Draft of Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting of June 23, 2011
Salem, Massachusetts June 23, 2011
A meeting of the Board of Trustees was held this date at 4:05 pm at the Library with Trustees Buckley, Little, Merry, and Salerno present and Trustee Yale present and presiding. Ms. Tracy was present. Mayor Driscoll was absent.
Approval of minutes of April 21, 2011
UNANIMOUS
Human Resource Director Lisa Cammarata was invited to speak to the Board about vacation policy for Library Staff. The Library vacation policy for new staff is documented as having been in place for at least forty-five years. However a new City payroll system brought to light some inconsistencies with other departments. Ms. Cammarata presented the city’s perspective on changing the policy going forward. The Trustees discussed how this change could affect the hiring of new staff.
The Board thanked Ms. Cammarata for speaking to them and asked Ms. Tracy to survey the vacation policies of surrounding communities. The results will be discussed at the next Board meeting.
Ms. Tracy reported on the FY12 proposed budget. The Mayor's proposed budget gave all full-time staff a 2 1/2% raise. This raise was to mitigate the fact that staff's contribution to health care will increase by 1% in FY12 and another 1% in FY13. To fund this raise, $7,975 was transferred from Part-Time Salaries to Full-Time Salaries and the Mayor added an additional $6,324 to Full-Time Salaries. This brought the Mayor’s proposed FY12 budget for the Library to $1,157,815.
Ms. Tracy reported that when she, the Mayor and the Finance Director met with the City Council Committee on Finance and Administration one councilor questioned why three staff who had changed positions due to retirements and a promotion were given what he saw as more than a 2 ½% raise. He recommended reducing the salaries of these employees to what they were earning before their promotions and then giving them a 2½ % raise. Despite explanations from Ms. Tracy and the Mayor that these employees were already receiving the higher salaries, and a warning that the Library would not meet its Municipal Appropriation Requirement thereby jeopardizing Library Certification and State Aid, a motion passed to reduce the Library Personnel budget
by $27,009.
Trustees, the Mayor, Former Director Jackson and Ms. Tracy had all reached out to Councilors to advocate for the Library and explain that these were promotions, not raises. There had also been several news articles advocating restoration of the Library budget. The full City Council was to meet that evening to vote on the proposed budget. Ms. Tracy and Assistant Director Behrle were planning to attend.
Current Financial and Library Use reports were distributed.
Ms. Tracy reported that the Salem Rotary Club donated three hundred dollars to purchase children’s books. The Children’s Librarian was able to buy fifty-three children’s books to help support the schools’ summer reading lists.
Ms. Tracy reported on Trustee Little’s generous donations of five thousand dollars to the John Bertram Salem Collection Fund and ten thousand dollars to the Bertram Kimball Little Grounds Beautification Fund. The Trustees expressed their gratitude and appreciation for Trustee Little’s gifts and her continuous support. All agreed the grounds looked lovely. Trustee Little reported that more red flowers would be coming soon and spoke of her new exhibit about the Bertram Ladies on display in the Reading Room.
With the previous resignation of Trustee Shea the Board was in need of a new Treasurer. Trustee Merry nominated Trustee Salerno for Treasurer. Trustee Little seconded the nomination and it passed UNANIMOUSLY. Trustee Salerno accepted this new position.
Discussion of the selection of a new Trustee to replace Trustee Shea was postponed until the September Meeting.
Ms. Tracy gave a brief update of building matters. Both the two flat roofs and brownstone repair have been completed. A 5-ton HVAC condenser that provided air conditioning to the third floor broke down and could not be repaired. It will be replaced next week at a cost of just under $5000 to be paid for with State Aid funds.
A Seal of the City commending Trustee Shea for all his dedication and hard work signed by the Mayor was shown to the Trustees. Ms. Tracy and Vittoria Della Monica will deliver the seal to Trustee Shea.
Meeting adjourned at 5:05 pm.
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