HomeMy WebLinkAboutDraft Minutes - Library Board of Trustees - 12/10/2020
Draft Minutes South Burlington Library Board of Trustees Thursday, December 10th, 2020 @ 5 p.m. Location: Zoom meeting Members Present: Lauren Ballard, Diane Bugbee, Lee Freeman, Patrick Leduc,Ted Lenski, Stacey Pape, Jay Pasackow, Penne Tompkins, Margery Vagt, Alicia Lamonda
Members Absent: Margaret Ann Cross
Staff Members Present: Jennifer Murray
Friends of the Library
Present:
5:03 PM Chair Patrick Leduc called the meeting to order, and a quorum was established.
5:04 PM Additions or deletions to the posted agenda:
None
5:05 PM The board welcomed new member, Alicia Lamonda
5:05 PM Comments and questions from the public not related to items on the agenda
No comments from the public.
5:08 PM Consent agenda. Approval of regular board minutes of November 12, 2020 Action
Jay Pasackow asked for one edit to the minutes. Jennifer’s name was misspelled.
Upon a motion made by Trustee Penne Tompkins and seconded by Trustee Diane Bugbee, the
Trustees voted unanimously to approve the consent agenda.
5:10 PM Chair’s Report
No formal report
5:10 PM Confirmation of Open Meeting Law Training
The board discussed that a physical meeting place is not required at this time due to legislative
action. In addition all, board members present, except new board member Alicia Lamonda,
confirmed they watched the video summarizing Vermont’s Open Meeting Law.
5:12PM Friends of the Library Report
No FOL members present.
Jennifer Murray reported that she and the Friends of the Library decided to hold a fundraising
event on Facebook beginning on Giving Tuesday. As of December 10th, they had raided over
$800.00.
Committee Reports
5:15 PM Governance and Nomination
Chair Stacey Pape reported the committee did not meet last month and so there was nothing to
report.
5:16PM Finance Committee
Chair Ted Lenski reported as of the board meeting there is $423,477.19 in the Blanchette fund.
The funds are split 50/50 between CDs and cash. The city of South Burlington needs the funds
as of June 30th, 2020.
The recommendation of the financial advisor is to move the funds out of investments into cash
in a “laddered manner” for the purpose of making the funds available for the new building
construction costs.
Ted Lenski continued that $436,000 was the target, but it will not be met based on the needs of
the city to access the funds quickly. Jennifer Murray asked if the city knows we do not have the
full amount. Ted Lenski responded that he had told the city and they understood we don’t have
the full amount.
Margery Vagt asked how long it might take to meet the target. Ted Lenski said there is some
ability to close the gap, but there are risks both ways. The trendline, however, indicates we can
close it if we hang on to it.
Lee Freeman asked what fee are there for liquidating? Ted Lenski answered he didn’t know
yet. It might be per transaction, but he didn’t anticipate it will be significant.
Upon a motion made by Trustee Lee Freeman and seconded by Trustee Jay Pasackow, the
Trustees voted unanimously to approve the recommendation to move the funds out of
investments and into cash for the new building construction costs.
Ted Lenski went over the presentation of the Library Budget Review before the South Burlington
City Council. He thanked Jennifer Murray for putting it together. He also said the city is
communicating the budget will be limited because of COVID.
Ted Lenski reported the South Burlington City Council had no questions about the hours of
service. The council was impressed with the presentation and had few questions. Ted Lenski
said the presentation was an opportunity to give the council information about the needs for the
new library.
Penne Tompkins said they did a great job with the presentation.
Lee Freeman asked if we are leasing the new building. Ten Lenski said he is not sure about the
actual arrangements, but the lease fee from the mall is no longer included. However, utility
costs still go up due to support costs. Lee Freeman asked if the city was helping with
maintenance costs, and Jennifer Murray answered yes, but we cover 2/3rds of the costs.
At the time of the board meeting, there had been no response from the city. Jennifer Murray
said she doesn’t know what the next steps are, but all departments in the past present to the
council again.
Jay Pasackow said it was a great presentation, and the key number is salaries are going up
because the building is three times as large as the current library: “the city knew all along the
costs would increase.”
Jennifer Murray said we are adding staff, including a YA librarian as well as a Digital librarian.
Their jobs will include mostly programming, which includes robust after school programs and
one on one help as needed. She also said we need support with both adult services and
children’s services, and well as covering three service desks as opposed to one.
5:40 Advocacy Committee
Chair Lee Freeman reported the committee has not met yet, but he is in the process of revising
the PSA to reflect the “non new hours and curbside service.” Jennifer Murray suggested they
set up a zoom meeting during the holiday break and schedule a time for access to the library.
She also noted that there is almost always someone there from 8:30 to 3:00.
Penne Tompkins said she will contact Lee so he has a voice on activities related to the public
launch for ASPIRE.
5:42 PM Director’s Report
Jennifer Murray said she has spent a great deal of time working on scheduling in order to
maximize the number of hours the new library can be open. Bids have also come back for the
new library furnishing and she must review them. The bids for shelving must also be reviewed.
She also said the staff person is back from surgery and they are getting ready to move to the
new space, “There is paper stuck to the meeting room walls for questions about what needs to
be done and bought.”
Jennifer Murray said she decided to slowly go back to no longer quarantining books. She also
discussed the air purifiers they received as part of a grant request. Jennifer has hired a new
employee who is a 19 hour circulation assistant. She is trying to get him more than the 4 to 8
hours a week he is getting now.
Margery Vagt expressed concern about moving to no quarantining of recently accessed
material. She asked if other libraries were also suspending their quarantines, and if the VLA
had commented or advised on it. Jennifer Murray said there are no consistent rules, but the
research had changed and she would provide the studies that led her to change the policy.
5:50 p.m. Other Business
None.
5:51 PM: Patrick Leduc adjourned the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Margery Vagt, Secretary