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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