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Board Meeting Minutes

OCPL Board of Trustees’ Meeting

January 14, 2009
Central Library, Board Room
4:00 p.m.

ATTENDING: K. Alford;R. Manning; V. Biesiada; R. Strauss; J. Kianka; J. Suddaby; A. Lombardi

ABSENT B. Fisher: S. Jones; H. J. Hubert

ALSO PRESENT: E. Loftus; H. Sammons; G. Cox; N. Stefano; D. Bendig; K. Whitney
C. DiSanza;J. Wynarczyk; R. Dunsmore; E. Dailey; J. Kalkbrenner; M. DePietro; D. Milcarek; P. Infantine; R. NaPier;S. Kushner; K. Park; MApril 12, 2010

Ms. Suddaby called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Ms. Biesiada moved the following resolution:



              Resolved, That the OCPL Board of Trustees approves the appointment of Elizabeth Dailey to the Executive Director’s position effective, February 9, 2009.

Mr. Manning seconded, motion carried unanimously.

Ms. Suddaby commented on how elated the Board is in their selection and who it is they are appointing here today. The Board truly appreciates the staff patience and the participation of the Advisory Committee members and everyone who was involved in the process.

Ms. Dailey thanked everyone for their congratulations and welcoming words to her. The suburban libraries pledged to do whatever it takes to get going on our mission that will be defined by the Board. At his point she plans to take advantage of all the generous offerings.

Resolution: 09-02

Mr. Strauss moved the following resolution:

              Resolved, That the OCPL Board of Trustees approves the expenditure of up to $1,000 from the Smith Hawley Fund to cover the expenses for refreshments and speakers for 2009 Staff Development Day.

  Mr. Kianka seconded, motion carried unanimously.

Resolution: 09-03

Mr. Manning moved the following resolution:

             Resolved, That the OCPL Board of Trustees approves a fine amnesty in order to remove barriers to the use of OCPL Central and branch libraries for children and teens enrolled in the 2009 Summer Reading Program who read and report on five books will have their total accrued fines waived and;

             be it further resolved, That children and teens will incur no fines on items they return which have been declared lost, but charges for lost items that are not returned will not be affected by the amnesty and;

             be it further resolved, That staff will make the necessary accommodations to enable children and teens with fines on their cards to participate in the Summer Reading Program.

Ms. Lombardi seconded, motion carried unanimously.

INTERIM DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Ms. Loftus updated the Board on the following meetings and events she has attended:

Staff Holiday Luncheon,Beauchamp Branch Visit, Education & Libraries, Met with Bob Manning, Barnes & Noble,OCPL Board Meeting, Branch Managers,OCPL Labor Management, Administration,             Management Team, Branch Floaters, Soule Branch Visit, Lunch with Minoa Director,Paine Branch Visit, Agenda for Digital Empowerment, S.U., Beauchamp Branch Community Meeting, Central Library’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, Staff Consultation Regarding Grand Jury Subpoena

Old Business

Sorting Room Update

Ms. Loftus sent a reply to County Executive Mahoney in response to Ms. Mahoney’s letter asking for an update on the Sorting Room. The letter outlined improvements, but recognized the huge costs involved in expanding the operation.

b) Galleries 20th Anniversary Celebration
Ms. Loftus thanked Ms. Milcarek and her committee in organizing the 20th Anniversary celebration of the Central Library in the Galleries. Items from opening day in 1988 were on display in the front window. These included t-shirts distributed to staff and commemorative bookmarks and programs. Cake and cookies were served to many appreciative patrons.

c)   Roof Update
In the latest update from Mr. DeCook, he reported that the main roof has been completed as well as two of the three penthouses. Due to the weather, the foreman told Mr. DeCook they cannot do the third penthouse (which doesn’t belong to the Library) and have called in a crane to remove their equipment from the roof. He did not say when they would return. All three leaks that were noticed earlier are now repaired. The leak in the Smith Room was repaired on January 12th. Mr. DeCook is working on a Punch List for interior repairs needed and will soon have costs.


2008/2009 Budget

The Board received a status report on the 2008 Budget along with explanatory notes. They also received a copy of the memo that was sent to staff outlining the adjustments that were made to the 2009 Budget in response to the Chief Fiscal Officer’s austerity request.

Annual Report

2008 Highlights were sent to the County Executive. The highlights will be incorporated into our full annual report.

New Business


Central Office Space

The Board received a brief list of office space that is available in Central. Mr. DeCook put the list together to assist the Board in responding to FOCL’s request to find alternate office space.

Barnes & Noble

Since Barnes and Noble is now on New York State contract staff were able to purchase a certain dollar amount from them. We will continue this buying opportunity in 2009.

Federal Stimulus

In late December the Library learned about the Federal Stimulus money available for shovel ready projects. Ms. Carmer submitted to the State roof replacement projects for Beauchamp and Mundy; an expansion and renovation project for Onondaga Free; and a Business Center, Café and Performance Space for Fayetteville Library, along with other projects.

Staff Subpoenas

Three staff members recently received subpoenas from the District Attorney’s Office to appear before a grand jury for two different incidents that happened in the Central Library. The County Law department has been very helpful in advising us on how to deal with these subpoenas. Ms. Park has prepared “Guidelines on Dealing with Difficult Patrons” to help deal with the increasing incidents and security concerns at all locations.

Other
This being Ms. Loftus’s last meeting as Interim Executive Director, she thanked the Board and the staff for the opportunity to serve in this capacity for the last several months. She noted that although it has been a challenging time, she has learned a great deal and had some rewarding experiences. She knows the staff joins her in welcoming the new Executive Director, Elizabeth Dailey as OCPL looks forward to the future.

Interim Director Recognition

In recognition and honor of her professional accomplishments
as Interim Executive Director and Acting Deputy Director, the Board presented Ms. Loftus with a certificate and a gift. Ms. Suddaby read a letter from the Board that expressed their appreciation for all that she has done for the organization during this transitional time.

Staff Reports:

KyungJin Park – Monthly VRR Update

Ms. Park reviewed the monthly VRR report.

Deb Bendig – Skaneateles Library Update

Ms. Bendig reported that Cathy Mosher, Director of Skaneateles Library inquired about the cost to move to Polaris and be part of the OCPL System. She went on to explain that they are moving forward to become a library under New York State and gave the approximate costs and the details involved for such a move.

OCSL

Mr. Kushner stated on behalf of his colleagues how excited they are about the appointment of the new Executive Director.   He also mentioned how well the CLRC breakfast went. The turn out was very good, despite the weather. The teens who attended put together an interesting and very effective program. Mr. Kushner was part of the group who visited Senator DeFrancisco. He mentioned during their visit the Senator encouraged the group to continue to talk with the Legislators in order to stay on their radar.

OCSL is still continuing their discussion with Polaris and E-Commerce.

Ms. Bieisada inquired if everyone who requested a copy of the Lifecycles report received one. Once they have had a chance to read the report, the Board as well as Margery Connors would be interested in any comments they may have.

Mr. Manning mentioned that Mr. Kushner would be joining the Board’s Government Relations Committee.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Government Relations

Mr. Manning gave an update on the key events since the last Board meeting.

Mr. Manning informed the Board of the Committee’s upcoming meetings and events.

OCPL ADVISORY

Mr. Manning attended their last meeting. He stated they would be having a Trustees Training Institute on May 1-2 at the Renaissance. The Committee discussed the possibility of OCPL hosting the workshop.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

At 4:50, Ms. Biesiada moved to go into executive session for a personnel matter.

Ms. Lombardi seconded, the motion carried unanimously.

At 5:17 p.m., Mr. Strauss motioned to adjourn executive session.

Ms. Biesiada seconded, the motion carried unanimously.

No action was taken.

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. Strauss moved to adjourn.

Ms. Suddaby adjourned the meeting at 5:20 p.m.

Next scheduled Board meeting is scheduled for February 11, 2009 at the Central Library.

Respectfully submitted,

Gail M. Cox
Administrative Aide

Last updated April 12, 2010

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