Board Minutes Septemeber 2025

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, September 16, 2025 
Sutliff Room 

Call To Order 

Robin Worthington called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm. 

Attendance 

Nikki Cebula, Sean Blake, Bradley LeBoeuf, Robin Worthington, Michael Bowman, Rick Rubin, Karen Schofield, Mike Dunton, Bryan Van Sweringen, Director Andrew Harant, Assistant Director Jennifer Reynard, Fiscal Officer Kevin Gemmell  

Excused: Sandy Zirke, Cheryl Bruce 

Adoption of Agenda:  

Rick Rubin moved to adopt the agenda as amended, to include the welcoming and swearing in of new Library Board of Trustee Michael Bowman. 2nd by Sean Blake. Motion passed unanimously. 

Approval of Minutes  

Sean Blake moved to approve the Regular Board Meeting of August 19, 2025, as amended. 2nd Karen Schofield. Motion passed unanimously.  

Board Education: 

  • PR & Marketing Manager Danielle Welling-Harris and Adult and Teen Assistant Manager Katherin Vaughn reported on the end results of Summer Reading. The program achieved 1.9 million minutes read, and a 30% increase in adult registration. This had a grand result of 7,184 attendees for all programs. They also advised that the library is now selling merchandise featuring our new mascot.  

Welcoming and Swearing-in of New Library Board Trustee 

  • After Library Board of Trustees President Nikki Cebula welcomed new Library Board of Trustees member Michael Bowman, he was officially sworn in by Fiscal Officer Kevin Gemmel 

Public Participation:  

  • No Participation 

Treasurer’s Report 

RESOLUTION 2025-21: Move that the Board approve the payment of bills for August 2025 in the amount of $232,900.81. Bryan Van Sweringen. 2nd by Rick Rubin. Motion passed unanimously. 

It was reported that the library received $132,824.91 in PLF revenue. 

Rick Rubin moved to accept the August Financial Report subject to audit. 2nd by Mike Dunton. Motion passed unanimously. 

Board President Report: 

  • Another month of our beautiful library! I so enjoy every month when I meet with Andy and Kevin and talk about the great things that are going on. 
  • I would like to start by thanking: 
  •  Danielle for the Taylor rollout!!! I can’t wait to get my own merch!!!! 
  • Adult & Teen Assistant Manager Katherine Vaughan—She’s coordinating our participation in a Summit County Community Reads and Summit County Poet Laureate initiatives with our fellow libraries in the county, she represented us at the Senior Coalition Meetings (a Western Reserve Hospital group of area organizations that support senior citizens) and National Night Out (CF Police Event), and she coordinates our notary service.   
  • MakerSpace Librarian Mary Ann Gutierrez and Technology Trainer Jenna Kohut for a successful new program in our MakerSpace, Back to (Home) School Picture Day. 
  • Children’s Library Assistant Lindsey Wenck for bringing storytimes and a Storywalk to Trails End Park, which is the first part of our America 250 grant that will end with a new permanent Storywalk and paved walking path at Trails End. 
  • MakerSpace Librarian Mary Ann Gutierrez attended and presented a lightning talk for“The MakerSpace Threshold: Creating Programs for Education, Empowerment, and Enjoyment” at the OhioNet MakerFest on June 18. Because of this, we received a donation from OhioNet for $25. As a reminder, she gave the presentation in June and in lieu of providing her with an honorarium (as her preparation and participation in this was done fully on work time). 
  • I would also like to wish good luck to Chloe Gambol, who will be leaving us to study for her MLS in LONDON! 
  • In addition, I would like to wish Angela Fioramonti, who will be taking family leave, well! I also appreciate the library staff who will be handling this internally. 
  • As September is Library Card sign up week, I look forward to watching our library community grow! Thank you, CF Library, for truly living our mission! 

Committee Reports: 

  1. Building: Director Andrew Harant provided an update on a project to make improvements to CFL's entrance area, including a new camera-based door counter with an additional new door counter for the MakerSpace, removal of gates for improved aesthetics and accessibility, new carpeting, and new self-check units. 

  2. Policies/Bylaws Review: No Report 

  3. Finance/Audit Committee: No Report 

  4. Graefe Memorial: No Report 

  5. Personnel Committee:  

  6. Committee will be meeting on 9/24 to further develop the Directors Evaluation Tool 

  7. Affleck Scholarship Committee: No Report  

  8. Strategic Planning Committee: No Report  

  9. Art Committee (Ad Hoc): Committee added art items to the board packet along with notations of the plans for each piece of art.  

Director’s Report: 

  • Welcome to our new board member. 
  • A computer tower was stolen from our MakerSpace on Saturday, September 16. A police report was filed, we are submitting an insurance claim, and we are reviewing security procedures for all of our computer and MakerSpace equipment. 
  • Thanks to efforts by IT Manager Phil Shirley and our Managed IT Provider Peak Technologies to implement new security measures—including Office 365, Multifactor Authentication, new anti-virus solution, encryption, and more—we were able to secure a new cybersecurity insurance policy that is just as robust, if not more, and reduces our premium by $9,000. 
  • We held two inhouse professional development session for our managers and coordinators over the past two months. Ned Parks of Aegis 360 presented sessions on Workflow & Prioritization and Conflict & Collaboration. 
  • I attended the YMCA Grape Falls fundraiser event. CFL was well represented with several other staff members and trustees in attendance. It was a great event, I heard some wonderful comments about the library, and I also learned that Taylor has generated much buzz at City Hall. 

Personnel Report: 

Sean Blake moved that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees approve the August 2025 Personnel Report. 2nd by Bryan Van Sweringen, Motion passed unanimously. 

Unfinished Business: Discussion about Theresa Karm and the possibility of recouping some of the money she owes.  

New Business:   

  • Property tax levy discussion 

Adjournment: 

Rick Rubin moved to adjourn the meeting. 2nd by Sean Blake. Meeting adjourned at 7:41 pm. 

Approved by Nikki Cebula Board President

Approved by Bryan Van Sweringen Secretary