Board of Trustees

The Upper Sandusky Community Library Board of Trustees holds its regular meetings on the second Thursday of every month at 12:00 p.m. in the library's board meeting room in the basement. The meetings are open to the public.

The approved minutes for the most recent Board of Trustees meeting are available below. 

Upper Sandusky Community Library Board of Trustees: Jan. 8, 2026

The Upper Sandusky Community Library Board of Trustees convened on Thursday, January 8, at 12:00 p.m. in the Library Board Room with the following members present: Ms. Jenny Romich, Ms. Amy Aldridge-Ritchey, Ms. Dianne Grafmiller, Mr. Todd Leightey, Mr. Brian Kimmel, and Ms. Ann Kemerley. Mr. Ben Buckland was absent. Director/Fiscal Officer Kathleen Whitt and Deputy Fiscal Officer/Technology Coordinator/Assistant Manager for Facilities Patricia Davidson were also present, as was Brian Hemminger of the Daily Chief-Union. 

Organizational Meeting: 

Ms. Romich called the meeting to order at 12:00 and requested nominations for Board officers. Nominations were moved and seconded to appoint for President: Mr. Leightey; Vice President: Ms. Romich; Secretary: Mr. Kimmel; and to reappoint Director Kathleen Whitt as Fiscal Officer and Patricia Davidson as Deputy Fiscal Officer. All present approved the motion. 

Ms. Romich in her capacity as notary administered the oath of office to Mr. Leightey, who is starting a new term as Library Trustee, and to Director Kathleen Whitt as Fiscal Officer and Patricia Davidson as Deputy Fiscal Officer. 

It was agreed that committee assignments would stand as follows: 

• Building & Grounds Committee: Ann Kemerley, Todd Leightey and Amy Aldridge-Ritchey
• Finance Committee: Ben Buckland, Jenny Romich and Brian Kimmel
• Friends Liaison: Dianne Grafmiller 

It was moved and seconded to approve the surety bonds for the Fiscal Officer and Deputy Fiscal Officer. In a roll call vote, all approved the motion. 

It was moved and seconded to pass a resolution authorizing the Fiscal Officer and Deputy Fiscal Officer to pay the bills with the understanding that payments be ratified at the regular meetings of this Board. In a roll call vote, all approved the motion. 

It was agreed to retain the current calendar for monthly meetings on the second Thursday of the month. The meetings will begin at 12:00 p.m. 

The Board then reviewed the Annual Report for 2025 as presented by Ms. Whitt. It was moved and seconded to approve the Annual Report as presented. All present voted in favor of accepting the report. The full report is attached to these minutes. 

At 12:15, it was moved and seconded to adjourn the Organizational Meeting. 

Regular Meeting: 

At 12:15, the Regular Meeting convened. President Todd Leightey asked for public comments. Mr. Hemminger expressed his thanks to the library for allowing him to use the meeting room to conduct interviews with Venezuelan immigrants, whose stories he recently shared in a report in the Daily Chief-Union. Hearing no further comments, Mr. Leightey asked if there were corrections or additions to the distributed minutes of the December meeting. Hearing none, Mr. Leightey declared the minutes stand as distributed. 

Next on the agenda was a motion to ratify the payment of the bills. Mr. Leightey asked if there were any questions about the bills. There was a question about a payment to ECHO Health. Ms. Whitt said that this is for the new health insurance plan for library staff. Hearing no further questions, the motion was made and seconded to ratify the payment of bills; in a roll call vote, all present approved the bills. 

Under old business, Ms. Whitt submitted quotes from First Communications, our current telephone service provider, and T-Mobile, who provides our WiFi hotspots, to move to a Voice over Internet service. The First Communications quote is for a fixed-cost three-year term. The T-Mobile quote is for an indefinite term, and includes the cost of new telephone equipment. Both quotes are substantially less than for our current landline service. Ms. Davidson, who manages the telephone accounts, said she has received better customer service from T-Mobile. The Board asked whether T-Mobile would give a quote with a fixed cost over 3-5 years, and whether they would match First Communications’ setup fee, which is quite a bit less. It was moved and seconded to accept the T-Mobile quote if they will fix the price quoted for 3-5 years and match the First Communications setup fee. In a roll call vote, all present approved the motion. 

Under new business, Ms. Whitt said that she would like to hold a staff in-service training on June 19, the Juneteenth holiday, to prepare staff for the Americans and the Holocaust exhibit to open in August. She would then allow eligible staff to take another day of their choice as a personal holiday. The Board approved this plan. 

The last item on the agenda was installation of backup egress lighting in several rooms in the library to allow persons in the room to find their way out in case of a power failure. She presented a quote from Hoepf Electric for this work. It was moved and seconded to approve the expenditure of up to $2,150 to install the backup egress lighting. In a roll call vote, all present approved the motion. 

In the Director’s Report, Ms. Whitt reported that: 

1. Our adult winter reading program, “Hibernation Nation” is in progress January 5-February 1. Participants get a scratch-off ticket for an opportunity to win an instant prize each time they come in to check out books. Completed scratch-off tickets will be entered for weekly prize drawings for a chance to win heated throws, reader’s gift boxes, and other warming prizes.
2. Long time library assistant Cheryl Lyon has announced that she plans to retire at the end of March. She will have completed 32 years of service to the library. Cheryl handles most of the work involved in sending books and other materials to other SEO libraries. She also assists the cataloging department with processing newspapers, movies, and large print books.
3. We had 163 items donated for our mitten tree. Some went to families who signed up for the Angel Tree and the rest will be taken to the health department for distribution.
4. After-school programming resumes this month, with Middle School Story Time on Mondays and That Thursday Thing on Thursdays. The Middle School Book Club is reading Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone.
5. Our downtown story walk this month features Snow! Snow! Snow! by Lee Harper, while Ged Adamson’s A Fox Found a Box will continue at Stepping Stones Park.
6. Patti and Tony Davidson launch the Taste of the States on January 12, featuring Bison Chili from Wyoming. Craft Party attendees will make a Snowy, Glowy Snowman on the 15th. Lunch Bunch on January 26 will feature soups, salads and breads. And our popular jigsaw puzzle contest returns on January 31.
7. Common Readers are discussing The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Harnett this month. The Inglorious Bookworms are reading Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle – an example of the horror genre. And the 100 Book Club will celebrate a milestone on Saturday, January 17, with the Halfway Hoorah, where they will enjoy refreshments, discuss what they’ve read, and play bookish games.
8. The Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) posted the December 2025 Public Library Fund (PLF) distribution of $40,419,668 – which is $5.25 million (-11.50%) less than ODT’s original estimate that was issued in July 2024. This brings the PLF Calendar Year (CY) 2025 total to $493,475,618, which is just short of ODT’s estimate by $1,079,348 (-0.22%). 2025 Total PLF Distribution is $10.09 million (+2.09%) more than 2024.
9. The Wyandot County Budget Commission has notified us that the Public Library Fund Entitlement estimates for 2026 have been reduced slightly. Our estimated share has been decreased by $186.12 from $325,564.56 to $325,750.68.
10. The Budget Commission also stated that since they were not able to achieve an agreement with all four libraries to set a five-year distribution plan, they will continue to have annual PLF distribution hearings.
11. Memorial/Honor/Donations:
    1. In memory of: Jenny Barnes
       1. Donor(s): Mary Newell
    2. In memory of: Marilyn Barnes
       1. Donor(s): Mary Newell
    3. In memory of: Loren Dillon
       1. Donor(s): Jean Kreisel; Mr. & Mrs. Lee Hoelscher
    4. In memory of: Fred Snyder
       1. Donor(s): Van & Vicki Orians; Rose Boes; Kate Aubry; Tom & Linda Baker; Sharon Lee; Bruce & Eileen Kuenzli; Otto & Rosy Binau; Drew & Tricia Rall; Jim & Kathy Schuster; Jim & Judy Shull; Vicky Clinger, Philip Cosgrove, Steve & Angie Karg; Kip & Mary Newell; Teressa & Jon Grega; Charlene Beeler; Mark & Vicki Dillon; Ann Brien; Mark, Becky, Jenny & David Romich; John & Ruth Vogel; Dale & Stephanie Wheeler; Jack & Beth Book; Neil & Jan Bair; Pete & Connie Miller; Elaine Sturtz; Jon & Elaine Grundtisch; Tom & Betty Martin; Mike & Cindy Courtad; Joe & Erin D-Ettorre; Rick & Rinda Kraus; Lu Lehman; Jackie Miranda; Mark & Nancy Johnson; Jan & Judy Miner; Erica & Shane Orians; Al & Jan Stoneburner; Bev Smith; Kate Emerine; Kathy McCarthy & Jevon Smalley; Vicki & Steve Washburn; Susan Logan; Nancy Timms; Kathi Hurst; Joanne Gilmore; Chuck & MaryAnn Bartholomew; Nancy Kellerberger; Mark & Margarita LeBlanc; Pat & Jim Kissel; L. Jean Moon; Mindy Bowman; Bob & Judy Clark; Patrick & Michelle McMahon; Gregg Friedberg & Kenneth MacDonald 

There were no Items Not on the Agenda. 

Mr. Leightey asked if there were any other items for discussion. Hearing none, it was moved and seconded at 12:50 to adjourn.  

If you would like to view older Board of Trustees minutes, please email uscl@seolibraries.org.