Haverhill Public Library
Board of Trustees
Minutes of July 18, 2024
The regular monthly meeting of the Trustees of the Haverhill Public Library was called to order at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, 2024 in the Whittier Conference Room. In attendance were Trustees Bresnahan, Coletti, Sheehan and Veasey-Sirois. Also in attendance was Director, Sarah Moser and Assistant Director, Jane Lemuth.
Secretary’s Report
The trustees were given copies of the minutes dated June 27, 2024. After perusing the minutes, a motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes. The minutes were approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Business manager, Josh, presented the financial highlights for June:
- This is the final FY24 report. Josh discussed the final figures in the endowment and special collections.
- Josh gave an update on the MacDougall trust.
- This has been a break-even year staying within the budget.
- Unrestricted gifts were down this year due to not receiving any large gifts but state aid funds were more than expected so it made up some of the difference.
Director’s Report
A copy of the director’s report was given to the trustees. Sarah discussed the highlights and other director’s news:
- June was focused on budget reconciliation and spending nothing that couldn’t wait.
- In Children’s was the summer reading kickoff party and they are now offering free lunches this summer.
- Sarah is working on the ARIS report of statistics. She noted that even with the flooding closure, attendance was up. The closure won’t have a large impact on statistics.
- Rebecca was promoted to Head of Reference. Her old position in reference is now open.
- Jackie can return to work part time.
Old Business
CHA and OverUnder want to make sure we are committed to continue with the $14 million proposal so they can hire a construction manager. They are looking for one that has experience with public and private organizations.
The trustees discussed hiring a lawyer that is experienced in municipal and construction law for the renovation project. Trustee Sheehan will look for one.
The trustees discussed the next steps in recruiting two new board members. Trustees Coletti and Bresnahan would like to work with Tom first to get him up to date and ready to help with the search.
New Business
The elevator has failed the state inspection and the repairs will cost about $80,000. Sarah will discuss this with Paul first.
Saturday will be the annual drag story time in childrens. We have received some negative comments on social media, some even from outside of Haverhill. Sarah let the police chief know about borderline threatening comments. The chief will talk to the police about possible protests. The trustees thanked Sarah for being proactive to keep everyone safe.
Annual Meeting
Today is the trustees annual meeting. They reviewed the trustees contact information and committee members. Trustee Veasey-Sirois volunteered to be the new treasurer for the board.
A vote was made to accept the FY25 meeting dates. All were in favor.
A vote was made to accept the 2025 holiday schedule. All were in favor.
There being no further business to discuss, a motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The meeting ended at 10:45 a.m.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Bresnahan