Board & Meeting Minutes

Regular meetings of the Board are held in PLDL Community Room the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7pm, unless otherwise noted on our community calendar.

View a calendar of the 2025 meeting dates here.

2025-26 Drafted Budget for Public Review

The attached 2025-26 Drafted Budget and 2024-25 Budget Amendments will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the May 28th, 2025 board meeting at 7pm.

The Public Budget Hearing will occur before the June 25th, 2025 board meeting at 7pm.

2025-26 Drafted Budget and 2024-25 Budget Amendments - Public Draft

Board of Trustees

The Portage Lake District Library has a dedicated group of eight community members who volunteer their time to lead the library as members of our Board of Trustees.

  • Sylvia Matthews, President (Portage Township)
  • Jennifer Donovan, Vice President (City of Houghton)
  • Timothy Scarlett, Treasurer (City of Houghton)
  • Lora Repp, Secretary (Portage Township)
  • Will Cantrell, Trustee (Portage Township)
  • Gloria Melton, Trustee (City of Houghton)
  • Joanna Chopp, Trustee (City of Houghton)

Statement on Federal Funding Cuts for Libraries

The Board of Trustees of the Portage Lake District Library (PLDL) wants to express its deep concern about the March 14, 2025 federal executive order mandating funding cuts for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which supports vital services for libraries nationwide. These cuts would impact the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL and MeLCat) – a centralized catalog and resource-sharing service (inter-library loan) created to lend and share materials among all types of libraries in Michigan. MeL databases are used extensively by academic, school and public libraries and their patrons. In the past fiscal year alone, more than 3,784 items were lent by the Portage Lake District Library and Hancock School Public Library through  MeL, and more than 3,393 items were borrowed from other libraries. These resources are especially important for rural and smaller libraries like ours.

We strongly object to these funding cuts and support the Michigan Library Association (MLA) and the American Library Association (ALA) in imploring President Trump to rescind this executive order. Our goal, like the MLA’s and ALA’s, is to ensure that the IMLS continues to fund worthy and essential library, museum, and archival programs that benefit our community.

Approved by the PLDL Board of Trustees on April 30, 2025

Statement about Precinct 4 & the 2024 August 6th Library Ballot

The statement below was presented before the Library Board of Trustees at their August 28th, 2024 meeting and was prepared by the Library Director. This statement reviews the August 6th election process and the steps that were taken to notify affected voters in Portage Township Precinct 4 of a programming error. Please follow up with the Library Director for more information.

Statement about Precinct 4 and the 2024 August 6th Library Ballot

Board Meeting Agendas

TitleDateLink
June 25th Agenda2025/06/20Download
June 20th – Notice of Potential Quorum2025/06/17Download
May 28th Agenda2025/05/23Download
April 30th – Posted Agenda2025/04/26Download
March 26th2025/03/19Download
February 26th2025/02/21Download
January 22nd2025/01/17Download
November 20th2024/11/15Download
October 23rd2024/10/17Download
September 25th2024/09/20Download
August 28th2024/08/24Download
June 26th2024/06/21Download
May 22nd2024/05/15Download
April 24th2024/04/19Download
April 3rd, 2024 -Rescheduled from March2024/03/29Download
March 27th2024/03/22Download
March 2024 – Rescheduled from Feb.2024/03/01Download
February 20242024/02/23Download
Feb. 19th & 20th, 2024: Notice of Quorums2024/02/16Download
January 20242024/01/20Download
November 20232023/11/22Download
October 20232023/10/23Download
September 20232023/09/20Download
August 20232023/08/18Download
June 20232023/06/23Download
2023-24 PLDL Draft Budget2023/06/21Download
May 20232023/05/27Download
April 20232023/04/13Download
February 20232023/02/13Download
February 20232023/02/13Download
January 20232023/01/13Download
November 20222022/11/13Download
October 20222022/10/13Download
September 20222022/09/13Download
August 20222022/08/13Download
June 20222022/06/13Download
May 20222022/05/13Download

Board Meeting Minutes

 

TitleDateLink
May 28th, 20252025/07/01Download
April 30th, 20252025/05/02Download
March 26th, 20252025/03/31Download
February 26th, 20252025/03/03Download
January 22nd, 20252025/01/24Download
November 20th, 20242024/11/21Download
October 23rd, 2024 – Corrected2024/10/29Download
September 25th, 20242024/09/30Download
August 28th, 20242024/09/03Download
June 26th, 20242024/06/28Download
May 22nd, 20242024/05/24Download
April 24th, 20242024/04/30Download
April 4th, 20242024/04/04Download
March 6th 20242024/03/08Download
January 20242024/01/25Download
November 20232023/11/30Download
October 20232023/10/30Download
September 20232023/09/28Download
August 20232023/08/29Download
June 20232023/06/29Download
May 20232023/06/02Download
April 20232023/04/12Download
March 20232023/03/12Download
February 20232023/02/12Download
January 20232023/01/12Download
November 20222022/11/13Download
October 20222022/10/13Download
September 20222022/09/13Download
August 20222022/08/13Download
June 20222022/06/13Download
May 20222022/05/13Download
April 20222022/04/13Download
March 20222022/03/13Download
March 20222022/03/13Download
January 20222022/01/13Download
November 20212021/11/13Download
October 2021 Corrected2021/10/13Download
October 20212021/10/12Download
September 20212021/09/13Download
August 20212021/08/13Download
June 20212021/06/13Download
May 20212021/05/13Download
April 20212021/04/13Download
March 20212021/03/13Download
February 20212021/02/13Download
January 20212021/01/13Download
November 20202020/11/14Download
October 20202020/10/14Download
August 20202020/08/14Download
June 20202020/06/14Download
May 20202020/05/14Download
April 20202020/04/14Download
February 20202020/02/14Download
January 20202020/01/14Download
November 2019 Corrected2019/11/14Download
September 2019 Corrected2019/09/14Download
August 2019 Corrected2019/08/14Download
June 2019 Corrected2019/06/14Download
May 2019 Corrected2019/05/14Download
April 20192019/04/14Download
March 2019 Corrected2019/03/14Download
February 20192019/02/14Download
January 20192019/01/14Download