Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes: August 12, 2014

 

ROCKINGHAM FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY MEETING
OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AUGUST 12, 2014
MINUTES

 Please click here to download a .pdf of these minutes.

Present:  Doreen Aldrich, Carol Blackwood, Hope Brissette, Karin Fischer, Patricia Fowler, Carolyn Frisa, David Gould, L. Raymond Massucco and Jan Mitchell-Love

Others:  Elayne Clift

Call to Order:  Chairman Gould called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. and advised that Massucco would be late.

Approve Minutes of July 8, 2014:  Frisa moved to approve the minutes as printed, seconded by Fischer.  Frisa then pointed out on page 2, second line should read ARC Mechanical and on page 3, skype was spelled incorrectly.  The motion to approve the minutes as corrected passed with five in favor and three abstentions.

Public Comments:  No comment

Items to Add to Agenda:  Mitchell-Love asked to add communication between the trustees and the public, an update on SMP negotiations, year-end financials and the email from Deborah Wright with questions. Gould said he’d respond under “New Business”.  Gould said another item to add is the request by Aldrich for equipment to transcribe the library trustee minutes from home.  Brissette asked to add Personnel, a procedure not followed by the board.  Houlne suggested passing on “Finance” until Massucco arrived.

Director’s Report:  The report was included in the packets and Houlne asked if there were questions.  Mitchell-Love asked about the handicapped parking.  Houlne said there is one in front of the building (on the Temple St. side). There is one for the staff in the back.  She added that she has talked with Frank Hawkins and he can repair the sign out front for $300-$400.  Fowler suggested that Brissette handle that under “Buildings and Grounds”.  The floor scrubber has arrived and all have been trained on the use of it.  Houlne said she has contacted a company listed in the ARC manual that specializes in HVAC installation and a representative will be here next week to assess the noise situation.  VLCT is having a workshop in Montpelier on the 10th of September concerning the new open meeting law, managing public records and how to respond to public records requests.  The fee is $60 for VLCT members.  Mitchell-Love asked why we were not awarded the grant for tables and chairs.  Zervas said she never got an answer; possibly because the request was for such a large amount.  Elayne Clift advised that “Friends of the Library” is not on the Director’s Report.  She urged the board to go forward with fixing the library sign.
Financial Reports:  Houlne advised that not all invoices have been received yet.  Year-end figures have not been finalized and we may not know until October; but we are in the black.

Historical Collection:  No report.

 

Personnel Committee:  Gould reported that the committee met with the Town (Chip Stearns & Kerry Bennett) on July 21st and reviewed both the town personnel policy and the library personnel policy to see where they are in step with each other and where they were not.  Brissette asked why the library has to be in step with the town.  Gould said there are several reasons; one of them has to do with finances.  The library accounts, as long as we are using the town federal I.D. number, the town treasurer must be a signatory on all of the accounts.  The town auditors raised that issue.  We are running in to issues where town employees are getting some benefits that the library staff is not and vice versa, particularly part-time people.  The committee is hoping to work around those and where there are differences, explain why those differences.  Fowler added that the personnel records need to be held at the town office for security reasons.  They will be held in a locked cabinet.  The auditors need access when they are doing the audit for the town.  Brissette said she understands finances; but the library is a separate entity.  Gould replied there are differences in time off and time for doctor appointments.  Mitchell-Love asked if almost everybody at town hall are unionized and we are not. Gould said the part-timers are not.  Gould referred to his handout at this meeting and the draft minutes of the personnel committee that were emailed to all.  Gould said he is not asking for any decisions now; but would like the trustees to look at them and if there are questions or additional thoughts, please get them back to him so we can arrive at some conclusion.  Gould said Brissette is right that we are a separate entity except that we are a hybrid.  The town owns the building; they do the payroll, etc. so we would like to be as close as we can in the personnel policy as possible with the understanding that we won’t be exactly the same.

Massucco arrived at the meeting at 6:48 p.m.

Policy Committee: 
By-Laws Update:  Blackwood reported that the committee met on the 29th of July and are very close to giving the board a new set of by-laws for review.  She is waiting for a complete thumbs-up from the committee before presenting it to the full board.  Brissette advised per the agreement Gould and Houlne both signed, that they were supposed to have monthly meetings.  She asked if they have had a meeting.  Gould said they have not; good point.

Trustees’ Policy:  Blackwood advised that the Policy Committee is currently working on the By-Laws; one thing at a time.

Old Business:  Gould referred to the Open Meeting changes; where do we post our warnings.  Houlne advised that they have to be posted in two public buildings and in or near the town clerk’s office.  The town posts at the BF Police Dept. and at the library besides the clerk’s office, and we can do the same thing.  Gould said the board will follow town hall for posting.

Finance Committee: 
End of Year Payments for FY 2012:  Fowler reported that according to the Due From/To Other Funds report from the town, at the open of business on July 1, 2012, the library owed the town $11,388.34, a figure that should relate only to Operating Revenue and Operating Expense.  This was also shown on the original Balance Sheet for June 2012.  Later reports included renovation monies.  For the purpose of clearing off non-renovation debt to the town before additional conversations are held about how renovation debt is to be paid, Fowler moved the Rockingham Free Public Library Board of Trustees authorize the Treasurer, Pat Fowler, to pay the Town of Rockingham $11,388.24 with a check drawn on the TD Bank Librarian’s checking account to cover the amount due to the town for FY12 operating expenses that exceeded revenue turned over to the town.  Frisa seconded the motion and the motion carried.  There were three abstentions.

Fowler asked for a motion on the excess amount of money the library has on hand in its account.  This came up with their meetings with Chip Stearns especially because of the fiscal responsibility the library has and since we’re using the same tax I.D. number, we have to be absolutely sure that whatever we’re doing is above board and clear.  Houlne said the TD account, the petty and checking account is supposed to be at $2,000.  You might just temporarily move it, depending on the motion, somewhere else.  Fowler said they need to move it somewhere else so the debit card and the petty cash account attached to that card that the maximum to be used would be $2,000.  That account would never get above $2,000.  Right now our director does not have a credit card so if they have to buy a computer, etc. they have a cushion there.  Brissette asked how often the petty cash gets replenished.  Fowler said every week she goes through the petty cash account with Mary VanHartesveldt to see what has been spent and she signs the warrant.  These are items that have been budgeted for and have to be taken out of the account.  Once the director has her credit card again which would have a maximum of $2,000 we wouldn’t have to be using this account for those expenditures.  Mitchell-Love was confused about the petty cash account.  Houlne explained that there is a box with $200 cash in it locked in her office and there is the checking account.

Fowler moved that the board authorize the treasurer, Pat Fowler, to move the balance of the former ING Annuity Fund in the amount of $44,891.40 from the TD Bank checking account to the River Valley Credit Union, realizing a fee of $25.00 for one share.  Brissette seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  Mitchell-Love said she didn’t realize there were two petty cash funds.  VanHartesveldt explained that it really is a petty cash account because you spend the money and it gets replenished.  Brissette asked where the replenishment comes from.  Fowler responded, from the warrant.  Fowler said the next thing to be discussed is the board adding the town treasurer, Doreen Aldrich’s signature and Celina Houlne’s signaure on two accounts.  Houlne explained that the town manager has said because the town has one treasurer who signs off on all bills to be paid, Aldrich has to sign off and because of that her name has to be on all the library’s accounts; investments, savings, checking, everything.  Fowler advised that they want to have two signatures.  VanHartesveldt advised that TD Bank doesn’t support two signatures.  Fowler interjected that maybe we need to look at another bank.  Houlne checked with other libraries and none have the town treasurer on their savings account.  Aldrich spoke up and asked if they use their town’s federal identification number?  Houlne said she didn’t know.  Mitchell-Love asked if the library had its own I.D. number and Fowler said, yes; but the IRS doesn’t recognize the number.  Houlne said it does.  Fowler advised that on the Secure Fore 5 account, we are using the town’s federal I.D. number.  The ING Annuity is using the old EIN.  After much discussion, Gould said this issue should go back to the Finance Committee and come in with a strong recommendation to do a, b, c.  Massucco asked Aldrich if because the town issues the payroll if that is why we are tied into the town.  Aldrich responded, yes.  Frisa said another issue is grant funding; we use the town’s EIN.  Massucco advised that the tax I.D. number is primarily for tax purposes.  It does not carry any authority to spend funds.

New Business:
Anonymous Letter:  Massucco said he received a letter addressed to him as rfpl trustee.  He has no idea where it came from but; they are what he perceives as complaints or allegations.  They talk about the trustees in their capacity as a policy committee have chosen to take their input from the public in private.  Massucco said he is not aware of any meetings being held in anything other than public sessions as required to do so.  He has no idea what the allegation is and that whole sentence says take their input from the public in private, or by strict definition, citizens of Vermont.  He said he doesn’t know what they have to do with each other.  It goes on, “In particular, one public participant who is neither a citizen of the United States, as he himself has so stated, nor an elected member of the RFPL body”.  “Additionally, suggestions by the public should be submitted in an Open Meeting (it was).  It speaks to secret emails.  Massucco said he has no control over who sends him an email, a phone call or anything else.  We do take suggestions from the public in open meetings; we have “Public Comment” at every meeting.  At the end, which is a direct slam on the Policy Committee, “It is clear the participation of this non-trustee has been given more weight than the other 5 trustees not on this committee”.  Massucco said he doesn’t know what the source of their information is.  Mitchell-Love asked if he had page two of that letter.  She said she did understand.  What he does, top of page 2, is four different versions of by-laws being considered by the policy committee.  One is the current working draft from Carol, one is from Carolyn Frisa, one is from Arnold Clift which she received as an email and the last is from David Gould.  All the trustees last year came up with suggestions to the by-laws and spent a very long time doing it and that is on here also.  Blackwood said the input has been incorporated into this draft.  Blackwood said she stands by what the committee is working on.  These are all drafts; none of them are final and the Trustees will see the final proposal.  She doesn’t feel this is worth further discussion.  People were free to come and give input.  Frisa explained that all those suggestions were on the screen at our open policy committee meeting.  She said she doesn’t know how you can get any more open than that.  Massucco said as far as he can see, everything has been done publicly.  Blackwood added that the emails have all gone to the repository.  Frisa explained that the emails were compilations of suggestions received by Blackwood and some were incorporated in the draft.
Letter Emailed to Fowler:  Fowler received an email from Deb Wright as she was preparing to go for surgery.  The email specifically said “if you have time, can you answer these questions”.  She was extremely busy getting business done before going for surgery.  Many of the questions were answered in the minutes which she couldn’t understand.  Within a couple of days, she was getting 2nd notice, 3rd notice, etc. which was upsetting.  She forwarded to the other board members.  We were specifically told that we were not to answer anything like this as an email.  Fowler called Wright to have her meet and Wright was upset about it.  Gould received the email as well and he read his responses.  Question 1 was concerning the Kersula’s re:  the HVAC.  Gould’s response was, “The present board of trustees is in the process of obtaining bids for the landscaping between the library building and the Kersula’s.  Unfortunately, the funding for the landscaping was scrapped because of changes in contractors due to the renovation of the building; we don’t have any landscaping money in our present budget.  Simply erecting a fence such as a stockade or picket between the two properties will not reduce the noise significantly.  The HVAC company has run into this problem in the past and they are trying to determine who and how they handle the noise reduction.  Frisa said this is recorded in the minutes.  Mitchell-Love asked if we also put on there that we need new zoning approval as well.  Houlne said if we got five lists of questions at every board meeting, we’d never get any work done.  Fowler reminded everyone that the Secy. of State advised not to answer anything like this as an email.  Brissette asked, could no one have sent her an email saying all the answers she’s looking for are in the minutes of the previous meeting?  Mitchell-Love pointed out that her understanding of the open meeting law is that when a member of the public is asking for information, the trustees can send the information.  Brissette asked that the board treat everybody equal.  Blackwood responded that this board is extremely cautious about email because there has been some past history and things being taken out of context, quoted, misquoted, etc.  She feels that if someone truly wants to know the answers to these questions, face to face at a meeting would be appropriate.  It feels like she is trying to back the board into a corner which we then fear is going to be misused.  Question 2 asks about the leaking roof; it has been fixed and there was no damage.  Question 3 asks about buying bike racks.  The library did not buy bike racks, the town got several in a grant and the library is the recipient of one of them.  Question 4 was concerning the floor scrubber already being purchased in FY14.  It was not purchased in 2014, it was done in 2015 and the board had another motion to purchase the floor scrubber in FY15 so there would be no confusion which budget it was being paid out of.  Question 5 was why hire another full-time staff member.  This is not a full-time position; it is a part-time position.  Mitchell-Love asked why the need for a part-time person.  Fowler explained because Wendy has been covering the extra hours.  Gould added we are going with a part-time employee because we have had a part-time person in the budget to be a program director/staff member.  Question 6 asks why put off a finance committee meeting if you have a quorum because someone cannot attend.  The finance committee could have met without all the members; it chose not to.  Question 7 pertains to a purchasing policy.  Gould said he was not aware the town had one and he has since got a copy from the town offices and passed it to Houlne and her staff for review asking for a report back on how well the library is adhering to the town purchasing policy.  Brissette interjected that it wouldn’t hurt if we all had a copy.  Gould said she could go to town hall and get it.  Question 8 refers to the petty cash level and the credit card once again to the library director.  That answer will be in the minutes of tonight’s meeting.  Question 9 refers to setting up an accounting class for all trustees to understand their budgets.  Gould said he is not aware of any suggestions to set up an accounting class for trustees although that may be a good idea.  Fowler said she has talked with People’s Bank and they are willing to do that.  Question 10 refers to “skype”.  Gould said to the best of his knowledge, there has been no real discussion about setting up meetings via skype.  Frisa said Blackwood asked about using skype for our finance committee meeting.  You can have one member who is not available to attend, skype.  Question 11 asked about a previous check warrant report showing payment for the floor cleaner. (Note: Skipped over; answered in Question 4?).  Question 12 refers to not being provided with the pay warrant and have not verified that the four staff whose wages were increased have been reduced to their previous rate.  Gould said pay warrants were provided and sent to the town’s payroll clerk in which they went back to the previous wage as of July 1st.  Mitchell-Love asked why the warrant for 8/01/14 says —– Houlne interjected that it was not July 1st.  She did it in August.  When she came back, the staff was continuing the duties as she was playing catch-up.  They have continued helping her with evaluations, etc.  Aldrich asked if she had the right to make that decision and Houlne said she did.  Brissette disagreed.  Frisa said the board approved an increase for two staff members who would be re-evaluated by the board once a new director was hired.  If the board hasn’t re-evaluated yet, you would keep them at the same pay rate.  Mitchell-Love said that was not what the board’s intent was.  Brissette left the meeting at 8:00 p.m.  Blackwood moved that the board endorses staff wages reverting back to their wages  prior to filling in for the library director position.  Houlne said that now she is back she is to do that; it isn’t the board’s job; it’s her job.  She added that the board does look at annual rates of pay when budgeting for the new fiscal year.  Mitchell-Love said money is our job; you absolutely are wrong.  You are supposed to hire and fire and review them; but we have the fiduciary responsibility.  Massucco said in general he agrees with what she is saying and he doesn’t have it in front of him but; there was a specific motion which you don’t have the authority to override.  Blackwood restated the motion that this board agrees with reducing the wages of all library staff who worked during the library director’s past to revert to their previous hourly wage now that we have a library director who is fully functioning.  The motion was seconded by Frisa and the motion carried.  There was one abstention.  Question 13 asked for a copy of the policy regarding petty cash.  Gould said he thought that was covered above.

Recording Equipment:  Aldrich has requested $125.00 for the software, earphones and a foot pedal in order to transcribe library minutes at home.  She didn’t ask for the digital recorder because it is quite expensive and she can use the town’s recorder for now.  Discussion followed.  Mitchell-Love moved to spend up to $125.00 for the software, earphones and foot pedal to transcribe minutes; seconded by Frisa.  The motion carried.

Review Tasks:  Personnel Committee – Review comparison sheet
Policy Committee – Follow-up on By-Laws & Trustees Policy
Finance Committee – Follow-up on signatory cards and which Fed. I.D. is being                           used with which account
Buildings & Grounds
Library Sign
Follow-up on HVAC/Kersula sound barrier

Next Meeting:  September 9th at 6:15 p.m.

Review & Approve Warrants:  Warrants Signed

Executive Session:  Not Necessary

Adjourn:  Mitchell-Love moved to adjourn at 8:10 p.m., seconded by Fischer.  The motion carried.

 

Submitted____________________________________August 14, 2014
Doreen Aldrich