Library Board of Trustees

WESTWOOD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES MEETING DATE: Monday, January 27, 2020 CALLED TO ORDER: at 7:03 p.m. by Dennis Farrell. PRESENT: Martha Urbiel (MU), Dennis Farrell (DF), Nolene Grefrath (NG), Mike Violano (MV), Frank Zimmerman (FZ), Bev Karch (BK), Suzanne Gorham (SG), Linda Phayre (LP) Claudia Gonzales-Doell (CGD), and Rob Bicocchi (RB). SUNSHINE LAW: Read by DF. PUBLIC FORUM: No members of the public were present. MINUTES: A motion to accept the minutes of the December 16, 2019 meeting was made by BK; seconded by NG. The motion carried. REORGANIZATION: Election of Officers. MV proposed that the board members make nominations for each executive officer position. MV nominated BK for President, BK nominated MV and DF. DF was reelected President. For Vice President, VF, FZ and SG were nominated. SG was elected Vice President. For Secretary, MV was nominated but declined to serve again. VF, LP and BK were nominated. LP was elected Secretary. For Treasurer, NG was nominated but declined to serve again. MV was nominated and elected Treasurer. Appointment to Committees. For Policy Committee, the members shall be SG, NG, and BK. For Building and Grounds Committee, the members shall be CGD, VF, and MV. For Budget Committee, the members shall be BK, NG, and MV For Personnel Committee, the members shall be LP, FZ, and CGD. Designation of Legal Depositories. MU proposed that Lakeland Bank be the legal depository for the Library checking account and Valley National be the legal depository for the Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley checking account. A motion to accept these institutions as legal depositories was made by NG, seconded by FZ. The motion carried. Library Board 2020 Meeting Dates. MU circulated the Board Meeting Dates for 2020. The Board meets at 7pm on the fourth Monday of each except on May 18 and December 21 when the meeting will be on the third Monday of those months. Westwood Library Board Minutes January 27, 2020 Page 1 TREASURER'S REPORT: The treasurer's report and cash management fund was presented by NG. The total of the checking account, cash management fund and capital account is $166,880.74. A motion to accept the treasurer's report was made by BK and seconded by SG. The motion carried. The current bills list (6477-6499) was distributed. SG asked why the bill for PSE&G (check 6491) was for two months of service; MU replied that the November bill was not received in time. MV asked if the bill to replace the front door (check 6493) was an operating expense or from the capital funds; MU replied it is from the operating budget. The bills list for the capital account was distributed. There were two bills in January: the final payment for carpeting and a check for new shelving. The total was $16,737.66. A motion to accept the bills list was made by SG and seconded by LP. The motion carried. COMMITTEE REPORTS: None DIRECTOR'S REPORT: MU reported that programs for the month included Noon Year’s Eve (a New Year celebration for children), adult paper quilling, concerts, and a coding and robotics program for kids and teens. The annual March to the Oscars includes films nominated for awards. BCCLS has implemented unified loan periods for all materials. MU has begun work on a updating the library employee manual. PRESIDENT'S REPORT: None. OLD BUSINESS: Library Budget 2020. RB reported that Beth Dell has been appointed head of the finance committee for 2020. MU stated that new tables and chairs have been received for the new meeting room and children’s area; the director’s office has been relocated and construction, carpeting and painting are completed. NEW BUSINESS: MU stated that application for the NJ Library Construction Grant should be considered for library projects in 2020. The total grant is $125 million and libraries can apply for grants starting at $100K. MU has identified a project to reconstruct two rooms on the mezzanine level—one room would be made for use by patrons for study, tutoring and small group meetings and the other would be used by the Friends of the Westwood Library. MU has contacted FKA Architects for a preliminary plan and the borough grant writer for assistance and advice. The project is Westwood Library Board Minutes January 27, 2020 Page 2 projected to cost about $125K and would be partially funded by the Friends, Westwood for All Ages and the borough. MU stated that more BCCLS libraries are implementing or considering fine free programs. The Borough is implementing fiber optics town wide. MU is considering a mini-golf fundraiser in March or April that would include a Friday evening program for adults and a Saturday program for families. Businesses could sponsor holes in the course. Other Bergan county libraries have conducted mini-golf fund raisers. MV has accepted a position on the BCCLS Trustee Development Committee; the term begins in March. MEETING ADJOURNED: A motion to adjourn was made by NG; seconded by FZ. The meeting was adjourned by DF at 8:02 pm. Westwood Library Board Minutes January 27, 2020 Page 3