Gay Kimball Library Trustee Meeting Minutes 8/1/24

Attending: Pilar Goodell, Steve Obert, Colleen Brennan

Absent: Kristan Tilton

Call to order 5:38

• Discussed email from Kristan regarding $100 budget line stipulation in trustee documents. Will look into further when Kristan can comment. Looks like something we can’t do much about right now but can pursue for next budget.
• Went over Librarian and treasurer reports
• Beyond the Bell Summer program going into last week. Has been a good collaboration, brought in lots of kids.
• Discussed upcoming programming- Laura Ingalls Wilder impersonator – $265 expense (which is half of the total expense, half being paid by Historical Society) Will need a check for event. We can plan to make sure we can stop by to have a check prepared and signed beforehand.
• Other upcoming programming expense $50 Veronica, presenting on sustainability
• Discussed current state of accounts. Bills up to date but held off on Sentinel bill to discuss with the group. Would be almost $600 expense to renew for the year but with account bal close to $2000 not comfortable with that large an expense right now especially with programming expenses expected in coming weeks. Decided to renew for 13 wks at a lower price point $138, check written out at the meeting. In meantime will look into history of trust disbursements. In reviewing bank statements from last year, it appears that we may have only received 3 last year. Colleen could not find one at the start of the year for 2023. This could be part of the reason the account has been sitting lower than it used to. In the past when the sitting balance was usually between $3K and $4K. We will look into further and also plan to talk to Kristan on if we can request an additional disbursement if we find we did only receive 3 instead of 4 last year. Discussed if the disbursements are on a set schedule because the Spring disbursement was late, arriving mid/late May. Wondering if this will throw off our remaining 2 disbursements for this year.
• Summer reading program prizes were discussed. There had been some conversation last meeting of seeking donations as Rotary club previously had provided bikes. Kristan was going to look into some options. Not sure where that stands, but running out of time. We currently have some donated used bikes in place of new ones.
• Confirmed that majority of fines account funds were moved into checking. Left $27 in fines account just in case a minimum balance was required. I don’t believe the account can be closed online. We can move more over once we know we won’t be assessed fees for too little in there.
• Steve asked about uses of the checking account (programming, collections, office supplies). Discussed recent paper towel Amazon order that should be reimbursed from town budget from custodial budget funds.
• Discussed state requirements regarding library holds. Discussion being had at the state level about lowering from 5 to 3. Pilar looking more into to get a better understanding of this.
• Also discussed the ceiling tiles again. We don’t want to mess with the sprinklers but discussed purchasing a single box to replace the water stained ones at least. Steve will be at Home Depot and see about pricing.

Adjourned 6:26pm

Colleen Brennan