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Board reviews reservation software, policy 'gems' and rounding rules after penny phase-out
Summary
The board discussed switching to a reservations vendor that would take about 5% of rental revenues, using Google/Gemini to create a searchable policy 'gem' for staff, and rounding book replacement costs to the nearest nickel in cash transactions following the penny phase-out.
At the Jan. 8 meeting the board reviewed several operational topics. Trent Bateman described plans to adopt a centralized reservations platform focused on facility reservations that would process bookings for a small fee (about 5% of rentals) and replace the current signup tool. "So it's not gonna cost us very much to use, but then we have that to reserve all of our rooms," Bateman said.
Bateman also explained a new approach to make policies easier for staff to find. "We pay for a Google business plan, and Gemini is Google's AI. So within that, you can build what they call gems. And so I was able to configure it and pull all of our policies into this gem," he said, describing how staff can query the gem for quick answers such as age requirements for equipment.
On monetary policy, the board discussed the practical effect of pennies no longer circulating. Replacement costs for books are listed at $25.99, so the board agreed to round replacement prices to the nearest nickel for cash payments (the city will set a formal policy and credit/check payments will be charged exact amounts). The board also agreed to schedule monthly policy reviews to update guidance and ensure compliance with state requests.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the November minutes (motion by Kathy Larson, second by Jen Albrecht) by unanimous voice vote and later moved to adjourn (motion by Jen Albrecht, second by Trent Bateman), also unanimous. No other formal votes were taken on the operational items; they were discussed and staff were directed to implement or return with details as needed.
