TOWN of SUTTON

SUTTON FREE LIBRARY

5 Corporation Hill Road

Sutton Mills, NH 03221

Board of Trustees September 3, 2019 Regular Meeting

Corrected and Approved Minutes

Board Members Present: Dinah O’Neil, Chairperson; Jennifer Call, Building Maintenance; Betsy Anderson, Alternate; Yvonne Howard, Friends Liaison; and Elizabeth Geraghty, Library Director

Board Members Absent: Nancy Heckel, Treasurer; Diane Lander, Recording Secretary

Public Present: Tom Schamberg, Wilmot Resident and State Representative

Call to Order

Chairperson O’Neil called the meeting to order at 7:01pm and then called the roll. Chairperson O’Neil appointed Board Member Howard as stand-in Recording Secretary due to the absence of Board Member Lander and designated Board Member Anderson to sit for Board Member Lander.

Approval of Minutes

The Board discussed suggested corrections to the draft minutes of July 2, 2019 regular meeting.

Motion: Board Member Call moved to approve the minutes of the July 2, 2019 regular meeting as amended. Board Member O’Neil seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously in the affirmative.

As a clarification of past meeting minutes, Chairperson O’Neil stated that there are no stipulations regarding the use of donations in the memory of Beth Cernack and that these donation funds have never been solely designated for the Library or circle garden.

Correspondence

From Friends: They would like to try out a monthly book/bake sale in the building or out on the lawn, depending on the weather. Will correspond with times when Library is open (e.g., last Saturday of the month). Jen motioned to approve the request, Dinah seconded. The motion carried unanimously in the affirmative. The purpose is more for outreach rather than making money.

Public Comments 

Tom Schamberg came to Library 4th Wednesday of August to meet with constituents. He will come every 4th Wednesday at 6pm.

Reports

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Heckel absent but sent notes to Chairperson O’Neil.

Audit Review:

There is some money in question – $70,000 – does money exist and purpose.

Monies that are not spent by the Library are returned to general town funds. In 2018, $4,487 was returned.  The Board needs to look at areas where these monies could be utilized for the Library.

Library Director’s Report

Proposed alterations to 2020 budget line items

1. Building & Grounds maintenance: Ask Lorri to provide a more detailed report as to where maintenance funds are coming from. When we go to present the budget for 2020, Elizabeth and one or two BOT members will attend SBC meeting with monthly break-out of funds.

2. Salaries: Same, however, increase hours for Library Director with financial adjustment as suggested by BOT. One important thing to do is to automate and upload holdings into NH database – a huge project – included with weeding of books. It is a matter of time – but more hours are required when Library is not open. It is anticipated that 20% of books have been reviewed. 80% still need to be done. Goal – to complete the project in a year.  Both Elizabeth and Kristen need increase in hours to process books for the automation project. Kristen currently works four to ten hours per week.

3. Custodial: Currently, internal employees only paid from this line item. New custodial account need for cleaners and snow shoveling, and lawn maintenance. 

4. Repair and maintenance: Does the roof repair person need to be contacted to or will they come once they are done at town hall. Small things need to be done in the coming years. Large items will come out of Capital Reserve account. Memorandum of Understanding needs to be completed. Rough draft needed in two weeks. 

5. Advertising: Amount can be reduced, then rest will be put into other line items that need more. 

6. Programs: Any money should be for programs – not supplies and building supplies. Currently used for program supplies. Thoughts are it should only be used to pay for outside programs to come in. Friends of Sutton Free Library has historically been very helpful in raising monies, or acquiring grants, for other programming needs, supplies, museum passes etc.

7. Administrative:  – Currently used for all supplies (e.g., paper supplies, office supplies, and book supplies). Proposed new line item “supplies”. Elizabeth will give us a detailed list of where she has spent funds for the 2019 budget year and for what. Moving forward, administrative line item should be for professional development – $1,300 per year? There are conferences & classes that at least the Director should attend. Realistic numbers should be researched. Elizabeth should be current with changes in Libraries – automation etc. Networking is also very important. 

8. Books: More money for books. Bradford spent $7,000 on new books. Our money needs to be increased.

9, Memberships: New line item for yearly memberships (e.g., annual fee to NHDB, yearly automation fee once new system acquired).

Elizabeth will work on new numbers for line item amounts and present at next BOT meeting. She will talk to Lorri to let her know the BOT will be moving money around into more reflective categories of where money is actually being spent. We will explain at Budget meeting. Elizabeth will compare to what surrounding towns are spending (e.g., Wilmot and Bradford).

$500 donation, previously approved by BOT for NHAS to make telescope for/$325. Elizabeth has reservations because of education required and maintenance. A large responsibility to add to SFL’s tiny amount of employees. Money was not spent, so money can be returned to trustee funds. Dinah made motion for money to be returned to Trustee Fund, Jen seconded. The motion carried unanimously in the affirmative.

Buildings/Grounds Committee Report

Board Members present chose to hire someone new to do snow removal for coming Budget year. Board Member O’Neil will write a letter to current snow removal employee to inform of change. New hire and quote needed and amount will be added to next year’s Custodial line item. Front steps, path and back steps need to be shoveled and sanded. Plowing is done by town. Board Member O’Neil will contact possible person to hire for snow removal.

Board Member Call searching for electrician or Irish Electricians. We have decided to go with Irish. Check to be sure motion sensor light installed – winter is coming, panic buttons needed – connected to Police Department. 9 lights need to be installed. Board Member O’Neil made motion to hire Irish Electric to install motion sensor light and upgrade upstairs light fixtures. Jen seconded. The motion carried unanimously in the affirmative.

The panel: We need to upgrade to provide for safety of patrons and workers in case of fire. Need to have 2 dedicated phone lines. Sprinkler system is approximately $50,000.  Monitoring would be $500 annually. We need smoke and fire detectors. Gave suggestions as to what we can do in lieu of sprinkler system. 

Panic buttons should be hard-wired system $542.00.  Wireless – $722.00, and Annual Monitoring $252.00. How much would a fire-proof safe for valuable documents cost?

“Simply Safe” system custom sensors for doors and windows, temperature alarm, programmable thermostats – cellar capability back-up – so no additional phone lines. Base $115.00 – for sensor.  Board Member Call will bring more info to next meeting. 

Water filter: State web site link to water guidelines: stagnant lead and iron. For now, continue to bring in water for drinking as necessary. Can we use a Britta, or do we need full system. Board Member Call will call Capital Well, a water filtration company. 

Friends of Sutton Free Library Report

See Correspondence above. Also, Director Geraghty asked if the Friends can perhaps take care of weeding all three flower gardens.

Old Business

Ramp: Series of notes in communication – but no follow-through from architect. We need to see plans within the next two weeks – we will go to Selectmen. We are hitting a dead-end to moving ahead Director Geraghty has folder with all up-to-date information. Kelly Gale should be providing updates.

New Business

The Board Members discussed new directives/actions to be added to the Projects & Action Items list.

Announcements and Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for October 1, 2019 at 7:00pm.

Adjournment

Motion: There being no further business, Chairperson O’Neil moved to adjourn the meeting. Board Member Call seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously in the affirmative. The meeting adjourned at 9:18pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Yvonne Howard, stand-in for Recording Secretary