Minutes of the Meeting
Fitzwilliam Town Library Board of Trustees
6 April 2020
Present via electronic meeting: Dick Goettle, Beth Lorenz, Pam Troccia, Robin Marra, Patricia Toomey, Brian Doerpholz and Library Director, Kate Thomas.
The Chair of the Board of Trustees has concluded that an emergency has necessitated the meeting be held electronically. The emergency has been determined to exist due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by the physical attendance of the Trustees. An electronic notice of the meeting was posted on the Fitzwilliam Library website as well as the Facebook page, with instructions for the public to join the meeting, if interested.
Beth Lorenz called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.
The Trustees reviewed the Library Manifest and Spending-to-Date Expense Report. Arrangements will be made with Kate to go to the library to sign it.
The minutes of the March 16th meeting were reviewed: Pam Troccia put forth a motion, seconded by Beth Lorenz, to approve them as submitted. The motion was passed with affirmative votes, receive by voice from Pam Troccia, Trish Toomey and Dick Goettle. Robin Marra abstained from voting as he was not in attendance at the meeting.
Kate Thomas presented her monthly report. Circulation for March was 2043, down 10% from last year and 21 programs were held with a total attendance of 135. Curbside check out continues as Fitzwilliam Town Library is one of the last libraries in NH continuing to do this. Patrons can call or email their requests and the employee sets the items down outside, maintaining a six foot distance. The patron can now ring the doorbell and wait a safe distance form the door. Popular stock of items is still enough, and no items are being returned until the social distancing mandate is suspended.
Programs are being all being held virtually, via Zoom and the story time readings being held on Facebook.
The Fitzwilliam Town Library Pandemic Policy was reviewed for approval. A motion to approve the Policy was put forth by Beth Lorenz and was seconded by Dick Goettle. Affirmative votes, received by voice, were given by Pam Troccia, Trish Toomey, Dick Goettle, Robin Marra and Beth Lorenz. Kate will be pursuing the question of the using the current Town Safety policy or if that Policy is currently being revised.
Robin Marra made mention that the NHLTA is requiring all Library policies be reviewed and approved on an annual basis. A discussion determined that there is a list of Fitzwilliam Library policies and, that going forward, will be put on the Meeting Agenda throughout the year to be reviewed and approved, enabling the Trustees to meet the requirement of the NHLTA.
Dick Goettle updated the Trustees on the RFP for the warrant article that is being put together by the Selectmen. He has volunteered to represent the interest of the Library and will be crafting a list of the items/projects the Library Trustees would like to include in the RFP, using the $20,000.00 approved in the warrant.
The painting of the fence sections has been completed and an invoice will be received. The Trustees discussed paying that invoice out of the repair and maintenance account of the Library.
The Trustees reviewed the letter to the New Hampshire ARTS Conservation Project Council, authored by Beth Lorenz. The letter describes the history of the Locke Collection and asks that the Fitzwilliam Town Library be considered suitable to apply for the FY21 Arts Conservation License Plate Grant to properly display and store the collection.
Robin Marra discussed the Bylaws of the Fitzwilliam Town Library are currently not on file with the NH State Library. He will be providing a draft of Bylaws for review and approval for the next meeting scheduled on May 4, 2020.
Chair Beth Lorenz informed the Trustees that she has accepted a new position of employment that will require a great deal of training and feels that this new position will not allow her to devote the necessary attention to the duties of the Chair of the Library Trustees. She has asked that the Chair position be moved to Robin Marra. Dick Goettle will be remaining as Treasurer through the end of his term in 2021 and has offered to train his replacement through this year and the next. The Trustees will be searching for a replacement for Dick as soon as possible. The position of Secretary of the Trustees has become open due to Ann McEntee stepping down at the end of her term in 2019. Pam Troccia has volunteered to take on that position. The following motions were made:
- Motion to approve Robin Marra as Chair of the Library Trustees was put forth by Pam Troccia, seconded by Dick Goettle and approved by Pam Troccia, Beth Lorenz, Dick Goettle, Trish Toomey via verbal roll call.
- Motion to approve Pam Troccia as the Secretary of the Library Trustees was put forth by Beth Lorenz, seconded by Robin Marra and approved by Beth Lorenz, Dick Goettle, Trish Toomey via verbal roll call.
- Motion for Dick Goettle to remain the Treasurer until the end of his term in 2021 was put forth by Pam Troccia, seconded by Dick Goettle and approved by Pam Troccia, Beth Lorenz, Trish Toomey and Robin Marra, via verbal roll call.
Brian Doerpholz has been asked to serve as an Alternate Trustee of the Board and Beth will be verifying that this request is on the Selectmen’s Agenda.
The next meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday, May 4th at 5:45. The Chair will determine whether that meeting will be held electronically if the virus situation warrants.
A motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:15 was put forth by Beth Lorenz and seconded by Pam Troccia. Motion was approved by affirmative votes, by voice roll call from Pam Troccia, Beth Lorenz, Trish Toomey, Dick Goettle and Robin Marra.
Respectfully submitted
Pam Troccia
Secretary