February 2025 Board Meeting - Minutes

February 27, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
City Centre Branch, Room 120

Present:  Trustees Stanley Chang, Balbir Gurm (Chair), John Gillies, Saman Kaluarachchi, Kulvinder Kular, Jocelyne Leszczynski, Patria Pascal, Tanveer Sohal, Lisa Werring.

Regrets: Councillor Pardeep Kooner, Trustees Dulce Cuenca, Alisa-Thao Pham, Rachel Smith and Chief Librarian.

Staff: 

  • Julie Balenzano, Director, Public Services
  • Michael Ho, Director, Administrative Services 
  • Kim Davies, Manager, Philanthropy
  • Nav Gill, Administrative Coordinator  

1. Call To Order & Land Acknowledgement

Trustee Gurm called the meeting to order at 7:27 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 Chang moved and Trustee Kaluarachchi seconded - CARRIED  

3. Adoption Of The Consent Agenda

  1. February 19, 2025, Corporate Report to Council re: LMLGA Resolution for Provincial Funding
  2. Approval of minutes of January 23, 2025, Regular Meeting
  3. Financial Statement for the period ending January 31, 2025

Trustee Werring moved and Trustee Gillies seconded - CARRIED  

4. New Business/Discussion

  1. 2025 Board objectives
    MOTION: “To approve the 2025 Board Objectives.”
    Trustee Sohal moved and Trustee Kaluarachchi seconded – CARRIED
  2. Amendment to Collections Policy
    MOTION: ““To amend the Collections Policy.” 
    Trustee Werring moved and Trustee Leszczynski seconded – CARRIED

5. Information Items

  1. Reports
    1. 2024 Surrey Libraries Key Accomplishments and Measures Report
    2. 2024 Provincial Libraries Grant Report

    3. Provincial Enhancement Grant Spending Report

      MOTION: “To approve the 2024 Provincial Libraries Grant Report.”
      Trustee Kular moved and Trustee Sohal seconded – CARRIED

  2. Verbal Updates
    1. Board Chair:
      • Confirmed the following appointments: InterLINK: Trustees Gillies with Trustee Kular as an alternative; Executive Committee: Trustees Gurm (Chair), Kular, Sohal, Smith, Werring.
      • Trustees debriefed the Board and Council February 12 meeting with positive feedback.
      • Trustees to complete the Board Skills/Strengths/Gap Matrix distributed in the coming week.
      • Trustees Leszczynski and Pascal will be attending the BCLA conference.
    2. InterLINK: Trustee Gillies valued having Trustee Kular as an alternate representative for the InterLINK Board. Few items were discussed: InterLINK request for an extension to spend the provincial enhancement grant; hiring a consultant for a governance review; working on sustaining the Library Champions program beyond the end of federal funding with a few members, including Surrey.
    3. Director Public Services:
      • LMLGA Resolution: Council unanimously approved submitting the LMLGA resolution for provincial funding at their meeting on February 24. The City Clerk’s office has already submitted the resolution. It will be considered at LMLGA for forwarding to UBCM.
      • 2025 City budget deliberations still underway. Library is cautiously optimistic for some net new positions but won’t know for a few weeks. City is targeting April 14 for Finance Committee to deliberate.
      • Port Kells had a surprise visit from Mayor Locke.

6. Next Meeting

April 10, 6:00pm, Semiahmoo Branch

7. Adjournment

Trustee Pascal moved and Trustee Kaluarachchi seconded – CARRIED
Regular meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm.