The Hudson Library Board hosted a reception to thank outgoing board members and welcome new ones on Saturday, Jan. 13. The board added Bill Fehrenbach, Sammi Dittloff, Chad Wiertzema and Gerry Klecker to its brass. So why did the new members want to join? 

“When we visited the Hudson library, we got a really solid feel for the community,” Fehrenbach said. “And when the opportunity came for me to join the library board, I thought ‘this would be a great opportunity to keep the Hudson library strong and a good representation of the community.’” 

Fehrenbach has children and grandchildren living in the Twin Cities area. He was a high school math teacher and upon retiring, moved to Hudson from Stevens Point, Wis. to be closer to family. For Fehrenbach and his wife, the library was a big draw.

“Despite being a math teacher, I was an English major and briefly an English teacher,” Fehrenbach said. “And [my wife and I] were both raised with families that valued reading and libraries in general.”

Sammi Dittloff, getting a Master’s of Science Degree in Nutrition at the University of Minnesota currently, has been a big fan of libraries. She learned to appreciate them more for robust archival sections when she became a college student.

“Just throughout my life, I’ve learned how valuable libraries can be, with the collections they keep, the services that they offer. All kinds of things that people may not know about,” Dittloff said. 

Gerry Klecker said he wanted to join the board because of his commitment to the local arts scene. Klecker said he has fond memories of going to the Phipps Center For the Arts and the library with his family. 

“As you get older, staying connected is more and more important — to keep track of what’s happening and where things are at,” Klecker said. “So if I can be part of growing and expanding that, I’d like to be part of that.”

Kristine McCarthy and Susan Blank left the board. And with North Hudson voting to withdraw from the joint area library, the village chose not to reappoint a new board member when Tracy Whiteley resigned. Chad Wiertzema, the other new board member, could not be reached for comment.

Bryan Wells, along with last year’s president Paul Berning, Mayor Rich O'Connor, the school district appointee Kim Osterhues and Barb Peterson of St. Joseph Township return to the board in 2024.  

What happens next?

Asked about issues to tackle in the coming years, multiple board members brought up the library’s potential expansion. The Hudson Police Department, which currently shares the complex with the library, could potentially receive a new building after the city council cleared initial monetary hurdles to purchase one. 

However, the city still needs inspections of the new building to go as planned. And the library allocating the police space could present a few logistical issues. 

With that specified, Hudson Area Library Foundation Board Secretary, Doug Stohlberg, wrote in an email statement: “The Foundation Board wants to make sure the city officials and the public know that we want to stay in this location."