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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-25 Info Packet1k 00 ®, Mgo CITY OF IOWA CITY City Council Information Packet Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IN. City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Draft Minutes IP2. Library Board of Trustees: August 28 IP3. Library Board of Trustees: September 4 IP4. Public Art Advisory Committee: September 4 September 25, 2025 September 25, 2025 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP1. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT September 25, 2025 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Attachments: City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule r City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Subject to change CITY OF IOWA CITY September 25, 2025 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, October 7, 2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E. Washington Street Monday, October 20, 2025 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 410 E. Washington Street Tuesday, October 21, 2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E. Washington Street Monday, November 3, 2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E. Washington Street Tuesday, November 18, 2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E. Washington Street Tuesday, December 9, 2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E. Washington Street Item Number: IP2. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT September 25, 2025 Library Board of Trustees: August 28 Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: August 28 Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 28, 2025 2nd Floor — Boardroom Regular Meeting - 5:00 PM Robin Paetzold - President Claire Matthews -Secretary Bonnie Boothroy Joseph Massa Kelcey Patrick -Ferree John Raeburn Cory Schweigel-Skeers Kalmia Strong Members Present: Bonnie Boothroy, Joseph Massa, Claire Matthews, Robin Paetzold, Kelcey Patrick -Ferree, John Raeburn, Corey Schweigel-Skeers, Kalmia Strong. Members Absent: None. Staff Present: Karen Corbin, Melody Dworak, Sam Helmick, Anne Mangano, Brent Palmer, Jason Paulios, Angie Pilkington, Jen Royer, Josie Taylor. Guests Present: Geoff Fruin. Call Meeting to Order. Paetzold called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. A quorum was present. Approval of August 28, 2025, Board Meeting Agenda. Boothroy made a motion to approve the August 28, 2025, Board Meeting Agenda. Strong seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Public Discussion. None. Items to be Discussed. City Manager Presentation on Local Option Sales and Services Tax. Fruin introduced himself as the City Manager and talked about the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) vote on the November 4th ballot. Fruin explained part of the City of Iowa City strategic plan was to consider other revenue sources to achieve critical goals of the City and reduce reliance on property taxes. Fruin said the City is having a hard time funding operations and needed more funds to meet the goals of the strategic plan. Fruin noted state property tax reform, tepid taxable property growth valuation, and inflation have made it critical to find alternate revenue sources to maintain core services like the library. Fruin said LOST is a 1 % local sales tax on top of the statewide 6% tax. This tax would apply to most purchases, but many items are exempt such as groceries, utilities, rent, gas, and prescriptions. In the state of Iowa, 93% of communities have a LOST and Iowa City is in the minority by not having it. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Jen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-rover@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Revenue from LOST is projected at $8-10 million. Fruin gave a history on LOST in Iowa City. It was last collected from 2010-2013 for infrastructure changes in response to the flood of 2008. The LOST funds were used to raise the bridge on Dubuque Street and expand a sewage plant. Fruin shared only two cities in Iowa with a population greater than 50,000 don't have a LOST: Iowa City and Ankeny. If approved, 50% would be spent on property tax relief (determined by state law), 25% on affordable housing, 15% on community partnerships, and 10% on public streets, parks, and facilities. Patrick -Ferree noted there was no sunset clause and asked if the city wanted to change the allocation, would it need to go back on the ballot. Fruin agreed and said voters could also repeal it. There was a continued presentation on how the allocations would be used. If the LOST vote was approved it would take effect on July 1, 2026. Raeburn noted there were no taxes on motels and hotels and asked if there was a hotel and motel tax. Fruin agreed there was, and of those revenues 50% must go to tourism related activities such as Think Iowa City. The rest go to parks and recreation and public safety. Paetzold asked how this might affect the library's funding. Fruin said he hoped to give relief from property taxes being the sole funding of a lot of the city's operations, noting it currently provided 2/3 of the city's operations budget. Fruin said long-term LOST would mean having one million dollars to put towards facilities needs every year. Fruin noted for several years, the library has requested money to replace carpet, and it has been pushed due to competing priorities. Fruin said having an extra million dollars per year would allow more projects to move forward. Fruin said the City is in education mode to help voters decide on how to move forward. Fruin asked the trustees to share the information in their circles. Fruin and Mangano exited the meeting at 5:20 pm. Discussion of Executive Director Search. Paetzold explained that a working group has overseen the strategy for finding a new executive director. The working group was made up of two staff and three trustees. The group solicited applications and received 16, which was a bigger candidate pool than expected. The working group reviewed the applications and determined that two candidates met the minimum qualifications. After doing virtual interviews with the two candidates, there was a consensus on a preferred candidate. Paetzold said the working group questioned the need to continue with the hiring process with a consensus, noting it would also save the library money. Paetzold said if the working group sticks to the original plan, the two final candidates would be invited to the library to give a public statement, meet with staff, and see the facility. Paetzold said the working group recommended an adjustment to the process by moving forward with a shorter process. Paetzold said if the Board chooses to do this, there should be a special meeting to have a full discussion about the recommended candidate which would be open to the public. Paetzold asked trustees for their thoughts. Schweigel-Skeers asked if the working group was at a consensus before considering the costs. Paetzold agreed and said one candidate was local and one was not. Patrick -Ferree clarified if the process would involve the candidates meeting with members of the public and having discussion. Paetzold said they would use a survey tool where staff and the public could share their comments. Paetzold said all the If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. library trustees are responsible for making the decision to hire a library director, noting the working group does not have that authority. Paetzold said other city departments have allowed candidates to make a ten -to -fifteen -minute statement. Raeburn asked for names of the members on the working group. Paetzold said it consisted of Boothroy, Paetzold, Massa, Dworak, and Pilkington. Rocklin sought volunteers in FY25 who would continue their terms in FY26. Schweigel-Skeers asked if the Library Board decided to forgo the session with both candidates and didn't agree, would the Library Board be back at square one. Paetzold said it would be up to the Library Board to decide on how to proceed. Paetzold asked trustees if they would like to have a truncated process as proposed, or veto that and bring in the two candidates. Strong asked to hear from folks who participated in the last director hire. Boothroy said before the newest Library Board members were appointed, the City Attorney, Eric Goers, gave a presentation regarding changes to state law that applied to hiring a Library Director. The change in state law forced the hiring process to change. Paulios said the last director search had no internal candidates. Paulios said previously there were 6-7 semifinalist virtual interviews, of which 3 finalists were selected to interview in person, noting the process was wildly different. Strong asked what the value was of in -person interviews. Pilkington said it gave everyone a chance to meet the candidates. Dworak added it was valuable because no one knew the external candidates and noted staff would like a speedy resolution. Paetzold noted the rules around board committee discussions had changed. Paetzold also said the structure of having three candidates respond to questions from the public is now a strongly discouraged human resources practice as it creates advantages and disadvantages among the candidates. The City suggested candidates instead be allowed to give a statement and allow social time only. Paetzold said the advantage is the community gets a chance to meet the director and give feedback. However, the weight of the feedback varies because the public is only seeing a limited portion of the interview process. Patrick -Ferree asked if the community showed up. Paetzold said yes because there was a legacy director who was retiring, and her identity was entrenched with the library's identity. Paetzold asked if the Library Board should have a special meeting next week or if they should decide to start the process again. Raeburn said typically search committees reveal the candidates, their preferences, and why. Paetzold agreed normally they would and clarified that a working group met, not a committee. There was discussion about the process. Patrick -Ferree summarized the discussion by stating it sounded like the trustees should hold a meeting next week to determine if they wanted to select a candidate, extend an invitation for further interviews, or restart the process. Paetzold agreed. Raeburn shared he wanted to hear from the working group. Matthews said that decision should include whether to include the community. Paetzold said trustees could not exclude the public. Paetzold said the choice would be to select a director, to recommit to the original process, or to make a new process. Matthews noted the importance of the invested Iowa City community. Boothroy said it would be easier to decide after hearing the working group's report. Patrick -Ferree made a motion to have a special meeting to continue the discussion on hiring a Library Director. Schweigel-Skeers seconded. Motion Passed 8/0. Paetzold surveyed the room and determined the special meeting should occur on Thursday, September If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. 41" at 5 pm. Paetzold requested Royer send an agenda out with two topics: updating the library director job description to comply with state law and to move forward in hiring a library director. Raeburn asked if the job description could be changed in the middle of a search. Paetzold said most of the job description content would not change and said the State of Iowa mandated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) tasks are not allowed. Paetzold said she would work with legal to determine if the job description could be updated at this stage in the hiring process. Boothroy said Paetzold spent numerous hours with HR and legal during the hiring process. Paetzold anticipates an attorney attending the special meeting and could not say enough positive things about the City of Iowa City Legal and HR departments. Mangano entered the meeting at 5:49 pm. Library Board of Trustees Annual Report. Mangano said the feedback from last month was incorporated into the report. Massa made a motion to approve the annual report. Matthews seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Election of Vice President. Boothroy said the Nominating Committee would like to appoint Massa as Vice President with the term ending June 30, 2026. Raeburn made a motion to appoint Massa. Patrick - Ferree seconded. Motion passed 7/0, Massa abstained. Procurement of an Integrated Library System (ILS). Mangano shared excitement for a new ILS noting the library has used the same system since 1999 (with some updates). Mangano said there was a rigorous review of ILS products, and she would like to sign a contract with ByWater Solutions and implement the Koha system with Aspen as the catalog. Mangano said the attached memo was drafted by the City's Purchasing Department who helped with the process. Mangano said Koha should be a flexible system with custom features and has well reviewed customer service. Several peer libraries use this system such as Des Moines, Dubuque, and Cedar Falls. Mangano expects to save 50% in ILS costs over the next five years. Koha is open sourced. Mangano said moving to a new system is a huge undertaking and is hoping to do this in March or April 2026. Mangano said there will be impacts on patrons and Mangano will share updates on this as they have more information from the vendor. Massa asked if Palmer would spearhead the rollout. Mangano agreed. Patrick -Ferree asked if the ILS would have patron data noting they don't have their privacy policy or security information available online. Mangano said Koha can implement the Iowa City Public Library's privacy policy and shared that privacy was a huge portion of the needs assessment when determining which product to purchase. Boothroy made a motion to implement Koha. Matthews seconded. Motion passed 8/0. 41" Quarter Annual Financials & Statistics. Mangano shared themes she identified across the expenditures. Raeburn asked what scalability refers to on page 9. Mangano said it means it can be used by multiple sizes of libraries, small and large. Raeburn provided a page of language suggestions. Paetzold asked if the document is intended for internal use. Mangano said the board packet is a public document, but it is intended for use by the Library Board. Matthews asked if implementing a new ILS would reduce data processing budget lines or OCLC. Mangano said the data processing line was overspent due to an issue with Sierra. Strong said the budget report was clear and helpful. Matthews asked when the budget request is submitted. Mangano said in October. Patrick -Ferree asked if Mangano is planning to adjust the bookmobile budget. Mangano agreed. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Mangano said the collection's use was up 0.99% and noted digital collections carried the weight of circulation. Mangano said the adult digital audiobook collection was used the same amount as the adult nonfiction print collection, noting that was the first time that happened. Paetzold said it might be of interest to new trustees to discuss the cost difference of various formats and explain how it is not an equitable playing ground. Mangano said digital materials are around 30% of collection use but they account for 50% of the collection budget. Staff Reports. Interim Director's Report. Mangano attended the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB) training on open meetings and records. While there have been some issues receiving the training, Mangano noted the League of Cities is another group working to provide the training. Mangano said that IPIB training is currently not a requirement for any of the current board members though she strongly encouraged it because the penalties of violating open records and open meeting law are significant. Mangano said the IPIB training will be a requirement of all new board members after July 1st, 2025, in their first 90 days. Mangano said the library is conducting a building study and shared former Library Director, Elsworth Carman, engaged Engberg Anderson to determine if the library was adequately using the space for current and future needs. Engberg Anderson was the original architect firm that built the current ICPL building. So far, Engberg Anderson has worked with the coordinator team, and they will engage with the public at a session on September 29th for a brainstorming session. Mangano said there was a citizens' group in Meeting Room A on Saturday to discuss the changes to the State Historical Library with 350 people in attendance. Patrick -Ferree said that Mangano previously shared they have many Iowa City specific archives and asked if the library could take them on. Paetzold said that would be a longer discussion the board would need to have. Paetzold said the Iowa City Public Library's mission is not to archive documents and said there are resources needed to archive the items. Paetzold said the Library Board might want to discuss what its role might be in the future. Mangano said the State Historical Library started in 1857 and Iowa City Public Library started in 1897. Mangano said they had 40 years of operations on ICPL, and we've never provided archival or local history services because of this. Matthews said the University of Iowa has a mission of archiving and should be considered. Paetzold said the Johnson County Historical Society also archives and should be considered. Departmental Reports: Children's Services. None. Collection Services. Mangano shared Larry Parks was hired and is the newest driver on the bookmobile. IT. None. Development Report. None. President's Report. President Appoints to Foundation Board. Paetzold said Boothroy and Massa will serve on the Friends Foundation. Paetzold explained she wanted to follow up on the advocacy working group. In the past, ICPL trustees interested in issues impacting all libraries had drafted statements on behalf of the ICPL Board which were then brought to all trustees for approval. The advocacy group worked largely during legislative If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. seasons when there were threats to libraries. Paetzold said it might be time to consider having an advocacy working group again. Paetzold felt the State Historical Society could be a challenge because we may perceive some of the documents as falling under the library's mission. Paetzold said there has not been an identified consortium of groups that are meeting to discuss what will happen. Paetzold said her understanding was the State of Iowa was committed to 44% of the contents in the building; we don't know which 44% or if they will be available to the public. Paetzold said that leaves a mysterious 56% of items that may need to find a home, and no single entity is stepping up to do this. Paetzold said an advocacy working group could determine the library's role in this. Paetzold said the State Historical building closes December 31, 2025. Paetzold welcomed volunteers for an advocacy working group. Strong, Patrick -Ferree, and Matthews volunteered. Raeburn said the state planned to move the archives to a repository in Des Moines and questioned their ability to do so. There was further discussion on the library's role, the state library, and the citizens' group event at ICPL. Announcements from Members. Foundation Updates. None. Advocacy Updates. None. Communications. News Articles. Paetzold said the City of Iowa City declared this library card month. It was initiated by Helmick. Consent Agenda. Approve Minutes of the Library Board of Trustees July 24, 2025, Regular Meeting. Massa made a motion to approve. Strong seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Approve Minutes of the Library Board of Trustees August 5, 2025, Nominating Committee Meeting. Boothroy made a motion to approve. Strong seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Approve Disbursements for FY25 Period 13, End of Year. Approve Disbursements for July 2025. Matthews made a motion to approve both disbursements. Schweigel-Skeers seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Set Agenda Order for September Meeting. Paetzold said the bylaws discussion may move to the October meeting. Paetzold said the Library Board would have a special meeting in one week with a two -item agenda: discussion on hiring an executive director and discussion on the library director's job description. Adjournment. Paetzold adjourned the meeting at 6:29 pm. Respectfully submitted, Jen Royer If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Jen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or Jennifer-rover@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. :`.i% IOWA CITY rjW PUBLIC LIBRARY Board of Commissions: ICPL Board of Trustees Attendance Record Name Term Expiration 9/26/2024 10/24/2024 11/21/2024 12/19/2024 1/23/2025 2/27/2025 3/27/2025 4/3/2025 4/24/2025 5/22/2025 6/26/2025 7/24/2025 8/28/2025 9/4/2025 Boothro , Bonnie 6/30/2029 X X X X OE X X X X OE X X X X Johnk, DJ 6/30/2025 X X X OE OE X X OE X X OE TE TE TE Massa, Jose h 6/30/2027 X X OE X X X X X X OE X X X X Matthews, Claire 6/30/2023 X X X O X X X X X OE O X X X Paetzold, Robin 6/30/2023 X X X OE X X X X X X X X X X Patrick -Ferree, Kelce 6/30/2031 X X X Raeburn, John 6/30/2027 OE X X X X X X X X X X X X X Rocklin, Tom 6/30/2025 OE X X X X X X X X OE X TE TE TE Schwei el-Skeers, Cory 6/30/2031 X X X Shultz, Hannah 6/30/2025 X X X X OE X OE X X X X TE TE TE Stevenson, Daniel 6/30/2027 X OE X X X X OE X X X OE X R R Stron , Kalmia 6/30/2031 X I X IX KEY: X Present O Absent OE Excused Absence NM No Meeting Held R Resigned TE Term Expired Item Number: IP3. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT September 25, 2025 Library Board of Trustees: September 4 Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: September 4 Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes September 4, 2025 1st Floor — Meeting Room A Special Meeting - 5:00 PM DRAFT Robin Paetzold - President Bonnie Boothroy Cory Schweigel-Skeers Joseph Massa — Vice President Kelcey Patrick -Ferree Kalmia Strong Claire Matthews -Secretary John Raeburn Members Present: Bonnie Boothroy, Joseph Massa, Claire Matthews, Robin Paetzold, Kelcey Patrick -Ferree, John Raeburn, Corey Schweigel-Skeers, Kalmia Strong. Members Absent: None. Staff Present: Karen Corbin, Bond Drager, Melody Dworak, Brent Palmer, Jason Paulios, Angie Pilkington, Mari Redington, Jen Royer. Guests Present: Liz Craig. Call Meeting to Order. Paetzold called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. A quorum was present. Approval of September 4, 2025 Board Meeting Agenda. Raeburn made a motion to approve the September 4, 2025, meeting agenda. Strong seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Public Discussion. None. Items to be Discussed. Library Director Working Group Presents Executive Director Recommendation to the Library Board of Trustees. Paetzold said she would explain the options for the current meeting, explain the hiring process up to this point, and then ask the working group to share their thoughts. Paetzold said there were three options to consider at the meeting. The first option being the working group could present their recommendation to offer the position to the leading candidate conditional on a background check and salary negotiation. The second option being to request a second round of interviews and not select the final candidate at this meeting. The third option being the Library Board could determine a creative alternative process. Paetzold said Elsworth Carman resigned in May and the trustees discussed how to go forward at that point. Paetzold said in the past, at Carman's hire, the Library Board hired a consultant to assist in hiring If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Jen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or Jennifer-rover@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. the director. Paetzold said a request was sent to find a consultant and discussions were had with Bradbury Miller, the consultant who was used previously. Paetzold said Bradbury Miller was an expensive company to work with but had high value. Ultimately, it was decided not to pursue using a consultant. Some trustees then met with the City of Iowa City HR Director and legal office to discuss what the options might be. After that discussion it was determined the hire would be handled internally and a working group was appointed in late May. The working group consisted of Boothroy, Massa, and Paetzold from the board (having primary responsibility); and two consulting staff assisted, Dworak and Pilkington. The working group then put out a call for applicants and received 15 on time by July 23rd, and one application was submitted late. The working group reviewed applications and felt there were two strong candidates to bring forward for virtual interviews. The decision was made based on their CV's and their history with the qualifications required of the job. Paetzold said virtual interviews were then pursued with two candidates on August 4th. Afterwards, the working group determined there was consensus on the applicants and questioned the value of doing a second round of interviews with such a small pool of candidates, especially when there was consensus. The working group brought this back to the Library Board to discuss how they would like to proceed with the proposed change in process. Paetzold said she would like to get a sense of how the Library Board would like to go forward in the current meeting. Raeburn said he was delighted by the choice given but felt that it was hard to decide not knowing the second person. Paetzold agreed that was true and said an option could be to proceed with the second round of interviews. Raeburn asked if trustees could share the name of the second candidate. Paetzold said that could not be shared at the meeting because the candidate had not been notified it would go public, and they needed to be given time to speak with their current employer. Paetzold said this was the advice given by the City. Redington entered the meeting at 5:06 pm. Paetzold said Liz Craig from the City Attorney's office was at the meeting. Raeburn said the hiring process was unlike any he'd been through. Schweigel-Skeers asked the working group if they could speak to how the consensus came to be. Matthews asked if the working group could share how strongly the consensus was formed, and what strengths led to the unanimous choice. Paetzold said it was important to stick to discussing the process, or the specific candidate that was being recommended. Massa said from the outset the working group recommendation had definite consensus after going through the interview process. Massa said the working group reviewed resumes from people throughout the United States and internationally. They then narrowed the candidate pool and sought staff opinion and staff participation in interviews. Massa said there were good interviews but the candidate the working group agreed upon stood out with consensus. Pilkington agreed with Massa and Paetzold's statements. Dworak added when thinking about the hiring process she thought about what would be risked or gained by moving one direction or another. Dworak noted the consensus on the recommendation and felt there was very low risk to move in that direction. Boothroy said the working group started with individual reviews of applications, each member studied If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. them individually and then came together for a meeting. When the group met, they put the applications in three piles: yes we'd like to interview them, maybe, and this probably is not going to be a good match. Boothroy said it was amazing how there was consensus amongst the members at that point. Boothroy said the working group deliberated on only bringing in two candidates for virtual interviews. As they did that they reviewed to see if the candidates were someone they would genuinely consider. Boothroy said again the consensus was clear. Boothroy said the working group decided to go forward with two candidates and held virtual interviews. Paetzold said the group would have preferred a larger pool of candidates for the interviews. Paetzold said they would have reopened the search if they felt they could not move forward with the two candidates. Paetzold said the last director hire only had external candidates and everyone wanted to meet them because there were three unknown people. Matthews said she trusts the working group and the fact that staff were involved. Helmick entered the meeting at 5:14 pm. Matthews felt there should be public transparency, noting the Iowa City community's investment in ICPL. Matthews also said members of the public could have participated in the current meeting if they had wanted to. Paetzold said it is also a human resources issue. Patrick -Ferree noted Paetzold had previously mentioned there were cost savings in proceeding with the recommendation and asked what they were. Paetzold said bringing in the candidates and hosting them had associated costs which include staff cost in coordinating events, transportation, hotels, meals, etc. Paetzold said the cost savings is not why the working group came to this decision but noted that budget could be used in other ways. Paetzold said the question was if the group would glean more information when there was consensus. Schweigel-Skeers asked about the costs with delaying the hire. Paetzold said staff would like to have the director identified for their day-to-day lives. Raeburn said he felt the group had selected an outstanding person but had issues with the process, noting it didn't match his hiring experience at the University of Iowa. Raeburn said the Library Board didn't know who the other candidate was and the only way to know that was to extend the search. Paetzold said that was original plan and the Board could vote to do that. Paetzold said the working group made a unanimous decision to present to the Library Board. Raeburn asked what was driving the way in which the search was being run. Paetzold said the Library Board decided to run the search this way in May, and the working group opted to forgo second interviews. Paetzold said Tom Rocklin appointed working group members in May and explained their role. Raeburn asked why the Board was not learning the name and qualifications of the other candidate. Matthews said it was dramatically different due to changes in open record law. Craig said the Library Board could disclose external candidate information assuming they didn't request confidentiality in the process. Paetzold said the working group was advised not to. Craig said the Library Board should decide to accept the recommendation of the working group, which should be made clear to the board, or to continue with a different process. Craig said the Library Board could vote to accept the working group's decision or not. Redington exited the meeting at 5:20 pm. Patrick -Ferree, Strong, and Raeburn agreed if there was consensus amongst the working group members it seemed unfair to the other candidate to prolong the process. Boothroy said the Library Board was currently struggling with the same question the working group was, the process. Boothroy If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. asked if they would like to discuss the preferred candidate, bring both finalists in for an interview, or have another idea for the process. Matthews leaned towards the truncated process and noted the importance of a public process. Matthews said the hiring process would be different this time around without a legacy director and both internal and external candidates. Strong agreed with Matthews, and trusted staff and the working group as a new Library Board member. Schweigel-Skeers said it was important to give consideration that the current meeting was short notice but was posted publicly. Schweigel-Skeers felt some trepidation around the meeting's short notice. Matthews shared discomfort with the idea that the public would see the Library Board as not transparent. Paetzold said she asked about other city department director hires and said the fire and police departments had a similar structure. There was further discussion about the public process. Craig recommended the Board should vote on the working group's recommendation. Raeburn made a motion to hear and vote on the working group's recommendation. Matthews seconded. Motion passed all 8/0. Massa said the recommendation was based on many factors. The working group took into consideration the candidate's library experience holistically and great background in library positions. Massa said her breadth of understanding was commendable. Massa said she understood the library's mission, fiscal management, supervising staff, and long-term strategic issues. Massa said she had deep institutional knowledge which was frankly hard to compete against. Massa said there was a record of successfully managing conflicts with staff and patrons, a strong understanding of our community, and surrounding communities. Boothroy added that she had a bigger picture view of local, state, and national library issues. She had experience advocating for libraries at state and national levels, which was important in the current environment. She's a published writer, has done public presentations, and presented herself and the library in a professional manner. She has a passion for libraries, specifically Iowa City Public Library, and there is indication that staff support her as a candidate. Boothroy said all those pieces together made a very strong profile. Pilkington echoed Boothroy and Massa's statements. Pilkington said throughout the interview she spoke with knowledge, conviction, and authority on finance, staffing, conflict resolution, and union negotiation. Her priorities are in line with Iowa City Public Library's mission and goals, and she is knowledgeable about boards and working within boards. Pilkington said those things set her apart. Pilkington articulated she's an experienced leader who is concerned with the safety and wellbeing of our staff and patrons and is an advocate for intellectual freedom. Dworak agreed and said from a staff perspective she is a great communicator to all parties and is very organized. From Dworak's perspective she's a great planner and that is needed. Paetzold said she would like to put forward the nomination of recommending Anne Mangano for the position of Library Director. Boothroy asked for a motion to hire Mangano for the position of Executive Director of the Iowa City Public Library, subject to a satisfactory background check, agreement on salary within the range of the position description, and with the President and Vice -President being authorized to complete the final sign off on the salary and start date. Matthews made a motion. Raeburn felt concerned in the way in which the search was conducted but delighted by the choice presented. Raeburn suggested in the future the Library Board should not allow confidentiality to run the process of applying for a public position. Paetzold said the Library Board could have chosen to do that at the meeting by opting for the second round of interviews. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Schweigel-Skeers seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Review Updated Job Description for Library Director. Robin noted one change was proposed to the Library Directorjob description. Palmer & Corbin exited the meeting at 5:40 pm. Raeburn was concerned with the reasons for the change but felt the proposed language was a good way of responding. Paetzold clarified the city did a good job. Schweigel-Skeers shared his experience with this law at the University of Iowa but felt given the state requirements the city did a great job with their suggested change. Massa made a motion to approve the job description. Strong seconded. Motion passed 7/0, Raeburn abstained. Paetzold noted the work of hiring a new director is stressful. Paetzold acknowledged that people have been patient and have trusted the system. Paetzold said the challenge of being in Iowa City is the exceptionally strong staff in comparison to other libraries, which is a blessing for ICPL and a challenge for applicants. Paetzold said the ICPL staff are in leadership positions throughout the state and country. Paetzold valued the staff and trustees trust during the hiring process and thanked everyone. Adjournment. Paetzold adjourned the meeting at 5:44 pm. Matthews made a motion, Strong seconded. Motion passed 8/0. Respectfully submitted, Jen Royer If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. :`.i% IOWA CITY rjW PUBLIC LIBRARY Board of Commissions: ICPL Board of Trustees Attendance Record Name Term Expiration 9/26/2024 10/24/2024 11/21/2024 12/19/2024 1/23/2025 2/27/2025 3/27/2025 4/3/2025 4/24/2025 5/22/2025 6/26/2025 7/24/2025 8/28/2025 9/4/2025 Boothro , Bonnie 6/30/2029 X X X X OE X X X X OE X X X X Johnk, DJ 6/30/2025 X X X OE OE X X OE X X OE TE TE TE Massa, Jose h 6/30/2027 X X OE X X X X X X OE X X X X Matthews, Claire 6/30/2023 X X X O X X X X X OE O X X X Paetzold, Robin 6/30/2023 X X X OE X X X X X X X X X X Patrick -Ferree, Kelce 6/30/2031 X X X Raeburn, John 6/30/2027 OE X X X X X X X X X X X X X Rocklin, Tom 6/30/2025 OE X X X X X X X X OE X TE TE TE Schwei el-Skeers, Cory 6/30/2031 X X X Shultz, Hannah 6/30/2025 X X X X OE X OE X X X X TE TE TE Stevenson, Daniel 6/30/2027 X OE X X X X OE X X X OE X R R Stron , Kalmia 6/30/2031 X I X IX KEY: X Present O Absent OE Excused Absence NM No Meeting Held R Resigned TE Term Expired Item Number: IP4. a CITY OF IOWA CITY "QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT September 25, 2025 Public Art Advisory Committee: September 4 Attachments: Public Art Advisory Committee: September 4 DRAFT, p.1 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 91412025 Minutes Public Art Advisory Committee September 4, 2025 Emma J. Harvat Hall Public Art Advisory Committee Members Present: Leslie Finer, Andrea Truitt, Scott Sovers, Tyler Baird, Rachel Kinker, Anita Jung, Nate Sullivan, Stephanie Brunia Members Absent: Sophie Donta Staff present: Rachel Kilburg Varley, Geoff Fruin Public Present: Rachael Arnone, Emily Magnuson Call to Order Truitt called the meeting to order at 3.33 p.m. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda None. Consider minutes of the July 10, 2025 PAAC meeting. Baird noted an error in the attendance sheet. Finer moved and Jung seconded that the amended minutes from the July 10, 2025 meeting be approved. Motion passed (6-0). South East Junior High Longfellow Tunnel Painting Project Southeast Middle School art teacher Rachael Arnone presented the murals designed and selected by the 7t" and 8t" grade students for the 2025 Longfellow Tunnel painting project. Note that Nate Sullivan and Stephanie Brunia joined the meeting during this agenda item. Local Option Sales Tax Presentation City Manager Geoff Fruin provided a presentation to the Committee regarding the 1% Local Option Sales Tax ballot measure that City Council voted to include in the upcoming November 4 election. The presentation included an overview of LOST, mechanics of the tax, and proposed uses for revenue. Following the presentation, Truitt asked how the proposed use to support community partnerships will function. Fruin explained one example could be new or existing grant programs or cost -sharing community partnerships. Baird asked how quickly LOST revenue must be spent once collected and Fruin noted there is no deadline, and funds can be spent immediately or accumulated over time for bigger projects. Staff Updates DRAFT, p.2 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 91412025 Kilburg Varley shared the following staff updates: • An agreement has been signed with the Midwest Arts Conservation Center for restoration and staff training of the bronze sculptures in the downtown and Northside Marketplace. The work will be scheduled for the Spring 2026. • The City Engineering Division is assisting with entering the public artworks and data collected through the Public Art Condition Assessment into the City's asset management software. This will enable better tracking of the artworks and costs, work orders, or maintenance associated with them. • In partnership with the Communications team, a social media content calendar was developed to help highlight public art efforts and reactive existing works. The 1 st Wednesday of the month will be the posting day. The first post, which featured the "Dorothy" sculpture and a "Guess this Artwork" quiz achieved a great rate of success, with some of the highest views and engagement of all City social posts in recent months. • The reveal of a the mural funded through a Public Art Matching Grant at the Iowa City Bike Library will occur this evening and all are invited. • Looking ahead, staff noted it would be good to discuss priorities for the 2026 Public Art Matching Grant Program in light of the new strategic plan. Additionally, conversations have begun with the Senior Center on a potential new collaboration which will come before the Committee soon. Old or New Business None. Adjournment Sovers moved to adjourn. Finer seconded. Motion passed (8-0). DRAFT, p.3 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 91412025 Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2024-2025 Name Term Expires 8/1/24 9/5/24 10/3/24 1117/24 12/5/24 2/6/25 3/6/25 4/3/25 5/1/25 6/525 7/1025 9/4/25 Ron Knoche N/A X O/E X X* X X* X X* X X X X* Juli Seydell- N/A X X X* X X X X X X* X --- X* Johnson Steve Miller 12/31/23 X --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Eddie 12/31/24 --- --- --- --- --- --- -- --- --- --- --- --- Boyken Andrea 12/31/25 X X X X X X X X X X X X Truitt Anita Jung 6/30/23 X X 0 X X 0 0 0 O/E O/E X X Jenny 12/31/23 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Gringer Jeremy 12/31/25 X X O/E X O/E X X O/E --- --- --- --- Endsley Nate 6/30/26 X O/E X O/E O/E X O/E X X O/E X X Sullivan Leslie Finer 12/31/26 X X X X X X X X X X X X Rachel 12/31/27 O/E X X O/E X X O/E X X X X X Kinker Sophie 12/31/26 --- --- --- X X O/E X X X X X O/E Donta Key X = Present X* = Delegate attended O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a member