Board of Trustees Special Meeting Minutes: Tuesday, May 6, 2014

 

SPECIAL MEETING ROCKINGHAM FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY
TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014
MINUTES

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Present: Doreen Aldrich, Carol Blackwood, Hope Brissette, Patricia Fowler, Carolyn Frisa, David Gould, L. Raymond Massucco and Jan Mitchell-Love
Others: Stephen Ankuda, Attorney and Constance Pell, Attorney
Press: Chris Garofolo, Eagle Times; Brian Bashaw, FACT8, Susan Smallheer, Rutland Herald and Domenic Poli, Brattleboro Reformer

Call to Order: The chair called the meeting to order at 6:17 p.m.

Public Comments: Joel Love called a “Point of Order”. He said this is a Special Meeting and Special Meetings are called for a particular purpose and does not include “New Business”. He said he thought the board would have to defer “New Business” to another meeting. Blackwood said we can certainly strike that from the agenda. Mitchell-Love asked if the board also needed to strike “Other”. The Chair and Trustees agreed to strike those two items from the agenda. The chair then announced that the public would get one turn, there would be no debate between members of the public and the board or one another and will be limited to three minutes as we had a potentially long meeting ahead.

Joel Love thought it was no secret what the trustees would be talking about in executive session; but regardless, it should be pointed out that facts can’t be refuted merely by disagreeing when they come to the forefront or by saying, “I disagree with that”. He pointed out that the former library director was found to give herself raises without approval or following proper business standards and protocol. She was also found in the review to be insubordinate and that was backed up by numerous instances in writing. She can’t demonstrate with facts and evidence that she achieved goals set for her for two years in a row. If any one of the trustees were to achieve less than 20% of our goals, we would most likely be terminated. The former director achieved less than 20% of her goals.

Arnold Clift reminded everyone that they had over six hours of puppeteering where all the accusations were refuted by Houlne’s attorney. At the end of the day, judgment on these kinds of matters are made by the voters. At the last election, Deborah Wright, former trustee, got 147 votes where the secretary got 800, the chairman got 700 and Frisa got 600 and about the same for Massucco. Clift said he feels that the people in the Town of Rockingham made their decision.

There being no further comments, Massucco moved that the trustees move into executive session for the purposes of discussing the ongoing litigation involving the former director, Celina Houlne, and that we invite attorneys Constance Pell and Stephen Ankuda to join us. Carolyn Frisa seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

The open meeting resumed at 8:25 p.m. Frisa moved that the trustees ratify the “Terms Sheet” as proposed as a result of the mediation; Blackwood seconded the motion. Six voted in favor and two were opposed, no abstentions. The motion carried.

Massucco moved to adjourn at 8:26 p.m., seconded by Brissette. The motion carried.

Doreen Aldrich May 8, 2014