Haverhill Public Library
Board of Trustees
Minutes of January 18, 2018
The regular monthly meeting of the Trustees of the Haverhill Public Library was called to order at 8:39 a.m. on Thursday, January 18, 2018, in the Donald C. Freeman Whittier Room. In attendance were Trustees Klueber, Coletti, Bresnahan, Veasey, and Rurak, along with Director Sarah Moser. Trustee Sheehan joined the meeting at approximately 9:30.
Secretary’s Report
The trustees were given copies of the minutes dated December 21, 2017. After taking a few moments to peruse the minutes, a motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes as recorded. The minutes were so approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Perry Frankston, Business Manager, provided copies of the December financials for the trustees to examine. He reported the investment performance continues to be strong. There was a brief discussion of the financial reports.
The yearly audit is still underway, with the auditors pushing for increased documentation with relation to restricted vs. unrestricted funds. Discussion followed, with the suggestion coming that Perry should look into aggregating the breakdown of funds for more thorough examination at next month’s meeting.
A motion was made and seconded to approve the reports. Approval was unanimous.
Director’s Report
A copy of the Director’s Report was given to the trustees, which included some year-in-review from departments.
Food For Fines took place in December with over 500 items collected for Sacred Hearts. Plans are to run this event twice each year going forward.
Old Business
The Friends group is pleased with the finished kitchenette.
The Senter project is moving along at good pace and more archives are being made available. The 2nd donation from Art Geoffrion has come in and the Trustees need to provide their matching funds.
Asbestos removal has been scheduled and continuing work on mold removal will follow. A suggestion from the Maroney is that the library obtain a large capacity dehumidifier to run 24/7 in the basement in order to minimize the opportunity for further mold growth.
Leaks in various areas of the library are being worked on, with the goal of avoid damage until spring, when necessary roof repairs can be made.
Angelo Petrozzelli is expected to provide final blueprints for the bathroom remodel by the end of the month. The project is expected to take place in the spring and will take 2-3 months. During that time, upstairs restrooms located adjacent the auditorium will be open to the public. A plumber inspected the 2nd floor bathrooms’ water pressure. If the problem is in fittings or pipes located in the building, it will be repaired. If it is a city issue, it would be cost-prohibitive to pursue.
Dick Sheehan has had no further movement on the acquisition of a library vehicle. He will contact another dealership to explore options. It is desired that city funds designated for outreach services be directed toward the vehicle and pop-up library initiative rather than toward the library vending machine.
Condo insurance is in need of renewal, and option exists to re-inventory the art collection. However, the existing rider remains in place.
Despite a significant influx of applications for the Administrative Assistant position, no viable candidate was located. Many applicants were unqualified, and the response rate from qualified applicants was minimal. Sarah approached the Mayor about increasing the hours from 19 to 30, and received approval to do so. It will be reposted with the hope that increased hours and benefits attracts a more viable candidate pool.
New Business
Emergency Preparedness training from Haverhill Police Department will take place on Wednesday, January 24th. The Mayor gave permission for the library to close at 2:30 that day for the training. The public will be notified via all normal channels about this change in schedule.
Sarah provided information and passed around quotes for replacements of the phone system, self-checks, and AMH. According to Steve Berezansky, the phone system is the most in need of replacement, followed by the self-checks and the AMH. After discussion, the Trustees authorized Sarah to go forward with the phone system and self-check replacements assuming cooperation from an expected donor.
Patron Appreciation Day will take place on Sunday, March 4th from 1-4:30 p.m. The library will remain open during the event.
There being no further business to discuss, a motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The meeting ended at 9:55 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen Bresnahan
Secretary