Board of
Library Trustees Meeting
June 6, 2006
7:00 p.m.
Attendees:
MaryAnn Cabibbo, Vice Chairman
Phyllis Cerel
Meena Jain
Patrick Marshall, Director
William Roberts, Secretary
Chuck Rockwood (arrived after library reorganization)
Wendy Rowe, Chairman
Citizens:
Sally Campbell
Dennis Crowley, Selectman
Richard Dunne, Selectman
Bill Hoffman
Nina Hunt
Eileen Kalukin
Judy Lane
Library Trustee Reorganization
Approval of June 6, 2006 agenda
Motion to approve the agenda. (MAC1, WLR2) unanimous.
Secretary’s report
MaryAnn's last name was spelled wrong in some of the minutes and Chuck wasn't listed in the May 9th. With these corrections we have the following: (the varying vote tallies reflect who was absent (and thus abstained))
Whew. No wonder the Secretary has been dreaming Trustee meetings. How he's avoided sending out the minute drafts for those nightmares is unclear.
Citizens Speak
Citizens spoke often. Generally in favor of being open some rather than being closed.
Keyes is replacing the airconditioning unit. They're waiting for a part which will be in soon.
Old business
FY 07 Budget update and Town Meeting (June 12, 2006)
Many, including Phyllis and Meena, were concerned that fighting for level funding would jeopardize being open at all. It being easier to get a smaller amount rather than the "larger".
What emerged as a workable plan was for Richard and Dennis (the two selectmen present) to work at putting together money for a small budget sufficient to keep the library open some. This would include the library's own trust fund money and the revolving fund (both of which have always been kept out of the official budget heretofore).
The critical thing about this is that the small budget appropriation motion would come from the Selectmen (and hopefully the Fincom). The trustees would then be free to publicly say it was a good start and then to try to move enough extra money to reach level funding.
This way the worst likely outcome is a library that's at least open a little and there's still the hope that the library will wind up level funded.
Patrick spoke passionately about the value of the library to the town and that being open only 2 days a week would mean we were a library in name only. He pointed out that the town has not funded the library within State guidelines in a number of years. Listening to a discussion the outcome of which (if no extra money got allocated) would essentially gut and wreck the library was too bitter for him and he and MaryAnn (shortly thereafter) left.
There was a circular discussion aimed at determining the amount of the minimal budget. The 2 selectmen wanted to know what being open 2 days would cost and the trustees generally wanted to know how much money was in the offing so they could say how many days of service they could provide. This discussion was resolved mainly by the exhaustion of all parties. A ballpark figure of $180,000 and at least 2 days of unlocked doors was agreed on. This figure came from: $87,723 (in mothball money), $22,000 (revolving), $33,000 (Tuchinsky), and close to $40,000 in extra town money taken from as yet unspecified sources.
Dennis and Richard are going to go do some politicking to make this happen.
Town meeting warrant motions
Are none. We no longer need the revolving fund warrant. It is ours anyhow.
Long Range Planning
Defer to happier times
Director’s Evaluation
We approved his evaluation (rating: Outstanding) at our April 4 meeting and Wendy gave him a copy of it. We have not discussed it together with him at a meeting since we've been sidetracked by the threat to close the Library and by Patrick's decision to leave.
Director’s Search
Defer, without knowing the outcome of Town Meeting it's unclear exactly what we're searching for.
New Business
Signing of warrants
No Warrant
Meeting Schedule
Frequent as is our habit nowadays. Next meeting will be Friday at 9AM at the Coffee Sensations. Followed by one Monday before Town Meeting at 3:30 and the same Monday at 7
Other Business
Next Meeting
July meeting would be on July 4th? Alternate date if desired? Did not decide. Can worry about it at one of the above.
Adjournment
Adjournment. 9:35. (PC1, MJ2) Unanimous.
Director’s Report
June 6, 2006 Trustees Meeting
(May 06 activity)
Weeding of nonfiction collection continues – Currently in 600s.
May 9 – Finance Committee meeting. Town Administrator recommends closure of library in FY 07 to balance town budget
May 10 – Finance Committee meeting. Committee votes to recommend closure of library in FY 07.
May 12 – 16 – Director on vacation.
May 17 – Minuteman Membership meeting
May 17 – Informational meeting at library to explain what would happen if library closed.
May 22- Selectmen’s Meeting. Selectmen deny placing library specific override on ballot.
May 24 – Department Head meeting at town hall.
May 29 – Sprinkler Compressor engine freezes up, trips circuit breaker and sends alarm to fire station. Wendy R is contacted to walk through building with officials. Electrician has looked at breaker and it is fine. Belief is that compressor engine is shot. Options are being looked at as to how best repair.
May 31 – Pre-Town meeting.
June 1 – Attend School Committee meeting.
The announcement at the beginning of the month that Town officials recommend closure of the library to solve their FY 07b deficit has kept all of us busy. Most of the month has been sent working to change their opinions and making the public aware of the situation. Sadly, this has put on hold a number of projects including the wireless access, downloadable audios and the long-range plan. It is my hope that the library will remain open and that these projects can resume in some form in FY 07.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick W Marshall
| Budget Report | |||||
| Medway Public Library | |||||
| 1-Jun-06 | |||||
| Account | Acct # | Start Balance | Expen. to date | End Balance | % Spent |
| Longevity | 5150 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $- | 100.00% |
| Salaries Full Time | 5110 | $156,744.00 | $117,942.07 | $38,801.93 | 75.25% |
| Salaries Part Time | 5111 | $83,545.00 | $101,510.47 | $(17,965.47) | 121.50% |
| Electricity | 5211 | $14,600.00 | $13,847.68 | $752.32 | 94.85% |
| Heating Fuel | 5212 | $8,000.00 | $9,636.26 | $(1,636.26) | 120.45% |
| Water & Sewer | 5231 | $350.00 | $407.58 | $(57.58) | 116.45% |
| Trash | 5232 | $1,200.00 | $1,765.18 | $(565.18) | 147.10% |
| R &M Miscellaneous | 5240 | $7,000.00 | $7,007.83 | $(7.83) | 100.11% |
| Telephone | 5341 | $1,850.00 | $1,464.47 | $385.53 | 79.16% |
| Postage | 5343 | $450.00 | $444.00 | $6.00 | 98.67% |
| Other Purchased Services | 5380 | $1,500.00 | $1,605.90 | $(105.90) | 107.06% |
| Supplies | 5400 | $3,500.00 | $2,654.21 | $845.79 | 75.83% |
| Books /Periodicals | 5521 | $3,137.00 | $2,403.37 | $733.63 | 76.61% |
| Media Materials | 5427 | $1,000.00 | $601.07 | $398.93 | 60.11% |
| Dues, Subscriptions, Meetings | 5730 | $500.00 | $117.50 | $382.50 | 23.50% |
| In State Travel | 5710 | $850.00 | $450.40 | $399.60 | 52.99% |
| TOTAL | $284,726.00 | $262,357.99 | $22,368.01 | 92.14% | |
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| Start Balance | Expen. To date | Income to date | Account Bal | ||
| Revolving Fund | 4773 | $28,968.44 | $22,500.00 | $17,714.85 | $24,183.29 |
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| Memorial Donations | 6011 | $3,949.10 | $4,533.17 | $1,883.00 | $1,298.93 |
| Free Public Library | 2017 | $52,730.48 | $44,954.13 | $31,001.39 | $38,777.74 |
| Tuchinsky Fund | as of 2/28/06 | $33,319.30 | $- | $342.44 | $33,661.74 |