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Minutes of September 2015 Meeting

LARCHMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MINUTES OF MEETING

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

The Larchmont Public Library Board of Trustees met on, September 9, 2015 at 6:45 p.m., attended by Board Chair Pamela Dubitsky (PD), Trustees Jennifer Conley (JC), Lauren Gottfried (LG), Maureen LeBlanc (ML), Barbara Liptak (BL), John McGarr (JM), Village Liaison Marlene Kolbert (MK), Town of Mamaroneck Liaison Abby Katz (AK),, Library Director Laura Eckley (LE) and Assistant Director June Hesler (JH). Trustee Iven Taub and Friends Liaison Wendy Raso were absent.
Board Chair PD called the meeting to order at 6:50 p.m.
The Board reviewed and unanimously approved the Minutes of the Board Meeting of June 10, 2015.

Friends of the Larchmont Public Library Liaison Report

LE reported that the Friends’ magazine fundraising drive raised more than $4,000.  She also reported that upcoming programs include author Ben Yagoda (9/20), Westchester Review author readings (9/27), and M&M Productions’ presentation of “Sight Unseen” (10/11), and noted that the Friends annual fundraising letter is expected to be mailed in early November.

Committee Reports

Finance and Budget Committee

Schedule of Bills and Performance Report: The Board reviewed and unanimously approved the Schedule of Bills dated 7/13/15, 7/16/15, 8/10/15, 8/12/15, 9/2/15 and 9/9/15.  The Board received the final Annual Fiscal Year 2014/15 Performance Report and the Performance Report dated 9/3/15.

Building and Grounds

Transformation:  PD reported that she and LE will meet with architectural firm Lothrop & Associates, and the firm is finalizing the construction documents. She also reported that bid documents will be published shortly, with the expectation that contractors’ bids will be opened in early November and the contract awarded in early December, with construction to begin January 2016.
Ryder Brown Garden: LE reported the final work is being completed on the garden in anticipation of the dedication, scheduled for September 26th (which is also Big Truck Day and the launch of the Village 125th celebration). LE and the Board expressed their tremendous appreciation to the Brown Family for allowing the library to play a role in honoring their late son, Ryder Brown, and for their ongoing commitment to the garden – providing a wonderful outdoor space for the children and families of the community – and thanked the many friends and family who donated to the garden, the Garden Club of Larchmont for donating funds from the Mary McGee fund to support the garden, and landscape designer Catherine Wachs for her work in designing the garden.

Director’s Report

Upon the recommendation of Director Eckley, the Board unanimously approved the hire of the following staff: Linnea Mossmann, full time Children’s Librarian I at an annual salary of $57,161 effective 8/17/15; Janine Henry, part time Children’s Librarian at an hourly rate of $28.00 effective 8/25/15, and Marca McClenon, part time Children’s Librarian at an hourly rate of $31.50 effective 6/27/15. LE also reported that: participants in the children’s summer reading program exceeded the number of participants from last year; participants in the teen summer reading program read both longer and more books; the adult summer reading program had eighty participants; WLS sponsored Learning Ambassador, Rayaan Baa, was a great help during the summer; Teen Librarian Kim Larson applied for and received a WLS mini grant for fall programs involving fashion and sewing, and has assembled a team of middle school students to participate in WLS’s Battle of the Books in October 2015; and Assistant Director June Hesler applied for and received a grant from the NY Council for the Humanities for an Older & Wiser discussion series this Fall and a mini grant from WLS for a playwriting workshop series in spring 2016.

Additional Items

JH reported that equipment with a value of $0 was recycled. JH thanked the Board for the opportunity to attend the American Library Association Conference in June and reported on some of the conference sessions she had attended. In response to a question from VOL Trustee MK about library services during the renovation, the Board and LE discussed the closure in detail, including the timeline for communicating information to the public as well as what and how services will be provided.

Executive Session

The Board voted unanimously to enter into Executive Session to discuss legal matters at 8:25 p.m. The Board voted unanimously to exit the Executive Session at 8:47 p.m.
JM made a motion, seconded by BL, to approve the following resolution, which the Board then passed unanimously: Resolved, that in order to proceed with the replacement of leaking windows installed during the 2009-10 renovation of the Larchmont Public Library Childrens’ Room and the Village of Larchmont Village Center, and upon the advice of legal counsel, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Larchmont Public Library (the “Library”) hereby (1) approves the attached settlement with Titan Construction Group Inc. and (2) authorizes Library Board Chair, Pamela Dubitsky, to sign such settlement agreement on behalf of the Library. Further resolved, that the Board directs Village of Larchmont Treasurer to move $60,000 from the Library Unreserved Fund Balance to the Library Capital Fund for Children’s Room Renovation.
Board Chair Dubitsky adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board will be held on October 14, 2015.
 
Respectfully submitted,
June Hesler
Assistant Director

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