HomeMy Public PortalAboutDecember 5, 2017 minutes with linksTrustees of the
Watertown Free Public Library
December 5, 2017
Present: Sheppard Ferguson, Leanne Hammonds, Penelope Peoples, Raya Stern, Carol Tierney, Timothy Tracy,
Trustees; Leone Cole, Director; Caitlin Browne, Assistant Director
Mr. Tracy brought the meeting to order at 6:04 PM. The meeting was not recorded for video. A round of
introductions took place.
Secretary's Report: Mr. Ferguson moved to accept the October 17, 2017 minutes, as amended; Ms. Peoples
seconded. All voted in favor.
Public Forum: No one signed up to speak.
Financial Report: Ms. Stern reminded Trustees to submit receipts for Trustee expenses to Natasha if they wish to be
reimbursed. Mr. Ferguson raised a question about the Capital line item for Improvements/ Building Renovation. Ms.
Cole said that would be covered in the Director's report. The Griffin fund has about $4,600 available for spending;
Ms. Cole recommends holding onto it for a while.
Ms. Stern asked if we get patron donations on a regular basis. Mr. Tracy suggested putting out a donation box for
patrons who might want to give spontaneously. Ms. Cole mentioned a Belmont family, which has made an annual gift
of $500 for the past 2-3 years.
Burke fund: A letter from the Boston Foundation is included in the meeting packet. It states that the WFPL will
receive a grant from the Burke Fund in the amount of $27,086.29 this fiscal year.
Ms. Cole said that Children's staff are encouraged to spend their budget for materials earlier in the year rather than later
because the Boston Foundation wants to know how the money is being spent.
Hatch financials: The program is doing well under Liz Helfer's leadership. She has brought in good volunteers and
has introduced new programs and workshops, which are detailed in the meeting packet. Mr. Tracy asked if we have
enough space given Hatch's popularity. The space is adequate for now, but one thing we could use is a work sink,
which is not possible in The Residence. This will be a factor in deciding on a permanent location. Ms. Stern asked if
any progress had been made on securing space in the old Police Station. No new developments on that front. Ms.
Hammonds asked if any scouts have visited Hatch. Two Girl Scout troops are scheduled to come in to make badges.
Ms. Tierney voted to accept the Financial Report; Ms. Hammonds seconded. All voted in favor.
Director's Report: Action plan: In keeping with the new performance evaluation process, the Director included a
copy of the library's FY17 action plan including progress notes. Notable in the plan is the migration of the library's
web site to the Town's site (Civic Plus). The style of the site will change, but we will still control the content. Efforts
will be made to keep the distinctive character of the site with design constraints. One advantage of Civic Plus is that
the vendor can guarantee ADA accessibility, which our current vendor cannot.
LIG/MEG request and update on capital items and plan: Ms. Cole requested $17,161 to replace condenser coils in two
rooftop HVAC units. A motion was made and seconded to approve the request. All voted in favor. Ms. Cole and
Ms. Browne met with the new Director of Public Buildings to assess capital needs. The only need currently listed in
the Town's plan is boiler replacement estimated at $80,000 in the FY20 budget. No further needs have been identified
at this time except several lower cost items, which can be paid from the Improvement/Building Renovation line in the
regular operating budget. These items are enumerated in the meeting packet. Among them is $8,000 for replacement
lighting. The actual cost of the lighting project is $38,000, which includes significant rebates. The Auditor may have
a source for the additional $30,000 but has not yet confirmed that. Should the extra funding not come through, the
lighting will use up almost all of the $41,000 capital line, and smaller projects will have to wait until next year.
Old Business: The staff holiday luncheon will be on Tuesday, December 19, 12-2 pm in the Watertown Savings
Bank Room. The cost will be $850 instead of the $800 originally planned to accommodate staff members' dietary
restrictions.
Following up on Mr. Ferguson's question about the staff messaging guide, a Frequently Asked Questions document
was included in the meeting packet. This serves the purpose of the messaging guide and is updated quarterly.
This was Raya Stern's last meeting to attend as a trustee after over 30 years of service on the Board. The Trustees and
the Director expressed their gratitude for her incredible service and dedication to the WFPL before going to a party in
her honor in the Watertown Savings Bank Room. Thanks and best wishes were also offered to Carol Tierney who is
stepping down from the Board after four years of service.
Requests for Information:
Next Meeting: January 10, 2018
Motion to adjourn at 6:41 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol Tierney
ENCLOSURES: Agenda; Draft October 17, 2017 Minutes; FY18 Year -to -Date Budget Report; FY18 Funds and
Grants; Ruth Griffm Fund Activity Sheet; Burke FY18; Hatch Financial Report; Memo re: Hatch Updates; Hatch
Workshop List; Memo re: Mid -year FY17 Action Plan; WFPL FY17-22: 2017 Action Plan; Memo re: LIG/MEG
request and update on capital items and plan; Cannistraro Service Group quote for condenser coils; WFPL Frequently
Asked Questions; Letter from Boston Foundation re: Burke Fund award; Circulation Statistics