Minutes of the Meeting
Fitzwilliam Town Library Board of Trustees
11 July, 2022
Present: Trustees Robin Marra, Beth Lorenz, Richard Marshall, Carole Beckwith, Pam Troccia and Kate Thomas, Library Director; Alternate Trustees Nancy Fey-Yensan and Brian Doerpholz .
Robin Marra called the meeting to order at 5:44 in the Quick Meeting Room of the Library.
The minutes of the June 6, 2022 meeting were reviewed. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Richard Marshall and seconded by Beth Lorenz. The motion was approved by all Trustees.
The manifest was reviewed and signed by all Trustees present.
Under the Chair’s report, Kate discussed the removal of an elm tree on the library property that has contracted Dutch Elm disease. Richard Mays has volunteered to take the tree down. The bricks on the walkway near the side of the library have become uneven over the years and are presenting a hazard to patrons who walk that way. Kate will look for the previous estimate received to replace the bricks and the Trustees will discuss whether new quotes are needed at the next meeting. A “Watch your Step” sign will be ordered and put up until the hazard can be taken care of.
Kate reviewed the Library Directors report and Expenses to Date. Circulation for June was up 3% at a total of 1,702. There were ten adult programs and eight children’s programs presented, with a total attendance of 117. More children have been attending the programs, an increase that seems to be driven by children and grandchildren of summer residents. Rich Macomber has completed the upgrades on the computers. Kate also discussed some cleaning and small repairs that have been made.
Under Old Business, Kate is continuing to work on the description booklet for the Locke Collection to be available when the collection is ready for display. The Trustees reviewed the amended Gift Policy. Pam Troccia made a motion to approve the amended policy. That motion was seconded by Beth Lorenz and approved by all Trustees. The Chair, Robin Marra, presented a revised Bulletin Board Policy that included policy information for the new chalkboard located on the porch of the library. Announcements placed on the chalkboard are not limited to local cultural/educational events or announcements from local non-profit groups and can include community-based events, such as yard sales, etc. It was suggested that an item be placed in the Town Newsletter to let the community know the chalkboard is now available for use. Brian Doerpholz suggested a separate policy for the Chalkboard. Robin will present a policy for the Chalkboard to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Trustees. Beth Lorenz made a motion to approve the current Bulletin Board policy. The motion was seconded by Carole Beckwith and approved by all Trustees. After review of the Meeting Rooms and Grounds Policy, a motion was made by Robin Marra, seconded by Beth Lorenz, to approve the current policy. The motion was approved by all Trustees.
Under New Business, Richard Marshall reported on the ongoing research being done on the trust documents, to arrive at a final determination of donor intent and prescribed use of earnings. He also presented a breakdown of the types of accounts the library’s invested monies are currently being held in and suggestions on how those accounts may be changed to acquire a better return on investments. The Trustees discussed different investment opportunities and have asked Richard to start having conversations with investment firms who would be able to manage these monies to best benefit the library. The Board also noted that the current Investment Policy will need to be amended to include some new investment vehicles that may be used in the future.
Nicholas Lewis of Vachon, Clukay & Company, PC recently completed an audit of library procedures regarding controls and maintenance of accounts. Mr. Lewis made suggestions to improve the tracking of activity in all accounts held by the library. These suggestions will be implemented going forward.
The Board discussed the implementation of the Strategic Plan. Kate will be providing a synopsis of one goal and action step(s) for the Trustees to review, a week before the next scheduled meeting. This goal and action step(s) will be on the agenda for discussion and implementation, with that procedure being followed at subsequent meetings each month.
Under Ongoing Business, Beth Lorenz said that the caps for the porch railings are in and ready to be installed. Richard Marshall will reach out to the Trustees of the Trust to determine whether funds from the Margaret Davis Fund can be used for work on the fence. Kate and Nancy Fey-Yensan have been working with the Friends of the Library on programming. The Friends are gearing up for the book sale to be held in August.
As there were no other announcements or new business, the next Trustee meeting has been scheduled for Monday, August 1, 2022 at 5:45, with Zoom access available. The Circulation, Telescope and Chalkboard Policies will be presented for review and approval.
A motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:00 p.m. was made by Pam Troccia and seconded by Beth Lorenz. The motion was approved by all Trustees.
Respectfully submitted.
Pam Troccia
Secretary