Type
Key Messages
Community Hubs
- Craigleith Heritage Depot Renovation Schedule: The CHD renovations will be occurring in November and December 2022 and will require closures of the facility during that time. Further work will occur in the Spring when the finishing of painting, windows and doors occurs. We will close temporarily at that time as well. This nearly half million investment through the Resilient Communities Fund has already seen a new roof installed in a composite material then emulates the original cedar shake. The wood siding will be replaced with and in a colour scheme close to the original Grand Trunk Railroad appearance. Windows and doors are also being replaced which will seal the envelope of the building. Original trim is being removed in order to be re-assembled following the window and door replacement. Following this process, a new HVAC will be installed, moving the air quality from being a household system, to a better standard more effective for the museum and its collections. During this process we will be required to close the building for the safety of the collections and guests, but look forward to reopening as soon as the project is completed.
Empowering Services
- User Statistics: BMPL is up almost 500 users from this time last year and circulation is up a third over last year. While our programming numbers are down from the pandemic numbers of 2021, we have moved to a combination of virtual and face to face, which allows more access to families at off hours and those who are not participating in public activities yet. This service model will be continued into 2023 as well.
Organizational Excellence
- Board Applications Close Nov 23 at 1:00pm: Any community members interested in applying to join the Library Board must do so by Wednesday, Nov 23rd at 1:00pm. All applications should be submitted directly to the Town Clerk. 6 community members will be appointed by Council and will serve on the Board for a 4-year term. An Information Session was held on November 8th where the Chair and CEO were present to answer questions and present the priorities of the next four years. If you missed the session, information can now be found on the Board website.
- Last Regular Meeting of the Board Term: November 17th was the last regular Board Meeting of this term. While the Board stays on until Council appoints the next Board, there are no planned meetings. It was a unique year for all members who volunteered their time over the past four years, and despite the pandemic, working virtually, and having to learn how to govern from a distance, this Board was extremely effective and had several key successes during the term.
- Action Plan: We had 105 objectives in the 2022 Action Plan. 94 have been completed to date for a current success rate of 90%. Another 2 should be completed throughout the end of 2022, with 5 deferred to 2023.
- CEO Performance Appraisal Completed: The Board completed the fifth anniversary performance appraisal of the CEO in a closed session of the Board. The CEO is evaluated on key achievements of 2022 and goals for 2023 were identified. The Board commended the CEO on her leadership in establishing BMPL as a valued partner within the community. “She stays abreast of Town issues and steps up to help move Town initiatives forward. Her leadership role with staff and supporting the Board with Council has been key to BMPL’s success this year”.
- Board Evaluation Completed: The Board completed its annual self-evaluation focusing on Board knowledge, Board relationships, the Board Chair and the relationship with the CEO. While most areas scored very high, the Board acknowledges the need to continue to build opportunities to work with key stakeholders.
- Board Exit Interviews: Exit interviews were completed with the Board. Overall, members indicated that this term was not what they expected. Most significantly the pandemic and virtual meetings moved the experience of working together as a team to a disjointed experience which did not allow for social experience or strong discussion opportunities.
Key strengths identified included:
- Virtual and live-streamed meetings are positive and should continue as members of the community can watch at their leisure. They also open up opportunities for board members to attend when they might not otherwise be available.
- The new connections between the Board and Council were also identified as strong and should be continued with regular presentations at Council and information meetings with the Mayor and members of Council.
Areas for improvement were identified, including:
- Provide opportunities for the Board members to connect outside of Board meetings.
- Re-establish committees to allow for more robust discussion and build greater cohesion.