Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

The May 2026 board meeting of the Batavia Public Library involved the unanimous approval of the nearly $4.8 million FY27 budget, which balances standard library operations with the logistical and financial hurdles of an imminent major building renovation.

Approval of the Consent Agenda

The board needed to efficiently approve routine administrative and financial items from the previous month to maintain legal and fiscal compliance without requiring extensive debate.

• The board approved the regular board meeting minutes from April 21, 2026.
• The approved April 2026 financials encompassed the credit card statement, budget report, cash and investment report, check register, and treasurer’s report.
• The consent agenda was passed via a unanimous roll call vote by the board trustees.

Approval of the FY27 Budget

The board was tasked with establishing the financial framework for the upcoming fiscal year, taking into account departmental reallocations and a significant influx of revenue from an expiring Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, which will help fund the upcoming facility renovation.

• The total expenditures for FY27 were finalized at $4,826,650.
• Estimated revenues for the fiscal year are set at $5,964,549, reflecting conservative estimates regarding personal property taxes and grants.
• The budget includes a planned transfer of $1,135,000 to special reserves, which is explicitly earmarked for the upcoming building renovation.
• A $55,000 budget for marketing and promotions was reallocated from the administration category to operations.
• The overall budget revenue represents a 5.4% increase over the prior year, primarily driven by approximately $13 million returning to the tax rolls from an expiring local TIF district.
• The board passed the FY27 budget unanimously.

FY27 Board and Committee Dates

To streamline the annual meeting schedule and avoid frequent scheduling conflicts with holidays, the board debated setting a fixed, predictable monthly cadence for their ongoing governance meetings.

• Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings will now consistently occur on the first Thursday of each month.
• Regular board meetings will now occur on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m..
• The board will adjust their official bylaws in June to formalize this scheduling change.
• The motion to approve the new schedule passed with a 5-to-2 vote.

Board President’s Report

The Board President addressed the room to highlight institutional values, specifically inclusivity, and to kick off community enthusiasm for seasonal literacy initiatives.

• The Board President recognized June as ALA Rainbow Book Month to celebrate LGBTQ+ authors and experiences, noting this aligns with the library’s mission to be a welcoming space.
• The upcoming summer reading program was heavily promoted as a fun, self-directed activity for all ages in the community.

Library Director’s Report

The Library Director updated the board on the library’s current fiscal health, delivered detailed logistical plans regarding the imminent footprint reduction caused by the Phase 1 building renovation, and shared general public usage statistics.

• At the end of April, 16.7% of the total operating budget remained, and the library had collected 99.7% of its targeted FY26 revenues.
• Materials spending for FY26 had already reached 95% of the total spent in the entirety of FY25, ensuring the library stays closer to its collection management target of 12% of the budget.
• Facility renovation construction is tentatively scheduled to begin on November 5th, requiring staff and collections to be completely packed and relocated to temporary spaces by early October.
• During the renovation, a variety of lower-level staff—including Technical Services, Community Engagement, Youth Services, Facilities, and IT—will share a dense temporary workspace in half of the main program room.
• Library digital engagement surged, with unique website visitors increasing by 137% and overall page views increasing by 71% compared to April of the previous year.
• An amended budget appropriation ordinance (BNA) will be formally presented to the board in June, which will include a public hearing.
• A new community foundation fund was established specifically to accept donations for the Youth Services renovation, kickstarted by a $1,000 anonymous gift.

Departmental Reports (Youth, Adult, and Teen Services)

Department heads provided qualitative insights into community engagement, celebrated recent programming successes, and outlined how departments are preparing for the summer reading initiative despite the looming construction.

• The summer reading program theme is “Plant a Seed, Read,” which was officially launched with three newly produced promotional videos created by the library’s media staff.
• Youth Services successfully boosted historically challenging elementary-aged attendance with active events, such as a Nerf night that drew 38 attendees and an outdoor Jackson Pollock-style painting session.
• A community toy swap program drew 60 attendees, with leftover items donated to local charities like Goodwill.
• Adult and Teen programs attracted over 1,000 attendees in April, a high benchmark for that demographic.
• A major volunteer fair, hosted in collaboration with the local Chamber of Commerce, drew over 400 attendees.
• A significant portion of the library’s per capita grant was strategically utilized to supplement highly demanded, expensive digital materials to bring down wait times.
• Youth Services announced plans to expand off-site programming to local preschools during the upcoming renovation to compensate for restricted physical space in the library building.

Closed Session & Director’s Compensation

The board convened privately to conduct the annual performance evaluation of the Library Director in a confidential setting, followed by a public, legally required vote on their compensation package.

Upon reconvening in open session, the board unanimously voted to approve the Library Director’s performance review and compensation package for FY27 as discussed in the closed session.

The board unanimously voted via roll call to adjourn to a closed executive session.

Author: Jim Fahrenbach

Batavia Library Renovation