The following is an overview of happenings at the Garden City Public Library's monthly board of trustees general meeting on Monday evening:

John Schultz Sworn in As Trustee

John Schultz, of the Eastern Property Owners' Association (EPOA), was sworn in as a library trustee at Monday’s meeting.

He will serve Jan. 1, 2012 through Dec. 31, 2016. Schultz and his wife of 10 years, Lisa Lehnert who, was born and schooled in Garden City, have resided in the village for five years, according to library officials.

Schultz served as a member of the EPOA board of directors from 2007 to 2008. Currently working at Credit-Suisse, he is the IT Controller for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

"I was looking for a way to get involved back into the village," said Schultz in regards to his new position on the library board.

Additionally, J. Randolph Colahan was nominated chair of the board, with Gloria Weinrich and director Carolyn Voegler nominated vice chair and secretary, respectively. The board of trustees approved all nominations.

Committee appointments, which stayed relatively unchanged, included trustee John Pascal as budget and auditing committee chair, with trustee Barbara Brudie Martis serving on the committee.

Brudie Martis will also act as chair of the personnel and policy committee, with Schultz serving on the policy committee and as chair of the building committee. He will also be liaison to the Friends of the Garden City Public Library. Weinrich will chair the community relations committee.

Upcoming Budget Season, Library Repairs Discussed

With budget season approaching, the library has submitted its budget for 2012-2013, which includes both the capital and expense budget, as well as revenue.

Village trustee liaison Andrew Cavanaugh said that the village will hold a meeting on Jan. 21 - as part of the new budget cycle - where capital requests from various parts of the village are submitted and discussed.

“Soon to follow after that will be a series of meetings for the expense budget rather than the capital budget,” he said.

Pascal said the library will be making a couple of very important capital requests at that meeting. "We have some very sensitive issues coming up,” he added.

The two central capital budget issues that will be on the table this year include fixing the exterior of the building and dealing with issues pertaining to the building’s roof.

According to Colahan, the roof is about 40 years old and is flat, which causes some issues.

Pascal explained that the seams are wearing down on the roof and the warranty has expired. They can either make the necessary repairs to get another warranty or replace the whole roof. “It has never been redone,” he said.

Additionally, the cement bonding on the exterior of the library has worn down and needs to be repaired as well, Pascal added. The cost of the projects will be “significant,” according to the board.

Voegler Delivers Director’s Report

Library director Carolyn Voegler announced to the board that general circulation has been on the increase – specifically audio, video and other media – during her director’s report.

"If you look at how many visits and how much time we are open each month, it is one person coming in every 50 seconds,” said Pascal in reference to the library's number of visitors. “We have people coming in here every minute, rounded off. It is pretty amazing. If we were running a retail establishment that would be a pretty good business to have right there."