1982-12-20 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date: 12/20/1982
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Richard L. Buckley, Lester C. Ayers, Mary K. Cormors, Connie E.
Dooling, Katherine L. Fanning, Dr. Edna M. MeGlynn, Roger E. Morency, and Neil B. Olson
Board members absent: Nancy A. White
Others present: Vada Komich, League of Women Voters; Susan M. Salt, President, Friends of the
Beverly Public Library; Thomas Hindman, Library staff
Recorder: Nancy Abeman
Regular Meeting
Board of Trustees-Beverly Public Library
December 20, 1982
Present: Richard BuckIcy, Roger Morency, Nell Olson, Les Ayers, Mary Connors, Kay Fanning,
Connie Dooling, Dr. Edna MeGlynn
Also present: Esther Calish, Nancy Aberman; Vada Komich, League of Women Voters; Susan Salt,
Friends of the Beverly Public Library; Tom Hindman, staff member
Documents distributed: Notes of the Department Heads' budget meeting with the Mayor.
The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted without change. The motion was made by Ms.
Cormors and seconded by Mr. Ayers.
Mr. Buckley thanked Mrs. Salt who, on behalf of the Friends, provided holiday refreshments for the
meeting.
Committee Reports: Administration-The report of the Administration Committee is as follows, as
given by Mrs. Fanning, Chairperson:
A meeting of the Administration Committee was held Friday, December 17 with only Dick BuckIcy
and myself (Mrs. Fanning) present, plus Mrs. Calish and Mrs. Aberman. A discussion on new fines
and fees was talked over. The following was suggested by Mrs. Calish: 5¢, per day for adults; 2¢, per
day for children; $1.00 for a lost card; 25¢ ifa card is left at home. Maximum charge for overdue
books to remain the same: $2.00 for adult; $1.00 for children.
Mrs, Calish reported that the Board of Library Commissioners has requested a letter from the
Trustees reconfirming their permission to accept 5 new libraries into the Consortium.
Dick BuckIcy and I (Mrs. Fanning) were in agreement with the new fines and fees proposals.
The report was accepted by unanimous consent and the recommendation referred to New Business.
Personnel Committee -There was no report of the Personnel Committee.
Finance Committee -Mr. Morency reported on the Finance Committee meeting: 1 ) That a motion to
allocate $2500 out of funds for circulating books to be used to purchase books for the Beverly F0xms
branch received the unanimous recommendation of the Finance Committee. The recommendation also
stated that funds are to be expended by the end of the current fiscal year, and will be expended in
addition to monies for the McNaughton Plan and gifts of the Friends. 2) Mr. Morency also noted that
the Finance Committee voted to support the fines and fees proposal as presented by the
Administration Committee. The report was accepted by unanimous consent and the recommendations
referred to New Business.
Report of the Librarian: Mrs. Calish noted that the statistics for November were comparable to the
previous year. She also noted that fines had gone down, and explained how the automated system will
allow the staff to collect fines on all overdue materials. She requested that the Board look into
requesting from City Hall a return to the library of an mount equal to monthly fines similar to the
procedure that the Beverly Golf and Tennis Club uses. Mrs. Calish proposed the process could work
as a revolving account to pay for the expenses of recovering the books. Mr. Buckley referred this
matter to the Administration Committee for study. Mrs. Calish noted that she had spoken to the
Mayor and asked him to participate in a telephone "bookathon" to recover overdue materials. Mrs.
Dooling also suggested a postcard to delinquent patrons stamped with the name of the Chief of Police
as a method of inducing patrons to return materials.
Mrs. Calish distributed notes on the budget meeting of city department heads with the Mayor. She
summarized that the Mayor stated that all budgets must be held to FY83 levels and that with FY84
being a 53 week payroll year, the extra week must be absorbed into the library's level budget of
$325,000. She further stated that monies which would have been gained from the part-time budget
due to automated circulation will now have to be diverted to pay for the 53 rd payroll week in the
FY84 budget. Several Board members suggested preparing the same budget as FY83, with one extra
week's payroll added on. Mrs. Calish also noted that one or two more employees will receive
longevity payments next year and final step raises for some employees will reduce the part-time
budget further. Mr. Morency stated that he will call a Finance Committee meeting after January 1 to
discuss the upcoming budget. Mr. BuckIcy will ask the Mayor for an extension on the January 15
submission deadline since the next Board meeting will not take place until January 17.
Mrs. Calish noted that the Bookmobile will be adding a stop at Turtle Creek, and dropping a stop to
accommodate this new development. She also reported that she is exploring altematives to a
requested Federal Street stop.
The annual report was distributed. Mrs. Calish noted the donations of the Friends which assist the
library in distribution of materials: typewriters, offset press, paper folder, Kroy machine. She also
distributed a flyer publicizing children's programs to illustrate the types of materials the library is able
to produce with this equipment.
Communications: 1) Mr. Buckley read a letter from the Board of Library Commissioners notifying
the library that it has received a library incentive grant for $18,827.50 for complying with minimum
standards in FY 1982.
2) Mr. Buckley read a second letter from the Board of Library Commissioners explaining that the
grant received by the NOBLE consortium to add five new libraries requires "adequate provisions"
which would be satisfied by the legal incorporation of NOBLE, which they recommend. Mrs. Calish
suggested that the city solicitor review the proposed contract for incorporation. Mr. Buckley asked
Ms. Connors to review the contract and contact the City Solicitor.
3) Mrs. Calish read an invitation to the Trustees from the Friends of the Beverly Farms Library to a
holiday open house Wednesday and Thursday, 3-5 during the two holiday weeks.
4) Mrs. Calish also read a letter from the Beverly High School thanking the library for displaying a
model of the visitor center of the Solar Photovoltalcs Project.
She also noted that Le Grand David had donated a collection of posters to the library, some of which
have been placed on permanent display in the stairwell, and some have been placed in the circulating
print collection.
Unfinished Business: On the matter of the NOBLE contract, Ms. Connors will review the contract.
New Business: On the matter of fines and fees, Mrs. Fanning moved, and Mrs. Dooling seconded,
the motion to accept the fines and fees schedule as set forth in the Administration Committee report.
The motion passed.
Mrs. Dooling made the following motion: That the sum of $2,500.00 be spent on books for the
Beverly Farms Branch Library. That mount is to come out of the book money allocated for
circulation books. It is not to come out of money designated for reference materials or journals. The
$2,500.00 is to be in addition to the cost of the McNaughton Plan. The motion was seconded by Dr.
Edna MeGlynn. Under discussion of the motion, Mrs. Calish noted that, at a later date, she will ask
the trustees for trust money to fill in the gaps in the general collection which will be created. Mr.
Ayers requested an amendment to the motion to note that funds under this motion for books for the
branch are to be taken from appropriated funds in the current fiscal year. The motion, as amended,
passed.
Mrs. Fanning moved, and Mr. Ayers seconded, that the Chairman write a letter to the City Treasurer
requesting a transfer of the library incentive grant to the library funds. The motion passed.
Mr. Ayers moved to adjourn. Mrs. Fanning seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
After the regular Board meeting, Mr. Donald J. Napoli, Director, South Bend Indiana Public Library
spoke on the use of surveys for planning in the library.
Nancy S. Abeman
Library
Budget Meeting with Mayor, December 10, 1982
Budget due on his desk by January 15 (before, if possible):
Use same budget format, but program budget explanations are not needed unless budget goes
over last year's bottom line (or items are increased); if so, give explanations for increase.
Otherwise, program data is not necessary-just leave it out.
Capital Expenditures:
Leave out of budget for next year. If capital expenditures are anticipated, make a separate list
for the mayor, with explanations of why expenditures are needed. Also, a five-year plan can
be submitted for capital expenditures. Be realistic, since funds for capital expenditures will
have to come out of public Works, if state aid is not forthcoming.
Savings ideas:
Mayor requests input on cost-savings measures:
Write up an explanation for him (He did not specify that this is pan of the budget):
1) What cost-savings measures have been implemented during the current fiscal year in this
depanment's budget?
2) What cost-savings measures can be implemented in the next fiscal year's budget?
3 ) Are there any planned retirements for next year? If so, what are plans for filling position?
Any ideas on how to save money when filling position? He stated that departments will not
have to (nor should they) cut personnel. He knows that everyone is at the lowest possible
level in terms of staffing; therefore if anyone retires, that position can be refilled; however,
if it is possible to save money, how do you plan to do that?
Regarding salary increases/contract negotiations:
Tell staffs that if negotiations are not completed by June 30, the money which has been put aside for
salary increases will go back into the general fund and will be lost to them. It will be used to lower
the tax rate.
Along with this, he states that 5 ½ % increase is available for such increases for this year, but
in preparing the budget for the next fiscal year (FY84), we will use current salary levels since
the contract has not been negotiated. Also, salary increases for FY84 are not covered. If staff
gets a 5 ½ % increase, in FY84, it may come from State Aid (if he gets the same amount of
State Aid as this year), but if he does not receive enough State Aid, it will have to come out
of the budget for FY84. Currently, this is all speculation because he has no information on
State Aid. He stressed that if it is possible to cut the budget from what it was in FY83, we
should try to do this, because he is not certain how the city will be able to absorb the 5 ½ %
increase.
There was a general discussion on the need for the city to expand its tax base, with new business and
developments. Until this occurs, the picture is bleak, because Prop. 2 ½ % will not allow any increase.
The increase in taxes for next year ($534,775.), plus the increase in the tax base due to new
development ($250,000) has already been eaten up by Retirement Board fixed increases, etc. That
is why we must hold our budgets level, (or, as he stated, decrease them if at all possible). Only new
construction in the City of Beverly will offset the decreases from Proposition 2 ½.
Regarding the 53 week year:
1) If employees are paid on an hourly basis, we will have to budget for an extra week. This
category covers all library part-time staff.
2) If employees are paid, according to contract, on a weekly basis, we will have to budget for
one extra week. This category covers all library full-time staff.
3) When employees are paid on a yearly salary basis, their annual salaries have to be dMded
by 53. This category covers no library employees, but covers such city employees as teachers.
****At any rate, we have to absorb these increases into our bottom-line figure of $325,000.
One final note:
If department heads have any ideas for savings, or especially, obtaining revenues (e.g.
Building Department has increased fees for building permits), please pass them along to the Mayor.
He is looking for input in this area, since he will have to come up with money for Capital
Improvements, as well as salary increases.
9 Crestline Circle
Beverly, Ma. 01915
December 28, 1982
Dear Nancy,
I am submitting the following statement as I wish it to appear in the minutes of the December meeting
of the Library Trustees.
Mrs. Dooling made the following motion: That the sum of $2,500.00 be spent on books for the
Beverly Farms Branch Library. That amount is to come out of the book money allocated for
circulation books. It is not to come out of money designated for reference materials or journals. The
$2,500.00 is to be in addition to the cost of the MeNaughton Plan. The motion was seconded by Dr.
Edna MeGlynn.
Connie Dooling