Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

Special Board Meeting: Bond Issue Notification Act Hearing

The board convened a special public hearing to satisfy legal requirements and gather community feedback regarding the library district’s intent to sell general obligation bonds. These bonds are intended to fund the renovation, repair, and equipping of the library facility.

• The proposed bond sale will utilize an alternative revenue source and is for an amount not to exceed $8 million.
• No public testimony was submitted, the board members raised no further concerns, and a motion to adjourn was passed unanimously via roll call.

Special Board Meeting: FY27 Budget and Appropriation

A second brief special meeting was held immediately after the bond hearing to allow public comment on the fiscal year 2027 budget and appropriation ordinance, fulfilling the legal prerequisite for community input before final adoption.

• The hearing focused on ordinance 2027-001, but no written or in-person public comments were received.
• A motion to adjourn was promptly made, seconded, and passed via roll call.

Regular Meeting Call to Order and Consent Agenda

The regular board meeting commenced with standard administrative procedures to establish a quorum and approve routine financial and operational reports without individual debate.

• After noting no public comments, the board passed motions to approve both the meeting agenda and the consent agenda, which included the July 2026 meeting minutes.
• Approved financial documents included the BMO credit card statement, budget report, cash and investment report, check register, and treasurer’s report.

FY27 Budget and Appropriation Ordinance Approval

The board voted on the final FY27 Budget and Appropriation Ordinance, a necessary annual procedure that establishes the maximum legal spending limits for the library’s operating and special funds. This legal threshold is intentionally set higher than the working budget to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.

• The ordinance establishes legal spending authority and must be published in the Daily Herald, as well as filed with the Kane County and DuPage County Clerk’s offices.
• Following a trustee’s appreciation for the clarification between appropriated and actual budget amounts, the board passed a motion to approve ordinance 2027-001 via roll call.

Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on Property Tax Appeals

To address a significant property tax appeal at a local commercial property, the library board discussed joining an IGA with other local taxing bodies. Pooling legal costs was deemed a more equitable and financially sound strategy than forcing the local school district to bear the burden alone.

• The School District will act as the liaison coordinating the legal response to the Heritage Woods property appeal using the law firm Robin Schwartz.
• Legal expenses will be prorated among the library (carrying an estimated 6% share), the School District, the Park District, the City, and Waubonsee Community College.
• A trustee noted that this pooled approach—triggered by assessment challenges requesting reductions over 40% of either $200,000 or $400,000 depending on the review level—was successfully utilized by the Harrington School District in the past.
• The board passed separate roll call motions to approve the IGA and its related delegation of authority.

Disposal of Surplus Property

As the library prepares for a massive facility renovation, the board needed to officially authorize the removal and disposal of obsolete furniture, equipment, and materials.

• A library staff member compiled a list of surplus items that will either be posted on the Rails network for other libraries, donated, or recycled using a designated service.
• The board passed a motion to approve the surplus property list via voice vote.

President’s Report

The Board President provided general updates to keep the board and public informed on upcoming library initiatives, local history events, and the upcoming election cycle.

• Upcoming library initiatives include Library Card Sign-up Month in September, the Library Leader award nominations next April, and the availability of petition packets for three upcoming trustee elections.
• A trustee shared local history announcements, noting the Deebo Museum (Depot Museum) opened a new exhibit titled “In Harmony: Batavians Making Music,” and the Batavia Historical Society will screen a new local history video on September 9th.
• Three trustee seats are up for election this year, and petition packets are available for interested candidates.

Director’s Report and Financials

The Library Director delivered a comprehensive update on July’s financial standing and operational statistics to ensure board oversight. The report heavily emphasized logistical steps, bidding timelines, and potential service disruptions regarding the upcoming facility renovation.

• The library maintains solid financials with $11,233,677 in total cash and investments, elevated Illinois Department of Revenue personal property replacement tax estimates ($55,000), and $613,082 in progress payments to SMC product architecture and design.
• Renovation logistics are accelerating, with SMC hired to review September 1st contractor bids, Hallett movers scheduled to relocate collections by September 28th, and the board considering delayed opening hours during highly intrusive construction phases.
• Usage statistics presented a mixed picture: while physical item circulation dropped 9%, e-resource usage rose 13%, meeting room reservations surged 56%, and website homepage hits increased 17%.
• Administrative updates highlighted several staff resignations, one retirement after eight years, and receipt of community donations from the Homestead Resident Association and the Community Foundation in classroom valley.

Library Department Reports

Department heads presented their outcomes from the summer reading programs and discussed various community partnerships to highlight the library’s ongoing engagement efforts. Staff also outlined an upcoming digital archiving project to ensure compliance with modern accessibility standards.

• The youth summer reading program saw a 2.5% increase in signups (375 total) and featured special events with Crayola, Parties with Character, and Banana Bands, alongside prizes like Chicago Cubs tickets via the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and Chicago Symphony Orchestra tickets at Rivendell.
• Community outreach successfully expanded to off-site locations like Sturdy Shelter and Big Woods, and included partnerships with the Park District for events at Engstrom Park and Windmill City Fest, as well as the Red Cross for an upcoming blood drive utilizing Amazon gift cards as incentives.
• The library is coordinating with the Batavia Historical Society and Cake Yard to upgrade the digital archive website to comply with new ADA accessibility standards for screen readers.

Entities and Organizations Mentioned in Summary

Entity Type	Name
Government & Municipal Bodies	Batavia Public Library, School District, Park District, City, Waubonsee Community College, Harrington School District, Kane County Clerk’s office, DuPage County Clerk’s office, Illinois Department of Revenue, Illinois Secretary of State’s office
Businesses & Corporations	Heritage Woods, Robin Schwartz, BMO, Daily Herald, SMC (SMC product architecture and design), Hallett, Amazon, Crayola, Parties with Character, Banana Bands
Non-Profits & Organizations	Rails, Deebo Museum / Depot Museum, Batavia Historical Society, Community Foundation in classroom valley, Red Cross, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Homestead Resident Association
Sports Teams	Chicago Cubs
Locations & Event Venues	Rivendell, Sturdy Shelter, Big Woods, Windmill City Fest, Engstrom Park, Cake Yard

Author: Jim Fahrenbach

Batavia Library Renovation