Board Minutes July 2026

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the CUYAHOGA FALLS LIBRARY and The William and Margaretta Taylor Memorial Association

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CUYAHOGA FALLS LIBRARY and The William and Margaretta Taylor Memorial Association 

REGULAR MEETING 
Tuesday, July 15, 2025 
Sutliff Room 

Call To Order 

Nikki Cebula called the meeting to order at 6:04 pm. 

Attendance 

Nikki Cebula, Rick Rubin, Sean Blake, Sandy Zirke, Bradley LeBoeuf, Robin Worthington, Mike Dunton, Karen Schofield, Cheryl Bruce, Director Andrew Harant, Assistant Director Jennifer Reynard, Fiscal Officer Kevin Gemmell  

Excused: Bryan Van Sweringen 

Adoption of Agenda:  

Rick Rubin moved to adopt the agenda. 2nd by Sean Blake. Motion passed unanimously. 

Approval of Minutes  

Karen Schofield moved to approve the Regular Board Meeting of June 17, 2025, as amended. 2nd by Cheryl Bruce. Motion passed unanimously.  

Board Education: 

  • Maintenance Coordinator Orry Harding & Custodian Dan Ruch – Overview of In-House Cleaning Procedures 
  • Orry presented on the breakdown of the daily, weekly, and quarterly cleaning schedule. He has created a very detailed schedule in the Trello app that has helped to increase productivity and communication.  

Public Participation:  

  • Raelene Gorlinsky spoke about how great and dedicated the board members are. 

Treasurer’s Report 

Sandy Zirke moved that the Board approve the payment of bills for June 2025 in the amount of $285,686.66. 2nd by Sean Blake. Motion passed unanimously. 

It was reported that the library received $163,761.32 in PLF revenue. 

Sandy Zirke moved to accept the June Financial Report subject to audit. 2nd by Robin Worthington. Motion passed unanimously. 

Board President Report: 

  • This has been an exciting month at the library. The summer reading program is on its way- I know that I have been pretty good about filling out my own form and getting my reading logs turned in- the library could not make it easier. And the “vibe” in the library is still friendly and welcoming despite the recent hit that we have taken state wide. 
  • As always, thank you to Andy, Jennifer, and Kevin for their advocacy! (As well as any trustees). 
  • Speaking of the recent state wide hits, I think it is absolutely necessary to thank this library staff for their creativity, ingenuity, and willingness to think outside the box and connecting with the public in a way that got the point across without fear mongering, without yelling, without crying or screaming- but while being honest and engaging. I understand that this may have been a daunting task, outside the comfort zones of a few staff members, but from my vantage point it was put together so very quickly and yet still appeared very organized and professional. When the news came, the staff looked AMAZING! In fact, our whole library- patrons included- showed just how awesome we really are! Thank you particularly to Danielle and Amy for their fine interviewing skills!!! 
  • I also wanted to share that I attended a Charlie Cart event, which was so fun, and when I was talking to my table partners, their talk was all about how great our library is and how fun the programming is. Then I heard a story that touched my heart. I am not sure that our library staff really understands the depth of impact that our programs have. This mother and daughter have been using our programs as their quality time to improve their relationships. They are concerned with the “hiatus” that the Charlie Cart is taking for the summer because they so look forward to their time together. What a beautiful byproduct! 
  • Just a reminder that all trustees are welcome to participate in the summer reading program- and we definitely encourage them to do so. Please fill out the weekly forms as an adult, and you are welcome to the weekly prizes! However, trustees are not eligible for the grand prizes. 

Committee Reports: 

  1. Building: No Report 

  2. Policies/Bylaws Review:  
    Next meeting will be on 8/6. 

  3. Finance/Audit Committee: No Report 

  4. Graefe Memorial: No Report 

  5. Personnel Committee:  
    The Directors Evaluation tool is almost complete. 

  6. Affleck Scholarship Committee: No Report
          
  7. Strategic Planning Committee: 
    A meeting to discuss the most recent fiscal impacts on the library will be set.      

  8. Art Committee (Ad Hoc): No Report 

Director’s Report: 

  • Patron visits topped 17,000 last month, which was the highest total since the Covid pandemic. 
  • 2,937 people are now registered for this year’s Summer Reading Program, compared to 2,699 people all last year (a 9% increase). With almost three weeks left, participants have now logged 1,455,160 minutes read. (They read 1.7 million minutes overall last year.) 
  • Director Harant provided an update on his attendance at American Library Association’s Annual Conference. Also attending ALA was Collection Development Manager Jack Phoenix, who presented on a panel, and Children’s Librarian Patty Guinto, who attended a lot of professional development sessions. 
  • Director Harant provided an update on the State Budget. The Governor vetoed several line items that would impact public libraries, and there is a possibility that some of them could face veto override attempts. 
  • Thanks to the staff and our community for once again stepping up to advocate on behalf of our library to call the Governor’s office. 
  • Voting for Ohio Library Council leadership is underway, and Director Harant is on the ballot again for a board of directors term. 
  • CFL was selected to present a poster session at the OLC Annual Conference in November. Another proposal on the fiscal officer evaluation redesign was not selected by the conference committee. 
  • The bushes were removed from around the fountain area, and two were also removed by the LED monument sign. Additional work will be done to make the beds around the fountain more appealing while the ivy grows in. 
  • The company handling the cardboard recycling dumpsters have proven to be very unreliable and unresponsive. We are exploring other avenues to provide recycling for the library and repurpose this space in our parking lot. 
  • CFL is hosting this year’s Legislative Breakfast for Summit County libraries. It will be sometime in August, and it would be great to have some trustees attend. 

Personnel Report: 

Karen Schofield moved that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees approve the June 2025 Personnel Report. 2nd by Sean Blake, Motion passed unanimously. 

Unfinished Business:  

  • A thank you card for the Wickhams was passed around 

New Business:   

  • The library advised we are not accepting book donations, when the possibility of a donation was brought up. 
  • The YMCA’s fundraiser was mentioned. 

Adjournment: 

Rick Rubin moved to adjourn the meeting. 2nd by Sean Blake. Meeting adjourned at 7:06 pm. 

Approved by Nikki Cebula Board President

Approved by Bryan Van Sweringen Secretary