HomeMy WebLinkAboutVIII-12 Approve Doffing Trust Disbursement for Library Playaway Audio Books City Council Memorandum
To: Mayor Fasbender & City Council Members
From: Chris Eitemiller, Finance Manager
Date: September 2, 2025
Item: Approve Doffing Trust Disbursement
Council Action Requested:
Approve the attached Doffing Trust disbursement request.
Background Information:
Per the 2008 agreement, the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library are requesting a disbursement in the
amount of $1,577 to support a collection of Playaway Audio Books for senior outreach. Pleasant Hill
Library currently provides monthly visits to three senior residences in Hastings. Audio books provide
entertainment for all who use them, but especially for those that are limited in what activities they can
participate in.
Availability of CD players often limits who can use audio books, because they are often not available. A
Playaway is a device that has an audio book preloaded onto it, making a CD player unnecessary.
Financial Impact:
The 2008 agreement states the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library are to use the annual income from
investment earnings to fund the disbursement requests. This request is slightly less than 2024 income,
so it is in keeping with the 2008 agreement. The request from the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library is
attached.
Advisory Commission Discussion: N/A
Council Committee Discussion: N/A
Attachments:
Disbursement request from the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library
Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library August 12, 2025
Kathy Swanson, President
1490 S Frontage Rd
Hastings, MN 55033
Dear Kathy,
I am writing to request your support for the submission of a request to use the Doffing Estate funds. In
accordance with the City of Hastings guidelines (dated October 16, 2008), “Friends of the Pleasant Hill
Library must submit the request and include a recommendation for approval.”
Pleasant Hill Library is requesting use of the Doffing Estate funds in the amount of $1576.20 to support a
deposit collection of Playaway Audiobooks for senior outreach. Pleasant Hill Library currently provides
monthly visits to the following three senior residences in Hastings: Regina; Oak Ridge; and Park Ridge.
This is an ideal option for a senior who may feel as if they are trapped in their residence with nothing to
do. Audiobooks introduce a whole new world of entertainment for them and the presence of a narrator
can enhance the storyteller experience. Plus, for many, half the fun of reading is talking with friends
about the book. This mental and social stimulation is a major weapon used to fight off depression and
loneliness. (bethesdahealth.org)
The main goal for this project is to make audiobooks more available to the seniors that we visit.
Currently, many of these seniors have expressed an interest in audiobooks, however many of them do
not own or have access to a CD player so they will come and see us to talk and not check anything out.
On a recent visit, a senior communicated that he would listen to audiobooks all day long if he could but
that he doesn’t have a CD player.
A Playaway is a small device that has an audiobook preloaded onto it along with controls so that it
makes a CD Player unnecessary. Each Playaway also comes standard with a pair of earbuds. We would
like to get a pair of over the ear headphones for each Playaway. They are more hygienic as well as more
user-friendly since many of these customers use hearing aids that would make earbuds unusable. To
facilitate being used as a deposit collection, we need a bin to hold the collection and make it possible to
gather them and move them as a collection. We also want to provide a checkout folder for each
collection along with lined paper and pens for our customers to write down their checkouts. We want to
create a deposit collection of six Playaways for each residence that we visit and then rotate these
collections among those residences every other month and gradually add to them as funding permits.
The request above is in keeping with the guidelines adopted by the City of Hastings in 2008 for use of
the Doffing Estate funds.
Thank you for your consideration. Please let me know if you have questions or require additional
information.
Sincerely,
Jill Bambenek
Pleasant Hill Library Manager
Item: Vendor: Cost per item
(or average);
Quantity
wanted:
Cost for 3 senior
residences:
Playaway Playaway
Products, LLC.
$70.99 18 $1277.82
Headphones IOS $7.43 18 $133.74
Supply of AAA Batteries IOS $26.07/36 3 $78.21
Bin Amazon $57.99/4 1 $57.99
Folder Amazon $7.99/6 1 $7.99
Lined paper Amazon $5.99/4 1 $5.99
Pens IOS $14.46/12 1 $14.46
Total:
$1,576.20