Board of Trustees

January 27, 2020 Joint Meeting with Board of Selectmen

Corrected and Approved Minutes

 

Selectmen Present: Dane Headley, Chairman; William Curless; Robert Wright

Budget Committee Member Present: Robert De Felice, Chairman

Sutton Free Library Board of Trustees Members Present: Dinah O’Neil, Chairperson; Nancy Heckel, Treasurer; Jen Call; Yvonne Howard; Diane Lander; Betsy Anderson, Alternate; and Elizabeth Geraghty, Library Director

Call to Order

Chairman Headley called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm.

Purpose: The purpose of the joint meeting was to discuss Library modifications, both to the interior and to the exterior.

Discussion revolved around $21,000 in the Building Modifications Capital Reserve fund that is to be used as funding for the modifications.  The Library Trustees have received a bid of approximately $21,000 to build an ADA compliant bathroom on the main floor.  The Trustees would like to start something this year to show that progress is being made toward meeting the standard.

In conversations with the bidding company, the Trustees were told that even though the work to create an ADA compliant main-floor bathroom would progress, that it may be awhile before the work on the ADA compliant ramp would be started because of budget and funding constraints.  Also, the bidding company implied that, if we say “yes” to the bid for the ADA compliant main-floor bathroom, the same company would be contracted to construct the ADA compliant ramp on the exterior part of the building.  However, constructing the ADA complaint main-floor bathroom would be a beginning place.

Selectman Curless commented on the need to be certain that an exhaust fan, rather than a ceiling fan, is included in the construction.

It was determined that the total cost for the ADA compliant ramp would be approximately $123,000.  Budget Committee Chair De Felice recommended that the Library not use Capital Reserve funds to build the ADA compliant ramp as we do not want to wait ten years to have the ramp completed.  His suggestion was that we instead use a bond to build the ADA compliant ramp and, that way, construction could begin sooner.

Furthermore, it was suggested that the interior modifications of the freestanding bookcases and the flooring for the Library be postponed until next year.

To recap, the bid for the construction of an ADA compliant main-floor bathroom will be accepted and work will begin in 2020.  A $123,000 bond will be requested for construction of an ADA compliant ramp and construction will begin in 2021.

Adjournment

There being no additional discussion, the joint meeting adjourned at 5:55 pm.