Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting of September 22, 2011
A meeting of the Board of Trustees was held this date at 4:10 pm at the Library with Trustees Yale, Little, Merry, and Salerno present and Mayor Driscoll present and presiding. Ms. Tracy was present. Trustee Buckley was absent.
Approval of minutes of June 23, 2011
UNANIMOUS
City Finance Director Rich Viscay discussed retrofitting the Library’s lighting fixtures to high efficiency lights. It is estimated the full cost of the project should be realized in cost savings in 4.3 years. Originally 100% of the cost for this project was to be covered through the Green Communities Grant. However there was an unexpected increase due to the requirement to pay the prevailing wage. Director Viscay requested the Library pay $18,267. towards the total cost of the $65,970. project. Trustee Yale made a motion to accept the City’s proposal and to use $18,267 from State Aid funds for the Library’s portion. Trustee Little seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Ms. Tracy noted that Library use was down slightly. However this is a trend among all NOBLE libraries. Salem’s percentage of the overall NOBLE circulation remains stable – approximately 12.5 %.
Trustee Salerno discussed the fact that there was an increase in the charge for the audit this year. Ms. Tracy will send a letter to the accountant and ask for an explanation of the increase.
Trustee Salerno inquired about the fees charged for management of the Trustees funds. Ms. Tracy was asked to double check the fee schedule and e-mail it to the Mayor. The Mayor will contact Robert Lutts who is on the City’s Trust Funds commission to seek his opinion on the rates.
Ms. Tracy briefly told the Trustees about the June City Council budget meeting. After some heated discussion, and despite the recommendation of the Finance Committee, the Mayor’s proposed budget passed unanimously Ms Tracy thanked the Trustees and the Mayor for all their work contacting councilors and advocating for the Library’s budget. The approved Library budget for FY12 is $1,157,815.
There was a short discussion of the Vacation/Salary surveys in which comparisons were made among the public libraries in NOBLE. In deference to Trustee Buckley, who was unable to attend the meeting, the item was postponed to the November meeting.
There was a short discussion on selection of a new Trustee to replace Ray Shea. A couple of names were brought up but it was decided to move this item to the November meeting. Trustees were asked to bring suggestions.
Ms. Tracy reported on a small electrical fire on the roof that was quickly extinguished by the custodian. The cause of the fire was the rope lighting along the railings of the exit way. Kevin Foucher will have an electrician in with plans for different lighting – motion triggered floodlights on each end of the walkway.
Ms. Tracy reported that Paul Marquis had spoken to her and Kevin Foucher about a grant he is working on to replace the Library’s public toilets with low water usage toilets.
A discussion on fines for VHS tapes resulted in the fines staying at the current rate. It was also decided that Ms. Tracy will decide how much of the current fines will be migrated to the new open source library system in January.
Ms. Tracy informed the Board that the Planning Department has proposed two new bicycle racks to be installed in front of the Library.
Ms. Tracy gave each Trustee a printed copy of the new online Library newsletter. The newsletter was done by Assistant Director Mary Behrle and is available on the Library website.
Meeting adjourned at 5:40 pm
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