MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE PLATTEKILL PUBLIC LIBRARY: February, 2018
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Plattekill
Public Library
Board
of Trustees
February
8, 2018
The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM with the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Present were: Lynne Ridgeway,
President; Valerie Smith, Vice President; Trustee; Will Farrell, Trustee;
Luz Ledesma, Trustee; John Georghiou,
Director; Barbara Jacobini, Treasurer;
Donna Ebanks, Secretary
Excused: Karen Adamson
Public: SUT reporter, Mark Reynolds; Laura Dougherty.
Public Comment:
Laura Dougherty asked when the Board
meeting minutes for November and December 2017 would be posted on the
Library’s website. Barbara noted
that the December and January minutes are pending corrections. John said the
November 2017 minutes are now up on the website, however, a copy of the minutes
are available by request at the Library prior to posting on website. Ms.
Dougherty also requested clarification on the Library’s policy for obtaining
bids for large purchases or services, and a separate question regarding a
possible discrepancy on the cost of the water testing proposal that was
discussed at the January Board meeting. Lynne
will provide clarification to the former at the March Board meeting and Valerie
will reply to the later via email.
Mark Reynolds asked if the water testing
report has been received by the Board; Lynne said that it had not.
Correspondence:
Copies of a letter from a patron praising
the Library were distributed to all Board members
Secretary’s Report:
Barbara requested that under Financial
Reports the December minutes be amended to reflect the following changes:
·
Page 2, paragraph 4,
second line, the word “will” should be changed to “may.”
·
The first motion on
page 4, under Financial Report, should read as follows:
Motion to
move $1,500 from payroll line item to operations line item and
$1,500 from
government costs benefits line item to the operations line item was made by Joe
Egan and seconded by Luz Ledesma; all others were in favor.
Valerie requested that the third sentence of the last
paragraph on page one of the January minutes be amended to read as follows:
Valerie said that there are different
understandings of what moving ahead consists of.
Joe Egan arrived at 7:12 PM
David Padilla arrived at 7:00 PM
→
Motion to accept the revised December minutes as stated was made by
Valerie Smith and seconded by Luz Ledesma; David Padilla abstained and all
others were in favor.
→
Motion to approve the January 11 Board meeting minutes as amended was
made by Luz Ledesma and seconded by Will Farrell; David Padilla abstained and
all others were in favor.
Financial Report:
Barbara reviewed the financial report for
the Board.
John proposed that the following
full-time clerks: Angie Antzak, Barbara Jacobini, Donna Ebanks, and Marisol
Gerena, receive an hourly salary of $16.75 for 35 hours per week of work.
He also requested that the page position of Matthew Cline, be increased
to the current minimum wage of $10.40 per hour and part-time clerks Wendy
Massalone, Caitlin Cacciatore, and Michael Drago all receive the current minimum
wage of $10.40 per hour as well. John recommended that Ruth Jantzi receive and
hourly rate of $11 per hour, and paraprofessional Melissa Haselton receive and
hourly rate of $13 per hour.
Bookkeeper Barbara Jacobini noted the
proposed hourly salary increase amounts for the four fulltime employees as read
by John was incorrect and should be $17.75 per hour.
The Board engaged in a discussion
regarding the established budget and the proposed employee raises.
→
Motion to approve the salary adjustments as proposed was made by Valerie
Smith and seconded by Luz Ledesma. Motion failed
Yay: Luz
Ledesma
Nay: Joe
Egan
Recused: Will
Farrell
Valerie Smith
David
Padilla
Lynne Ridgeway
Items of note:
·
Barbara reported the
tax levy check from the Town was received this week in the amount of $446, 257.
59 and has been deposited.
·
All Disclosure of
Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics forms must be returned to Barbara this
month.
·
Approval of major
budget line items must be accomplished at this Board meeting.
·
A Budget &
Finance Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, February 22, at
6:30 PM.
·
Recommendation to
have the 2019 February Board meeting later in the month.
·
The State auditor
recommended the Budget & Finance Committee meet quarterly to review the
Budget vs. Actual reports to make any necessary adjustments.
·
Per David’s
request, the bookkeeper’s report includes a list of the total monies in the
bank at the end of the year prior to receiving the tax levy money.
·
The Budget &
Finance Committee should evaluate how the Library handles the contingency fund.
→
Motion to approve the Budget of $446, 779.97 as written was made by Joe
Egan and seconded by Will Farrell; all others were in favor.
→
Motion to approve payment of the bills pending audit was made by Will
Farrell and seconded by David Padilla; all others were in favor.
→
Motion to approve payment of payroll for the past month was made by Will
Farrell and seconded by Joe Egan; all others were in favor.
Director’s Report:
John
noted that he and Barbara are currently working on the Annual Report and will
begin working on the US Census data, both of which have deadline requirements.
→ Motion to appoint Michael
Drago to a temporary clerical position was made by Luz Ledesma and seconded by
Luz Ledesma; all others were in favor.
Committee Reports:
None
Unfinished Business:
Annual
review of Library policies must be completed.
Lynne will resend the policies via email to Board members.
Review
of results of the Annual review of polices was tabled to the March meeting.
New Business:
John
reported that the Friends met in January and are actively regrouping and
recruiting for officers and membership.
Advocacy
Day in Albany is Wednesday, February 28. John
and Lynne will be representing the Plattekill Library.
→ Motion to enter into
Executive Session at 8:35pm with the Director’s participation to a have a
discussion about matters involving potential litigation, a real estate
transaction that may affect its value and without the Director’s participation
to discuss a personnel matter involving salary adjustment about a specific
individual was made by Joe Egan and seconded by David Padilla; all others were
in favor.
The
Board left Executive Session at 10:20 PM.
→ Motion to authorize the
library’s counsel to commence litigation against Nemeth and Morrisey if
resolution is not achieved by February 23rd made by Luz Ledesma, seconded
by Valerie Smith. All in favor.
→ Motion to authorize the
library’s attorney to continue negotiations with the Town for purchase of this
property made by Luz Ledesma, seconded by Will Farrell. All ayes but Valerie
Smith, who voted Nay. Motion passed 5-1.
→ Motion to give the Director
a $3,000 raise to cover last year and this made by Valerie Smith, seconded by
Luz Ledesma. Ayes: Lynne Ridgeway, Valerie Smith, Luz Ledesma. Nays: David
Padilla, Joe Egan, and Will Farrell. The motion does not carry.
Adjournment:
Adjourned at 10:26 PM by motion of
Joe Egan.
Respectfully submitted by:
Donna Ebanks
Secretary