MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OLD BRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
February 11, 2004
Present:
Steven Goldman, President
Mary Chamberlain, Vice President
Joseph Nuzzo, Secretary
Scott Glaser, Trustee
Michael Santa Maria, Superintendent of School’s Alternate
Margery Cyr, Director
Maria Nowak, Executive Assistant
Absent:
Kathryn Arabia, Trustee
Mary Gannon, Treasurer
Barbara Cannon, Mayor’s Alternate
Library Staff:
Lynn Sacs and Marcy Kagan
Public:
Linda Seiler
The President called the meeting to order at 7:55 p.m. and announced that the meeting had been advertised and would be conducted in accordance with the Sunshine Law. The meeting started late as the Board waited for an additional Board member to complete a quorum. The Secretary called the roll.
Mr. Goldman asked for a moment of silence for Library Board member, Rita Peterson, who passed away on January 29, 2004 after a long illness. Mrs. Peterson had served on the Board for nine years.
Mr. Goldman asked the record to show why the following Board members could not attend tonight’s meeting: Kathryn Arabia school meeting, Barbara Cannon out of town on vacation, the Mayor unable to attend due to another meeting, Mary Gannon in Ohio on family business.
Minutes
Motion: made by Mary Chamberlain, seconded by Joseph Nuzzo, to approve the January 14, 2004 Board minutes as presented. Unanimously approved.
Finance
Motion: made by Joseph Nuzzo, seconded by Mary Chamberlain, to approve the bill listing in the amount of $115,067.36 as presented. Unanimously approved.
Budget FY 2004/2005
Mrs. Cyr reported she will be working on the first draft for the Library’s FY 2004/2005 budget within the next couple of weeks as it is due to Township by March 19, 2004. Mrs. Cyr would like the Finance Committee to meet with her to discuss the first draft.
Mr. Goldman asked Mrs. Cyr to inform him when a meeting of the Finance Committee is set-up, as he would like to sit in.
Budget Adjustments
Motion: made by Mary Chamberlain, seconded by Steven Goldman, to approve the move of $13,764.11 from Commitments Payable: Payroll to the Sick Leave Fund effective January 30, 2004. Unanimously approved.
Motion: made by Scott Glaser, seconded by Joseph Nuzzo, to approve the move of $13,764.10 from Commitments Payable: Payroll to the SUI Trust Account (unemployment) effective January 30, 2004. Unanimously approved.
Mrs. Cyr informed the Board the reason for moving of monies is to have these two accounts adequately funded.
Passport Services
Mrs. Cyr informed the Board she has spoken with Mr. Shah about the possibility of Passport Services offered at the Library and not at the Township. Mr. Shah said this would be possible only if the Library was willing to take a $14,000 cut in their municipal allocation. Mrs. Cyr said she informed Mr. Shah the Library could not add an additional service, hire additional staff and then take a municipal allocation cut. Mr. Goldman said this is not what Mayor Phillips indicated to them at their meeting. Mrs. Chamberlain said that Mayor Phillips did not promise the Library would get the Passport Services.
Mr. Goldman instructed Mrs. Cyr to write Mayor Phillips a letter with a copy to Mr. Shah about this issue.
Statistics
Were placed on file.
People Counters
Mrs. Cyr reported the new people counters have been installed at the Main Library and the Laurence Harbor Branch.
PERSONNEL
New Appointments
Motion: made by Michael Santa Maria, seconded by Joseph Nuzzo, to approve the hiring of Library Intern Danielle Neufell, effective January 26, 2004 at the hourly rate of $12.00. Unanimously approved.
Motion: made by Joseph Nuzzo, seconded by Mary Chamberlain, to approve the hiring of Library Page, John Nuzzolo, Old Bridge High School Co-op student, effective February 2, 2004, at the hourly rate of $5.25. Unanimously approved.
Vacant Children’s Assistant Position
Motion: made by Michael Santa Maria, seconded by Steven Goldman, to approve the hiring of a Children’s Services Assistant at the paraprofessional level for the Children’s Department at 36 hours bi-weekly and at an hourly salary of $12.75. Unanimously approved.
Union Negotiations
Mrs. Chamberlain said negotiations would get started in March.
Library Building
Roof Project
Mrs. Cyr reported she had spoken with John Vincenti, Township Engineer, and he suggested a letter be sent to Mr. Shah immediately requesting funding be placed in the capital budget for replacement of the Library roof. Mrs. Cyr has not yet heard a response to her request; but Mr. Shah did ask that all documentation on the roof be sent to Mr. Vincenti. This has been done.
Mr. Goldman said the Library is moving ahead early on the roof project at the request of Mayor Phillips. Mrs. Cyr said the recommendation from the roof report was that roof replacement should begin in 2005.
Lighting Project
Mrs. Cyr reported the bid for the lighting project will be sent out on February 19, 2004. The bid opening will be at the Township on March 24, 2004. Mrs. Cyr will have a copy of the plans for Mr. Nuzzo as soon as they are printed.
South Old Bridge Branch
Mrs. Cyr reported she spoken with Mr. Vincenti about the status of the property donated to the Township in south Old Bridge. Mr. Vincenti informed Mrs. Cyr considerable acreage had been donated for the Township to use for Township purposes; additional money had also been donated to help in the development of the property.
Mr. Vincenti suggested if the Library was interested in having a portion of the property for a branch library building; this was the time to let Mayor Phillips know that the Library would like to be considered.
Mrs. Cyr has written to Mayor Phillips and Councilwoman Lucille Panos about development of a South Old Bridge Branch Library.
Library Services
Volunteer Reception
Maria Nowak reported The Print Shoppe in Matawan has donated the invitations. Camelot Caterers will provide the food and a musician has been booked. The Grand Marquis has donated the table linens. Donations of $300.00 from Amboy National Bank and $100 from Shop Rite of Old Bridge have been received. We are waiting to hear from other Commerce Bank and Columbia Bank.
Library Policies
Mrs. Cyr reported the Policy Committee would meet on February 24, 2004 at 7:00 p.m.
Medical Resource Center
Mrs. Cyr asked Board to consider using the monies donated to the Library in memory of Rita Peterson to the development of the Medical Resource Center, a joint project of the Library and Raritan Bay Medical Center and that the Center could be named after Mrs. Peterson.
Mr. Goldman asked Board members to think this and tabled it for the March Board meeting.
Thank You Card
Mr. Goldman read a thank you card from retiree June McNamara for the retirement gift she received from the Library Board. Mrs. McNamara retired after fifteen years of service to the Library.
Department Reports
The Board reviewed and accepted all department reports.
Public Comments
Mrs. Seiler requested the Library have their meeting agenda posted on the Township web site. Mr. Goldman asked Mrs. Cyr to look into this with the Township. Mrs. Cyr said she and Mrs. Nowak have been discussing revamping the Board’s agenda and the way the Director’s Report is done. The Board would like a report on this issue at the March meeting.
Mrs. Seiler asked the Library do something about people using cell phones in the Library. She complained about the noise in the Library especially from people using the quiet study rooms.
Mrs. Seiler complained about the phone system difficulty the library has experienced the last few weeks. She asked that a message be put on an extension so that the public knows what is going on. Mrs. Cyr explained the problem the library has been having and Mr. Goldman explained to Mrs. Seiler that the Library has no control over the phone system.
Marcy Kagan expressed concern about the men working on the cable and phone system as they were not wearing any form of identification. Mrs. Cyr said that the work men had been instructed to check in at the front desk. Mrs. Cyr asked Ms. Kagan to send any unidentified workers to the administrative area if there was any uncertainty about who they were or what they were doing. Mr. Nuzzo said Tom Summers from the Township should be here with the workers. Mr. Goldman asked Mrs. Cyr to ask Mr. Shah the status of the phone repairs.
Mrs. Cyr said it has been a bad situation with the phone system.
Mrs. Seiler informed the Board she saw a person going through the Library dumpster taking books out. She asked if the Library could make money on those books. Mrs. Cyr explained that the Friends of the Library sell donations on a daily basis and this money is donated to the Library. Donations which are discarded in the dumpster are in extremely bad condition or are outdated materials which can not be sold.
Executive Session
The Board went into Executive Session at 8:45 p.m.
Public Session
The Board went back into public session at 8:56 p.m.
Mr. Goldman announced a matter of personnel was discussed. The following motions were made:
Motion: made by Mary Chamberlain, seconded by Steven Goldman, to approve a 4% salary increase for Maria Nowak effective January 1, 2004. Unanimously approved.
Motion: made by Mary Chamberlain, seconded by Steven Goldman, to approve a $65.00 stipend for Mrs. Nowak for monthly Board meetings.
Adjournment
Motion: made by Mary Chamberlain, seconded Scott Glaser, to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 p.m. Unanimously approved.
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