that if was at
least a decade since any attorney would have looked at the wording
of the contract, and that attorney would have been a member of the
LPL board. He continued, though, that the Department of Public
Instruction receives copies of every contract and reviews the
propriety of the documents. After all questions were satisfied,
motion by John Wenum, seconded by Karen Dahl, to accept the
contracts as presented and authorize the president and secretary to
sign them. Carried.

6.4 Next Meeting Date: The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm on
September 24, 2008, at the Sparta Free Library in Monroe County.

7. Adjournment: Motion by Tom Rauk, seconded by Wayne Gates, to
adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:52 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

David Polodna, Recorder