West Fargo Public Library board awards carpet contract, agrees to new financial summary and hears staffing and usage update

The West Fargo Public Library Board on Aug. 14 approved a bid to replace worn carpet on the library’s main floor and stairways, agreed to adopt a condensed monthly financial report format while retaining detailed line-item reports for transparency, and heard updates from Library Director Jenna on staffing and usage at the new satellite location.

The board voted to award the carpet-replacement contract to Allstate’s Flooring for the reduced project scope — which covers the main floor and all stairways but not the upper-level shelving area — citing lower disruption to library services and lower capital costs. Jenna, the library director, told the board the full-building replacement would have required disassembling shelving and adding structural bracing under the balcony, a step that would have forced the library to suspend regular programs in children’s areas.

The move to a smaller footprint, Jenna said, preserves services while addressing the most heavily damaged areas. She also said the school district, which owns the building, provided designer services earlier in the project selection but declined to contribute to the capital cost; the library’s lease assigns replacement responsibility to the library.

Why it matters: The board’s decision limits service disruption and reduces pressure on the city’s capital improvement sales tax fund while addressing health- and safety‑related wear in high-traffic areas. The board’s vote formally authorizes staff to ask the West Fargo City Commission to award the contract to Allstate’s Flooring.

Board discussion and process: Board members asked whether there were significant differences among bidders and whether the school district would share costs. Jenna said Allstate’s was the lowest bid and that she had inspected other work Allstate’s had completed in the building with satisfactory results. She said there were no material performance differences among bidders and that Allstate’s recent, local work influenced confidence in the contractor.

Financial reporting: Separately, the board discussed a proposed new format for monthly financial materials. Willie, representing the city finance staff, presented a condensed, table-and-visual format (borrowed from a Metro COG template) that summarizes revenues, expenditures by category (for example, “collections” combining books, e-resources and AV), and cash balances while retaining the ability to pull detailed budget line-item reports from the city financial system (Black Mountain) on request. Robin, a board member, asked that the detailed line-item report remain available monthly for transparency; staff agreed to include the condensed summary in the packet plus the requested monthly detail.

Director’s updates: Jenna reported the West Fargo City Commission approved the city’s preliminary budget on Aug. 4; the city will hold a public budget hearing Sept. 8 and may adopt a final budget at subsequent commission meetings (Sept. 22 or Oct. 6) with an Oct. 10 submission deadline to the Cass County auditor. Jenna said the library’s requested funding was included in the preliminary city budget and that she will bring a final library budget to the board at a future meeting.

On staffing, Jenna said the library is advertising the newly approved adult services manager position and has already received a substantial applicant pool; interviews are expected soon. She also highlighted increased usage at the new satellite location: higher circulation and door counts, 15 new library cards at the satellite in July, and positive patron feedback that the smaller space is easier to use for some families and patrons with nonvisible disabilities.

Other notes: Jenna also reported operational items including monthly expenditures through July (about 54% of the year’s budget expended), continued success of outreach and programming (including a 114-person turnout for a children’s performance), and strong returns in the Cashwise book drop (Cashwise provided space for the drop at no charge). The board agreed to pursue board training with the state librarian on Sept. 11, subject to scheduling and public-notice requirements.

Votes at a glance: - Approve order of agenda — passed (vote counts not specified in transcript). - Approve consent agenda (minutes and financial reports) — passed (vote counts not specified in transcript). - Award carpet-replacement contract to Allstate’s Flooring for main floor and stairways (project scope reduced from whole-building replacement) — passed (vote counts not specified in transcript). Staff will request the city commission to award the contract and use capital improvement sales tax funds as previously discussed.

What’s next: Staff will request the city commission award the carpet contract, bring a final library budget to the board later in the fall, begin interviews for the adult services manager position, and continue to provide the board with the new condensed monthly financial summary alongside detailed line-item reports on request.