Palmyra Community Library
Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
October 19, 2017
Present: Carolyn Bradstreet, Deb Nagle, Sandy Goehle, Courtney Marr, Mike Braell, Shawn Williams, Patricia Baynes-Director, Kathy Wooden-Treasurer, Jennifer Voss-Clerk of the works
Excused:
Reports:
Meeting Minutes:
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the meeting minutes of September 21, 2017 were unanimously approved.
Director's Report:
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Director's report for September, 2017 was unanimously approved.
Treasurer's Report:
Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the September 2017 Treasurer's report was unanimously approved, including abstract #10, vouchers 2017-214 - 2017-234.
Public Comment:
There was no public comment, though a letter from a PCL user was shared.
Committees:
Grants: The NYS Library Construction Grant is pending, with nothing new to report.
Building and Grounds:
1.Patricia reported that underground electrical conduit work in the new parking lot was begun and completed on October 13, by Hartman Electric.
2.”One Way” signage in the parking lot has been installed.
3.Patricia reported that the painted striping on the new parking lot would be done as early as next Monday. It is hoped the markings will help direct the new traffic pattern in this area.
4.Carolyn continued a discussion on the need for a volunteer who would do routine maintenance at the PCL. The Board will continue to seek a volunteer.
5.After receiving a second estimate regarding the 8 trees on the east side of the building which need trimming, Jennifer recommended the Board accept the proposal of George Newsome’s Tree Care. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to accept Newsome’s proposal.
6.Patricia reported that Larry Harloff has now completed the garage painting and the cost was in line with the original estimate.
7.Patricia shared more details of an estimate from John Westerman for snow removal at PCL this winter, which includes plowing of sidewalks, the rear parking area and the new, graveled parking lot. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to accept the proposed contract with John Westerman for snow removal at PCL for the winter of 2017-2018.
8.Patricia shared her concern with the aged first floor air conditioning unit which is not working and would require expensive repairs. Further thought will be given to replacing the unit in 2018, rather than spending more money on repairs. Advice and a possible estimate will be sought from Potter Heating and Cooling.
9.Patricia reported some suspicious items/activity on the PCL back porch area. The police were notified. No further concerns have been noted since then. Patricia also noted that because of staff illness and planned vacation time, they have been somewhat short staffed, but that everyone was stepping up to insure continued, uninterrupted service for PCL patrons.
Items for Discussion/Resolution:
Carolyn highlighted some of the many upcoming events of interest: The PLS will be offering a Director/Trustee workshop on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 5:30 with presenter Jerry Nichols. Patricia, Carolyn, Sandy and Mike plan to attend.
There will be another NYLA webinar, “An introduction to Library Sustainability” on Nov. 17, 11:00-12:00. Carolyn has participated and found this to be informative. If interested, more information is available on the NYLA website.
Patricia will continue the community leader interviews, as we continue to gather data and input for future goal setting. Ron will be interviewing the PCL staff on Nov. 2.
The launch of the online community members’ survey, along with book marks and a Facebook “boost”, is going well, with 54 respondents the first day. The launch is expected to continue for 3-4 weeks, with Ron collating the data and preparing to report the results.
A discussion of a possible professional audit of PCL finances took place. Kathy outlined the procedure currently used annually. Patricia shared information received from other Libraries in regard to their experiences with a professional audit. A motion was made that “a full professional audit of PCL finances will be conducted within the next 2 years”. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. More information will be sought, including “Who to contact, what would be the cost involved, when the audit might take place”.
Carolyn opened a discussion of a holiday gift budget and ideas for PCL staff, with agreement made to discuss further.
Also highlighted were: upcoming painting classes with Becky Sloane, Get Fit with Kristi exercise classes, the next Friends Book review luncheon, Monday , November 13, with Camy Sorbello reviewing The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain and the Birth of the American Empire, registration required, for all events. And don’t forget The Haunted Library, Sat., Oct. 28, 2-4, admission, a box or can of food for the food pantry.
Round Table Discussions:
Next meeting-Thursday, November 16, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandy Goehle