WAUPUN — The Waupun Library Board met Wednesday, May 20 at Waupun City Hall to discuss the qualifications they are looking for to fill the open Library Director position.
A hiring committee was put together in January after previous Library Director Bret Jaeger announced his retirement that month, intending to retire fully on March 12, 2026. Jaeger had served as Waupun Library Director since May 19, 1997—just two months shy of 29 years.
The committee was unable to meet due to three members of the Library Board being a quorum, requiring a change to Board rules to make four members a quorum so three could serve on the committee. There were also schedule conflicts between members until this month.
Additionally, new appointments were made to the Library Board following the City Council’s reorganizational meeting last month, on April 21.
The meeting opened with the recognition of the new members of the Board, and the appointment of officers of the Board.
The membership for the 2026-2027 Library Board includes:
Steve Hill — SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS/DESIGNEE (No term end)
Ryan Mielke — CITIZEN-WAUPUN / ALDERMAN (No term end)
Bev Martens — CITIZEN-OTHER COMMUNITY (Term end 4/30/2027)
Linda Nickel — CITIZEN-WAUPUN (Term end 4/30/2029)
Marie Svec — CITIZEN-WAUPUN (Term end 4/30/2027)
Casey Homan — CITIZEN-WAUPUN (Term end 4/30/2029)
Randy VandeZande — CITIZEN-OTHER COMMUNITY (Term end 4/30/2028)
Mike Beer — COUNTY APPOINTMENT FDL County Appointment (Term end 4/30/2027)
Waupun Public Library Assistant Director Pam Garcia represented the library during the meeting.
Mike Beer was voted president of the board, Steven Hill was voted vice president, and Casey Homan was voted secretary/treasurer. Library Board meetings will continue to be held on the third Wednesday of every month at 4:30PM at the Waupun Public Library.
After the new board members were seated, the Library Board opened up the meeting to members of the public.
Janet Gehl, a previous member of the Waupun Library Board, expressed dissatisfaction about not being reappointed by the Mayor this year after her previous six years of service on the board and its subcommittees.
“With the end of my term approaching I was asked if I wanted to be considered for another term—my answer was a definite yes, but I was not appointed even though I was on the Hiring Committee,” Gehl said. “When I met with Mayor Bishop to understand what I could have done differently, the answer was confusing and unsatisfactory, such as time for change. He was unhappy with how the Board handled things the last several years, which I was completely unaware of.”
Gehl went on to express concerns over the politiczation of libraries, stating that she believed that the Library Board should include a diverse set of opinions. She also expressed her appreciation for the Library and encouraged the Board to do what is best for the library and the community.
The Board then moved onto the appointment of members to the Hiring Committee and the Budget Committee. The Hiring Committee will develop the process for the selection of the next Waupun Library Director, to which Homan, Mielke, and Hill were appointed. VandeZande, Nickel, and Hill were appointed to the Budget Committee.
Next item on the agenda was whether to bill neighboring counties for residents who check out items at Waupun Public Library. Assistant Library Director Pam Garcia explained that since Waupun is in both Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties, the library can bill several neighboring counties and get reimbursed for residents of those counties.
These counties include: Calumet, Columbus, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago. According to the meeting agenda packet, the Waupun Public Library currently bills Columbus, Dodge, Fond du Lac and Green Lake, but has the opportunity to expand this to Jefferson, Sheboygan, Washington and Winnebago counties.
If it had been in place for 2025, the Waupun Public Library would have received an additional total of at least $1,046.43 from all counties, if reimbursed at the minimum of 70%.
VandeZande made a motion to charge for any circulations for residents in neighboring counties per year. Passed unanimously.
The minutes of the April 15, 2026 meeting were then approved, followed by the authorization for payment of monthly expenses. Garcia noted that some windows were recently replaced at the library, for which the bill has not yet been received. Both items passed unanimously.
The Board then moved onto discussion and review.
Gehl was recognized and thanked for her service on the Board for the last several years.
Next was the 2027 City of Waupun budget timeline, which was included in the agenda packet. On the timeline were dates to meet with City staff on budget priorities and relevant City Council meetings. Meilke asked if the planned elevator replacement is a 2027 billable item, which was not included on the budget. Since it was not included, it would likely be a later year.
They then moved to the Librarian’s Monthly Report, from Assistant Director Pam Garcia. Circulations are up significantly across the board, only two sections are slightly down—in particular Juvinile nonfiction. Circulation as a whole has been going up consistently since 2020 and library programs are well attended.
Next was the timeline for the vacant Library Director position. The job description was drafted at the Board meeting on April 15, and approved by the City Council on April 21. Applications for the position were accepted until Thursday, May 21.
Interviews are expected to take place in June, with a final offer deadline on June 30. Should the offer be accepted, the Library Board will approve the selection at the July 15 meeting, and their first day of work will tentatively be scheduled for August 15.
The last item on the agenda was the KPI Dashboard Strategic Transition & Performance Framework. Hill asked about how these statistics show what makes Waupun a strong library. Assistant Library Director Pam Garcia discussed the circulation patterns compared to the local population.
The Board then moved into closed session to discuss the criteria they are looking for in the candidates they will interview for the Library Director position, as well as the planned interview questions.
There was no action from closed session as it was discussion only.
The hiring committee will review the submitted applications this week and set up interviews with selected candidates.
