Board of Trustees Minutes (1/18/2021)

Wiggin Memorial Library Stratham, NH
Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
Monday, January 18, 2021, 6:30pm
Virtual Meeting Via Zoom

I. Call to Order - Kate Kim called the meeting to order at 6:34 pm. Attendees - Library Director Lesley Kimball, Library Trustee and Chair Kate Kim, Library Trustee Michael Hunter, Library Trustee and Treasurer Steve Simons, Library Trustee and Secretary Susan Wilbur, Library Trustee Joanne Ward, Library Alternate Trustee Kathy Bower, Library Alternate Trustee Mike Deutsch, Library Alternate Trustee Beth Rohloff
II. Welcome / Guests -
III. Review / Adoption of Minutes - Steve made a motion to adopt the December 14, 2020 meeting minutes. Joanne seconded the motion. Via roll call vote, all voted in favor.
IV. Director’s Report - Lesley shared via email. Curbside pickup and phone contact with patrons continue to go well. Originally, today was a placeholder date to review the service levels. Based on the community numbers, Lesley doesn’t want to change the service level and will review in a couple weeks. Lesley is pleased with the stats for the end of year. Going into 2021, she is excited about the different creative ideas the staff has… teen book boxes, take and make kits, snowy day kits, knit kits, zoom knit group, Valentine delivery to kids, virtual and in-person SMS visits. Lesley also shared the 2020 WML Annual Report via email.
V. Old Business - a. Budget Status - The town is putting together the preliminary budget that the Select Board will present to the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC). The salary line increases that the library asked for have been included in the preliminary budget.
a. Upcoming Meetings
i. Budget Advisory Committee - 1/19/21
ii. Select Board & BAC - 1/25/21 (Departments will be invited if additional information is needed.)
b. Information
i. Presentations - https://www.strathamnh.gov/budget-advisory-committee
ii. Most Recent (1/8/21) Preliminary Budget - https://tinyurl.com/yxtqguzd
b. Guidance Plan - Lesley shared via email an updated guidance plan. She looked through the reopening plans the library had in 2020 and looked at the values outlined in the current strategic plan (2015-2020). As a result, she came up with some high level goals for this year - getting the doors open to patrons, working towards the space study, developing library services that happen outside of the library and redesigning of the organizational structure. Values in the current strategic plan include community and connection, learning, kindness, reading, positivity/fun. Lesley would like feedback from the board via email (in the next week) as to whether these values/goals line up with what we think the library should have for values and goals. Lesley will work with staff to define goals for each position. Kathy thinks the library has been incredibly responsive to this past year’s challenges and suggests considering that a value for the library.
c. Fundraising -
i. Sweetgrass Farm - Joanne shared that there were some order mix ups, orders lost and some low inventory. The fundraiser should be done earlier next year. Sweetgrass suggested October. Lesley thought the library made about $350-$370 this year.
ii. Annual Appeal, Adopt Gifts - Lesley shared that the annual appeal information to be accepted is on the back of the treasurer’s report that was emailed to the BOT. There is also a separate Annual Appeal summary document showing the totals raised for the year. Steve moved to accept the donations of $11,765 (annual appeal) that have come in since the BOT last met. Michael seconded the motion. Via roll call vote, all voted in favor.
iii. Targeted? - On the Annual Appeal summary, Lesley shared that she didn’t get a typical appeal mailing out in 2020. She is thinking about whether to do one in January or save that mailing for a particular challenge/ask or wait until November for a mailing. In 2020, 53 people donated to the library ($16,585) vs. 38/40 in 2019 ($14,030). 18 of the 53 were donors who have never given to the library. Lesley’s Giving Tuesday emails reached some new people. Lesley shared that there is a healthy balance in the fundraising savings account (approximately $88,000). Do we decide on a project? Do we set up a trust/sustaining account for the library? For example, $50,000 could be put towards a sustaining account and the remainder could be a nest egg for projects. Discussion followed about the pros and cons of different approaches to the money, including waiting until “post-COVID” to see how the library services permanently change and waiting until the space study is completed.
VI. New Business -
a. Elections, Candidates/Filing - Joanne and Susan’s terms are up this year. Both are 3 year terms. Susan is interested in running again. Joanne is on the fence and will let Lesley know by the end of the week. Steve said that the candidate filing period is from 1/20-1/29.
b. Town Updates: New Town Planner, Recent Select Board Minutes - Lesley shared that the new town planner started last week - Mark Connors. The Town Assessor retired unexpectedly on 12/31/20. A decision hasn’t been made yet as to whether the position will be outsourced or filled. From the Select Board December minutes, the town and Rec. Dept. are working on creating a disc golf course at the Smyk property. Also, Nate Mears is requesting CIP money for 2021 to replace the roof of the municipal center which is good news because there are leaks and they have had bees/wasps nesting in the roof. Kate shared a thank you note to the BOT from Mary Ellen McLaughlin. Lesley shared that the Select Board gave all town employees, including library staff, Amazon gift cards.
VII. Treasurer’s Report - Lesley shared the December (end of year) report and January 2021 report via email. $1000 of the budget went back to the town plus whatever was left in the payroll line. This year has started off without any spending. The trust interest ($2306.10) was received so late in 2020 that it will be encumbered to spend in 2021. Traditionally, a quarter of that goes to the Stratham Historical Society for maintenance on the building interior and the library spends its portion on museum passes and programming. Neither of those expenditures were needed for 2020 (museums didn’t charge for membership renewals). So a decision will have to made on how to spend that money. Lesley will reach out to the head of the Historical Society to see if they have any internal maintenance pending and if so, ask them to put a request together that she can bring to the BOT.
VIII. Executive Session (Non-public session if necessary) RSA 91-A:3
a. Personnel Matters (91-A:3 a) - N/A
IX. Next Meetings -
a. Potential Q & A on Library Budget Request - January 25, 2021, 6pm (for Lesley)
b. Regular BOT Meeting - February 15, 2021, 6:30pm
X. Adjournment - Steve moved to adjourn the meeting; Joanne seconded the motion. Via roll call vote, all voted in favor. Meeting was adjourned at 7:59pm.