Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Board of Trustees

Call to Order:
A meeting of the Alpena County Library Board of Trustees was called to
order on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 4:01 pm by President Dustin Budd.
Present:
Board of Trustees: Dustin Budd, Julie Byrnes, Traci Collins, Jennifer Graham, Joe
Fulkerson
Staff:
Christina Markowski, Nancy Mousseau, Carmen Grubaugh
Approval of Agenda: It was moved by Collins with support from Byrnes to accept the
agenda. The motion passed.
Review and Approval of March 18, 2026 Meeting Minutes:
It was moved by Graham with support from Fulkerson to accept the minutes from the March 18, 2026 meeting. The motion passed.
Financial Reports:
The financial reports were reviewed by Markowski.
Approval of Bills:
It was moved by Collins and supported by Graham that the bills as
presented be approved. The motion passed.
Leadership Team Reports:
Markowski shared that Matthew Kinzey worked with Lakeshore Roofing to patch up some leaks and thanked Marlo Broad for hosting a well attended Tuskegee Airmen program. She noted Jessica Luther, James Devault, and Jessica Hodges received a small grant for tween and teen loot boxes. Markowski planned
to get out into the community more and listed two storytimes to be hosted by local credit
unions as well as a storytime featuring Carl the Collector.
Friends of the Library Report:
Markowski stated the annual book sale would be held the second week of August and newsletters were sent out to Friends of the Library (FOL) members. She noted the Friends matched the money from a grant to help cover the cost of purchasing a portable stage.
Public Comment:
Michelle Greko, Alpena, stated an asterisk meaning “requested but not required” should be placed in front of the questions listed in the 25 Mar 2026 Personnel/Policy Committee Meeting Notes under 2. Reconsideration Policy: c.
Reconsideration of Library Material Form: i:
1. Have you read/viewed/listened to the entire work?
2. Have you read any professional reviews of this work?

She noted that answering no to either of these questions should not negate the
Reconsideration of Library Material Form or having a one on one meeting with the library
director to try to alleviate concerns.
Elaine Stenger, Alpena, questioned if the FOL paid to remove leftover books from the
annual book sale.
Markowski responded to a board follow-up question that the leftover books from the
annual book sale were picked up by Better World Books to be resold or recycled.
Old Business:
A. Strategic Planning:
It was moved by Collins with support from Graham to adopt the
Strategic Plan Phase 1 (Part I & Part II) with the following changes:
First sentence under the heading Introduction be changed to “The purpose of the
plan is to provide recommendations for the Board of Trustees and guidance for the
Library Director and the Staff over the next two years.”
The word “equitable” be removed as a footnote and defined within Mission. The
wording for Mission to be changed to “Our library enriches the community through
equitable (meaning fairly for all concerned) access to all library services,
educational resources, and opportunities to explore new ideas and skills.”
The heading PART II: CURRENT VISION, MISSION, AND CORE VALUES be changed
to PART II: CURRENT VISION AND MISSION.
     Roll Call Vote:
     Budd: Yes
     Byrnes: Yes
     Collins: Yes
     Graham: Yes
     Fulkerson: Yes
The motion passed. A copy of the updated Strategic Plan Phase 1 (Part I & Part II) will be
attached to the minutes.
B. Library Card Policy (Vote):
This item was tabled until the May 20, 2026 meeting to allow time for the board to read and review legal comments received on April 15, 2026.
C. Reconsideration Procedure (Review):
This item was tabled until the May 20, 2026
meeting to allow time for the board to read and review legal comments received on April
15, 2026.
Committee Reports:
Collins, on behalf of Gift Acceptance Committee (GAC), stated they
planned to discuss the trifold brochure suggested by Budd at the March 18, 2026
meeting. Budd, on behalf of the Personnel Committee, sent out emails about the
Personnel Policy. Fulkerson, on behalf of the Facility Committee, stated they were
focusing on roof repairs.

New Business:
A. Bond Payment Resolution:
Bond Approval: It was moved by Collins with support from
Byrnes to authorize a $155,750 payment from the Library General Fund to the Alpena
County Building Authority.
     Roll Call Vote:
     Budd: Yes
     Byrnes: Yes
     Collins: Yes
     Graham: Yes
     Fulkerson: Yes
The motion passed.
B. Board Comment:
Collins stated she would not physically be present at the May 20, 2026 board meeting. She noted she planned to attend the meeting via Zoom but she would be limited to communicating through public comment and would be unable to vote.
Public Comment:
Kathleen Bower, Alpena, stated the American Library Association (ALA) implied “fair” or “equality” to mean treating everyone the same whereas “equitable” meant tailoring treatment to the individual to get the same outcome.
Adjournment:
It was moved by Graham with support from Fulkerson to adjourn the meeting. Budd declared the meeting adjourned at 5:06 pm. The next meeting will be Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 4:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Traci,  Collins Secretary
Secretary,  Recording Secretary