Loading...
Library Trustees 1-23-24 City of Beverly, Massachusetts Public Meeting Minutes Board: Library Trustees Subcommittee: Date: January 23, 2024, 6:00 P.M. Place: 32 Essex St Board members present: Margaret Altman, Mary Behrle (remote), Marshall Handly, Colleen Michaels, Cathryn Keefe O'Hare, Kevin O'Reilly, Joanne Panunzio, Myron Schirer-Suter Board members absent: Ivy Mahan Others present: Allison Babin, Meghan Karasin Recorder: Meghan Karasin Kevin O'Reilly presided. Meghan Karasin stated that the meeting was being recorded. Joanne Panunzio made a motion, seconded by Marshall Handly, to accept the minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2023. Roll call vote approved, 8 to 0, with Altman, Behrle, Handly, Michaels, O'Hare, O'Reilly, Panunzio, and Schirer-Suter voting in favor. Myron Schirer-Suter made a motion, seconded by Margaret Altman, to accept the minutes of the meeting of January 4, 2024. Roll call vote approved, 8 to 0,with Altman,Behrle, Handly, Michaels, O'Hare, O'Reilly, Panunzio, and Schirer-Suter voting in favor. Public Presentation None. Committee Reports Personnel: No Report. Administration: No report. Finance: No report. Long Range Planning: No Report R.eVort of the Library Director 1. Fiscal Year 2024 Budget: Everything is on track. Transfers were made into the Director and Assistant Director line. The buy-back sick time line is overspent. This line is used for the buy-back sick time incentive. We budgeted for 2 staff members to participate this year, but 3 ended up participating. This year, we had a full-time staff member resign. Due to the timing, she was paid out her accrued personal and vacation time and it came from this line. There should be enough in the budget to cover this. 2. State Aid to Public Libraries: This is the first year in 20 years that the state aid does not have to go to the debt on Farms branch renovation. The funds ($48,922 - first payment) have been deposited into a fund for the library's use. The administration would like to use those funds to update the interior of the building -paint and carpet-particularly in childrens room. It is not required that the funds be spent by the end of the fiscal year. About$6,000 of the State Aid has already been earmarked to the materials and expenditure budget. 3. BuildingNehicle Issues: The City Council agenda for January 18 contains the letter(order#017) which goes into detail about the library HVAC project. The letter requests $14 million. The City Council hadn't been updated since June 2022 and had a lot of questions. The letter had requested a public meeting be held on Feb 5. The council did not schedule this; they held the letter and discussed it at the Finance and Property subcommittee meeting last night. The Mayor, City Finance Director, Sustainability Director, and Director of Public Services attended to answer questions. However, there are still more questions, mainly why the cost has grown from $3.7M to $18M and how this design was chosen over a less expensive option. There is a City Council meeting on Feb 5 where the HVAC project may be discussed. They could set a public meeting at this time, or they may need additional time to gather information. Cathryn Keefe O'Hare asked if the study looked at a more traditional option. Allison Babin stated that it did, with an initial in-kind estimate of$1 M, but that's now been revised to $11M. Additional items had been added since the initial study, including Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA)upgrades and fixing the roof to prevent falling ice. Work has started on the north elevator repair,but parts are delayed until the end of February. The elevator should be back in service in mid-March. There was no oil spill that required remediation. The new eclectic van was delivered on January 5. It can be charged on a dedicated outlet but can also be charged at a city charging station. 4. Community Engagement: The 28th Annual Teen Poetry Contest is open for entry. The ceremony will be held on April 24. 5. Trustee Terms: Marshall Handly, Kevin O'Reilly, Margaret Altman, Mary Behrle, and Ivy Mahan have all been reappointed as Trustees. They will need to be sworn in by the City Clerk's Office. 6. Personnel: Lisa Ryan, Head of Reference, resigned to be the Assistant Director in Gloucester. We are really happy for her but she was a great member of the staff who had instituted a lot of programming and new initiatives. The position was posted and we have made an offer. We expect the new staff member to start in mid-February. Katie Nelson, Head of Teen Services, will present at the Massachusetts Library Association Conference in May about her work on the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award. 7. Assistant Library Director Contract: The contract for Assistant Library Director has been signed by all parties. 8. Programs: Adult programming includes a showing of the film Oppenheimer. Teens have Valentines Day cookie decorating, study sessions, and card making at the Council on Aging. Childrens has Musical Mornings with Miz Liz and special story times for Take Your Child to the Library Day on Feb 3. Communications None at this time. Unfinished Business None at this time. New Business None at this time. List of Documents/Exhibits • FY24 Budget Report as of 1/23/24 • Letter from Mayor to City Council requisition$14M. • Salem News article of 1/22/24: "Library project cost balloons to $18 million" The next regular meeting of the board is February 27, 2024 at 6PM in person at the main library. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50PM.