TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN

Public Library

Board of Library Trustees

Minutes of Meeting January 22, 2007

Meeting was held at the Provincetown Public Library, 356 Commercial St.

 

Members Present:  Mick Rudd, Chair; Paul Benatti, Vice Chair; CJ Noyes, Secretary; Lyn Kratz,

Members Absent:  Cathy Metzger

Others Present:  Debbie DeJonker-Berry, Library Director

Members of the Public:  James Cole, Marcia Fair, Doug Johnstone

Call to Order:  Mick Rudd called the meeting to order at 7:17pm

 

1.  Public Statements:  Marcia thanked Maghi Geary from Provincetown Florist for organizing the library merchandise display.

 

2.  Minutes:  Mick moved to accept the minutes of the November 20, 2006 meeting of the Board of Library Trustees as written.  Paul seconded the motion.  There was no discussion.  The vote passed 4-0-1 (absent).

 

MOTION:  Paul moved to change the order of the agenda, making item #6D the next item to be discussed.  Lyn seconded the motion.  There was no discussion.  The vote passed 4-0-1 (absent).

 

6. Resource Development Report

d.   CPA Request:  Presentation – Doug Johnstone came before the Trustees to present a plan for housing the Heritage Museum collection in the basement of the current library.  The historical items that have been housed on the second floor of the Freeman building must be moved, and the Grace Goveia building is unacceptable.  He stated that that the storage space needs to be a climate-controlled environment.  He proposed that space in the basement could be allocated for both the Heritage Museum and the library’s special collection.  Debbie said that Community Preservation grant funds could provide financial support for this project and that this would help the library collection as well.  The deadline for the CP grant application would be February 7, 2007.  Debbie stated that she would love to see the basement utilized in this way.  Paul suggested using another space for this project, but Debbie said that she felt the library was more accessible.  Mick questioned the possibility of flooding.  Debbie said that the water table is 8 feet below the basement ground.  Doug said that he needed approval to move forward with the grant and to go to the community with letters asking for funding. 

 

MOTION:  Lyn moved to approve the concept of utilizing a portion of the southern sector of the library’s lower level as a site for a climate controlled storage area for the Town’s Heritage Museum Collection and the Library’s Provincetown Collection, and to support the Town Clerk’s CPA Grant application.  Paul seconded the motion.  No further discussion ensued.  The vote passed 4-0-1 (absent). 

 

MOTION:  Paul moved to have the Library Trustees write a letter of support to the Town Clerk for the CPA project.  Lyn seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1(absent).

 

a.    Donor mailing/annual appeal – Two back-to-back appeals went out to the public, one in November and one in December.  Mick referred to the Gift and Cash reports stating that $10,610 had been received in December, which brought the total to $1,131,378.

 

 c.    Resource Development Planning – The Trustees discussed the need to internalize the work that Marcia has been doing.  The Trustees scheduled a Resource Development meeting for February 22nd at 9am.

 

4.     Chair’s Report

a.     Budget Discussion – On January 16th Deb and Mick met with the Town Manager, presenting to him the need for the library to increase its budget 42% on the on-call line item.  This increase is necessary to handle the Capital Campaign by adding a 10-hour a week position, and to fund a previously Federal-funded library position.  The Town Manager agreed to support the budget increase.

 

b.  Belfry Report – Debbie stated that on the Invitation for Bids, the finial is being pulled out of the contract because DPW can work on it.  The trap door access way to the bell has also been pulled from the bid both to decrease costs and maintain the integrity of the existing roof.  Debbie stated that the bell has got to be ready when the belfry is ready to be placed back on the top of the building.

 

MOTION:  Lyn moved that a report on the cost of different levels of restoration on the bell be added to the next Trustee’s meeting agenda.  Paul seconded.  The vote passed 4-0-1(absent).

 

d.   Building Fund Transfer – Debbie presented an email to the Trustees from the Town Manager requesting the first payment for the Library’s Debt Service.  Deb stated that we have the funds available in the Building Fund.

 

MOTION:   Paul moved to approve the transfer of $84,830.63 from the Library Building Gift Fund in order to meet the first payment to cover the Library building debt service for FY2007.  Cj seconded the motion.  The vote passed 4-0-1.

 

Of the payment, Paul questioned how much was interest vs. principle and whether the Trustees were paying interest on the entire amount. Marcia suggested that the discussion get tabled until the next meeting so that the Library Director can do more research. Mick asked the Trustees if they wanted to go through it now or postpone it due to the ambiguity.  The Trustees decided to move the motion and they signed the vote.

 

MOTION:  Paul moved to authorize Debbie to submit a letter along with the vote taken tonight requesting monies owed to the Town by the Library with the goal of establishing a loan agreement between the Town and the Library.  Cj seconded.  The vote passed 4-0-1(absent).

 

e.      VSB Grant – Mick presented to the Trustees a copy of the VSB Tourism Grant Application for FY2008 for the Provincetown Heritage Day on June 14, 2008 that he and Debbie would be submitting.  There would be 3-4 public events involving a ‘One Book, One Community’ reading of Nathaniel Philbrick’s ‘Mayflower,’ culminating in an event on Heritage Day 2008. The Truro Library stated that they would want to participate in this event.  The Selectmen have also shown an interest.  Mick and Debbie will also be applying for two other grants as well.

 

 

 

7.   Director’s Report

d.        Staffing-On Call/Emergency Staffing – Karen has been out sick.  Deb is hoping that she’ll be able to work part-time on the Rose Dorothea project so that the video will be for the June 14th Heritage Day event this spring.  The library has gone over budget due to Karen’s illness.  Deb thanked Renee for covering while Deb was on vacation.

 

a.    Building Issues and Operations – The library has new software, new computers and people counters in place.  A new security twist has arisen.  When Deb was on vacation, the code the security system was given to a temporary custodial person, which now breaches library security.  Mick stated that the library definitely needs a policy about who should have access to security code.  The Trustees discussed this issue and said that they thought that the code should be changed in the immediate future, but a long-term policy needs to be in place.  

 

MOTION:  Paul moved to instruct the Director to change the security code for the building entry alarm system.  Cj seconded.  The vote passed 4-0-1 absent.  There was no further discussion. 

 

Debbie also wanted to say that she felt like the library was losing ground.  An outside piece of the building has fallen, there are new cracks inside, and DPW should be giving us time for routine maintenance.  Deb will pursue this with DPW.  The furnace will be on the top of her list; it’s not working properly.

 

b.    Long Range Plans/Survey – Deb suggested that each of the Trustees take an hour and hand out surveys to the public, once in the spring and once in the fall.  The Trustees decided 5-6 hours over a week and chose the week of May 13-19.

 

c.     Exhibits, Events and Tours Rose Dorothea MFH grant update – Deb directed the Trustee’s attention to emails in their packet about the Tennessee William’s Festival and poetry/multimedia series.  Paul and Lyn thought it was a good idea.  Deb mentioned including the Provincetown Bookstore.  The Hyannis Library wants to collaborate on a grant to digitize films from the Cape Cod Museum of Art.

 

       The price quote is in on some good quality blinds.  Three blinds will be arriving next week, and the Mezzanine windows will be next.

 

       Mick thanked Marcia for writing the Annual Report.

 

8.  New Business – There was no further business presented or discussed.

      Next Meeting:  The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 7:15pm at the library.

Adjournment:  Cj moved and Paul seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:15pm.  The vote passed 4-0-1(absent).

 

These minutes were approved by a vote of the Provincetown Library Board of Trustees present at their

meeting on ___________________________________.

 

Respectfully submitted:

___________________________________________                        _________________________

Library Board of Trustees signature                                                          Title

(Minutes prepared by Jean Jarrett)