February 2024 Board Meeting - Minutes

February 22, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. 
Guildford Branch 

Present:  Trustee Herrmann (Chair), Trustee Cuenca,  Trustee Gillies, Trustee Kaluarachchi, Trustee Kular, Trustee Pascal, Trustee Pham, Trustee Smith, Trustee Sohal, and Trustee Werring 

Regrets:  Councillor Kooner and Trustee Gurm

Staff: 

  • Surinder Bhogal, Chief Librarian 
  • Nav Gill, Administrative Coordinator  

Guests: 

  • Jasper Wong, CUPE 402-02 

1. Call To Order & Land Acknowledgement

Trustee Herrmann called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. and expressed appreciation working on the traditional territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt, Musqueam and Tsawwassen First Nations. 

2. Adoption Of The Agenda

Trustee Smith moved and Trustee Sohal seconded –  CARRIED

3. Adoption Of The Consent Agenda

  1. Approval of January 25, 2024 minutes of Regular Meeting of the Surrey Public Library Board 
  2. Financial Statement for the period ending January 31, 2024 

Trustee Werring moved and Councillor Kooner seconded – CARRIED

4. New Business/Discussion

  1. Chair and Vice-Chair Update: 
    • Current Vice-Chair Balbir Gurm was declared board chair as interim-chair Marilyn Herrmann is resigning from the Board, effective March 31. 
    • New Vice-Chair to be appointed at the next meeting. 
  2. Committee Memberships are as follows: 
    • Executive:  Trustees Gurm (Chair), Smith, new vice-chair 
    • Finance:  Trustees Smith (Chair), Gillies, Pham 
    • Governance:  Trustees Cuenca (Chair), Kaluarachchi, Kular, Pascal, Werring 
    • Planning & Advocacy: The work of this committee is paused. 
    • InterLINK:  Trustees Gillies with Trustee Kular as an alternative
    • BCLTA:  Chief librarian to email information about BCLTA director vacancies 
  3. 2024 Board Objectives for approval 

Trustee Gillies moved and Trustee Smith seconded – CARRIED

5.Information Items

  1. Reports
    1. 2023 Strategic Plan Key Measures
    2. 2023 Provincial Libraries Grant Report 
    3. 2023 Key Statistics Report 
  2. Verbal Updates
    1. InterLINK:  Trustee Gillies reported the first Interlink meeting is scheduled for February 27, 2024. 
    2.  Chief Librarian 
      1. City budget is still under discussion.  Looking at a May date for approval by Council. 
      2. Director of Public Services, Kristen Andrews retiring May 1. New Director of Public Services vacancy posted and filled by Julie Balenzano, who will start in role on May 2. 

6. Next Library Board Meeting

April 11, 2024, 6pm, City Centre Branch

7.Motion to Adjourn

Trustee Pascal moved and Trustee Sohal seconded – CARRIED

Meeting adjourned at 6:29 pm.