HPL Board Minutes 08-13-2026

Minutes of the Hartland Public Library Board of Trustees Regular meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2026 Submitted by Elise Miller Attendance ● Present: Lisa Kwiat, Robyn Ludtke, Amy Reichert, Elise Miller, Linda Hallquist, Lee Bromberger, Tom Truttschel, Andrew Kristensen, and Emily Doty ● Absent: Tina Vogelmann I. Call to Order a. Call to Order was made at 5:10 pm by Lee Bromberger. II. Public Comment: Please be advised that the audio of this meeting will be recorded and available online through the library’s website. a. There were no public comments. III. Consideration of Library Board Minutes of the July Meeting a. A motion to approve the Library Board Minutes of the July Meeting was made by Tom Truttschel and seconded by Linda Hallquist. The motion was carried unanimously. i. Lee Bromberger and Amy Reichert abstained from motion. IV. Financial Affairs a. Consideration of the July Bills i. A motion to approve the July bills was made by Amy Reichert and seconded by Lisa Kwiatt the motion was carried unanimously. b. Status of the Budget i. Director Kristensen updated the board about the status of the budget. The library's budget is currently performing well, tracking 1% below anticipated expenditures. Savings are attributed to the absence of family insurance costs for the first five months of the year and energy utility costs trending under budget. V. Director’s Report a. Statistics i. Director Kristensen discussed the most recent monthly stats. Physical circulation is pacing to potentially miss last year's target by approximately 50 books if current trends continue; however, overall door counts remain strong. This suggests that patrons are increasingly utilizing the library building for purposes other than checking out materials. b. Staff Updates, Buildings and Grounds, & Miscellaneous i. Director Kristensen highlighted: 1. Staffing: Starting the first week of September, there will be three open circulation positions due to staff returning to school. Coverage for September is secured. 2. Architect Recruitment: The board decided to adopt the Qualifications Based Selection (QDS) system for architect recruitment due to previous procurement failures. This will require staff to draft a building program statement and specifications, with interviews to follow, likely in October. 3. Facilities: The library has ended its contract with Terminix and transitioned to a new pest control service provider. VI. Old Business a. Discussion and Consideration of Volunteer Policy i. A motion to approve Volunteer Policy was made by Tom Truttschel and seconded by Robyn Ludtke. The motion was carried unanimously. VII. New Business a. Discussion & Consideration of Preliminary 2027 Budget i. Consideration of motion to recess to closed session pursuant to State Statute 19.85(1)(c), considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility, and to reconvene into open session pursuant to State Statute 19.85(2) for the purpose of considering any action as may be necessary and appropriate. 1. A motion to move to closed session by Amy Reichert and seconded by Linda Hallquist. a. A unanimous role call was given by Lisa Kwiat, Robyn Ludtke, Amy Reichert, Elise Miller, Linda Hallquist, Lee Bromberger and Tom Truttschel. 2. A motion to move to open session by Amy Reichert and seconded by Tom Truttschel. a. A unanimous role call was given by Lisa Kwiat, Robyn Ludtke, Amy Reichert, Elise Miller, Linda Hallquist, Lee Bromberger and Tom Truttschel. 3. A motion was made to approve the 2027 budget of $999,840 made by Director Kristensen by Linda Hallquist and seconded by Amy Reichert. ii. Discussion and Consideration of Staff Salaries 1. A motion to approve modified Staff Salaries was made by Amy Reichert and seconded by Tom Truttschel. The motion was carried unanimously. b. Discussion of 2024 – 2026 & 2027 – 2029 Strategic Plans i. Brought to the board of directors for their attention to review. Planning to complete in-house in Jan/Feb 2027. ii. The board reached a consensus to conduct the upcoming strategic planning process in-house during early 2027 to reduce costs and foster internal alignment, with members tasked to bring available dates to the September meeting. VIII. Announcements a. Hartland Chamber of Commerce Street Dance Festival – August 22 b. Friends of the Library Book Sale – August 24 – 29 c. Pumpkin Party in the Park – October 10 IX. Adjournment a. A motion to adjourn was made at 6:23 pm by Tom Truttschel and seconded by Lisa Kwait the motion carried unanimously. Next regular meeting is scheduled for September 10, 2026 at 5:00 pm