Library Board of Trustees

Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - June 2023 Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Location: Amesbury City Hall Auditorium By City Clerk at 10:17 am, Sep 11, 2023 Wednesday June 14, 2023 7:00 PM 2023 Board of Trustees (BOT) Members present: Jessica Ducrow, Anne Campbell, Laurie Cameron, Delia Rinaldi, Brenda Rich, Audrey Proctor, Bethany Sullivan, Pam Gilday, and Gail Browne APL Staff present: Aimie Westphal - APL Director and Meghan Fahey - Head of Archives 1. Call to order at 7:00 PM by Anne as chair. 2. Secretary’s minutes Motion to approve May 2023 Board of Trustees meeting minutes by Gail with identified minor edits, second by Jessica. Motion is approved unanimously by all who were present at the May meeting. 3. Communications There was no email and there are no communications to report. 4. Budget report Aimie presents the FY2023 monthly APL budget for May, including these highlights: • The APL FY23 budget will be under expended. • The City CFO will move $ from the salary line overage to address the shortfall in the electricity line as part of a larger mayoral end-of-year transfers bill that is allowed to be completed after the City Council June vote on the FY24 budget. • Aimie will also do some line item transfers that do not require the inclusion by the CFO in a Mayoral end-of-year transfers bill to City Council. • Some discussion about how PTO coded and paid out to APL staff when they resign or retire. The new line item title misleading “Sick leave buy back” as it represents other PTO categories. 5. Facilities report Aimie presents her monthly Facilities Report to the Trustees for June 2023. This document is included in the addendum (Addendum 1). The DPW Director was given a general tour of the APL with Mayor Gove, Aimie, and Meghan. Several problem areas were shown to him along with key aspects of the APL building – As APL Director, Aimie very much wants to have a more in-depth in-person meeting and walk-through 1  Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - June 2023 with the DPW Director at the Library, accompanied by Head of Archives, Meghan. All parties understand that the new DPW has a lot on his plate with other areas of the City too. a. Water infiltration issue/ Gutter repair update -- There has been no movement on these related issues. Aimie and Meghan want to take this up with the DPW Director and he has not yet been available to meet with depth on facilities management at the APL. Aimie has still not been able to secure a 1:1 meeting with the new DPW Director. 6. Climate Control Project Update report Climate Control Project Update -- The Climate control project is still ongoing. There’s some humidity level issues with the newly installed splits, the vendor has been engaged, and the DPW Director has been included in the email thread. Issue is ongoing. Aimie has a vendor lined up to the finish the room and once finished, and the splits are working properly, the special collections can be brought back. 7. Facilities Master Plan Update – No update other than that the subcommittee is in process of scheduling their next meeting. 8. Director’s report Aimie presents her monthly Library Director’s Report to the Trustees for June 2023. This document is included in the addendum (Addendum 2). Highlights include: • The open PT position has been filled. • The Youth Services Assistant resigned today. This was a FT position that included a Saturday shift. • The website project started today. The APL has selected Civics Plus as the vendor (same vendor as City website). The MCC grant will cover the full cost. Design implementation will cost approximately $18K. There is an anticipated $4K annual hosting fee. The City will cost-share that annual hosting fee. • The APL Friends have paused their activities. They are closing the online bookstore and will not be attempting any more pop-up books sales – neither fundraising vehicle are practical. The Friends are also engaged with the state to properly reinstate their MA 5013C non-profit status – their federal 5013C status remains solid and active. The Friends of APL have expressed their deep disappointment at being unable to continue financially supporting the APL, but without their full onsite used book shop at the APL, they have lost their means of raising meaningful dollars for the APL. Until they are able to reopen that used book shop, they are on-pause. 8. Sub-committee updates 2  Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - June 2023 None of the subcommittees have met since our last BOT meeting. Jessica will connect with the City HR Director to start the conversation about synching up the Director’s Review subcommittee report with timing for salary review. 9. Old business The APL Budget was passed as presented by the City Council at the FY2024 MAR number of $891,846. The City of Amesbury FY2024 budget is available online at 2023-001-An-Order-to- vote-to-adopt-an-Operating-Budget-for-FY2024pdf (amesburyma.gov) 10. New business None. 11. Matters not reasonably anticipated in advance of the meeting. None. 12. Adjourn: 8:27 PM. Motion to adjourn by Bethany, second by Brenda, unanimous. 3  Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - June 2023 Addendums June 14, 2023 -- APL Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes Addendum 1 – Facilities Report to the Trustees for June 2023 4  Amesbury Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - June 2023 Addendum 2 – Library Director’s Report to the Trustees for June 2023 5