Josiah Carpenter Library Trustees Meeting

Minutes of the Josiah Carpenter Library Trustees Meeting
7/15/2008

6:00 : Trustees met to do an evaluation of the Library Director.

The meeting of the Trustees of the Josiah Carpenter Library was called to order at 6:45 p.m. on July 15, 2008 in the children’s room of the library.
Present: Director Leslie Vogt
Chair Mary Schelble
Treasurer Bill Provencal
Secretary Sylvia Wallace

Acceptance of Minutes: The motion (Bill / Mary) to accept the minutes of June 10, 2008 as revised passed unanimously.

Old Business: Bill stated that he renewed our CD for eight months at a 2.75% interest rate. The interest payment option is to reinvest. On August 1, 2008, Mary and Sylvia will meet with The Town of Pittsfield Trustees. There was discussion on the ethical matter of Bill being on both committees, and was strongly urged he resign from one of them.

Reports:
Leslie reported that:
– The application to the Jameson Trust was not funded.
– The energy audit has been conducted.
– The first draft of 2009 budget was complete, adhering to the select board’s request for a zero increase. She made several options as to how we could function on this budget, which are listed in the Director’s Report.
– Once the Board decides which options to accept, she will write a second budget that will request an increase, perhaps to restore the employee hours that have been cut, which will allow the children’s room to open.
Not in the written report, Leslie added the following:
– she has submitted the NH Public Library Annual Report for the year 2007, which Mary signed. It needs to be in by July 25. She has already submitted it electronically.
– Leslie took the Board upstairs to look at the book shelving situation. She is rearranging books and making room for more. She would like to remove the New Hampshire History books from the bottom shelves, and have a carpenter build a structure on top of the shelf to hold these books, which are rarely used. The Board discussed possibilities, and will make a decision next meeting.
– There was a leak in the furnace room again, from rain coming through the foundation.

The motion (Sylvia, Mary) to accept the financial and director’s report was accepted unanimously.

New Business

-Draft Budget 2009: The Board discussed at length the measures Leslie proposed. She suggested lowering the temperature inside the building, reducing staff by not replacing Alex, and reducing staff hours .Starting in September, the Library would only be open five days instead of six, and the children’s room would be closed some hours. Leslie suggested new Library hours, but would seek input from the public before implementation.
The motion (Bill/Mary) to accept Leslie’s 2009 budget proposal draft which includes reducing the number of days the Library will be open was accepted reluctantly but unanimously.
-Capital Improvement Plan Submittal: The Board reviewed and discussed the draft letter of introduction to the Pittsfield Planning Board for our Capital Improvement Plan. After much discussion on the condition of the present heating system, and contemplating if we should keep the present system or replace with a new heating system, it was decided to go with what we have and include new radiators and piping along with new windows in our Capital Improvement Plan. Mary and Leslie will present this to the Planning Board on August 21.
– After reviewing the energy audit assessment report for the building, it was obvious that we’d get the most immediate benefit for our money by insulating the ceiling. It was decided to ask the Town of Pittsfield to insulate the ceiling. The cost would be about $3000. Leslie said she’d draft a letter.

Miscellaneous: Bill said that some staff didn’t know how to operate the fans. Leslie said she’d look into it.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

Sylvia Wallace
Secretary