Board of Trustees & Committees

Library Board of Trustees

The Regular Meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Vespasian Warner Public Library District for the 2024-2025 fiscal year will be 6:00 p.m., at the Vespasian Warner Public Library, 310 N Quincy St., Clinton, Illinois on the following dates:

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​July 9, 2025 - Minutes (Approved 8/20/25)

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August 20, 2025 - Minutes (Approved 9/10/25)

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Vespasian Warner Public Library District

Clinton, IL  61727

Board of Trustees Meeting

August 20, 2025

 

 

President Laura Hale called to order the public hearing on the Annual Budget and Appropriation ordinance for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, at 6:01 p.m. following a motion by Redman to open the hearing.  Adams moved the hearing be closed at 6:02 p.m. since no members of the public were in attendance.  Both motions were approved by voice vote.

 

Hale called meeting of the board to order at 6:03 p.m.  Roll call was taken with the following members present:  Hale, Janelle Sams-Thomas, Matt Love, Becky Adams, Stephanie Coonce, Clay Held, and Redman.  Also present:  Executive Director Bobbi Perryman and Melissa Snow, Youth Services Manager.

 

Corrections or additions to the minutes:  The minutes from  July 9, 2025, were approved by voice vote on a motion by Sams-Thomas.

 

Approval of Bills—none

 

Correspondence—none

 

Staff Reports—

• Staff training day on August 12 went well.

• Perryman stepped down from Directors’ University during their August meeting after serving seven years as a mentor at the boot camp for new Illinois library directors.

• Cincinnati Insurance has increased the deductible for the library’s insurance to one percent of the library’s assessed value, which would make it $92,000, which would essentially make it useless.  Marquette now has our workers compensation insurance, which has saved us $1,600.

• Foot traffic is up.  Patron services continue going up like gangbusters.  Programming attendance is now the highest in five years.  Circulation has gone up to over 100,000 per year, but self-checkout is down due to the machine being down for two months.

• A patron satisfaction survey has been completed.

• Summer Reading set a new record in 2025, with 834 registered readers.  The completion rate was 45 percent, higher than last year.

• Snow went with Emily Dunham to appear on CI Living to promote new books and programming.

• Friends of the Library contributed $250 for funding a Spanish language collection and hygiene kits to be given without cost to kids who need them.

• Snow and Perryman worked on a $500 bird-related Flight Path Grant for walks at Mettler Woods with Anton Meyen and binoculars for seated bird-watching by nursing home residents.

 

Standing Committee Reports

1. Finance—Love reported that all special reserve money is in our money market account, and the committee has been figuring the logistics for the funding of the HVAC project

2. Property—Outdoor units for the HVAC project are scheduled to be installed September 17.  The concrete contractor for the new sidewalks has been unresponsive, and we may need to search for a new contractor.  ENTEC has not yet asked for the initial $300,000 for the HVAC project. 

3. Personnel—Delta Dental may not be available for dentists in Clinton.  We need to check into this.

4. Policy—none

 

 

 

Business Items:

1. Review/Approve Budget and Appropriation Ordinance—The library attorney approved the ordinance, and Redman’s motion to approve the final budget ordinance was approved unanimously.

2. Select bank for HVAC loan—DeWitt Savings Bank has been deselected since their procedures are overly complicated, and we received no answers to some of our questions.  The bids from First National and Longview were similar, and neither required a prepayment penalty.  We want to keep our business local and would be comfortable with either bank.  We already do our other banking with First National, which provided us with a detailed professional presentation of their bid.  Love moved that we go with First National because of our prior relationship with them and because of their professional presentation.  The board voted unanimously for the motion (with Sams-Thomas abstaining due to a conflict of interest due to her profession and being related to a member of one bank).

3. Approval of Vendors for Electronic Payments—The library has been sending checks through the USPS, but some vendors have not been receiving them.  The board needs to approve electronic payments for vendors experiencing difficulties.  Adams moved that the board approve electronic payments to Ingram Book Supplier, Ameren Illinois, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cincinnati Insurance, Overdrive, City of Clinton, Delta Dental, Envisionware, and TK Elevator Corporation.  The motion was approved unanimously.

 

Announcements—The next meeting may include a possible tour of the library.

 

Adjournment—On a motion by Adams, the meeting was adjourned at 7:04 p.m.  Motion passed by voice vote.

 

The next meeting is Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 6 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Adams

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September 10, 2025 - Minutes (Approved 10/1)

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Vespasian Warner Public Library District

Clinton, IL  61727

Board of Trustees Meeting

September 10, 2025

 

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President Laura Hale called meeting of the board to order at 6 p.m.  Roll call was taken with the following members present:  Hale, Becky Adams, Stephanie Coonce, Clay Held, and Camille Redman.  Absent:  Janelle Sams-Thomas and Matt Love.  Also present:  Executive Director Bobbi Perryman and Maintenance Supervisor Lucas Snow.

 

Corrections or additions to the minutes:  The minutes from  August 20, 2025, were approved by voice vote on a motion by Coonce.

 

Approval of Bills—none

 

Correspondence—none

 

Staff Reports—

• Melissa Snow and Emily Dunham are deep into Halloween planning.

• Snow is working with Cassandra Meyen to host the Monarch Festival.  Caterpillars, surprisingly, are cannibalistic, and some needed to be replaced.  All but one of the remaining caterpillars created a chrysalis. Monarchs have begun hatching on the children’s floor.  The butterflies are to be live-streamed.

• August program attendance was way up.  Digital circulation is up.  Young Adult is up. Patron services continues to grow, and computer usage is up.

 

Standing Committee Reports

1. Finance—Cincinnati reduced the deductible for their liability insurance down from $92,000 to $25,000.  Due to cost, the library’s worker compensation insurance is now with Marquette.  We probably will need to file an extension for our audit with the state of Illinois.  Since all Illinois townships have audits due this year, the accountant firms who do public government audits are swamped.  All of our information has been sent to our auditor.

2. Property—Forms have been laid out for the concrete for the outdoor HVAC unit.  It will be complete before the Apple & Pork Festival.  Concrete from the old garage will be removed.  It presents a tripping hazard.  The 40-ton unit is expected to arrive September 18-22.  A crane will lift the unit from the truck and put it into place.  The construction timeline is now complete, indicating which trade will be doing what when.  Basement work is expected to last 8 to 10 weeks.  The boiler room demolition begins next week.  The first floor work is also expected to last 8 to 10 weeks.  It includes removing the entire drop ceiling.  The children’s floor work should take 4 to 6 weeks.  The museum will start from scratch anytime.  Some overlap will occur.  Contingencies are in place for when the circulation desk has to be moved, as well as for other areas.  Bathrooms are not expected to be a problem since the only changes are the additions of electric baseboard heaters.  The library will have heat by winter.  This is the last shoulder season involved.  The entire project will take 6 months from start to finish, so the air conditioning will be done before it is needed.  For other construction, the bid was awarded for the ADA concrete bid, but the contractor has not shown up. We may need to change contractors.

3. Personnel—Part-time clerk Olivia Totten has resigned.  She worked for the library for 2 ½ years.  She will be going to the Lincoln Library and will be working full-time there.

4. Policy—none

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Business Items:

1. Review Illinois Standards for Public Libraries:  Advocacy—Perryman credits the library staff with the strength of our partnership building with local groups, such as 4-H and the DeWitt County Museum.  The Friends of the Library has been doing advocacy for our library and for libraries in general.  The group is growing, with up to 20 members, many of them young.  Much credit for this goes to President Katrina Held.  They are going to work on locally elected officials.  Board member Clay Held suggested the library might want to join the DeWitt County Coalition of non-profits, which meets at the U of I extension office.  It is considering expansion to public governmental units and local businesses.

2. Tour of facility—After adjournment, Snow and Perryman will take the board on a tour of all of the library, including its nooks and crannies, with an emphasis on how the HVAC project will affect these areas.

 

Announcements—A poll is in progress to select a name for the new pavilion.  Patrons may vote at the circulation desk.

 

Adjournment—On a motion by Adams, the meeting was adjourned at 6:28 p.m.  Motion passed by voice vote.

 

The next meeting is Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 6 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Adams

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October 1, 2025 - Minutes (Approved 11/12/25)

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Vespasian Warner Public Library District

Clinton, IL  61727

Board of Trustees Meeting

October 1, 2025

 

 

President Laura Hale called the public hearing on taking out a loan for the HVAC project to order at 6:02 p.m.  The hearing was closed at 6:03 p.m.

 

Hale called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.  Roll call was taken with the following members present:  Hale, Matt Love, Becky Adams, and Clay Held.  Absent:  Janelle Sams-Thomas, Stephanie Coonce, and Camille Redman.  Also present:  Executive Director Bobbi Perryman and Lance White, Vice President of Ag and Business Banking, from the First National Bank.

 

Corrections or additions to the minutes:  The minutes from  September 10, 2025, were approved by voice vote on a motion by Held.

 

Approval of Bills—none

 

Correspondence—none

 

Staff Reports—

• Clinton Cloverbuds 4-H went on a behind-the-scenes tour of the library.

• A grant application for math programming has been submitted, but only 15 libraries nationwide will be selected.  Another was submitted to add more STEM kits to the collection.

• More than 200 people stopped by the library’s Apple & Pork booth.

• Door count for September of 2024 was 2,400, but this year it was 3,500.

• The upstairs windows were painted for homecoming and a golf cart was decorated for the homecoming parade.

• Melissa Snow attended a YEP ceremony where she accepted the grant funding for our STEM kits and was encouraged to apply for more.

 

Standing Committee Reports

1. Finance—The levy for the coming year has been drafted, and we are waiting on our final EAV.

2. Property—The work on implementing the lighting grant from Ameren for changing interior lighting is underway.  The lower level is done.  We hope to see a drop in the power bill.  Steve Carithers, project manager for the HVAC project met with library representatives.  The smaller unit is planned to be installed in the museum room in December.  The big unit is due to arrive Oct. 7 and be installed shortly thereafter.  It will be offline Oct. 13 and scheduled for start-up Oct. 14.  We still have not received the bill for the second payment yet.

3. Personnel—Part-time clerk Olivia Totten resigned, and Sarah Jenkins-Smith has been hired to replace her.  She started tonight.

4. Policy—see below.

 

Business Items:

1. Adoption of ordinance 25-2 to take out a loan for the HVAC project.  The entire project is to cost $2,201,652.  Love moved to approve a loan for $1.5 million from the First National Bank.  The interest is to be 2.5 percent below the Wall Street Journal Prime, which then becomes 4.99 per cent.  This will apply to the first seven years of the loan and is to be re-adjusted after that.  The vote was unanimously in favor, with Hale, Love, Adams, and Held voting yes, the remaining board members being absent.  The loan documents were signed by President Hale and Secretary Adams.

2. Renew and approve the draft programming policy.  The contents of this policy are similar to the library’s materials policy, with much of the wording borrowed from that of the Skokie Public Library.  After the review, Adams moved that the programming policy be adopted, and the motion passed by voice vote.

3. Review Illinois Standards for Public Libraries:  Building and Grounds.  The library will need to do a new section on capital improvements next year.  We are working on environmental standards, and will be in compliance after the lighting upgrade and the HVAC project are complete.

 

Announcements—After polling our patrons, the new pavilion has been named after Minnie B. Warner, who encouraged her husband Vespasian Warner to make a donation of land and money for the establishment of the library.  An aluminum sign will be mounted outside on the pavilion, and a plaque honoring major donors to the project will be placed inside next to the Woods photo of the board that oversaw the building of the library’s addition 35 years ago.

 

Adjournment—On a motion by Love, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.  Motion passed by voice vote.

 

The next meeting is Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 6 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Adams

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​​​October 1, 2025 - Legal Notice

LEGAL NOTICE

 

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

 

On the taking out of a loan by the Vespasian Warner Public Library District

 

Notice is hereby given to the Public that on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at the hour of 6:00 P.M. at the Vespasian Warner Public Library, 310 North Quincy Street, Clinton, Illinois, a public hearing will be held on the taking out of a loan by the Vespasian Warner Public Library District.

 

Becky Adams Secretary, Board of Trustees Date: August 25, 2025 Vespasian Warner Public Library District 310 North Quincy Street Clinton, Illinois 61727

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November 12, 2025 - Minutes (Approved 12/10/25)

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Vespasian Warner Public Library District

Clinton, IL  61727

Board of Trustees Meeting

November 12, 2025

  

President Laura Hale called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.  Roll call was taken with the following members present:  Hale, Matt Love (in at 6:06), Becky Adams, Janelle Sams-Thomas, Stephanie Coonce, and Camille Redman.  Absent:  Clay Held.  Also present:  Executive Director Bobbi Perryman and Youth Services Manager Melissa Snow.

 

Corrections or additions to the minutes:  The minutes from  October 1, 2025, were approved by voice vote on a motion by Sams-Thomas.

 

Approval of Bills—none

 

Correspondence—none

 

Staff Reports—

• The Clinton Power Station’s six-year real estate assessment agreement ends in 2027, with the new agreement to take effect for the tax year 2028.  Stakeholders and attorney Robin Schwartz met at the school for a meet and greet.  The schools receive the lion’s share of the tax money, with the library’s portion about 4.5%.  A permit for renewal of the station’s operation is pending with the government.  Negotiations will begin late next year.  The station is actively hiring and possibly could add another reactor later on.  Both that possibility and the infusion of money from META are indicators that the agreed-upon assessment will probably go up.

• The library held three times as many programs this October as we did last year.  The library was part of the Homecoming Parade, participated in a Wapella Says Yes event, and was part of the Monster Mash on the square for Halloween.

• The library conducted two “Murder and Mayhem” tours of downtown Clinton and want to do one in Wapella next year.

• The children’s floor hosted the library’s first Crime Club for Teens with Christin, featuring an attempt to solve local cold cases (without much luck), but the event went over well anyway and had a great turnout.

 

Standing Committee Reports

1. Finance—The first ENTEC bill is expected soon.  All taxes are in, so the library has plenty of money.  Interest is up; the money market account is at 4%.  However, expenses are also up, such as gas and utilities.  We won’t be drawing on the loan from the First National until we need it.  The audit is in process.  It will probably be done by February, with an extension.

2. Property—Farm tenant Mark Schwartz wants to continue.  Rent on the yearly lease might be changed as we check on standard rents published by the University of Iowa.  The big HVAC units have arrived for the new building, and they are HUGE.  The units for the old building are much smaller.  Temporary heat is in place, probably until the new units begin working the first week in December.  There have been no patron complaints, except for the smell when the contractors cut through concrete insulation.  The sign is now up on the new pavilion.  It cost $170.

3. Personnel—Staff evaluations are done.

4. Policy—State law now allows non-residential fees to be paid in installments.  Perryman suggests the board consider allowing this, maybe for those whose fees are over $100, possibly in four installments.

Business Items:

1. FY 2025/2026 Tax Levy—This represents a 4.46% total increase.

2. FY 2025/2026 Building Equipment and Maintenance Levy—This represents a 4.76% increase.  Sams-Thomas moved that the Board pass both levies.  The motion passed unanimously.

3. Review Illinois Standards for Public Libraries:  Collections.  The standards were discussed, and the library currently meets all state standards.

4. Executive Director Performance Review—Adams moved that the board enter closed session at 6:42.  The board returned to open session at 7:03.  At that time the board reviewed with Perryman their discussion.

 

Announcements—none

 

Adjournment—On a motion by Love, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.  Motion passed by voice vote.

 

The next meeting is Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 6 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Adams

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December 10, 2025 - Minutes Pending Approval

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January 14, 2026

February 11, 2026

March 11, 2026

April 8, 2026

May 13, 2026

June 10, 2026

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Board minutes are available for inspection at the Vespasian Warner Public Library.