Board of Library Trustees - Grafton Public Library - Regular Meeting

[Music] just start from scratch and we'll call the meeting to order at 7:07 and we'll start with a roll call. Prau, if you want to go first. Here. Chris, do you want to start us for the night? Uh, Chris, I here. Aaron here. Carrie here. Rachel here. Roger here. Perfect. All right. And so we're going to go move on to the approval of the minutes. Um, is there a motion to approve the minutes? Uh, I move that we uh approve the draft minutes of our regular meeting of August 27th, 2025. Do we have a second?

Second. Carrie. All right. Any discussion? Uh, yes. Uh, Rachel, you were in attendance during that meeting. I think I was. And uh then the other thing is on the draft minutes um is there any significance of the lettering that's in red and just from a formatting? If there isn't then I guess we would just agree to have you put them back in black. I I printed them. I think they were added later. So we had a more revised version. So on the final agenda, there were some that were

Oh, okay. So you would turn them back to black in the minutes. I don't know. I kept it. It matches what was in the agenda. So whatever was in the agenda that was read, right? But the minutes don't need to reflect the minutes reflect the meeting regardless of which agenda version it is. I'll turn it back.

Yeah. just so no one has any questions that it's sort of an outlier, you know, issue. Um, but yeah, I I like how in the agendas now we we uh uh put special notice to that which was added. And then there was one um other issue on uh agenda items 8B and 8 C. The strategic plan lists Doug and the library parking lot lists me. I think did we simply defer both of those because there's no content. We did.

Okay. So, if you could then um just put deferred or tabled maybe just tabled. Okay. Under 8B strategic plan and 8C library parking lot. Okay. And uh that that's those are the only um recommended changes I have. Any other updates or discussion? All right. Then we'll take a vote. Prau you get to go first. I Chris I. Aaron I. Carrie I. Rachel I. Roger I.

And it passes. All right. So that brings us on to the approval of bills. Okay. Uh I move that um I make a procedural motion that we approve uh articles warrants 1011 11-1 and number 12 as a single vote. Seconded second. All right. Okay. Any discussion on them? Oh, I guess now do we have a motion? Well, we vote on the procedural. Yeah, you're right. Any discussion? Oh, sorry. Probably you go first.

I have no time to discuss. Oh, I guess. Sorry. We have to vote on the procedural motion. So, okay. Proble. Chris, I Rachel I. Roger. I All right. And it passes.

Okay. I move um that we approve the following warrants in the following amounts as uh in from the sources contained in the meeting packet. Warrant number 10 in the amount of $7,898.33. Warrant number 11 in the amount of $21,33610. Warrant number 11-1 in the amount of $22,251 and warrant number 12 in the amount of $3,7753. A second. Second.

Thanks. Any discussion? All right. And then we'll call for a vote. Prau Proble I. Chris I. Aaron I. Carrie I. Rachel I Roger I. And it passes unanimously. So we'll move on to ongoing business. Carrie friends.

So um so we met um with the friends um as we usually do and we were very happy to have um Jean join us and she met um met the board members. Um so that was terrific. So thank you for for doing that. Um so the biggest news to report is that um Diane Libby who was previously a me a member of the board of trustees actually joined the board of the friend she was elected to address. Yes. Yeah. So we're thrilled to have um Dian's assistance. She's you got a wealth of information and enthusiasm. So we're very happy about that. So she was the career librarian at Westboro uh high school. She was my wife's librarian.

Oh, I didn't know that. Isn't that awesome? Yeah, she is. Yeah, that's awesome. And she's awesome. So, we're we're thrilled.

Um, so again, um there was most of the meeting was a um you know, other than you meeting Jean, which again was great. Um was a recap of the um the the um the used book sale and um you know, and it did very well. And then um they're gearing up for the um Grafton celebrates the holiday. So there was some discussion about that, but um you so um the friends always do participate in And I'll add that I used my 50% off u pass for the American Heritage Foundation in Hudson um through the library. Kudos to the friends for you know funding those passes.

Yeah, that's great. Any other discussion or Thank you for the update. We'll move over to Aaron for the policy committee update. Great.

So, we have um a number of policies that came back from legal. Um they actually had a lot of uh input on quite a few of them. So, we've decided to take them back to policy committee the next time we're able to meet and discuss um some of the changes. We felt that they were too voluminous to just, you know, keep keep it going along the chain. But the one that we felt was ready and appropriate was the EP epidemic pandemic policy um which you have in your packet tonight and um if you had the opportunity to read it fantastic. Um but uh the policy committee felt that you know to completely get rid of such a policy is kind of foolish. Uh understanding that um you know we came out of a pandemic there could be another one. So, we spent a lot of time in writing it and it's still relevant. So, um that's why we're bringing that to the board uh today. Um so, if uh no other commentary, I'll hear a motion to um uh approve the epidemic pandemic policy.

I make a motion to approve the updated pandemic policy. Second. All right. Any discussion? Uh I had one question. All right. So, um, so pink and blue. Yep. If you could just, uh, go over those.

Yeah. So, the pink came from legal. They just had some commentary. Not that um there was anything wrong with the policy, but just kind of food for thought. Um so uh you know one thing they said is return to work protocol still relevant or in effect post public health emergency. Um you know if we do have a similar event sure you know something like that would need to go into effect. So um I get it. It doesn't fit the current state of emergency state of things at the moment but in the event that um we do have such an um event I hope not then that's why it was written that way and will remain that way. So on blue so as we remove the color coding that as was colorcoded to call attention to comments. Um

yeah, like the very bottom like recommended by the regional public health nurse for you know Shbury graph Northland. Will that remain in it or is that a a comment that would get removed? Um so Kim wrote that because we re we as a policy committee came up with that um as necessary to be added to the policy. So that's the only thing that's been added since legal looked at and um the union So, so if you feel it's not impactful enough um to have to go back through the process, then I would uh expect that we would approve it in its current form.

So, are you So, I'm I'm still unclear as to whether that last sentence gets removed from the it's added. It says following policy committee 916, this information has been added. Right. Do you do you have the commentary? So, so the the the recommended that last sentence recommended by regional public remains in correct. Okay. So there's nothing there's except for the sidebar comments, there's nothing that is being added or removed from this version. It's only that the colors will be removed. Correct. The highlights. Yep. Okay.

Just a quick followup question to that, Erin. So the the comments there around fees being waved and the other one around uh return to work protocol still in effect. Is there any updates needed to the language or are those going to be rem removed? They they I'm just curious if So, I guess it's up to you guys. Do you would do you want to see the legal commentary when this comes to the board or not? So, so I think Kim just left it in. We didn't really put a lot of thought into it. Okay.

Um because it seems that's where most of the questions are. and that's why we couldn't bring the other policies to the board because there was voluminous commentary on it. So we felt need to come back. So in this case um we already have a a policy that waves late fees. So their comment is kind of null. Maybe we should have deleted it before it came to the board. See, I actually think it's appropriate to leave it in because yeah, it does happen to be the case that we we wave fees now, but in the future if we decide that we're not going to weigh the fees, we don't want to have to come back and rewrite this. So, it makes sense to leave it as is, you know, whether we you incur fees or not. Yeah. Well, we don't say anything about fees here.

Yeah. Because we have a separate policy for that. They just added as a commentary of, oh, did you think about this? So, the comments from AR1 isn't from you. It's from the legal team. Correct. I thought that was you because of the I don't know where the initials come from, but Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, so, uh, any further discussion? I think it sounds like there's an open question if we should ask it to go back and have a comment on late fees, Carrie, or if feel good with it as it is without talking about the late fees.

I was comfortable with with it. I apologize. I don't have it in front of me. We did look at it previously. I was comfortable with it as is. Um I guess my comment was is if we had if we had a comment and we said that we're going to weigh the fees, I don't think that we would need to strike it. But if it's not in there, it's not in there now. I understand. Yeah. It's just they were just asking. Yeah. I'm fine with it. Any other discussion or questions on the policy? Prau, anything on your end? No, I'm good. All right. Um, so I guess do we need to make a motion?

I think the motion was made. Do we need to make a motion that it's the clean version with the comments removed? I think the final one we want to would have the comments removed. Correct. Of course. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, we don't need to revise the motion. I just I guess by unanimous consent as chair, you can just you can just agree that it's understood that the motion includes those changes just by unanimous consent. If no one else uh you know has any objection. Okay. There's no objection. We'll move forward with the plaint. So we'll do um we'll then do a vote. So Prau I.

Chris I. Aaron I Carrie I. Rachel I Roger I. Thank you for all your work policy committee. I know it's there's a lot of time and energy that goes into this. So So this is a huge milestone for us. We haven't had policy approved in at least a year. um more because the policy committee hasn't been able to operate and we haven't we have been operating but when we've been giving policies we weren't getting them back soon enough. So this is just a taste. There's a lot more to come. Perfect. Well, I look forward to it.

Um so now on to the uh really um big reason why I'm here tonight because this could have been postponed. Um but the big question for the policy committee and the the main reason we met was to discuss the policies that were removed from the website. Okay. Is everybody um ready to kind of hear what we came up with? Um and I think towards the end of it uh I would probably expect a motion to approve the slate or any adjustments you guys want to make to the slate as we um have have reviewed as a policy committee because I'll preface it with yes, there's some we feel should go back up and there's some that we feel should stay off um and actually be retired and or revised. Okay, so the first one is called the facilities rental policy. Um I don't think I have a note that we should take it down, but um I think we don't really have a um a way to have people in the the building, right? Um that having people in the building is a liability. So, we don't really have a way to allow them into the building. So, and really who would be responsible for allowing after um after hours access, right? So, I guess until we have a way to do that, and I think that was a procedural um piece that Doug had kind of spent a lot of time and effort on. Um if we that that piece is ready, then yes, we can put the facilities rental policy back on the website in its current form.

I had a question for you um on facility rental. The full name of the policy, at least as it's printed, says facility rental policy for individuals or groups without nonprofit status. Um and it wasn't entirely clear within the policy. It mentioned difference given to town sponsored functions. Um, but I didn't see whether or not the facility rental policy um excludes um like town boards or committees using the rental that community room and where is that covered? Are you saying we should have a separate policy for that or?

No, I'm saying it wasn't it wasn't clear to me whether or not um what the sort of policy was for boards and committees. Okay. So, I would say the scope of this policy is for individuals or groups without nonprofit status. Right. So, I would think that um unless we're saying that boards or committees from the town, they don't officially have nonprofit status. So doesn't that include too though like if people want to use it for like a baby shower, right? Like like they're not a force like I I think it's pretty broad, right? So as long as you're not Yeah. for profit business. I feel like

this this this speaks to after hours. So, so it wasn't entirely clear what the policy was, if there is one, about anyone using it, including like a border committee of the town within operating hours. Well, I think within because I thought that this this read entirely um you may have found a niche, right? Okay. Um, and I would say that with a town property,

the town can use it in the way that, you know, they they need to use it for town business, right? So that wouldn't, you know, we we as a board of trustees don't have, you know, nonprofit status. So I don't know that we would charge our group or, you know, the finance committee or any other town committees or organizations So as far as All right. So as far as the use is concerned um we because we used to be open till 9

um meetings and things like that that used to occur at 7 would usually have no problem getting out of there by 9. And I'm aware that the the select board did host um the other night a meeting of the ask me anything. And so that started at 7. And because of that, it was unlikely and neither party, library or the town realized that there would end up being sort of this like conflict where there's no way that that sort of would have gotten out by the you know, this is why this is a completely different conversation.

I know. But what I'm saying is where where does that where does that fit in? you know, because it it's sort of like this is gray area about what what policies or um yeah, what policy or policies would cover um you know, who can use that particular room number one within the operating hours and number two, what happens if um it's anticipated that it it may go beyond closing time. It's a niche type of thing, but it may start happening because we used to have I mean at least the select board when the building was open till nine and it started at 7 that never happened.

Yeah. So I think the scope of this policy and keep me honest here Erin is just for anyone who wants to rent and use a facility when they are not open. So the case you talked about is when it's partially open and it really comes back to we then need to staff and that's why the fees put in to pay for staffing and coordinating that. Um, so I would think because of the example you have, it does include some during business hours. This policy wouldn't apply because it would cross over both, right? Because you can only rent the community room when it it's closed for for the scope of this policy. Is that accurate, Eric? So any groups using the library during business hours are expected to vacate the premises when the library closes. They cannot stay after hours unless they've made arrangements, right?

And that's when something like this might come into play. But like you said, nonprofits or rather town business. So then I I guess between the board then and the library and and either you as an interim director or uh you know when we have a permanent director that any group like a committee that wants to use it that that there's some sort of parameters that um you know if there's something that's going to happen that would likely take someone beyond that closing time then probably isn't wise to book it as late as 7. maybe 6:30 is better.

Um, or we can take that one that one off to the side, right? Because that seems outside the scope of that and very specific. So, definitely something we we can talk about and I think there's been a lot of discussions around it. Um, but just in terms of this policy specific, I I guess I did have one question, Eric. I there was a comment around Doug's been working on procedures and stuff. Do we feel like the because there's two parts one, right? One, do we pass this as it is? But I think the question is, do we post it or not? Do we feel like the procedures are in a good enough spot that we posted this tomorrow and someone externally tried to use it that we could support that? And I guess I'm kind of looking at you, Jean. So

I think that I need to based on some things that have happened to make sure I have some questions when I go through it again. I would be I'm not really sure to hand this over to a permanent director. So to me it's kind of different on it. Sunday I think probably worked on that just draft notes and I have a bunch of suggestions that

okay yeah I I think it quite ready and whether you call it a policy or procedure um I I think as the best practice both parties would go into a function that the evening of a function or weekend of a function knowing what the expectations were regarding uh time limit and staffing. So did you um so I guess Aaron with that conversation do you still want to keep this one for reinstatement or just go back and take it for a little more conversation first?

So my re the pol the policy committee's recommendation was to not post this one. Oh, okay. Sorry, I have it up hereation for reinstatement section. Yeah, these are all the policies that are um you know taken down from the website, right? I guess maybe my notes aren't as good as I thought they were. No, that's okay. I read it the opposite. So, that's why I Yes. So, we're not ready to allow people into the building after hours. So, we don't need this policy until we're ready to do that. Is that same thing for the circulation internet that you Well, hold on just a moment. Um before we move on. So I think a lot what Roger was talking about was u meeting uh meeting room policies. Meeting room use policies.

Okay. So I I was referencing the wrong section. So meeting we do have a meeting room use policy. It's a completely different policy. So in that context that room can either be a meeting room. It is a meeting room. All right. So, or so, so facility rental could be just that room in bathrooms, but you're saying in the you're saying that it would fall under meeting room policy then? Okay. All right. All right. So, um, so we can either vote on these individually or vote them on on a slate. But,

um, can we just go first? So we're saying for meeting our policy we're recommending it you're so sorry this is facilities rental facilities rental or facilities sorry y so you're recommending not to reinstate right we're not we're not ready to allow people in the building after hours and the only time you can use this policy is after hours somebody couldn't rent the library during business hours so it's kind of a chicken and egg thing if people are open to it I might be happy to do them one at a time as we go through Since there are quite so many to vote on them as we do that. Sounds great. Perfect. Make a motion.

Yeah. Uh motion to uh approve the facility rental policy. U not sorry to approve to not reinstate to not reinstate. Excuse me. You could just say the recommendation of the policy committee not to reinstate. Sure. Is there a second? Do you want to just clarify? Sure. So uh the motion to follow the recommendation of the uh policy committee to not reinstate the facility policy. Is there a second? Second. All right. Any discussion? All right. Cra, you're up for voting. I Chris I.

Erin I. Carrie I. Rachel I. Roger I. All right. And unanimous. Perfect.

Okay. So the the next policy that was taken down is the internet use policy. Um and I think we probably uh would run into um a lot of problems. I'm not going to uh say legal problems, but if we don't have a internet use policy and we're allowing people to use the internet at the library, we can't continue to function without one. So whether it needs major revisions um we didn't get the opportunity to really look at it in depth during the um the policy committee meeting because we ran out of time and it wasn't available in one of our sources but um Kim graciously found it and it's included in your packet um the internet use policy and I the policy committee is recommending that we reinstate that tonight. Can I ask Jean? Did you have a chance to read the internet use policy?

So Erin, your or the policy committee's recommendation is to reinstate this and it sounds like with like priority review the next meeting since it wasn't previously. Yes, it's hasn't been reviewed since um 2021. So, it's you know, maybe there's some inaccuracies that need to be reviewed. Um but that would be uh this policy subcommittee to re-review that unless we felt something was glaring uh and we wanted to do a a revision tonight and vote it in with some revision, but it doesn't seem like anybody has anything glaring um to to warrant making a drastic change to it. Y that's an old service. Yeah.

Great. So the recommendation we just strike out the printing section for now before we close. I think French was something that was um really surrounding the pandemic and this was um written during the pandemic. Um they do have fees for printing. It says please see staff for assistance with print preview to determine the cost of printouts. So we could strike out printing is available for a fee while you print and be fine with it.

Available for a fee and then take out the print. So, I think we're saying just take out via print. Yes, that will do it, right? Anything else? It seems like there's no discussion. Do we have a motion to vote that in the adjustment of taking out via print in the printing section.

Sure. I'll make a motion to approve uh the graft public library internet use policy with the adjustment noted of in the printing section to strike the last two words of the first sentence which are via print as recommended by the policy. Is there a second? All right. We'll go ahead and vote. Prau I. Chris I. Karen I K I. Rachel I. Roger. I. Thank you. And we just had Doug join. So Doug you can get in on the next round of voting. We're doing policies. So feel free to join.

What happened to circulation? So um just a just a point a point of order. Yeah. So when when we make a motion and second Um that's always say you know is there any discussion on the motion right? I know we talked about it beforehand so likely there isn't any discussion but I think it's always good procedurally to just offer that and that makes it a lot easier to then people know they okay now I vote. All right do that. Yeah. All right. So I don't know if you have circulation or piano policy you want to talk about next. Yes. So next one I have is minimum staffing policy. Okay. Um,

we had that in the Oh, so I'm going from my notes. Uh, I can go I can go in order if you want. So, which one's next? Circulation. Um, we had circulation. I think this is where there was a little bit of Yeah. So, wave circulation was next and this was under consideration for retirement. Um, oh gee, you can you keep going through your notes and we'll follow along.

Yeah. I'm sorry. Thank you. Um so circulation policy um there was a lot of inconsistencies here because uh it was last revised in 2018. Um so there's things like you have to remove the section about hours, remove section about fines, automatic renewal, remove teacher services and portal databases. So this one really has to come back to policy committee for modernization. Um and we think that we can do it rather quickly. redes.

Do you know which policy that is? Yes.

Okay. So, maybe we'll table this one, Erin, and then if you guys want to bring next time to be like official retirement. Is that Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Thank you. Yeah. So, um that's it. We think this this needs to come down for some either modernization or or complete retirement. Oh, I guess I should clarify because this is under the section for reinstatement. So, this is actively posted and so you're looking to pull it down.

No, this one um is not actively posted. So, do we want to just formalize that we want to officially remove it because I think we didn't vote to remove it previously, right? It was just taken down. So, whether for revision or just permanent and we can we can do the same thing every time that state goes back up or it comes down. Okay. Is there a motion?

Uh motion to uh the recommendation of the uh policy subcommittee to uh remove or keep the uh circulation policy uh off the website. Second. Any discussion? Vote I. Chris I. Aaron I. Carrie I. Rachel I. Roger I. Doug I unanously passes. All right. Which ones do you have next? Um, well, you tell me which one's that.

I have piano policy next and it's under consideration for reinstatement. So, if it needs there's a different recommendation, clarify that first.

Yep. So, there was just um a few items. Um, we felt that this was important because it was an investment um for the library and we wanted to just kind of have some rules surrounding its use. if people had questions, they could refer to the policy. So, we read through it and we felt it was um it was still good. The only thing that we want to remove is um uh change where the expense comes from for tuning it and how often it's tuned because when you put something in a policy that says it's going to be tuned twice annually and we're not doing it, then you know be challenged on it. Um and then it really wasn't important where the expense came from uh to tune it. So, we didn't really need to call that out in the polic. Beyond that, we felt it was good to go back on the website.

Is that one in the packet? It's like Thank you. Any motion? I make a motion to accept the piano policy given the two red lines that Aaron mentioned. Second. Second. Any discussion? All right, we'll take a vote. I Chris I. Aaron I Carrie I. Rachel I

Roger I Doug I. The next one we have is a section that's called review by additional review by subcommittee needed and it's a volunteer policy and program policy are under those program policy and what was the other one? A volunteer policy. Um those aren't I don't have notes on those. We So this is very specific to what is on the website as to what was taken down. So volunteer polic is not on the website and neither is what was the other one program policy um

seem to have so so th those are those were recommendations from from legal and there was a lot of commentary that needs to go back to the policy committee on those um so I get the website right here so you guys can I if you want to pull it up on on the Zoom call but um but the directive from the board was for the policy committee to go through and see if we can put these back up or not. Right. So, um I'm just gonna keep going. Uh if you guys don't mind.

Oh, well, no. I guess a question for those are you recommending we vote to keep them removed while they're under review or to put them back up because it sounds like they have a lot more discussion and feedback on the So, so you're talking about policies that were never on the website. You're talking about a volunteer policy and something else. Um those We did not talk about those are new policies that Oh, they're new policies. Came through the whole process and we're not voting on those tonight. Got it. So, those are new ones. So, they Yeah. I didn't know if you meant they had been like taken down at some point. No, these are brand new policies. Um the legal commentary.

Yeah. So, there were there was five of them just we're backtracking a little bit. There are five policies that went to legal and and the um and the union. Um We found only one was okay and that's what we brought to you tonight which was the pandemic epidemic policy. The others we'll have to review and um incorporate changes and go through the process. Oh, that's perfect. Yeah. All right. Sorry about that. No, no, no. I just want to make sure we're all Y. So then the last section we have is was labeled as consideration for retirement. So it's the notary naming rates, minimum staffing policy, service for disabilities and accent policy.

Yeah. Okay. So uh I'll start with minimum staffing policy. Um there was a lot of kind of rules and logic surrounding um when the library should be open, when it should be closed and how many uh people in this section versus if one person goes to lunch and how many people in that section was very very procedural. Um and we felt it was better to allow um the library management to kind of decide if they um felt they needed to keep the um um library open or closed because of um staffing constraints, right? And you know whether you have the policy or not and you decide to close uh it doesn't matter so much to the to the to the public to have this policy. They can say, "Why did you close, you know, minimum staffing constraints or something or staffing constraints?" Oh, let me see the policy. It's not going to make them feel any better. Whether, you know, we had very strict guidelines on when we close, it's all very procedural. So, we're recommending to the library board to take this policy down. And as much as I uh I know there's a lot of history on this policy, um I'm recommending as well that should probably remove it because it doesn't really serve um a lot of value, right? Talking about value and remember there's 31 policies that the policy committee has to manage. Um so if if we feel as a board this is necessary and is value then absolutely we'll we'll have to rewrite it because it in its current form it needs some work.

Is it common for a library to have a staffing policy posted?

This is more procedural. They can change Do we know if there's anything in the union contract related to minimum staffing? be some guidance on just a minimum of x number of people in the library because aren't isn't there going to be a question if there's five or there's four or there's six like there you know don't they need some guidance on isn't that the union contract that's I'm not sure this was written before the union it was

was in place so maybe this is dup duplicate in so far as you know staffing

you're saying that typically It's an internal policy not an external policy might be under guidines and as long as it doesn't I don't see anything in the union contract right off the bat. So, why don't we Erin, would you recommend that we go ahead and vote to retire this one and then evaluate if we need to rewrite it since it's sounds like it would need considerable rewrite anyways.

Yeah. Or Yeah. And I if you ask the policy community to rewrite it, you know, um with the permanent director, we we as a board have to figure out what where the value is, right? Definitely. And figure out what what gap we're trying to fill. Um and maybe even just make it very simple, you know, because the way it's written now is very convoluted. Right. So, yes. Is there a motion to remove?

I I want to do this. You go for it. Sorry. Let me just correct correct it. Um there is a statement in the um in the union at least the version I found. It says article 12 hours of work conditions 12.4. The town shall follow the minimum staffing requirement policy as approved by the board of library trustees dated June 23rd, 2021. Is that the previous version of this? I see.

So, I probably want to hold it back to the committee and have a conversation with the town administration office on it before we make a decision because it could have impacts. So, I guess the the thought tonight is um we either put it back or leave it off pending further review. And I think what I'm hearing is pending further review whether it's necessary or not. So the board is looking to see if we can retire this and if we can't then okay but if it's in the union agreement well that's a question we'd have to ask administrator if it's something that is we'd like to retire

we'd like to retire it period. That's what I would recommend and that we just defer this to next month and in the meantime we'll I can reach out to the topic for something. Okay. So I don't think we need a motion at the moment. It was and it was taken down. Now who took it down and in what manner?

The previous director. All right. So, I I guess uh for you, Madam Chair, um seeing what the uh board thinks of the fact that it's possible that I guess it's my opinion that without board input, uh a director wouldn't have had jurisdiction just to unilaterally remove it in the first place. So, my thought is that it would be proper to take a vote to keep it off. Yeah. To formalize that, right?

Still be take it off since we have it. However, we want to place it. I would think that taking no action would be improper because I'm saying that it was removed without the board say so. I think if we vote and take it off, it's still active, right? Just because it's not there. If needs it, they could come to Jean or the policy committee. So, I think it's it's still active, just not pres just not present on the website. So, we're essentially not saying you have to put it back on the website because we know we're reviewing and going through the process now.

So, invalid. So, I guess what I'm expecting tonight, you know, based on the way the website is, um, right now, we these are the policies we're talking about, they say under review. I would assume that I would expect that the ones that we decided to take down would no longer appear as under review with the exception of this one so far. That one would remain as the only one that says under review. The others that we vote to bring back like the piano polic would back up now.

Okay. Did you say you wanted to make So, uh I will make a motion to um sorry uh take down the minimum staffing policy um uh for further consideration with the town and the policy committee um and to be reviewed at a later date by this board. Second. All right. Any discussion?

Proble I Aaron I Carrie I Rachel I passes unanimous. Okay. We're making great progress. Thank you for your patience. So the next one I have is uh the notary policy. Um it's just uh not that we don't

artwork that we don't offer anymore. Um it doesn't provide a lot of value to the community to have somebody who's who's a notary on staff at the library. I think it also adds some um legal implications. Um but the town clerk or banks can do notary services. So other places in town that the public can get notary services. So our recommendation is to um remove the retire this policy. I make a motion to remove the notary policy. Second. Any discussion?

Uh yes, I have just one um sort of side comment or question. So u makes complete sense to remove it because we no longer offer that service. So is it universally understood by staff when someone comes in front of them and says do you have notary services and the answer is no to direct them exactly who in town starting with the time to go to. Is that universally understood by staff? I will check on that because

right Yeah, that would be nice. All right. Thank you so much. Any other discussion? Right. With that, we'll go into voting. I Chris I. Aaron I. Carrie I. Rachel I.

Roger. I Doug. I unanimously passes. Great. So the next one I have is the service to people with disabilities policy. So um this was written in 2020 and um the recommendation of the policy subcommittee is to um remove this uh from the website and retire it. Um, we reviewed it and it's really just a list of services that the library offers and and you know um it's not really important to call out uh you know that yeah, we can offer curbside service or you know um staff can can visit nursing homes or whatever it is. Um although that has legal implications to to go out in the community and start delivering books. That said, this policy was really just a list of services the library offers to make accommodations. It really wasn't important to call out in an official policy.

So, oh, right. Um, I guess do we wait for a motion then to discuss versus starting a discussion before a motion?

Yeah. I mean, usually it's discussion on the motion. So, like somebody has a motion, you discuss the motion, but you want to about ahead of time again. Yeah, I I guess um I understand that to to have it as a policy is not necessary, but I I would like to see this um maintained as a sort of u a consolidated uh document so that people who are looking for services uh regarding disability related um issues that they at least have a place to go. In other words, I wouldn't be in favor of deleting this information. Um, I'm okay with uh removing it as a policy, but simply putting this intact elsewhere.

It doesn't provide value. I agree with you. Yeah. Yeah. And and so, um, yeah. and and and I think you know putting my other hat on as accessibility advisory commission chair in town um these are the type of things that that committee or commission would you know weigh in on and I can only speak for myself and not representing that committee um but being familiar with these issues I think this document um as an educational document even if it's not a a policy I think there's a lot of people would find this very valuable. So

I do have a quick question Erin. So at the top there is a statement right that it really affirms our support of the equal access disability act etc. Like is that somewhere in another policy like if we take this down can can we make sure that ends up in another one. Yeah. Right.

So, so I guess um if we do remove it as a policy. Okay. Um and I don't want to get into a big discussion here. Is there anything in this document though that is uh outdated or factually incorrect that there may not be um certain home delivery services or things like that. Is there anything that would be um that is inaccurate that if we did put this in on the website but not as a policy that someone may may be expecting a service that may not be offered any longer.

Well, I think it's not policy, then it can just go up to the libraryies normal update process. So, I don't think we have to get too involved with that. Right. So, I think if Gene does take it and have a one pager with it, yeah, we would expect it to be updated with relevant information like everything else you all put out. So, I think we could at that point step back from the leads on it. area, right?

Right. So, so you saying that you wouldn't uh put this up asformational yet? I wouldn't. I think that it needs to be very sensitive. Okay. All right, sounds good. Not only that there is correct. Right. Right.

Okay. All right. in the and so uh while I have that hat on um uh accessibility advisory commission is always uh ready, willing and able to um put in their expertise on these matters um to do its own research as well and and and help the library uh come up with a a comprehensive document. All right. So, recap, it sounds like the ADA compliance language is going to go on the website and then we'll retire this and pull it down and figure out the best way to distribute the services or communicate the services. Is that a fair recap? I would agree with that. Okay. Y

can I ask one other question? And this is kind of just I've been thinking about is do we think that there's a larger affirmative statement by maintaining it as polic keeping continue with that as a policy. You know, it seems like there may be a couple inaccuracies or additional information that needs to be updated. And I certainly agree with Roger that if we do decide to take it down, I'd love to see this information elsewhere, but I wonder if it seems like part of the reason for taking down is just an additional policy and I wonder if it's worth maintaining just because of the nature of it. I think that's a fair point because um right now we're saying Eugene's going to make sure that we have it on the website, but at some point what if somebody deletes it off the website not thinking about having it there? If it's in the policy, then it can't come down without the board

without the board approving it theoretically. Right. So, so that's a great point. The question on the table is this is just a list of services the library provides, not a policy. I might argue that the first two or whatever at the top is really important service to people with disabilities policy and I I was trying to get on I can't get on the Wi-Fi here but um I I think that's somewhere in our mission statement right in in the on the web page I think so I would think like that's that to me that's describing what the mission of the library is those first two sentences

or at least the first one steps into this problem. It's not just some other content related to it, but we should take it.

That that was the reason why it was taken down because the previous director had had noted, you know, with some of the library staff. That's why they took it down. So, do we take it down and not retire it then? Um, well, do we want it to be a board policy? That's the question. Yeah. To me, that doesn't really seem like a policy per se. It's just a list of services, which to me makes sense just to have in the library available like for a handout or somewhere posted, but doesn't seem perfectly or applicable for a policy.

So, I'll leave it up to the board. Could we just have it be like a shorten a very short policy that just says you know the board you know you um what you ensure I guess supports in compliance with the ADA policy like have you I guess have you seen that in other policies like just just a deferative statement and again like think about the specifics but

and I think that minors but I think we certainly should have minimum and then they change the direct policy updated and that's a very policy no matter what you do it's going to be you can't want to be careful. My concern will be make sure we have input and then making a decision policy that children end policy that defies the ADA. So, do we then just vote to officially pull it down while we evaluate how service and disabilities appear through all the the policies

and just so just have it pulled down and then just say under revision? Well, because I think it's already pulled down and says under revision. Is that right, Eric? Correct. These are all under review. So just say we're vote that we're okay with that and then as the policy committee goes through this larger review and then we can come back and shore things up. So that way Chris we can make sure to your point we're still covering it somewhere and it's not getting lost but it's not up.

I think that's the do you know um uh if the BLC or ALA um provide significant guidance in in this this area. Yeah, they do provide some technology policies. I can look up.

All right. And I'll um if if the if the U board is so willing um u reach out to the mass office on disability to see if they have any overlapping information that pertains to libraries if everyone's okay with that. Okay. Can I ask a question? Yeah. Since everyone has asked I did have one question.

No worries. No worries. Um, what are the other vehicles of u communicating or postures or procedures or whatnot apart from a policy? I thought it was either a policy or there was nothing else that we a library would communicate to the patrons right our website in the website if it's not a policy are there other vehicles in a website what do we say is that a procedure is a guideline is a newsletter

I think it's information through pamphlets uh all the different items that someone can get at a library. Could you turn the volume down on the laptop? Yeah, you just need to maybe Yeah. To me, it's just like, you know, the teen library has recommendations for teens, like new books, and this is just kind of like recommendations for people with disabilities. So, it would be kind of like aformational packet that is available in the library somewhere. Yeah. And we have other things similar to this. There's people nodding their head. Yes. Sorry. Got it. Okay. Thank you. He can't see us.

All right. So, do we have a motion then? I don't Was there a motion on the table? Well, I think we need to make a motion. We haven't yet that we're going to be okay with it. Okay. So, I I'm comfortable making So, I make a motion to um to keep Okay. So, this one is Okay. I make a motion to um to keep the service to people with disabilities policy um removed from the website with the comment um under review. Second.

Thank you. Any discussion? So, will it show up on the website at all? Um, just as it is, right? But no link. Right. Under. All right. Second if no one seconded. All right. Any car second. All right. So, I made the motion. Doug. Sorry. All right. So, with that we'll vote. Robin. I. Chris. Aaron. I Carrie. I Rachel I. Roger. Okay, I and passes unanimously. So that leaves our last one, naming rights policy. Um I have two more. Oh, response to

Yeah. Oh, sorry. That's the last one. Yes. Yeah. So the naming rights policy, um it's a little outdated and it doesn't serve a purpose anymore. So in the event that we do have things to name, we would have to revise it and then we could bring it back to the board um to be voted into policy again. Um, so our recommendation is to leave that one removed from the website. This isn't retirement though, just to leave removed while it's under review. No, we're we're not agreeing to review it until it's necessary to review it. So if you want to use the word retire, then yes, I think that's appropriate.

And then create a policy in the instance that's there's an in a need for naming rights. Well, that's what I was going to ask. What I Theoretically we could have at any time we could have a donor wanting to come in have the naming rights for example we don't have the community room named yet. Yeah. Um so were there so there were specific verbiage in the current policy that the pol the committee thought should be modified. Um I I don't know that we we had maybe about an hour to get all this done. So I don't know that we really looked at this one with I mean, I'm okay retiring

under a microscope because we felt it was like, okay, that's why it was removed in the first place, I would agree with that. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I mean, we felt that if it was we had something to name, we could, right, we could take a look at it, which I'm okay with. I mean, if Yeah, because I I do want to we want to be able to potentially accept some donor naming rights if something comes up. Yeah. So, what we could agree to do is just um put this our list of policies to review. It would probably be a lower lower one, a lower priority, you know, sounds good. So, leave it removed. Um, but leave it on the listing, but then just say under revision or

No, because I mean it would be there for three years like that. You know, I would just um have it removed from their website and call it retired for now. But, you know, we do have all these policies. Yes. So, I didn't see a donations anywhere. Y we have that if you accept a donation,

so Carrie or Doug, did you encounter um any of this during um capital. Well, all all that went through that was the whole reason why Dana set up the capital campaign um is is to be able to collect the donation. So, it's a totally separate entity. So, it wouldn't be a library policy. It was a separate capital campaign. Yeah. But the naming rights was written for the ability to support the capital campaign. Yeah. for the renovation project,

but it doesn't necessarily the intent or or some of the goals achieved wouldn't necessarily although some are achieved. Um to your earlier point, Doug, that what do we do if someone comes up with some um donation? But then again, we don't have a donations policy. Is this incorporated or applied. Do we what does happen then if someone decides to want something you know donate and then have something named after them? I think if we retire the policy we would have to resurrect the policy or create a new one to make it active.

All right. And because the the thing about this policy was that it it enabled the capital campaign

to fund raise for the library through this mechanism. So, so would but would we want that effort to die? In other words, what at some point though, if we do retire this, I I think it's in our best interest to somehow uh agree to some verbiage and medium to advertise to the public that such opportunities do exist for parts of buildings or collections or this and that. And I guess to your point about um you know at some point integrating um a donations policy so that we continue to to um maybe get funds coming in, but if if if it's nowhere and no one knows about it,

right, we potentially lose that opportunity. So, at some point, that's a great point. And I'd say, sorry, I would just add the big difference with this is that, you know, these naming rights aren't hundreds of dollars. They were thousands of dollars or more. They were pretty significant donations. So that's why we had the naming rights so they could get a little plaque that's put on the library somewhere. Yeah. And I guess Erin, I'm thinking more like we should retire because reading this naming rights policy, it has nothing about our ability to remove a name if character things come up eventually. It should it does. I was just reading it.

Sorry, I was just reading the one in our packet. It's like two lines that says like for this policy and there was nothing else in it. So I might not have one If an organiz if an individual organization named comes into disrepute at the library or in the community at large, they can they can terminate or alter naming designation. It also states that the library board has the right to rename that opportunity as well. Yeah. So I think the only reason this was taken down is because they said, "Well, we don't need this anymore, you know, and it was outdated." So I I'm okay if we decide to keep this for now.

Um and we can put it into the policy um rotation. It is pretty old, so it probably would come to the top of the stack sooner than later. But I what I'm hearing also is Jean is saying like if somebody donates um a bench or something like Yeah. more books like we used to have a like we used to have a program where um you would like for somebody's birthday you could um donate a book and then there was a name plaque. I did it with my daughters. Um so like in honor of so and so's birthday I donate. Yeah. They they had the cute little balloon like they it was a really nice program and if we don't have a policy for that then we probably should. So maybe maybe it should be you know donations and naming rights like all all together.

Yeah. toys.

So, is it draft language elsewhere? Like, is it like MBLC or elsewhere or other towns or local? Oh, good. So, so then do we have to do anything if we're going to keep this live? So, um just to answered um what um Jean was mentioning. So friends take donations if it ever comes up about somebody wants to give something. We're talking about like you know monetary donations for books or monetary for for benches or they want to support something from a monetary perspective not just you know give items to the library. Yeah. And those go

friendsirectly I don't think so. Well, that's that's usually monetary, right? Yeah. Yeah. I think it's probably the friends if it's something large enough. I mean, I'm sure we would consider we got telescopes. I think in the past, it sounds like there's a lot of tentacles to this one. So, I guess Erin, what are your thoughts for how you want to propose a vote around this?

Um, I think as long as the policy committee would support this is that we would um tonight we would vote to reinstate it um and agree that it would go back to the because I think the verbiage is fine the way that it is. I think we've also um identified some gaps that either can go into this policy or an additional policy about donations. So, I guess our recommendation, I think I see head nods, would be to reinstate this one. Okay. So, I make a a motion to reinstate the naming rights policy. Second. Any discussion?

Uh, I would just add I think we've had people wanting to donate physical things, paintings, and the director has just turned them down. Not to any policy, but I mean, we don't have to accept anything if people want to give us something. So, but I agree that having some type of donation state.

Any other discussion? All right. I Chris I. Aaron I. Carrie I. Rachel. I Roger. I

Doug. and it unanimously passes that we'll reinstate the naming rights policy on the website. So the response to accident we're still we're still talking about policy and I thank you see we're making up for all the lost time I guess right in this meeting is gonna be all right so the last one um we the policy committee felt that this one was okay to remove because a lot of it was internal procedures about what staff should do if there was an accident at the library. You know who to call and whatnot. And there was a lot of governance around, well, they must call 911 or or do this or or or telling them not to dial 911 or something. But this all internal procedures that the library staff um are fully trained and handled to to um to do on their own. We didn't feel like we needed to have a policy for this. So, our recommendation is to remove it from the website, retire the policy. I

I make a motion to retire the response to exit policy. Second. All right. Any discussion? One question just for confirmation is that so we do have this information here in a handbook or in writing somewhere in library policies or whether maybe not procedures procedures. [Music] treatment.

You'd almost think there would be a town accident policy like for any school or Okay. I always fire.

Yes. Somewhere. Okay. And again, this isn't one that you would typically see as a policy. It's more of a procedure. Any other discussion? Um, just one. I don't know that it's included in the packet. I don't see it here in the response. It's on page 75. Yeah. Okay. No, I've got it. Okay. No, that's all that will take a vote. Provinu. Um, oh, hold on.

I don't I don't think this is the policy that we were looking at though. Um, policy committee Kim the respond to access policy.

This this even doesn't have a date on it. Have a date? Yeah. Yeah. I don't think this is the right one, Kim. So maybe we'll So I I think our recommendation stands. Um the other one was very very procedural. This one seems very basic. Uh and this one looks more like a form uh and also um an internal. Yeah, this was not the one that was on the website before the one that we reviewed. So are we tableabling this? Yeah, I think we should we should probably just table it, but I think we had good discussion so we should be able to move through it and we'll be able to find out if we'll locate this in any of the procedures.

Does that work for you, Eric? Yeah, I think we would need to um resend the motion we have before. Okay. Um and we have to Yeah, if we think that's not the right policy, then I would withdraw my motion. Thank you. And again, this one is this one is already removed from the the website. The link is removed from the website and it says under revision. Under review. Under review. Okay. Yeah. So, I guess the alternative would be what? That um we would bring the policy in question to the board at the next meeting. So, it would remain as under review on the website.

So, we would just make a motion to keep it removed from the website with the under review. Yeah, it sounds like you just made ahead. Is there a second? Okay. I make a motion that we um we keep the response to accident policy um removed from the the policy um website um with the designation under review. Second. Any discussion? Okay. I sure Iron I. Carrie I. Rachel I

Roger I. or unanimous like this. Thank you and thank you policy committee. That is a lot of work and I know you guys have been waiting for for some votes. So appreciate it and thank you Jean. I know you have heavily leaned into the policy. So that's appreciated. It was a very very productive one-hour meeting we had and I and I will add and I will add you're doing an amazing job chairing this and Doug's just sitting here. It's it's great, isn't it? I like this. Yeah. Keep keep it up. Well done. All right. So, she enjoys it. She's been smiling the whole time. I know. I've been Don't I smile? No, not as much as Rachel does.

Oh. All right. So, I guess now we're on to the director's report. So, Jean, I will turn it over to you. And I think this is your first official official one because last time you were three days in so that was easy meeting.

Yeah. So just to go through one of the things that we initiated, there were several reasons for this is the welcome desk. We're open 58 hours a week. Um I feel it's extremely important in terms of safety, security, also welcoming and helping patrons. It's also a way for everybody to feel productive in the same way and sort of bring staff together a little bit too. Um I've had extremely positive feedback from the staff. They like being down there. We literally have managed to be there 58 hours a week. Oh, great.

And um so we we have a log system. So I'm looking to see maybe another month I'll have more. It's so valuable to patrons when you come in there. I know it happened to me the first time I came in for my meeting and I there was nobody there and I was like where do I go? I guess I'll go upstairs and I found him wandering around. Um so there's so many you know they're trying to use the book return. They don't know where to get their holes. Where's the children's room or and things like that. So, it's been very valuable. I take some spaces there as well. I have a hard time getting Kim off of the welcome death. So, we're all contributing 100% participation from everybody in the library. So, it's um it's been it's been very good. Um it's it's challenging because everybody's already, you know, we're thin, but not so thin that we couldn't make it work. So, hopefully we've had a lot of sickness the last few days, last few weeks. So, that gets a little bit more challenging, but we're, you know, everybody's know when there's a send somebody out and somebody will say yes, I can take it and I just check with your manager first, but it's been working pretty well. So, I think it's a really valuable service.

Yeah, I've actually heard positive feedback from a couple community members, too. And I agree. I mean, it's a goal. I mean, if if you're low on staff and you can't staff it, you know, 24 whatever, not 247, but all the time, that's okay, too. But it's I I've heard a lot of good results, too.

So, the three W's, I just thought I would tell you about these. um it's it's internal to help communicate between the departments because they're kind of siloed. So every week they send me the three W's. What was what they did last week, what is what they're doing this week and what's coming. So some of them have a short paragraph or line or two or whatever. So everybody does that in this week and I communicate a lot. So I don't that particular piece but I communicate a lot and so that goes around to everybody. So everybody said

I can communicate more on Tuesday. Somebody forgets and those are so management and other meetings those are ongoing all the time with all staff. Um I'm the interview for 10 positions because um reviewing some other things first. So, I'll just not um also tableing this one, but I guess I'll give you a little update on I'm not going to put in the request today. Um after um Thanksgiving, then we're closed and it's Saturday the 29th that we're open. And um so I'll wait until next month to in sort of a formal request for a vote that we don't open on that Saturday and let the staff have that nice solid break. In addition, sometimes that's a good time to clean carpets. They have to dry out over a couple of days. Um it would be nonprecedented setting if that's going to be permanent that has to you know go different route but so anyway I'll I'll sort of table it but that's kind of where I was to see the board would vote to close. I know where I was before patrons were always very appreciative of staff and said yes you deserve that nice long break and so it wasn't was very rarely seen as a negative but I'll come back to that next appreciate

can I ask you a quick question um I don't know how easy it is to pull the um um the entry numbers like people coming into the building don't we have a a system that keeps track of Yes I I tracked down who does it and it's so I've got her on my list this week so she's She's got the numbers from the LA I'm curious on what it was last last year or

depends on if they kept those reports. So on the days closed there was a error. So, we just need to amend this one again or vote on it again because the previous one out May 23rd. So, it was just so that

Saturday May 23rd was I guess what's the document you're talking about? It was just a sort of a is it this year for 2026? Yes. I think it's 2026. I guess my question is this. Library closing dates. I assume library closing dates. Okay. So, we had a date not on the list or we had the wrong day. We had a date on the list. And what is what was that date?

Or the Saturday the Memorial Day or the Saturday? Saturday 23rd. So you just need to vote again. Do we Well, I guess my question is so is this one a date we normally have off or new one? Yeah, it just got out.

Where is it in the packet? Is it for it to be in the packet for next one? Can we vote on it then? I don't know if I had like a a date to it. Does look like the Saturday openly weekend. Uh it may have been a Jewish holiday because that's the only thing I see. May 22nd is Shabbat 2026 and then May 23rd is would be Saturday and maybe that's why it was on there in the past. I think it's because it's a long weekend.

I don't see I don't see anything that says it was Memorial Day. Memorial Day weekend is is May 25th. I see. So Sunday they're closed. So Monday is the the official holiday and then So I think we'll table it till next meeting, right? We'll get it put in the package. Okay, that helps too. Yeah. So we'll get the official one and then we can approve it next. That can be D's problem next. See, she is smart.

So just to let you know in the process that celebrates holiday um building. So, I'm back and forth with the sprinkler system update. I think I'm almost there. I've been working with Tracy Tracy. Also, on October 9th, the building and fire inspection will take place at the library. So, that's scheduled. Um the bikes outside, we did post that on social media and Facebook and Instagram um with a picture saying this is yours please contact us by by the end of the month and it has my email I think and no one's contacted us yet so I guess I'll have to find out from the town what we do with it. It's not our surplus property,

right? What do you call it? Um, not unclaimed property, abandoned property, property. I don't think we can just give away. I don't know. I'll check on that because I'm not sure what we do with them, but nobody has claimed. So, we gave it till the end of the month, but Yeah. So, we did post that. Yeah. Please check with the town. I just got an update from the recycling um person with the Boy Scouts and they were just wondering how large is the book bin, which I think we can probably just get some measurements because they want to make sure it'll fit in their dumpster because they have a finite amount. I'm hoping that it can open up and they could put stuff inside it right as they put it in there because they will pick it up. Okay. With the truck.

I think I didn't look at it myself, but my understanding is there's another like an insert inside it. Yeah, that actually was there was a question about from the friends about that because I did ask the friends to confirm that they don't want the the donation, but they were hoping that it would be used that the boy house would use it to collect the scrap metal, but I

Yeah. Do they want to vote again? No. No, I think I mean they they were okay. They the friends don't want it anymore. So I think we're okay with this. So we'll leave it up to Yeah, we'll figure out how to get it into the dumpster. We'll get some measurements. Okay. So I had all the sandbags removed. Thank you.

The services. Um, maintenance has tried it. They do have one, but it's not taking out stains. Um, I know somebody who I've used before in the library. It does stay wet for a couple days, but I'm sure we can do there's a lot of stains in the room. It's too late now because a lot of coffee spills and tefor But there's a lot of stains. That's a problem with the children's room because that carpet is less than a year, you know, since it's been installed.

It's got a lot of stains. Heavy big stains. So, I don't know. Children's rooms. Yeah. At one point, the town purchased a commercial machine. Can't remember what it was called. Yeah. and they've used it a couple times and it doesn't it doesn't work or they I mean it works. It cleans the carpet but it's not taking the stains off. Do you have any feedback from the children's room managers as to maybe what's going on with that? Yes, I I've inspected it a couple times and spoken with them looked at the states and they're pretty big. Well, I mean, do they know what's happening or people coming in like parents coming with their large coffees kind of thing? I think that's what it is.

Yeah. Yeah. Again, it speaks to cup holders. This is this is me thinking, okay, you know, and where do I put my drink? Well, I don't see a plate I'll put on the floor, you know, but I would assume if this other thing didn't clean it that getting a professional cleaner like my impression was it was like a professional cleaning. I think it was like a certain name of it. I I don't remember, not like a steam. I remember our discussion, but I don't remember the name.

I think there has to be, you know, some level of expert the right chemicals to use the stains are that I'm not sure they have those and the ones that I've used. very very deep cleaning. I was pretty happy with that. So I can get a quote. My thoughts were if we closed um for that, you know, I think we're open a half a day before the Thanksgiving break them to come in that half day. We have several days to drive because you have to move a lot of things around too. But I think, you know, carpet's not that old and long stains. You'll never get them out. They really don't look good at all. I mean, the carpet's what, five years old now.

That's not new carpet. You remember that was the issue is they reuse the old tiles, right? No, no. They um I'm pretty sure that was our big issue is they ended up not buying new carpet. They ended up reusing the tiles and it No, no, no, no. They delivered the tiles. We thought that they delivered the wrong tiles and that we're going to be getting Actually, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't really matter. I would still have sodas, I guess. I mean, you raised up the whole carpet, I guess, wasn't replaced. It was just a portion of the Yeah. Let us know what the quote comes back and then we can assess from there. Yeah. I think it's perfectly reasonable to clean the carpets, you know, a couple times a year.

Couple times a year. I did them at least two times. Yeah, especially in the children's room. So, I had a question from Tracy that you might have some input on. There used to be or supposed to be an accessibility pathway sign. I know we have discussed

back to that point. I remember on accessibility advisory commission we had discussed that but I think it was in the context of um Christy Proctor being the liaison to the library building committee as a sort of non- voting member um and yeah that was supposed to be in what used what is the front which used to be the main entrance um and so I guess I thought we had a sign in the front that basically directed people to the other side of the building no but sensory sign like the common side common side

but also like in in braille I mean it it's like a sensory friendly sign um that that was specifically meant to not just be signage for those um who could see but um was also a sensory one. And so do you remember um while you were on building committee and so I thought we had a sign that accommodated that in the front. Is it like a standalone sign that you can move and maybe got moved somewhere or was it attached to the building? I haven't paid attention. So are you saying we should have one, right?

Yes. because Trace Tracy as the ad as the uh building inspector is also the town's ADA coordinator and she's also the select board rep accessibility advisory commission. So um this actually arose out of our last meeting as well. So can I work with you on that?

Yeah, let's let's talk about that. Yeah. So, I also want to get a quote for the plumbers in the children's room. I actually called in the Bahamas when he answered the phone. I said, "Sorry, I'll call you when you get back." So, I'd like to give a quote. They apparently had issues with the plumbing for like well over a year and so the washing machines don't work. If you turn one thing on, there's no pressure in the sinks. So, we really need to, you know, I think mainten I didn't check to see I I reported it to to Pat who's the tree going to take a look at You're talking about the ones underneath the wires right along the road or

No, it's actually near where the where the book um dumpster is that we were just talking about is to the left of that and it's leaning a lot. It's a tree I'm thinking of. It's a weed tree. It's like one of those things that grows like crazy. Yep. And it was cut because it was trimmed because it was hanging over the garden area, but it wasn't completely cut down. So hopefully the tree warden will just cut it down. Yeah. Yeah.

Um so just some other things that I lead into. So having there was some light bulbs out in the old part of the library. Um the emergency rehungs for a very long time. So I put in a ticket for that. Um as well as I asked um of children's services. I said, "You need to have some coloring pages here. They have the paper on the table so they can just scribble." But so we got some clear acrylic um coloring page holders that are so they came to me those kids. So this sort of leads into they um initiated um maintenance ticketing system and it's really good. So I can so if you have anything send them to me and I'll in the ticket you can go in and see the ticket progress and they've been very quick to follow up. So it's been great

security system training. So Kim and I met with it um for a little while to figure out what's going on with the security system and the door locking. Uh we need to look into it some more. It's not easy and if we have emergency it's in my office which could be locked or So we have to look at all that. I'll come back to it is a little bit concerning because it's in my office and I couldn't figure out how to navigate it and the it took him a while too. So we have to we have to figure out um I'm also reviewing some software programs for efficiencies cost value and overlap. And the reason I'm doing that is because it's time to build the FY27 budget and I want to make sure that I'm as efficient as possible with that. And with some feedback from staff a couple of them already very much. So I want to make sure there's no expensive um one of the things that I asked about with because they changed it because they has a techn technology map and he didn't know what I was ask mapping system of all of your technology most importantly your your computers and your monitors but also all your peripherals like everything. I been able to find one. I have a list of computers, but not any information about when they were installed. So, generally, you put I'm saying we probably have about 150 pieces of technology. They're very expensive. So, if you have your map, you have to rotate when you're going to replace them and it's a lot of money generally put that in the capital account. So, I haven't seen any reference to it and so it's a little bit concerning to me because I'm not sure if these were all new building. I can't find that if anybody has any, please let me know. So, I just want to make sure that's in the queue somewhere. I mean, generally capital accounts you put money

in, you know, five years down the road, but it's going to be sooner than five years before our technology starts to need to be, you know, rotated out. So, I'm I'm looking into that and if anybody has any information on it that but I so I can't find any I mean I can try to look as part of the building plan like the line items that was purchased as part of that that would be helpful. Um I would also suggest just asking the staff like in those particular areas I've done that I've asked CW Mars and um well I mean like the library staff I assume they would know if it's been purchased since the building open

reopen. Um they didn't know and they didn't know where the purchases came from like if it was part of the building purchases. So I'll find out more about the capital. I I don't think that like I don't think that was a big part of like I mean I mean I don't know if he just so we don't really know how old they are his hand raised so probably you can jump in.

Yeah. So quick question when you talk when you say technology roadmap we I know that being in the on the building committee and Doug you might recall recall we had a network diagram we had a that was all part of the building plan as to how the cables went in where did they go what are the ports we had all that one the technology road map that you're referring sounds to be more of an inventory of all our assets laptops and whatnot monitors and stuff is that what you're referring to yeah yeah more of a replacement schedule for the technology. Right. Right. You don't want to replace them all at once, but you have to have, you know, strategy. Okay. Because it's really expensive.

I think then that's the uh someone was suggesting I don't know who said that probably Doug getting an inventory of all the assets that we have right now and then dates of purchase and what's the versions and so on and so forth. That should be the easier one. technology road map to me would be much more broader and within that is one of the four infrastructure components which is our network end of the day. That's all. Yeah, I'm going to have everybody in every department report out every single piece. I know there's a laptop card with like 50 laptops that I think have ever used and I think software is probably updated. I'm not sure. We just want to make sure we know so we know

I'm pretty sure that um that Beth had a a sheet because um two library directors ago she would come to the board every couple years and have that on the capital thing and since she was the director with the renovation project I'm guessing that there's a file somewhere. It's just a matter of seeing if we can find So normally I think what happened there was she probably was working with CW Mars because CW Mars will work with the libraries but in 2017 they that part of the service was. So, they gave me what they have, but it's from 2017. So, I don't know if anybody picked it up from there. Do you have um do you have access to like the library network drive that potentially those files would have been on?

Yes, there's a lot of files. Yeah. No, I've heard that. Okay. Yes.

So, the only recommendation that I I could give you is I think you're looking in the right places. So, I know for a time they were trying to And I've done I do similar inventory projects for banks, right? We have to inventory all the pro it's a very large and expensive project to do. I think in the capacity that you're recommending, I think it's a great idea. But when it comes to our existing assets, um CW Mars, right, I think they were trying to asset tag a lot of the laptops at least so that they could loan them to to patrons. I don't know if that was also done on the devices, you know, that are in production throughout the library. I don't think so. Um,

yeah. So, I do know that it's in 75% confident with this that new technology was purchased with the new library in 2021. There definitely was. Yeah. So, it's you are on the five-year

in 2026. So, then I would probably budget in 2027. If the If it is a true fiveyear cycle for assets at least the computers I would I don't know what the life cycle is for any other technology you have okay for long you might have to recalibrate them once more that's not usually a big deal but again I have to scanners we have different contract so it does expensive Okay.

You mean individual departments have individual printers? Why wouldn't they just use the copers? Well, there's only two. So, yeah. Yeah. I mean, if you're printing out by means printing out financial document, you don't want them to go Yeah, that's true. That would be one exception. But anyway, so this information was a deficit in the energy that needs to be closed. So

yeah, that was cut off on cut off on your I think just verbal would be fine. I can get back to Mary and tell her it's okay. We can take it out a

Can you clarify what the number is? I can send it to you.

I'll find it because I know you sent an email about it because we should make a motion tonight. I have the number. Oh, you do have the number? I do. Yeah. Great. So, um, can we do a motion now? Yeah. Okay. I make a motion to pay the the amount of $1,397.79 to pay the that was the energy deficit, right? To pay the energy bill for from state aid. Second. Any discussion? So, what would we expect the next month's bill and the next month's bill? Are we going to continue to have to pay the out of state aid? Is this from last year?

This was because it overlaps like the fiscal year. Got it. And it was like an old bill but didn't get paid. Thank you for clarifying. Great. Any other discussion? We'll move into voting. I Chris Iron I Carrie I Rachel I Roger I Doug I

just continue working next week and today it's challenging state a report is um it's not a cut and drive report's a lot misinterpretation or interpretation even from library to library. You have inconsistencies with people filling up. So there's been they actually have to go through a back door and change some things that were submitted a year or two ago. We can't change them. They're locked, but it impacts the calculations for this year. So, I'm I'm going to get the town clerk, you know, photos of of the library allocations and make sure those numbers correct so that looking up the right ones. Otherwise, this year's numbers will be we're going to meet compliance. That's not an issue. But, um I want to make sure it's, you know, all caught up to speed. It just it's not anybody's fault. It's just it's not an easy report. And, you know, when I did it, I did it for nine years, so I knew exactly how where I put the numbers, where I got them from. sometimes two or three places where the numbers might go. So it's not that easy. Um and so you know and there were some adjustments but they weren't reported to to MLC. So so I'm kind of playing all that up. So the court's almost almost finished.

Is there any um I mean I know we mentioned this on email, but is there anything that the board can help with? I mean, it doesn't seem like we're even going to be able to know if the numbers are right unless

No. And you know, it's one of the things that um I can sort of eyeball and say something doesn't look right because I've been doing them for so long. But even this library has different accounts, different ways to put things. You know, there are things in your appropriations budget that we didn't have in ours. And so when you're looking at what's in the capital fund, what the revenues are, and if the numbers, previous two numbers weren't right, you get an audit check because I'm pulling up what I see for this year. But it's very last year. So I have to explain that because you get audit check. You can't go any further. So I don't really see that you could tell that by looking at the numbers and as I said I'm happy to give a you know report about it after do we have is there is it easy to access last year's and the year before that like the last two years.

Um it there's um only directors can get to it. So yeah I'm working on this year's I think you have to go to a different page. I'm kind of trying not to too much because I'm getting my head into like there's too many numbers that are kind of I'm kind of sticking to what I'm pulling up this year,

making sure I'm accurate what I'm recording different places to put things. So, I'm almost meeting the budget meeting tomorrow. Can you um can you give us some guideline or some timelines for the FY27 budget? It said it says you're working on it like

Well, I'm I've got to get the state report done to first. So, but when is it due to like the the first draft due to the town administrator? I don't know. I might find that out tomorrow. Okay.

So, there was a budget kickoff where they really identified mostly that they were going from zero balance buding to per budgeting which I am all fan of but we have to meet state guidelines and then that's probably not enough. So we have to have and I don't know what percentage they're looking towns will say increase by 25%. I don't know any of that yet. I do know that from looking and pulling numbers here, if the numbers and the accounts are aligned differently, it will be much easier to do the finance report because I can align it a little bit more closely things that they're in one account. But anyway, so I'm going to be looking at all that. I don't really have the timeline. I'm guessing it's probably within a month or two. And and if I could interject that the reason why we're in this conference room is at finance committees meeting as we speak and the town administrator and assistant town administrator in attendance at that meeting and I would gather that they're probably talking about budget matters and timeline. So you know it'll probably come out soon enough as to the time frame for these preliminary uh expectations

and and it's a good time. These numbers are all fresh in my mind. And so like there's a lot of accounts. There's accounts that are not there at all where I have to pull numbers to fill in in the state finance report. So I'm trying to find where they are. And you can't always tell. It's just a line item. Can't really tell. So So I can I can build in a way that will make it easier. I need to fill this out here. So, in the in the past, the trustees have have um supported the director at building these or working with these reports. So, I would suggest that we get at least one or two of us to work with Jane on the budget. I mean, it's going to change when we hire a permanent director, but if there's anything that needs to get done before the permanent director starts, I think it'd be good for the trustees to be involved. And I can start out doing it.

I'd be happy to help. So I I think at this point I'm taking the guidance from the town. So I'm not sure where all of this lies I guess as they get more into the process. Well, fundamentally we want we want to support the library and the library's growth regardless of what the town says at least to go in it go to the town with that. Obviously the town's going to push back. They got to balance the budget as a whole. But we want to think about what, you know, we want to do from the library perspective first and then figure out obvious obviously we want to compromise, not compromise, but we want to work with the town as well. But seems like as a first draft, we want to make sure that we're getting what we want.

And to dovtail off of what what Doug just mentioned, he's absolutely right. So in the past, um, this we haven't had enough staff at the library. And, you know, with a bigger library, uh, has more staff, too. You're saying staff sorry right so um one of the initiatives that we um would put into the the budget was you know additional needs for staffing and we would always support um the director on that initiative and come to the finance committee meetings and and um so those are the kind of things I want you to think about for growth exactly what Doug Doug is saying what are what are our needs right um you know is the current budget meeting our needs and then if there's some wants where we can consider those two.

But um yeah, custodian's always been a challenge getting you know getting enough custodial support. So you know if if it's appropriate to ask for you know a full-time custodian or additional staff as Aaron mentioned and obviously the town's going to go come back and you know we might have to cut that staff if if the budget doesn't warrant it. But and Rachel if I remember from the exit interview with He had some recommendations around hours potentially that he thought that he didn't get this year he thought might fill it out.

Yeah, um it was a couple more part-time staff just to help fill in some of the staffing challenges. Um I have those numbers back in my notes too so we can can share those with you. I thought it was in the context of um comments about our maybe overuse of of temps and and that those numbers were I guess so prevalent that that recommendation was made to have some more permanent part-time folks

especially when we had to close rooms down because we didn't have enough staff people go on vacation you know not even sick but go on vacation we didn't have enough staff to have rooms open so I mean you probably have a good pulse of it I mean you know now so I'm not sure that it looks the way you think it looks but it might it might be better this year I'm not we're not saying that it's not but take place everybody's there at the same time they don't want to work another shift it's kind of too quick to fill it sometimes y so okay so looking at that obviously you want to be staffed well enough but this is already very big staff

yeah so just taking a look at the the time car and then I'll let you finish your thought is it's nine o'clock I know you have a couple other bullets it sounds like from a finance budget standoint We'll you'll figure out a board person to work with and it we'll learn more as the finance committee moves on. But Carrie, what were you adding in?

So I just want to mention that like you I know that right before Toml left we had finally got to like staffing of all open positions. So I think right now we're probably in like a good position staffing wise like we don't have any open positions and that definitely wasn't the case for a good partner last year too. So I think that might contribute to the tax. If I if I could just make a quick comment about um I think certainly this time of year and and what's facing us as a as a board um especially with the director the search has added a whole new level of meetings you know the search committee. I'll simply add that I I think we find ourselves on a board that sometimes could use an extra meeting in a month and I what I would I I do appreciate everyone's time but I would say that I think we sometimes find ourselves thinking that we are at a twohour stop dead time when and then find ourselves rushing through certain items. Um I know we can ren ourselves in um but I just wanted to mention that moving forward that I think we find ourselves rushing sometimes just because we're used to oh yeah two hours but some some agendas are going to be more packed than others and I think may warrant more than two hours. giggling around that because I've never been to a two-hour meeting yet since I've been on this board. So, I was just doing a healthy time check so we can all all gauge ourselves and we will take the time we need as we go through it. So, but sorry, Gina, if you want to continue on your report.

I was finished, but I just wanted to add so this is the invoice for the table, right? So, that would be for the um the capital campaign. The library capital campaign. Yes. Okay. And so, just so as an update, there's about $3,000 in there. Okay. Just letting you know because they did an audit in the second in where? I'm sorry. In the library capital budget. Oh, no, no, no, that's different. Yeah. No. So, this is so the um so prior to you um you coming on board um the capital campaign agreed to pay for that table. So, there'll be like a reimbursement, you know, for that for that payment, I guess. Or separate 501c3.

You can give me the invoice because I'm the treasurer. Thank you, Jane, and thank you for a busy first month. Your report was very informative. Absolutely. Very well done. Thank you. A lot of great action. Yeah. All right. And with that, Chris, the walkabout.

Yeah. Um there's a handful of pictures. Um really just noted five items. Um the kind of and I'm color blind here, but the purple or dark blue wall kind of as you enter from the new into the the old historic building has some chipping on the on the paint there. Um that you should see there. Um this is the first time in a year and a half or so that I've been on board that I walked through and all the thermostats on the second floor read 72 at the same time. So that was pretty exciting. I don't know I mean it was a mild day but that was a positive

positive finding. Um uh I don't know if you read my notes before uh the meeting, Gene, but I had noted there were carpet stains kind of throughout um and had a couple pictures of at least a couple of them. So I think that the that recommendation to get a carpet cleaning um is is a good one. Um uh there are some by the study rooms on the above entrance there's a couple wall patches that have some paint that needs to go over it, but clearly there was a repair that was done there. I think where those mounts were that um there's going to be like these little things to the rooms and it work.

Okay. It looked kind of like that. I was wondering if there used to be thermostats or something. Looked like that. Um and then there are some stone on the front stairways or the front stair. John and I last fall there and it's kind of granite block larger gaps and

and was that the nine 917 said 06. Oh yeah. Oh the date that the walkabout was done. Yeah. Yes. 97.

Okay. I think it was incorrect. I had a typo on the actual um and madam chair if you would allow me the liberty of I'll try to keep this under one minute high level um to Chris's walkabout I was uh looking at the select board meeting of last night and at from the 29 minute point to the 36 minute point of that meeting Ray me who was the facilities assessment committee chair um discussed library issues when they did their walk through and the the four highle things were the library roof issues. Um lead flashing should be underneath slates shingles that it was it was improper installation. Um they he discussed the library rainwater runoff problem on the back excuse me on the back side uh of the building. Um final recommendations will be to build a trench system to the drains and installation of a catch basin on South Street notwithstanding that there was a burm put in to divert the water. Um you know I'll say money doesn't go on trees but there's still going to be the recommendation that a catch basin uh be put on South Street. Um there was a comment about the parking lot catch basin being overgrown with weeds and maybe that's a punch a ticket item for u you know DPW and then noting uh door gaps and sandbags at almost every door need to be addressed. We already talked about that tonight regarding the sandbags but the door gap issues. So, um, the final recommendations of that committee will be coming out soon and will detail all these issues. And so, if you want to see it, uh, go on the town website or the GCTV, the town YouTube station for government, and it's last night's meeting, 9:23, and it's the 29 minute point to the 36 minute point of that meeting.

Squadron, do you know if they're going to be like issuing a formal report to us or just to the town? I think it's to the town because It's a a select board appointed committee um an ad hoc committee. So um so I we'll find out when that comes out and then whoever gets to it first can share with the rest of the uh trustees. Thank you. Y and thank you for the walk. Thank you. Ask a question. So I also noted those chips. So, I'm assuming I should do something to take care of that. Do we want to stay with dark blue? Makes it look dark.

I was going to suggest that you have the patch to blue and the wall patches as a quick fix. Yeah. And then if I don't really remember why that wall was painted between there was a reason. feel like there's a reason, but um yeah, we I think we should patch it first because that should be a quick fix and then if we want to consider something different, we can consider that. Is that what you're thinking is to change the color to make it a little more I didn't know if they still have the same blue. How big scraping things more like change something or if you patch it, you're drawing more attention to it.

I think because a patch is just going to be a white. No, I'm thinking if you find the right blue. I don't know. That's very difficult. That's what Jane is saying. Yeah, but it wasn't I mean it would have been five years ago that it was painted. It wasn't um was a part of the renovation expansion that that got paint. I'm sure we can get the color code for it. I think I can get the color code for that. But you're right. If we can't find the color, then it's going to make it worse. Try to patch it. So I guess Jean, if you can't get the same color, then maybe we can talk about the next board meeting or you can send an email to that probably the best way. Yeah, I mean it's kind of contained around the wall. Yeah, it's a terrible.

All right. So if there's nothing else about the walkout, we'll move over to new business um and the library director. So Doug, if you want to give an update and then I sent out the second round of questions that we can talk through quickly, too.

Y so we're um got a little bit delayed in the interview process um primarily because of the open meeting law thing that we always have to work around and making sure we try to post in 48 hours in advance and then this was just a busy week especially for me. Um so I think our interviews early next week. Um I do think we as a committee we're going to need um have a ad hoc meeting here before our next meeting um because I think if if we if we're at a point where we want to push together a couple final um candidates, then this board needs to interview those candidates. So maybe I'll just send an email out to this group or um asking you guys for the schedule for you know maybe two or three weeks from now. So would would these candidates uh be expected to come in person or would it be a Zoom?

We were thinking Okay. Yeah. And I I would have to agree with that. You know, I think we've fallen on Zoom too much, but I'll have to admit that there's something beneficial, I think, of having someone here in person. And just as a reminder, you know, these being the final like interviews up until this point um are in executive session um you know because the some of these candidates are you know it's confidential and stuff but the final round with this board will be an open meeting. Okay.

And so in preparation for that meeting I sent out a quick overview of potential questions. And so um what I did is kind of divided it up. I just kind of like assigned people so if someone does not want theirs you can we can trade. Um and then gave some example questions too. Um and then as people are finalizing what their questions are, I'm happy to be a sounding board because um what I tried to do is we have some basic questions we've been asking through first round and so um trying to give you guys some examples of stuff that maybe goes a little deeper. I will say we're not asking anything about strategic planning, policy, library, friends, and community engagement. So, um, Prau, Erin, and Karen, Carrie, I gave those to you just based on I think what your normal topics are. So,

I thought you did a nice job diving up the questions and I was happy with the questions that you assigned, but if you want us to come over with additional questions, we can, too. Everyone will probably have a chance to ask one, maybe two questions, just depending on what the time comes. So feel free to edit them and make them like your own voice. We talked about we'll distribute them in advance to the to second round candidates because it's all public information anyway. So it's it feels a little more welcome. Are are you talking about questions um that your email you sent to the whole board the interview questions?

Yeah. So in what manner would we finalize those questions? So everyone right I think everyone has a good understanding of the area they are so everyone can kind of finalize them and then I can recollect them for our final meeting and if anyone wants to discuss them I'm happy to have a one-on-one conversation to talk through it. So just let me know. Um I know along with Chris and Doug we ask a like the interview process we have a lot of questions. We found maybe we get through nine to 10 in totality. Um, so we want to make sure there's time for this this group to hear the questions answered. But, um,

just remember we can't have conversations in email. So, just give your opinions to Rachel.

And and here's and here's where we we're not out of the woods. All right. Is that that the more recent revisions of the uh mass open meeting law cover what's called polling. Okay. So, I would I would invite you to and all of us to to look at the uh polling section of the mass open meeting law to make sure we're not running a foul of uh like you being a conduit. Um even if we're coming up with a question, we're still kind of in a way offering an opinion that this piece of information is important to part of the process even if we're going to eventually discuss it in open meeting. So, I just want to make sure we we uh are careful of of how we filter out information um behind the scenes outside of a posted meeting. That's all.

Yep. And I think um we don't have to have discussion on them, right? It's more if you have any questions or or you want someone just as you're thinking through it, everyone can bring their own questions. We don't have to pull the whole list back together until the moment it's sent out. So, everyone can kind of do their own and piece and then can funnel through. Okay. Um so yeah, so tried to do that to expedite the process. Doug will kind of kick us off and then at the end and explain the process and at the end just confirm if they have any questions for us

and and I'll I'll uh just put a kudos out to the uh the screening committee because um um knowing how many times you've been, how many meetings are up and coming has been a a pretty significant commitment. So I I really appreciate that. We appreciate your flexibility with your upcoming schedule. So keep that in mind. So I think with that if there's no other questions um I know we had strategic plan on it but I believe Doug we said we're going to defer that and likewise the library parking lot with Roger we're

deferring. Yeah. And I guess I guess I had a question. Is since we had brought since we had resurrected the library parking policy, was that something that needed to be put under review status? because there's some questions as to the validity of the preamble statement of how we got so strict on that policy or do we want to just leave it as is because right now we what happened is it was it was deactivated by the prior director and then we discussed it we reactivated it but I think there's still the question of of the very basis for how we got so strict on that sort of 247 polic policy.

So, do we do we place it back into review status? My recommendation is we let the policy committee review it and decide what they want. So, Erin, let us know what you think is best. Yeah, I mean certainly I'll um I'll hear any input um as to which direction we should go, but at least at the very very least, you know, we need to discuss it with the town, make sure that we're all in agreement on on the library parking lot. And we're at a time of year where this issue, I mean, except for the farmers market, which is sort of on a tail end of the season, is really not an issue this this time of year. Okay. Let us know how you want to handle.

Um, okay. Then for other business, sorry, just on a somewhat related, last when we were discussing the parking lot last meeting, we talked about having a couple trustees meet with the town administrator to talk about a number of issues. Right. Did we Did anyone volunteer to be on that group? I think I didn't. Aaron, I don't think I did. No, maybe it was. I think it was you, Chris. Yeah. I mean, I I think two people is enough, but um I just want to open it up to the board um because we want to I want I want to schedule that meeting with um Evan and William and just at least start the conversation with them.

Yeah. Okay. So, I guess it'll just be Rachel and I. Thank you. And then, uh, Carrie Capital. So, um, other than, um, the reimbursement for the table, um, good. Perfect. Um, Kim, is there anyone from the public on the Zoom meeting and like the hidden little tabs?

Yeah. Would it show up down here? There's just two people there. Or is there Kim had to let people in though, so I just want to double check no one else was like hiding in the lane. Okay. Excellent. I make a recommendation for I guess maybe our next meeting since we are already at 920. Um is we need to make a determination on who's signing the bills. We probably should have discussed that when we were approving bills. Doug and I have been having a difficult time finding other trustees to sign the bills. I think we didn't formally declare that the interim director would assign me

um although it has been the director's responsibility to or the within their perview of assignment in the past. I I I I'll say that I have been when I don't often check my emails as I do my text. Like if that had come across my text, I'm like super flexible and I work from home and I'm like like literally one minute, right? I mean, I've had to leave work a couple of times to go to the library and sign bills and then drive back to work and I know there's probably others who may and not and so I I end up I don't I don't check my emails as much as I do my text. If dad had come to me like say by text, I would have been there like, "Oh, okay. I I'll go my lunch today."

I had to call Doug. He was in Arizona or something and you know, we're trying to figure out who can sign bills like at 3:00 on a Thursday and it was not good. So, okay. And next agenda. So, so for now trustees have to continue to sign the bills until we decide otherwise at the next meeting. So, it's not possible for us because I guess like at the last I guess when first started remember I I said I went in to sign the bills and then um and I was told, "Oh, you don't need to sign them anymore." So, I thought that we were all set with that. But is it not possible for us to give the like to decide today?

We would have to have it on the agenda as a topic and it wasn't on the topic for today. So, I think um we can just send out a schedule if people want to preemptively sign up, right? I think they're ready as of like 3:00 on Wednesdays and they need to be signed by 3:00 on Thursday. Um so, we can just maybe do a little side. I personally like the idea of us being involved. I mean, not I mean, because we have an interim director, not a permanent director. I feel like the trustee should be aware of of those bills, right? But recognize that it's a it's a challenge when we don't get

and not not to add not to add um work to anyone, but if there's a certain time frame, I like like I'll always see my text. I sometimes will go a day, day and a half. Yeah. Without reading my emails. And so if if last minute, you know, someone wants to text me. I I I was looking back in hindsight and and realizing that during those times you were scrambling. I was completely available and I saw the the email like a day after the fact. I can I can I'd be glad to text. Yeah. Could you?

And I think at the very least we can just come up with a schedule. It's kind of like a known thing. We have to know that Wednesday they have everybody. We need I want to see seven signatures on everybody. I mean it we're gonna give Aaron next week off. If we can have we have four that's fantastic. We've had one. Yeah, we've had one and that's Yeah. of Eileen. She's very stressed about I know that Wednesday. What time? It's so it's ready Wednesday at 3 and then it has to be signed by Thursday at 3, right? She was just out for a whole week. a lot of sickness going on. Okay. Is that so because I didn't see one today, right? Um there we just need one more signature. I put one signature on. So pass it around. Okay.

Yes, please pass them around. Yeah. So with that, our ne our next meetings are listed there. There's nothing else. Me either. Do we have a motion to end? What about the Did we go over everything? Friends, subcommittee, and then trustees. Yeah. Yeah, we're good. We're ready for adjournment. I will make a motion to adjurnn. There's a second. Second. Thank you. All right. Any discussion? All right. Brau. Proble I. Chris I. Aaron. I. Carrie. I. Rachel. I. Roger. I. Doug. I. All right. Thank you everyone. Have a great week. Thank you. Turn at 9:23.

Oh, thank you. 9:23. Thank you.