Rockingham Free Public Library
Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Click here to download a .pdf of these minutes.
Present: John Bohannon, Kate Kane, Ellen Taetzsch, Brady Weinstock, Susan Spaulding, Don Tretler, Célina Houlné, Mary Van Hartesveldt
Absent: Kathleen Hacker, Martha Rowley, Dale Kondracki
Guests: None
1. Call to Order : 6:17 PM
2. Additions to Agenda for routine administrative matters and/or pressing matters that
will require ratification at a future meeting : None
3. Public Comment (3 minutes per person) : Mary needs signers for the warrants; Susan and Brady will help out on Thursday afternoons.
4. Approve Minutes of the September 3, 2019, meeting : Brady moved, Susan seconded. Approved unanimously.
5. Director’s Report : RFPL was awarded a grant for 5 wifi hotspots; these will be circulated for people to use at home. RFPL is a beta study for this type of device circulation. Holiday Party is December 7th, not the 8th as Célina noted in her report. Célina will be writing annual appeal letter in early November
6. FY20 Budget Report and FY21 Proposed Budget: Projection for the FY20 budget to be approximately $4000 over budget.. Proposed budget notes: Shannon from Town Hall has given estimates about insurance. The health insurance and health insurance incentives are projected to increase more than expected. Town may be looking at restructuring insurance offerings. Traditional pensions (for past employees) are also a bit unpredictable, but they are part of the town’s pension plan. Includes a 2% cost of living expense increase. Union negotiations will take place for library employees in the late spring, after the town employees negotiate their contract. One large expense that may need to be undertaken this next year is a new book drop; Célina will also ask the Friends to help with this expense. Brady asked about Ancestry.com which is a significant expense, but Célina said that it is well-used and important to patrons. Susan moved that we accept the budget as written, Kate seconded; no further discussion was needed. Motion passed unanimously.
7. Director’s Evaluation Process : John moved that the board approve a revised chronology for the Director’s evaluation. Susan seconded. John presented changes in normal chronology due to the meeting schedule this year. Evaluation forms to be sent out first week in November, to be returned two weeks later. Personnel committee will meet, go over evaluations, summarize data and create a cover letter for the Board to review in January; Célina will have a chance to respond, either at a special meeting if requested, or at the March meeting. Célina requested that the words “in a committee meeting” be added to item #5. This change was agreed to by the Board. Item #6 was changed to read, “Mid December Personnel Committee meeting: prepare draft statistical and narrative evaluation and cover letter.” The motion passed unanimously.
8. Other Business – None
9. Review and Approve Warrants: Done
10. Review Action Items, and Proposed Agenda Items for Next Meeting: Director’s evaluation; discuss trustee candidates.
11. Review Date for Next Meeting: January 7, 2020, at 6:15pm
12. Adjourn: Ellen moved, Susan seconded. Meeting adjourned at 7:13 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Kate Kane, Secretary