The Regular Meeting of the Eisenhower Public Library District Board of Trustees February 19, 2026.
CALL TO ORDER
President Magnelli called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Magnelli, Magnuson, Ringelstein, Ross, Krebs, Parent, Zaporowicz-Short.
Absent:
Also Present: Wittmann, Clark, Furfori, V. Bitters, McPhillips, Stam, Tomzik, Lewis.
RECOGNITION OF VISITORS
No visitors were present.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no comments from the public.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Trustee Krebs moved, seconded by Trustee Zaporowicz-Short, THAT THE MINUTES OF THE ISLAND WITHIN A CITY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD JANUARY 15, 2026 BE APPROVED. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
Trustee Parent moved, seconded by Trustee Ross, THAT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING HELD JANUARY 15, 2026 BE APPROVED. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Director Wittmann reported that we received tax money. All is looking good we are on target or under in all accounts. Material and Lawyer fees high but we can fix those.
APPROVAL OF CURRENT BILLS
Trustee Magnuson moved, seconded by Trustee Krebs, THAT REGULAR PARKWAY CHECKS 32317 THROUGH 32273 TOTALING $93,829.07 FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY; MANUAL PAYMENTS TOTALING $23,987.66 FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY; JANUARY NET WAGES TOTALING $161,833.25; JANUARY PAYROLL TAXES IN THE AMOUNT OF $66,118.31; AND JANUARY IMRF GOV ONE DEBIT IN THE AMOUNT OF $26,018.20. A Roll Call vote on the motion was taken and the results were as follows: AYES Magnelli, Magnuson, Ross, Ringelstein, Krebs, Parent, Zaporowicz-Short. NAYS None. ABSENT None. The motion carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Island Withing A City—
The Island Within a City next Committee meeting will be March 19th at 7:00pm
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bylaws Review—
Trustee Ringelstein asked to discuss the possibility of establishing a practice of consensus with regard to contacting the attorney with questions, if those questions arise in the context of board meetings. She also suggested establishing a practice of the director checking with either the board president or vice president if trustees ask the director to contact the attorney outside of regular meetings. Trustee Ringelstein stated that she is concerned about the amount of taxpayer money we are spending on attorney fees. She stated that often, Director Wittmann will offer an opinion of how the board and library should proceed on an issue and after consulting with the attorney at the request of the board, the attorney offers the same guidance. Trustee Parent stated that Director Wittmann does not hold a law degree and therefore her word does not represent a legal opinion, regardless of whether she offers the same guidance as the attorney. Trustee Parent stated that there had been no objections to any previously requested consultations with attorneys, but that trustees should feel free to speak up if they disagreed with a suggestion of asking for a legal opinion about any issue. Trustee Ringelstein acknowledged that she had not expressed an objection in the past, but had wanted to, and would do so in the future. Trustee Parent also objected to the practice of the director checking in with the board president or vice president, stating that trustees should be able to request a legal opinion outside of regular meetings in order to be prepared to discuss matters that may have legal or parliamentary ramifications. Trustee Zaporowicz-Short and Trustee Magnuson agreed that there may be times when it would be appropriate for a trustee to ask for a legal opinion outside of the context of a board meeting. Trustee Parent offered the example of his request for Director Wittmann to contact the attorney to establish whether it is a sound practice to include duplicative or repetitive statements in the bylaws, stating that establishing whether it is a sound practice or not was relevant to determining whether to include certain elements in the bylaws. He stated that he was trying to eliminate the need for discussion on the principle within a meeting. Trustee Krebs stated that she did not feel that question warranted a legal opinion. Trustee Ringelstein agreed with Trustee Krebs, stating that the bylaws document is not a legal document. Trustee Parent disagreed, stating that duplicative statements in the bylaws could leave the board at risk of legal action, or at least put the board at risk of violating parliamentary procedure. Trustee Ringelstein, Trustee Krebs, and Trustee Magnelli asked which repetitive statements Trustee Parent was referring to, and he replied that the discussion had not reached the point at which it was appropriate to offer the statements in question. Discussion among the trustees continued, with differing opinions expressed depending on the circumstances. After about 25 minutes, Trustee Magnelli stated that the discussion had been going on for some time, and the trustees should all agree that they work as a team. Trustees should feel comfortable engaging in discussion with the rest of the trustees related to any matters concerning the library. Director Wittmann suggested that a continued review of the bylaws be tabled until the next meeting, as there were several other items to address on the agenda. The Trustees agreed to table further discussion of the bylaws until the March meeting.
Per Capita Grant FY2026—
The FY26 Per Capita Grant application, along with the FY24 expenditures report has been submitted to the state.
Community Kindness Day—
Trustee Ringelstein reported that they are slow going this year because everyone is so busy.
NEW BUSINESS
Agreement Between Eisenhower Public Library District and Product Architecture + Design—
Director Wittmann asked the Board to vote on approving the agreement with the architectural firm that will be working with us on the remodeling project. Trustee Parent inquired about the milestone dates, and Trustee Magnelli asked about the payment schedule. Director Wittmann clarified that this agreement is solely for professional services. The milestone timeline and payment details will be established once the project goes out to bid and the procurement process begins. Justin will assist us throughout that process. Trustee Ross, seconded by Trustee Magnuson, TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN EISENHOWER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT AND PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN. A Roll Call vote on the motion was taken and the results were as follows: AYES Magnelli, Magnuson, Ross, Ringelstein, Krebs, Parent, Zaporowicz-Short. NAYS None. ABSENT None. The motion carried.
Rider to Standard Form of Agreement Between Product Architecture + Design and Eisenhower Public Library District—
Director Wittmann reported that the attorney suggested a rider to the agreement, and the architect was fine with it. She asked the Board to vote to approve the rider. Trustee Parent, seconded by Trustee Zaporowicz-Short, TO APPROVE THE RIDER TO STANDARD FORM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN EISENHOWER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT AND PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN. A Roll Call vote on the motion was taken and the results were as follows: AYES Magnelli, Magnuson, Ross, Ringelstein, Krebs, Parent, Zaporowicz-Short. NAYS None. ABSENT None. The motion carried.
Remodeling Project-Moving Library Entrance—
Director Wittmann asked the Board to decide how they want to proceed on a proposal to move the entrance to the lobby from where it currently is to encompass the elevator and bathroom area. The other option would be to leave it where it is. They discussed the pros and cons. Trustee Parent proposed the addition of a third set of doors as an alternative to relocating the entrance to the lobby. Trustee Magnelli requested photographs of other libraries that feature a similar entrance design for reference. Trustee Zaporowicz-Short noted that installing a third set of doors could present potential ADA compliance and safety concerns. The Board agreed to table the discussion until the March board meeting.
Change Library Closing Date from May 1, 2026, to June 26, 2026, for Staff In-Service—
Director Wittmann asked the Board to approve closing on Friday, June 26, 2026 for an in-service day instead of Friday, May 1, 2026. She advised that she ended up finding someone to speak about trauma informed de-escalation practices, which is what our training will cover, but she was unavailable on May 1. Trustee Krebs, seconded by Trustee Zaporowicz-Short, TO APPROVE THE CLOSING THE LIBRARY ON JUNE 26, 2026 FOR STAFF IN-SERVICE. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
Revised Organizational Chart 2026—
Trustee Parent, seconded by Trustee Zaporowicz-Short, TO APPROVE THE REVISED ORGANIZATIONAL CHART 2026. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
Authorization for the Director to Review and Approve the Natural Gas Bid—
Director Wittmann asked the Board to vote to authorize her to approve the natural gas bid when it comes in. She advised that the cycle for bidding does not allow for the opportunity to present it to the Board before we need to let NIMEC, our utility purchasing group, know how we want to proceed. Trustee Ringelstin, seconded by Trustee Krebs, TO AUTHORIZE FOR THE DIRECTOR TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE NATURAL GAS BID. A Roll Call vote on the motion was taken and the results were as follows: AYES Magnelli, Magnuson, Ross, Ringelstein, Krebs, Parent, Zaporowicz-Short. NAYS None. ABSENT None. The motion carried.
Disposal of Surplus Library Personal Property—
Trustee Krebs asked why some books are donated while others are discarded. Director Wittmann explained that certain books are too damaged to be suitable for donation. Julie also shared that the library has donated 7,800 pounds of materials to the Knowledge Exchange, helping to save approximately 67,000 pounds of CO₂, more than 48 trees, and over 161,000 gallons of water. Trustee Krebs, seconded by Trustee Zaporowicz-Short, TO APPROVE THE DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS LIBRARY PERSONAL PROPERTY. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
Six Month Raise—Natalie Krichbaum—
Trustee Parent moved, seconded by Trustee Magnuson, TO APPROVE AN INCREASE TO NATALIE KRICHBAUM’S HOURLY WAGE FROM $18.54 TO $19.10 EFFECTIVE March 1, 2026. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
Annual Raise-Donna Contreras—
Trustee Zaporowicz-Short moved, seconded by Trustee Magnuson, THAT THE ANNUAL RATE FOR DONNA CONTRERAS BE INCREASED FROM $18.54 TO $19.10 EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2026. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried.
Personnel Changes—
Kids World Paige Sabrina Wilks resigned. Her last day was January 28, 2026.
Probable or Imminent litigation on behalf of the Library District-Closed Session—
A motion was made by Trustee Parent, Seconded by Trustee Magnuson, TO CONVENE CLOSED (EXECUTIVE) SESSION 5ILCS 120/2 (C) (11) AT 8:46 P.M. TO DISCUSS PROBABLY OR IMMINENT LITIGATION ON BEHALF OF THE LIBRARY DISTRICT. A roll call vote was taken and the results were as follows: AYES Magnelli, Ross, Magnuson, Parent, Ringelstein, Krebs, Zaporowicz-Short. NAYS None. ABSENT None. The motion carried. A motion was made by Trustee Parent, seconded by Trustee Ross, TO RECONVENE THE REGULAR MEETING AT 9:01 P.M. A roll call vote was taken and the results were as follows: AYES Magnelli, Ross, Magnuson, Parent, Ringelstein, Krebs, Zaporowicz-Short. NAYS None. ABSENT None. The motion carried.
Any Other Business—
No report.
LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Director Wittmann’s Librarian report was discussed as items occurred on the agenda
COMMUNICATIONS
FOIA request was received on February 10, 2026 from SmartProcure requesting any and all purchasing records from 10/17/2025 to current.
A request was received on January 27, 2026 from Thomas Nava requesting the incident report that was made due to him and his wife slipping in the parking lot on January 25, 2026. On January 30, 2026 he requested video footage of the incident.
A FOIA request was received on January 31, 2026 from an attorney from Judiciocracy LLC requesting all bills from external attorneys or law firms for the year 2024, and through July 18, 2025 for 2025. All engagement agreements with attorneys or law firms affiliated with any of the legal bills for the time period in item #1. All other engagement agreements with attorneys or law firms executed in 2024 and in 2025 through July 18, 2025 not affiliated with any legal bills produced in item #1. Documents showing any and all attorneys or legal professionals (attorneys, law firms, law clerks, paralegals and the like) who appeared on behalf of, represented, advised, or otherwise counseled the entity in 2024, and for 2025 through July 18, 2025.
Comment from an unknown patron regarding the remodeling plans that were noted in the December minutes.
Tiffany shared that she received letters from Union Ridge School expressing their gratitude to the library for supplying so many books while their library is under construction. She said it was wonderful to hear how much they appreciate the support.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There were no announcements
ADJOURNMENT
Trustee Ross moved, seconded by Trustee Parent, THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. A voice vote was taken and the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 P.M.
