Library Board

Minutes Agenda Packet City Website ↗

The Library Board went into closed session to discuss employment and pay, then accepted Library Director Jeff Dawson’s retirement and named Terry Ehle as the next director starting July 6, 2026. No public comments were made at the meeting.

After a closed session on employment and compensation, the board accepted Director Jeff Dawson’s retirement (effective July 3, 2026) and appointed Youth Services Coordinator Terry Ehle as the next library director starting July 6, 2026, with a specified pay grade and step. This is a major leadership change that will shape library priorities and budgeting.

The board formally entered closed session under Wisconsin’s personnel exception to discuss employment and compensation, then returned to open session to take action. This matters because closed sessions limit what the public can hear about how big staffing decisions are weighed.

No one spoke during public comment. For a meeting that included a director transition, that’s a reminder that big decisions can happen with little to no public input in the room.

No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.

CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION
Passed 10-0
The board voted to go into closed session under Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(c) to discuss employment and compensation. They returned to open session about 26 minutes later, signaling the closed discussion was tied to a decision they planned to make publicly right after.
Upon entering open session:
Passed
Back in open session, the board accepted Library Director Jeff Dawson’s retirement dated July 3, 2026. They also appointed Youth Services Coordinator Terry Ehle as the next director effective July 6, 2026, and set compensation at Pay Grade 25, Step Advanced Merit G—locking in the leadership plan and pay terms in a single vote.