Manitowoc Library Board Finance Committee Meeting - August 20, 2026
Manitowoc Library Board Finance Committee Meeting - August 20, 2026
Note on date discrepancy: The official minutes list the meeting date as Monday, August 17, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time. The user-provided timestamp indicates the meeting occurred on August 20, 2026, at 20:15 UTC (3:15 PM Central). This summary uses the user-provided date.
The Library Board Finance Committee met to review and recommend the proposed 2027 Library Budget. Chairperson Chris Able called the meeting to order at 2:08 PM. All five committee members (Brick, Able, Goetz, Norell, Pauwels) were present, along with library staff and other officials.
Discussion Items
- 2027 Budget Overview: Library staff presented the 2027 budget in both new and current organizational structures to ensure accuracy. The budget maintained status quo on operating expenses except for minor increases in automated material handler (AMH) and OCLC online catalog fees. Building insurance costs from the city were not yet known and may fluctuate.
- Personnel and Salary Reductions: Committee member Margaret Goetz noted a 21% drop in salary/wages under the public services line (from $560,572 to $443,490). Staff explained that cost-of-living raises had not yet been added, and two part-time positions (currently vacant) would not be refilled in the new structure. The funds are being reallocated, partly to add a manager position. Health insurance costs decreased by 50% because a full-time specialist position was budgeted at single rather than family coverage.
- IT Support and System Administrator Position: The system administrator job in IT is being eliminated because the city is considering providing IT support separately from the library. If that plan does not proceed, the committee acknowledged that a budget amendment would be needed to restore IT support, as it is vital for public-facing operations.
- Fund Balance and HVAC Project: The budget shows a negative fund balance of -$129,533 due to the HVAC project funded from reserves. Otherwise, the fund balance would be positive and within the target range of 10–15% of expenditures. No fund balance usage is anticipated for 2026 operations, partly due to savings from the vacant IT position.
- Future Variables: Health insurance may see a double-digit increase despite a change in third-party administrators. Salary increases will depend on the mayor’s proposed budget. Staff will continue to monitor and adjust.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Recommend 2027 Budget: Moved by Brick, seconded by Pauwels, to recommend the 2027 Library Budget as presented to the full Library Board for approval. The motion carried unanimously (5-0).
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 2:23 PM.
Next steps: The full Library Board will consider the recommended budget. The committee may need to revisit budget allocations depending on the city’s final decisions on IT support and the mayor’s budget proposals.
Meeting Transcript
Oh, it missed the hello. Oh, you're the chair. Yes. I'm in one. Do you call it to order? I'm about to do this as I switched my glasses so I can read it correctly. All right. Thank you all for being here. And for patiently waiting for me. I apologize. Everybody knows how much I hate being late, so you know I'm angry with myself than you are. So I'm gonna call this to order for the beer. So no worries, no worries. He just walked into it. I literally about a minute ahead of you. So anyway, uh we really have one thing broken down in little parts on the uh agenda, and it is the 2027 budget. Sure. Thanks. You're welcome. Uh so included a memo, hopefully with some highlights. Uh so we did break it up again between personnel and operating expenses because right now we are really just looking at operating expenses, salaries and wages, and then the the things that come with personnel will be decided upon, and you didn't talk about later at the speed level. Um so as I also said, I did prepare it in the new structure. Um both Pam and Margaret were at the personnel committee meeting, so um, they would be able to really speak very much on that subject if wanted. Um, but everything with the new or with yeah, current current one with the new one will show the eliminations and where things are moving too. Um, but I did prepare the current structure as well just to make sure everything balanced, and I didn't forget a budget line somewhere along the way, and it did. So um I was happy about that. Um so we kept status quo. Um, besides those movement things, there were no other changes in operating expenses, except for a little bit for the um for the annual bill on the automated material handlers are AMH, right? Where is the OCL CLC online catalog and up a couple hundred dollars? Yeah, um but and then of course um I don't know yet the insurance on the building that comes from Sean Alfred Finance at a later date. So he told me just to put in what was there, correct? So that's the only but that may fluctuate. So should we just go right to questions or where people want to talk? Sure. Margaret. Wait, salary and wages. This year it was 560,572, and next year it's going to be salaries and wages. Okay, go ahead. Well, am I on the wrong thing? And then next year it says it's only 444 43,490. So I just wanted to know kind of what happened is that we haven't put in any cost of living raises yet. Okay. So there's so those increases aren't there. So those aren't added in. So you're looking at last year, there was a cost of living raise and insurance increase from those numbers. They were already added in personnel, and this year we haven't added anything. And that and that is because the city which one are you on? What page are you looking at too? Pay expenses or just it says public. Under the public services one.
openpublica.com