SCARBOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of the Meeting
February 15, 2024 (hybrid meeting)
Attendees: Susan Powell (Vice President and Chair), Kate Borduas, J. David Dittmer, Ellen Detlefsen, Peter Freilinger, Judy Johnson, Barbara Kapp, Kathy Little, Richard Schrader (Director, non-voting), Catherine Morrison (Assistant Director, non-voting)
Absent: Bill Donovan, Jonathan Anderson, Kim Corthell
The meeting was called to order at 4:33 PM by Susan Powell.
Consent Calendar: Barbara Kapp noted that the Consent Calendar included a report from the PNG Committee dated 2/1/2024. As this was not actually circulated to the Board, Ellen Detlefsen made a motion to adopt the Consent Calendar excluding that report. Motion was seconded by Kate Borduas and carried unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: Dave Dittmer had nothing to add to the written report he had submitted to the Board except to emphasize that we are still running close to budget at this point in the year. Motion to file for audit was made by Barbara Kapp, seconded by Ellen Detlefsen, and carried unanimously.
Library Director’s Report: Chip Schrader reported that he is now expecting three bids for the cost of obtaining and installing a generator, but the $155k we will include in our CIP request to the Town Council should be very close to the final estimate. The library has already received several inquiries about the position of Development Coordinator which was posted on the first of the month.
Town Councilor’s Remarks: Since Jon Anderson could not attend the meeting, he sent an email to Chip Schrader with an update on Council activities that are of interest to the library. Chip shared Jon’s comments that the Council approved goals for 2024 which include a multiyear capital investment plan beyond their traditional CIP that would encompass things like the library expansion. They have set a budget goal to have the net increase come in at less than 5%. But 2024 will be a challenging year in that many residents will experience a tax increase as a result of the revaluation, and this will likely impact any capital project plans in the near term. The new School Committee kicked off on February 12, and interested library Board members can review the session on the Council’s website.
President’s Remarks: Susan Powell had nothing to report on behalf of Bill Donovan.
Unfinished Business:
Budget. Motion to approve the budget with updated base payroll increased from 4.45% to 4.7% and the CIP narrative was made by Peter Freilinger, seconded by Ellen Detlefsen, and carried unanimously.
Space limitation challenges. Chip talked about the numerous requests for space that the library regularly has to turn down. And while the AARP weekly tax program greatly benefits the community at this time of year, it puts a strain on the library’s resources. He was reminded to keep a list of requests that the library is unable to accommodate because of space limitations.
New Business:
Bylaws adoption. Motion to approve the Bylaws as presented in the Board packet was made by Kate Borduas, seconded by Barbara Kapp, and carried unanimously.
Committee changes. Motion to approve changing the PNG (Policy, Nominating, and Governance) Committee to the SPG (Strategy, Policy, and Governance) Committee as outlined in a proposal submitted to the Board was made by Ellen Detlefsen, seconded by Kate Borduas, and carried unanimously.
When follow-up discussion revealed a mistake in the wording of the previous motion, Kate Borduas amended it to read as follows: Motion to approve changing the PNG (Personnel, Nominating, and Governance) Committee to the SPG (Strategy, Personnel, and Governance) Committee as outlined in a proposal submitted to the Board. Ellen Detlefsen seconded the amended motion, and it carried unanimously.
April meeting schedule. Chip will be away the third week of April and unavailable the second week. It was therefore decided the Board will meet on Thursday, April 25, at 4:30 PM.
Director’s evaluation. Peter Freilinger reported that the SPG Committee is working on a six month evaluation for Chip in addition to the annual evaluation, as they feel the shorter time frame will be more helpful in terms of assessing how things are going from both the Board’s and the staff’s perspective. They will report on the process at the April Board meeting.
Staff appreciation. Kate Borduas had circulated a report to the Board from the CRD Committee noting that staff should receive a more generous annual bonus, and that the potluck supper of past years might be replaced by a team-building sort of event where Board and staff could mingle in a more casual environment. The Committee works closely with Elsa Rowe, Community Engagement Manager, whom Kate described as “crackerjack”.
Strategic planning. Peter Freilinger reported that the SPG Committee is now about halfway through the process of identifying goals and objectives for the plan. They hope to make a presentation to the Board next month.
Items for Next Agenda:
Strategic planning update
Director’s evaluation
Budget results
Adjournment: Motion to adjourn was made by Ellen Detlefsen, seconded by Susan Powell, and carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 5:31 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Barbara Kapp, Secretary