Rochester Public Library Board Meeting – October 22, 2026

The Rochester Public Library Board met at 4:30 p.m. and adjourned at 5:38 p.m., using the meeting timestamp supplied as 2026-10-22T10:30:00+00:00. The agenda and minutes list the meeting date as October 21, 2026; this discrepancy is noted rather than silently resolved. Members present: Steve Baule, Nicholas J Goetzfridt, Adam F Nelson, Constance Mudore, Laura A Wheatman, Ryan Mihalak, Mary E Sancomb-Moran, and Michelle G Rogers Kull. Absent: Emily J Soltis. The board first amended the agenda to add the recommended slate of Foundation officers to item 7.B. No public comments were offered.

Consent Calendar

• The amended agenda was approved unanimously.
• Consent items 6.A–6.D were approved as a block: September 16, 2026 meeting minutes; October 15, 2026 accounts payable totaling $223,077.93, including a $196,269.89 SirsiDynix payment; September 2026 monthly reports; and contracts signed by the Library Director.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No community members spoke during the public comment period.

Updates and Reports

• Rochester Public Library Foundation: Executive Director Brenda Kardock reported the imaginative play area grand opening, a soft launch of a fund for satellite libraries, a book sponsorship with RDA Downtown for Here Comes Santa Claus, and an online auction. She noted the Foundation board officer slate needed Library Board approval.
• Friends of the Rochester Public Library: Treasurer Dee Voldal reported a $1,000 grant from the Rochester Commercial Banks Association, an autumn auditorium sale netting over $7,000, bookstore activity, and community outreach.
• SELCO: A board representative reported the start of a three-year strategic planning process, about 34 SELCO member libraries with 20 not sending representatives, expansion of SELCO's automated sorting system from 17 to 21 bins, and a push for member libraries to adopt RFID.
• Executive Committee: Informational only; other topics were covered elsewhere on the agenda.
• Teen Library Council: Lucy Kreuter, a Mayo High School junior, reported that TLC focused on community connections and networking, and included a visit from Rochester's DEI director.

Reports and Recommendations

• Nominating Committee (7.A): Approved unanimously a proposed officer slate to be formally voted on at a future board meeting: Adam F Nelson for president, Ryan Mihalak for vice president, and Constance Mudore for secretary.
• Foundation Bylaws (7.B): Approved bylaws changes and the slate of Foundation officers. Changes were described as mostly modernizing language and removing old waiver provisions; a prior removal of Library Board approval of Foundation directors was restored because it had never been approved by this board. The minutes list "AYES: None" for this motion while also recording unanimous approval, an apparent records conflict.
• Satellite Library Budget and Fundraising Goal (7.C): Approved a revised budget estimate and a $6 million fundraising goal for two satellite libraries targeting a 2028 start. Staff said the estimate aims at a larger roughly 4,000-square-foot space, excludes the delivery van because the library already owns one, and uses a 7% cost escalator. The high-end two-location estimate was $5.8 million for a 2028 opening and $6.1 million for 2029. Board discussion covered temporary staffing costs, market rent assumptions, utilities/custodial estimates, marketing budgets, delivery between locations, bookmobile hold pickup volumes (about 625 items currently on the bookmobile), and the need for clear site-selection criteria. Some members leaned toward a northwest location because of growth and underserved census tracts.

Parking Pilot Review

• Staff presented the June–August parking pilot: library cardholders 16 and older could check out a barcode at the circulation desk to validate one extra hour at the Civic Center Ramp. Data included 3,110 barcodes checked out by 1,140 unique users; 1,674 validations were used; 1,035 survey responses were received, split about evenly between users and non-users.
• Of those who used the extra hour, 66% visited the library; 44% of library visitors browsed materials, followed by time in the youth area and attending programs. 23% visited downtown businesses, with estimated downtown spending between about $2,900 and $5,000. Average stay for used passes was 1 hour 44 minutes.
• Marketing totaled $6,300 of a $13,000 budget; channels included newsletters/emails, posters/flyers, website/social media, and a mailer to 65,000 households. Disney+ ads were canceled. 65% of checkouts came from census tracts with already high library card saturation; nine of the top ten usage census tracts were green on the affordability index. 181 new card registrants also checked out a parking pass, about 7% of new registrations, while total registered users dipped slightly.
• 56% of survey respondents said they would support donating to the Friends/Foundation to continue the service. Public comments included calls for branch locations rather than extra downtown parking, support for the extra hour, and accessibility concerns for people unable to walk from the ramp.
• The board received the review and provided input but made no allocation decision on the roughly $68,000 remaining pilot budget. Possible uses discussed included hold-pickup lockers, holds pickup at partner locations, bookmobile marketing, or reserving the funds for satellites. Board members noted hold lockers cost roughly $30,000–$40,000 plus setup fees, raised placement and misuse concerns, and said they were open to staff exploring a proposal if a viable location exists. Staff may return with options.

Other Board Discussion / Q&A

• Staff updated the board on the upcoming January 1 change to electronic-access eligibility for non-Rochester residents, including outreach to SELCO libraries, updated city knowledge-base articles, and expected phone calls.
• A board member urged stronger advocacy relationships with county commissioners and city council members after learning a county commissioner was unaware of a proposal affecting rural library users. Staff noted participation in a "Get Funded" advocacy training and agreed that board member relationships are important.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda amended and approved; consent calendar approved; nominating slate approved; Foundation bylaws and officer slate approved; revised satellite budget and $6 million fundraising goal approved.
• Parking pilot review received and filed; no use was designated for the $68,000 pilot balance; staff may return with proposals.
• Meeting adjourned at 5:38 p.m.