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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-07-20 Board of Library Trustees MinutesMinutes of the Board of Library Trustees Meeting Monday, July 20, 2009 r Attending: Richard Curtis, Vice Chair; Vicki Yablonsky, Cherrie Dubois, Jeffrey Doucette, Karyn Storti, Dorota Socha, Ruth Urell, Director; guests: Corinne Fisher, Head of Children's Woom,z$en Tafo a, Selectman ' - Meeting called to order 7:02 p.m. (by Vice Chair D. Curtis) Minutes approved as amended (Dubois/Storti) CD Presentation = C. Fisher • Highlights of Children's Services PowerPoint presentation as shown to the Selectmen Tuesday 7/14 • Federal Grant received through NMRLS (Northeastern Mass. Regional Library Services) for services to children with autism Statistics • Review and clarification of statistics, report accepted (Doucette/Dubois) • Annual report due to the State in August • Reviewed "FY09 Circulation Data" • Museum passes: confirmation of the value and appreciation of the 14 different museum passes available for patron use; donated by private individuals, The Friends of the RPL and other organizations Policies • Internet Policy - updated policy distributed for Trustee review; unanimously adopted as amended (Dubois/Yablonsky) • Tutoring Policy - new policy written, distributed for Trustee review; unanimously adopted as amended (Doucette/Storti) Foundation (R. Curtis) • Sponsoring the Children's writing competition Friends of the RPL (C. Dubois) • Suzy Axelson is the new President of the Friends • Book sale is planned for October 3rd • Two new volunteers joined the House Tour committee Building Assessment - Discussion of financial issues and priorities with Selectman B. Tafoya: • Trustees voted to establish a Facilities Committee. Representing the library are David Hutchinson, Vicki Yablonsky , and Ruth Urell • Is the priority to identify and suggest solutions for immediate library building needs? If so, specific details of cost needed. A debt exclusion may be pursued to fund them. Important to look at the bigger picture for library needs in consideration of envelope and exterior issues. Firmer dollar figures are needed to begin the discussion • V. Yablonsky talked with Joe Huggins, Facilities Director, to discuss federal stimulus money on behalf of the library. Also discussed cost of exterior repairs based. on general recommendations of Architect's report. The Architect's report was limited to the current library building • Performance Contracting is a source of energy related funding - may cover some needs, but cost of windows does not appear in the plan • A Municipal Building Committee has been recommended and will come before the Selectmen for a vote. A library representative will participate on the committee. The Committee will consider town wide needs and look at the use of space, the future of the cemetery garage, the use of Oakland Road land, and the library is a huge consideration in context of other building needs. The recommendations of the committee will have weight in decisions. It will be accountable to the Selectman and the School Committee. Representatives will include one member from each board including School Committee, Finance Committee, Library Trustees and representatives of the community (B. Tafoya) • Community involvement will be essential in the decision process re: Library building (B. Tafoya) • Town owned property across from the High School on Oakland Road has been discussed by the Selectmen as an appropriate location to build a new library. Approximately 2 acres of land available will be sufficient for the building with no additional parking because parking identified as available across the street in the high school parking (B. Tafoya) • Serious physical building issues have been identified, aside from requirements of an effective building to house a library. The current building will be used in the future in some capacity, so realistic costs and maintenance must be determined and a plan established. The cost and needs of providing comprehensive library services must be determined separately from cost of building needs • The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has a library building program book of completed, ongoing and pending library projects that is useful to help identify library needs. Suggestion to start research by using this resource to identify library needs vs. building needs (R. Urell) • Emergency repairs (e.g. gutters and flooding) are currently handled as needed. Preventative maintenance is based on budget money. Costs of projects must be clarified, and building maintenance identified to maintain the integrity of the building, as well as library use needs. • Ben Tafoya discussed possible sources of capital funds: State Treasurers Office is auditing the High School debt exclusion, for money to repay the debt exclusion. The resolution of this loan will result in reduced taxes for homeowners in FY2010. This will be an appropriate time to consider another debt exclusion for the library (B. Tafoya) The financial plan for the town highlights paid debts for the police station and schools, which frees up cash in the capital plan. This offers opportunity for reevaluation of the capital plan. Though current budget concerns do not allow the capital plan to grow 5% as previously anticipated (B. Tafoya) • It is the Facilities Department's responsibility to assess repair priorities, accept bids and quotes, and manage implementation of maintenance projects • Projects of a certain scope are interesting to the State and subject to partial reimbursement from state funding • Ben Tafoya will report back to the Selectmen on Library discussion from this meeting Director's Report (R. Urell) • Massachusetts Memories Road Show grant received; program October 24th • Vandalism - two youths sprayed black paint on the building. The police have identified and charged the perpetrators • Thank you note sent from the Trustees to S. & N. Matrillo for a generous donation • Last State Aid deposit received $3900; FY09 approximate total received $32,000 • 41,271 items circulated in June, breaking all previous records • Six Strategic Plan goals: information distributed • Bylaws of the Reading Library Trustees distributed Adjourn The motion to adjourn was made 8:52 p.m. (Doucette/Storti) Next meeting: August 17, 2009, Conference Room, Reading Public Library Respectfully submitted, Allison Sloan DaSilva Recording Secretary Senior Library Associate