BOARD OF TRUSTEES SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES  

Corrected & Approved

Date of Meeting Tuesday, January 19, 2021 @ 7:00 pm

Board Members Present Nancy Heckel (Chair); Jen Call; Marcy Vierzen, Diane Lander, Yvonne Howard, Betsy Anderson (Alternate)

Board Members Absent

Note This meeting was conducted on ZOOM for all present. 

Public Present No members of the public were present for this meeting; No guests were present.

 

In light of COVID-19 Concerns and applicable executive and emergency orders, this evening’s Sutton Free Library (SFL BOT) Board of Trustees meeting is being held per the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-04 Section 8, Emergency Order #12 Section 3. 

 

CALL TO ORDER:

Roll Call, Introduction of Guests

The Sutton Free Library Board of Trustees special meeting was called to order at  7:05 pm by Board Chair Nancy Heckel and roll taken. Heckel designated Board Member Betsy Anderson to sit for Board Member Yvonne Howard; Howard joined the meeting shortly after its start. No members of any households of Trustees or other members of the public were present within listening of this meeting at the beginning of the meeting. 

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

This special meeting was scheduled specifically to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Town of Sutton and Sutton Free Library.

Heckel expressed a concern over the lack of detail in the MOU returned to SFL by the Town of Sutton Select Board, as compared to the level of detail submitted in the MOU which Trustees had submitted to the Town. Anderson noted this was most likely due to the Town’s desire to “legalize” the MOU.

Given the issues that SFL has dealt with in the past year, including toilet/septic and outdoor spicket problems, and the addition of security cameras, Board Member Diane Lander asked if it was clear based on the MOU that the Town sent back who pays for what issues. Concerns regarding the outside of the Library building seem very clear, though concerns regarding the interior of the building are vague, with Trustees agreeing that more specificity is necessary for clarification.

Heckel advised that the Trustees go through each point of the MOU, which Trustees proceeded to do. 

Editorial revisions were recommended, with updates made to the MOU by Heckel. The following items need further clarification or discussion between SFL and the Town of Sutton Select Board.

  • Define gross budget; and how it fits in with the itemized budget presented to the Town;
  • Determine the interest of the Library Trust Fund (which the SFL BOT has not accessed) through the Trustees of Trust Funds;
  • Clarify “paperwork schedule” and how it impacts the library budget;
  • Define “good condition” as it pertains to maintaining the building; 
  • With specific and detailed items removed from the MOU submitted to the Sutton Select Board by SFL, shall it be assumed that that Town covers maintenance, repair, and cost of mold or asbestos abatement (if applicable), septic and well repairs, furnace etc? This is necessary to define in regard to budget;
  • Clarification is needed in regard to SFL as a town building: Do the benefits of pricing agreements with the Town for oil pricing, electric rates, and IT also apply to the library building?;
  • Time for consent between the Select Board and the SFL BOT in the event of modifications of MOU should be at least 45 days, rather than the 30 days noted in the MOU, as SFL Trustees meet only once per month. 

ADJOURNMENT:

Member Lander made a motion to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Board Member Jen Call. The motion carried unanimously in the affirmative. The meeting was adjourned at 8:23pm.