Board of Library Trustees - Grafton Public Library - Regular Meeting

to the March meeting. Um, it's like almost have the whole board. That's exciting because I know it's it's been a tough winter and stuff like that with Yeah, we haven't seen you in a couple of weeks. I missed last week and last one would have been my birthday, too, cuz I would have been like cheering on my birthday. Happy birthday, man. But I was I was actually at a work outings like in Albuquerque. So it's kind of weird. But yeah, we must have the same birthday then. Doug, what? What? Really? Yeah, cuz I cheered on my birthday last month. On the 25th? Yeah. Stop it. Wow. You're the third person I've met. Wow. That must be a special day.

Wow. Um, great. Um, we do have some visitors today. So, unless there's an objection, I was going to shift the um agenda around a little bit and start with the um what number is it? 5A 5B. The library story walk. We have Liam Leon Leon Lion Lean here um to give us a presentation on his project. So, welcome. Oh, and I I can put this up if you want to walk us through. It's kind of a weird because I don't have PowerPoint on my computer. Is it easier for you to sit or stand there?

I'm good to stand here so I can see down there where you are. Yeah, that's about as big as it gets. So, yep.

I see it. All right. Uh, hello everybody. My name is Liam Lion. I am 16 years old and I am currently a life scout in troop 107 working towards my eagle. So a big part of the eagle like trail and getting to the actual rank is undergoing an eagle project which is something that helps your community and serves as a benefit to them in some way. Uh for me I'm trying to do a storybook trail on the trail behind the library. Uh next slide please. Oops. Oh, back. I think it's back one. There you go. Thank you. There you go.

So, the storybook trail is going to consist of approximately 16 weatherproof podiums, and they will sit along the length of Cassy's Brown Cassie Brown's re recently constructed Eagle Trail, which sits entirely on lot 89 of Townland. Um, the attached podiums will each contain individual pages of a children's book. And so it allows kids to walk along the trail and enjoy nature and be able to read a book along the way. Next slide, please. There you go. So, a storybook trail, I kind of already summed it up before. It's basically a post. It's a set of posts. Um, for mine, it's going to be 16 that have a similar design to this one up here. And it's going to each contain around two pages of a children's story book. It's a good way if the posts are positioned approximately equidistant and in a way that allows kids to read them without needing to stand up or get on a step stool or anything and it's a really good way to encourage literacy in younger kids and help them get out and enjoy nature in a more educational way. So some benefits of the addition it will add it will serve as an addition to the services already provided by the library. It might also bring some more attention to the trail that's behind the library as well. Um, it's in a lot more of a convenient location than other trails in town. So, there's actually two others. There's, I believe, one behind North Street Elementary, and there's one on Williamsburg's Preserve on Brigham Hill. Um, but those are in a lot less central locations compared to what this would be. It's also a good opportunity for young kids to get outside, enjoy nature, um, go on a walk, and have an educational distraction along the way. So, I have two pictures of books up here that I read when I was a kid. I thought they were really good. Um, and they both have a nice connection with late nature and learning how to, you know, enjoy yourself while being short enough that a kid can read them without getting too bored. Uh, for the location, all of the construction, as I said before, is on

Town Lot 89. Each podium is a positioned approximately 145 ft from each other. Uh, so as to make it so it's not too far or too short. there's not going to be any significant modifications to the trail and everything's pretty much going to stay as it will be. Uh up above there's some proposed locations of kind of where they would end up being. So, it's all approximately equally distant from each other. It's all subject to change based on whatever is the easiest location to actually plant the physical trail post. But yeah, so this is uh this is kind of like the main reason I'm coming here tonight. Maintenance. So the posts are designed for outdoor use and thus do not require any maintenance. However, there is the caveat that you need the only regular maintenance would be the replacement of the book. So for the actual replacement of the book, I was hoping that the library or the friends of the library would be able to take on this opportunity. I have a slide after this that show talks about what that would actually entail. And um if not, I can work something out with my troop or another organization in town and that's totally okay. So this is kind of a design of kind of what the physical podiums would look like. Cool. See schmatic

is there. So there's would you say 16 of them? There's 16 of them. That's but that's one book. It's like one book. So it's kind of Yeah. I have I have a slide next that describes a little bit more.

So in terms of replacing it, all you need is two copies of the same book of a same children's book. You take the pages out, you laminate them, and then you walk through the trail. And in each each post, it's three wing nuts. You don't need any special power tools or anything. you screw them off, lift up the old previous book, pull out the previous pages, and put the new ones in. Um, in order to in order to The whole point of it is really just to make sure the book is refreshed. And sometimes over time, the UV can wear out the pages of the book. But the posts are in a stable enough condition where they don't need any sort of like replacement of anything. So, the only thing is really every six months coming in putting in new pages. is six month like the time where they if they like

that's just kind of a general like estimate. I'm I've heard I've heard a bunch of different numbers but depending on like the weather and stuff the pages can last a year or two but after around six months it's better to cycle the pages because so then kids can come back and get a different story each time or even more frequently. Yeah. Or more frequently like maybe with a different season.

Yeah, different seasons that would also work. Yeah. Next slide, please. So, yeah, for the budget, all the funding and donations are handled by me. Uh, the town has offered or is in the process of offering to cover some of the cost, and the total cost of construction is around $1,200. Uh, these are just a list of some of the materials. So, all of it is like pressuret treated lumber, um, some plywood sheets, polycarbonate, driving stakes. So, the fence, you don't need to actually drill any holes in the ground. It's just driving them straight in. and you don't need to have any sort of like concrete or lab machines. Um, but all of this stuff is rated to last 15 plus years. So, this is a really permanent fixture. Um, I don't know if you've guys ever seen the one on Brigham Hill, but there's there's a I'm not talking about the more recent one, but the older one that's just straight like fence post and then piece of plywood that it's gonna this is going to last significantly longer than that was. So, yeah. Next slide, please. As for my timeline for this project, my goal is to get this underway during the summer. Um, once I have all the necessary approvals, it should only take about a month of actual construction to finish with only like two or three days of actually being out there and taking any sort of construction time. Uh, the goal is really to finish by the end of this or by the start of the school year, I'm sorry. And the majority of the work would probably be between July and August.

What are the necessary approvals? just uh the necessary approvals. I've already got um approval from the select board last night, so I have their um yeah, their approval and then you guys I need your approval as well. And uh I have to talk to my like boy scout council in order to actually get them to approve the project as a whole. But once that happens that I'm I'm good to go. Everything else is good. So the picture that you have here on the timeline, the example, like would it be look really just like that or like is that like somebody else's?

This is somebody else's. These are examples. If you go back to like one of the first slides, I think like the second slide there. That Oh, that one. There you go. This is this is that's pretty much exactly what mine would look like. So it's got just a nice post. It's not instructive. the numbers and then you got the nice sheet and the books are able to just clearly be able to be read. They're small. Yeah. Why do you need two copies of the book? Because since it's two pages Oh, yeah. Of course. You need the front and the back. Front and back. Yeah, they do print on both sides, don't they? Yeah. Yeah. So,

well, I just want to say thank you. Like, this is so such an exciting project. I think it really would add a tremendous amount of value and it's really the perfect tie tiein like you couldn't really pick a better place to have this and hopefully it'll encourage kids after they do their nature walk or before to come in the library and check out the children's room and and um and maybe their their parents and friends or whatever too. So yeah, this is really really nice. That was that was my idea with the whole project being in that location specifically. Yeah, very very good.

Katrina, what is your thoughts? because in terms of like if we see if it's the friends versus library staff, like is this something that the children's room staff is excited about and want to take on and do as part of their programming or or do you have any thoughts from like a director's standpoint? Uh so it is not something that I necessarily would want to have the children's staff take over because they're already they're busy

kind of busy. Um, that being said, it I've done these before at previous libraries and it doesn't take a great deal of time. So, it's something that I would love to take on personally. Um, and additionally, we don't necessarily have to um reinvent the wheel because our network provides pre-existing story walks that we can just borrow for a period of time and swap out as needed. Yeah. it would be something that's relatively easily managed. Also, I do think that the friends would be interested in

Yeah, I would be willing to take it to the friends and um and if you know I would be shocked if they weren't interested, but if they weren't, I personally would be interested in helping and volunteering to do it because I think it's especially if there's no um requirements in terms of the time frames in which we need to switch them out. Yeah. I mean, it seems like even if it's four times a year, three, four, five times a year, it's, you know, an hour hour or two at the most. Not Not even. The trail's only like right four miles long. Yeah, that trail a couple times. Walk. So, um, nice job, Liam. Thank you. Um,

I I really like this idea. Um, so was this kind of born out of um some suggestions or where did you come up with the idea? Um um so I was sitting around like when I was younger, I live right near Brigham Hill. So when I was younger, I I went around the one on Brigham Hill quite often. And I I really enjoyed it personally. I like I think that was I thought it was just really cool. And so then when I was sitting down thinking of ideas for what to do for my eco project because that's like a big question. This is a big thing that I have to do

or not have to but I'm get to do. Um, so I I was sitting down and I was thinking about it and my mom actually suggested, "What about a story book trend?" I thought about it. I was thinking about how much I really enjoyed it when I was younger and how much I um just really liked going outside and reading the book and I thought it would be a really cool thing. So, I looked at a couple different locations and eventually I was I settled on here as a place that I think would be pretty perfect to do it at.

Yeah. Okay. What's the what's the current status of the trail? And would there be any sort of um I'm not saying uh a large trail cleanup? Um but when you're going to be putting a new amenity there, is there any sort of cleanup kind of planned as well? Because you want your project to also shine, right? And not have a a trail that's not um really clean. Um I took a quick walk around some some parts of the trail. I didn't I don't think I went through the whole thing. I went like halfway through

and it it looked it looked it was really it was right after it would rain so it was pretty muddy. But um it it looked like it looked in pretty fair shape. So I mean as we're going through I'm sure if there's a big plant or a log in the way we'll just we'll move it out of the way as like part of it. And if there's some like giant overgrown thing I'm sure it's not going to be much of an issue to just clip it, move it out of the way. But there shouldn't need to be any significant like cleanup project done. Um. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it was only like a year or two ago that Cassie did it, right? Like pretty recent. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think the trail head tends to get more overgrown though.

Yeah. I've been on it a couple times. It's pretty overgrown. But yeah. Um but who maintains it? No one. No one. The next Eagle project. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the idea is that people would get a lot more use out of it. And I think with Liam's this project, yeah, hopefully naturally wear it down and I'm sure it's not it won't be any issue to just quickly before we go in clear out the trail head, make sure there's nothing in the way that's too gnarly. But yeah.

Yeah. Well, like I say, the only thing that it makes me think of, right, is I Well, we like obviously there's groups who want to upkeep the story book. I just want to make sure that like starts getting overgrown or they're poison ivy and stuff like at that point like I don't know if it would be fair to ask the friends or employees to go and do that but as long as it's like manageable to get through. Um

yeah it seems like an opportunity for some other volunteer whether it's the friends or one of the troops that come in there you know once or twice a year or something. Yeah, to to be honest, like if even if somebody doesn't um update the story or even not put a story out, I I still think it's a nice amenity for us to have um whether we use it or not, right? No, it's a great idea. No, I think it's a really great one. I just want to make sure that like we now don't end up having to keep the trail clean because No, I'm just thinking worst case like we don't use it. Yeah. You know, that's true. Right. Y and there's no harm, no foul. I agree.

So, so you mentioned that the town might be giving some of the funding. It was about um the cost you're estimating is about $1,200. Um were they going to fund most of it or all? Um I didn't get I I met with them last night and I asked for I asked if they would donate towards the cause at all. Um and they made um Mr. Brousard indicated that he would be willing to pitch some in, maybe match or do something like that. So, it's it it's going to vary, but all the donations it's it's going to all be funded from either the town's budget and and like my personal like donations and fundraising as well. So, great. So, I I think this is a great project. Uh

I was watching the select board meeting last night, Liam, and so I'm getting to see you twice in 24 hours. So, once in my living room and and now here and um last night and I I think I'm going to sound like a broken record. Um what an amazing young guy and uh his parents are there and that doesn't happen by accident. So, um as I said last night, uh you are the future and and it's great to see uh someone I guess so young. is uh from an older guy, someone so young uh really involved in in such a leadership uh capacity and stewardship. And so um you know, kudos to you. And I actually have a thermal laminating machine. So have at it. Um I'll I'll uh uh donation to the cause. I have the thermal laminating sheets and a little laminating machine.

Uh but it's for the regular size sheets. Um, I think the Giraffes Can't Dance book is too big for that machine. Yeah. Yeah. So, you're going to have to find your own large laminating machine, by the way. It was a great book. Um, and I'm I'm overdue to read the uh what is it? The Quiet Bunny.

So, um that's next on the agenda. Um, one of the things I uh that I think caused um the town administrator um as a courtesy to the library trustees that the the back portion lot 89 the greater part of our parking lot and the story Brook Trail fall on the same parcel of land if you go to that.

Yep. And I think re well recently this you don't need to know the dirty details but I'll I'll mention them. Um the library trustees and the town administrator uh uh and select board entered into what's called a memorandum of agreement or a memorandum of understanding memorandum of agreement whereby before the library edition was built the entirety of our building and parking lot stood on what's called 35 Grafton common. when it was extended backwards, um, no one really ever paid attention to the lot lines, but now most of the parking lot actually is overlapping to it's on parcel 89. Mhm.

And so I think in um in fitting with that memorandum um it it seems sensible that uh the town administrator took it upon himself to to ask what we thought of this. Um because we really don't have jurisdiction over that that piece of the parcel. Um although it's bookreated um and adjacent to the library. I I don't see us actually endorsing or expand not endorsing but expanding library programming to that parcel for lack of accessibility. Uh but what I uh mentioned to uh uh chair uh Bowman and our our director uh Katrina is that I think it would be a great idea um aside from people becoming aware of this parcel even if we don't have programming out on that parcel uh you know back in the woods that we whatever book you have out there that we keep one or more copies in the library and advertise that, you know, whether it be for children's reading time or whatever to have

one or more copies of the book that you're, you know, showcasing. Yeah. So, maybe even have like a little shelf. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great idea. Great. Um, I had one more question. So, if folks are interested in donating, um, like I see you put your email and your phone number, but do you have a preference as far as if people are willing to donate as to how they contact you? Um, I prefer email. Uh, I don't have like I'm gonna probably send up like an actual like fund fund me page type of thing. Okay. Um, where I can raise the money once I figure out the details of what I can get donated versus what I can get from the town. Um, but once I do that, I will Yeah. Okay. So, it's lam.lion12gmail.com. Yes. Okay. Wonder.

Thank you so much. Great. Well, on behalf of the trustees, um, thanks for thinking of the library. I think it's um it's going to be really nice to have people going to your space and going around that trail and hopefully they'll walk into the library at the same time or vice versa. So, thank you so much with everything. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, uh let's see, how am I going to word this motion? Uh try to word it simply. Uh Mr. Chair, I move that the library trustees affirm the select board's endorsement of the storybook trail project proposed by Lean Lion. Second.

Yeah. Motion made and seconded. Any other discussion? Great. All those in favor? I opposed declare the motion carried. Congratulations. Congrats. Thank you. The rest of the meeting might not be quite as exciting, but you're welcome to stay. You're also welcome to appreciate it. Um, great. So, um, we'll just start at the top of the agenda. Um, do we we so we did receive minutes a little bit. Was that today or yesterday?

We did, I think. Um, I I would vote to pass over it for a couple reasons, but main reason is that I don't sure if everyone had a chance to read through them all. I agree with that. I I don't think we you need to vote. I I think you could just seek unanimous consent that we are in agreement to postponing them or or passing, you know, or or deferring this to next meeting. Yep. Sounds fine. Okay. We did have um so so I I I don't know if you're So I think you're referring to the February February meeting minutes. Yes,

we passed over the January minutes because I sent mine out Lee last time. So I don't know if we want to pass over those as well if folks have not had a chance to read the January minutes. I had sent them out prior to last meeting. I did not resend them. No, it says we approved the January minutes. You did or? No, we did not. We We did not approve the minutes. Oh, well that's what it says in in the February minutes. Didn't Didn't we pass over the January? We We said motion Aaron made a motion to approve January minutes. Um let's just hold on that then. I do not remember what we did. So we can just go back. I sent them out and um

so let's go back and watch the recording. That's a good reason on the February then. Oh, so maybe last. Oh, was it January? Oh, I'm sorry. It's a January. So you did the January were approved. Okay. If you did the January and we approved them, then we're the December one. December one. I did. Okay. The December is okay. Thank you for the clarification. Um, so great. We'll just um pass over the February minutes and do that next month and the December. And so we're due for December, January, February. No, just December. February. December. Oh, December. Okay.

Yeah. So, um just as as um something that um we should add to the agenda going forward is actually listing the minutes to approve. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I miss that actually. I miss that. And and and also along those lines uh as to what Aaron's uh saying is is that um to the extent that we don't Yeah. to the extent that we don't approve any, we just keep those as a placeholder. Not that we invite those building up, but um sometimes those can get lost and then three years down the road, the town clerk says, "Hey, guess what?" Yeah. You know, but we can I'll we'll make sure that those get listed on the the agendas. Yeah.

Okay. So, then the next is approving bills. Um we have five warrants 35 through 39. Mr. Chair, I I make first a procedural motion that we uh approve these five sets of bills as a consent agenda. All right. Motion made. Second and seconded. Uh any discussion on the consent agenda? Yes. I I think we decided we didn't need to do agendas anymore. Um, oh, I thought that's what we just determined vote to do it like going forward or something. Does that mean we were doing them individually? No. No. No. That we didn't have to vote on the Okay. All right. Then I withdraw my motion.

Okay. Thank you. All right. Uh, Mr. Chair, I I move u that we approve the following five warrants, articles 35 through 39 in the amounts stated in the agenda and the sources as contained in each of the uh warrant details from the meeting packet. Motion made second and seconded by Prau. Um, any questions, discussions for Katrina on the any of the warrants? Since it's being recorded, I have a question. You said warrants and then articles 35 to 39.

I mean, warrant 35 through 39. Yeah. I I think it it is important to list um the the amounts to state the amounts. I would think so. All right. All right. All right. Um, warrant number 35 in the amount of $7,677.82. Warrant 36 for $7,825.34. Warrant 37 for $3,971.36. Warrant 38 for $5,022.50. And warrant 39 for $2,550 81.

All right. Any questions, discussion on any of the warrants? All right. Hearing none. All those in favor? I opposed. I declare the motion carried. Thank you. Um ongoing business. Uh first up is the capital campaign. Were you going to do that or was I going to do that? Okay. Um no real update from the capital campaign. There was a small request um from Katrina for some shelving in one of the offices and the campaign did approve that. Thank you. Wonderful.

Moving forward. Um otherwise um the only I guess ongoing maintenance the capital campaign continues to fund is the uh the green roof which gets maintained primarily during the growing months of course. So I have a question then about um since the lead's money has been exhausted is there some expectation that the capital campaign is a funding source and I know that in in our FY27 budget the HVAC stuff went from like that unexpected amount of like 60,000 down to like 20 I think for FY27. Those are just estimates. Mhm.

Uh so do we anticipate and it's along the lines of uh you know what we look upon or what anyone looks upon the capital campaign funds uh as being available now that the lead's money's been exhausted. So, um, what do we anticipate, um, either for HVAC andor any other capital items that are reasonably expected to be addressed in FY27?

Uh, so we're still working on developing an HVAC plan, um, particularly with concern to the historical reading rooms heating. Um, we had a sort of a second opinion contractor come in and give us a quote to recommission the HVAC system in the building um to an astronomical tune of almost $50,000. Did you say 50 or 15? 50. Okay.

Um, and that wasn't going to necessarily solve the issues that we have. So, I'm still working with Tracy Shy, the um building inspector, to figure out a plan forward, and we're collaborating with Evan, but there's no real movement on that right now. Well, it's a capital campaign. It's a 501 C3.

501c3. Yeah. Um, and so it's really technically not available until the nonprofit says it is upon request of someone. Um I I I just I'm a bit frustrated as much as everyone else that so much money has gone toward this particular issue both in um yeah leads I mean lead the lead's money and and um whatever other monies and sources have come up for this single issue.

I agree. I mean from the capital campaign perspective um you know it's open to requests um you know the intent of the campaign was to fund you know building improvements larger programs larger purchases like I don't know like the um the 3D printer and stuff but the campaign will take any request I know okay um any other questions on capital campaign Great. Um, friends update, Carrie.

So, um, the weather forecast is looking good for next weekend, which we're, knock on wood, very excited about. So, um, so the friends host the annual spring egg hunt on the common. Um, this year, um, similar to last year, there will be three hunts. The first one starting at 10, which is the sensory friendly, and then there's two larger hunts after that. Um we are very appreciative um to the chief of police um Manardi who is going to be supplying a police detail to ensure safe crossings um between the library and the common. So very much appreciated. Um David Meridian, our state representative is once again going to act as the MC and hoping

I'll be there. Yay. So um yeah. So okay. So that's wonderful. Um so it's you know the the friends it's you know you know one of the largest events the friends do every year. Um it's um really a wonderful activity. I hope you know everybody's able to attend. Um and yeah so we're excited. So last weekend was egg stuffing. So members of the National Honor Society came to the library and um and assisted to um to stuff the eggs. Um so that's wonderful. We also have um and you remind me the troop numbers, Aaron, but we also have Boy Scout troops that help us. Troop 106.

Troop 106. And then Heidi's is Heidi's troop who is she is she 1062 or I don't know her name. Um no, Heidi is with Yes. Heidi is our um activities chair. So she's the one that does a lot of the community outreach to um you know promote activities for the troop, how how they can help. Um so you have currently eight scouts that are going to help. Okay. Well, thank you to Troop 106. They always do a fantastic job, you know, getting us set up and helping to clean up and everything. And that's this coming weekend.

It's this coming Saturday. So, it's um so it's um March Saturday, March 28th starting at 10:00 on the common. There is also a hunt at the high school at the same exact time. So, if you buy tickets, make sure you know which ticket you buy for. So, ours is you you can So, for the friends, um you can go to the library uh website. There's also um all things all things craftins or the friends Facebook page. Um there's a QR I should pick this up. This is it. Um so this is um so there's a QR code on the flyer. So you don't have to go to the library to buy the tickets. You actually just use the QR code. The tickets are $6. Yeah. $6 a child. So and there's um you know there's a you know raffle and so lots of fun.

Quick question for you Carrie. Yeah. Um it says on the website for the library that it's in the community rooms. So are people supposed to go to the community rooms before they go to the common? Um so actually so on the website cuz here it says craft in common where on the p on the library calendar of events just says that it's in those community rooms. I don't know if we should update the location then if so the community so um I mean that's partially correct because there are going to be um the library staff will be running programs in the library so there'll be stories and crafts and you know all kinds of great things there as well. So, um, and of course, you know, but but it means

it says craft next to it, that's why. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But, uh, but here, you know, it says graft in common, rain or shine or snow. We we have rain or shine, but it's snow as well, too. Yeah. Carrie, I I remember I forget what year it was recently and it was snowing last year. It was last year. And it was still well attended. It's It was It was so much fun. I mean, it was kind of easy to find the eggs, but it was people really I mean, yeah, you you'd have thought that it would have been like hardly anyone, but people really really look forward. That's like a signature event. Yeah, it was a little nerve-wracking ahead of time because we're like, can we have it or not? But then we like, no, we're going for it. And then once we made the decision, everybody really jumped in and it was it was

if they can trick or treat in the rain and snow, they can come out for spring egg hunt. So, it's definitely a fun event. It is awesome. Yep. And thank you, Carrie, for all that you do for the friends and I mean that's really a lot of um a lot of things that the friends do that um people don't realize and so it's a lot lot of

I did want to mention um so um at the end of the packet it talks about next meeting. So the friends typically meet on the second Tuesday of the month. Um, so it says in the packet April 7th, but it's actually the 14th. Um, so just to you be aware of that. It's um, no, it's not always the case. Sometimes with holidays, it has to be adjusted, but that's the normal cadence. It's normally the second Tuesday of the month for the friends board, the board of trustees and um, sorry, the board of the friends board, you know, meets via Zoom on usually the second Tuesday of the month. So great. So, thank you, Carrie. Oh, you're welcome.

Um, any other questions on the friends? Is it $6 for children and adults free? They don't get to Yeah, you don't get the adult the adults take the kids candy. That like Halloween, they take the kids candy. But yes. Yes, it's free for the probably it's going to be knocking down this. Watch out for that.

I don't know. I'd watch out for the kids actually. the kid. Well, that's why so that's um one of the reasons why we're so excited um or happy that we're doing the sensory hunt and it was actually a parent last year that suggested it because um the year before it was overwhelming for their child because literally there is a stampede you know of kids. It's um you they're so excited. So the sensory one is a smaller number of children. I think it's limited to 25 and it's before you know you the big crowds come. So, it was really special last year to see like it was just a few, you know, children who did it, but they've really appreciated that and it's nice that we can accommodate that.

Yeah. And the the other thing that's neat about the grafting common that people don't realize and it's it's one of my overdue procrastinating pet projects is that when we talk about the graft in common for events we typically refer to the fenced in area and any non-fencing area is I guess less than ideal for the real little ones because now you you know they scatter and then they could go into the road. Um, from a space standpoint, a lot of people don't realize that the grafting common actually extends to the mulch line of the JCSI building. A lot of people think that's a sideyard, it's probably about 10,000 square feet. That whole side yard that borders the sidewalk and then there's a big like oak tree or something like that.

All the all the way up to where that mulch bed um begins is all actually technically graft in common. So, is the Jerome Wheelock statue part of the common itself? I think it is, but I'm not entirely certain that that little triangle is uh or um but um I I would think it extends to that, but um it's yeah, the but the land that whole side of JCSI building um is graft and then the front lawn of the library is that part that's part of the part of the not library land. It's Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I think if you if you were to cross from the Grafton Inn on the crosswalk Well, crosswalk's over on the the library side, right? But it but the Oh, the one going between No, the what is the end to the library. So if you go from the in to the library to what was the front, you know, is the front of the building but is no longer the main entrance, you'll see that that crosswalk kind of cuts across where I think like the first 10 ft is like easement and everything like that is what easement. In other words, it's technically not part of 35 graft in common. Mhm.

Um but e even then I mean who's to say that it's if it gets really busy in some future year we couldn't extend it to the that front lawn. Well don't want kids crossing

Yeah. No but we have we got we got so we do have the police detail there. So so actually um so last year the plan had been to have lawn gains on the front lawn but with the snow that really didn't work out. But this year I believe the intention is you know again whether you know weather permitting and you know if the staff is able to do that is to to have have games inside or actually Cindy am I correct on that? I know Sarah's um Sarah's is really organizing that. I'm not sure. I don't think there are games because I don't think we have the personnel to be able to do that. Okay. Okay. Well, it sounds like it's going to be a lovely event. I think it's going to be a lovely event.

We'll definitely have plenty to do. And thanks thanks again for all that update and work you do there. Um all right, so moving on in the agenda. Um Grafton annual town election is um this May, of course, May 19th. Um we have two open seats for trustees. Um each of which have three-year terms. Um

Doug, I did want to just note a correction. Um so the second on the agenda, it says nomination papers papers are available at the municipal center and are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31st. That's not exactly correct. So, you can if you're interested in um in running for one of the trustee seats. Um you can pull papers up until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31st. So, you can pull it by that date, but um the due date to return the papers is um April Tuesday, April 14th by 5:00 PM. So, just a distinction there. So, pull it. So, you you go to the town clerk if you're interested. If you're obviously you have to be um a registered you know citizen of Grafton to be able to do that but you pull the papers and then you are required to get at least 50 signatures by registered Grafton voters and return them by 5:00 pm on Tuesday April 14th.

So thanks for noting that because that is definitely an important distinction. So if you're interested in running for the board of library trustees please grab your papers um by the end of this month by 5:00 pm Tuesday March 31st. Yeah. Um and if anyone's listening to the video and you have questions, you're welcome to reach out to any of the trustees. Yeah. And thank you Carrie for re uh running again. Uh and I had mentioned ear in a recent meeting that I will not be, you know, uh re-uping for three years. I mean, professional and personal commitments prevent me from really giving it my all. So, you know, Carrie, uh thank you for continuing to to have at it.

Well, thank you. Well, thank you. You know, if I'm re-elected, you'll be happy to serve again. Thank you for your service. You know, we we kicked it off, you know. Yeah. Three years ago, she'll have two more, right? Or just one more? One more. Just one more. Okay. This is my second to last. Get you next month. Yeah. Well, with the the Gatorade bucket, something, right? Um and yeah, of course to the board, if you guys know anyone that's interested or Katrina, any um patrons seem to be super interested. Um, yeah, point them our direction. Yeah, the library is really I mean, aside from, you know, like the schools, the library is really the pulse of the community, you know, even a lot of people don't realize how much goes on,

you know, behind those walls and and in the community. So, definitely. All right. Um, if there's no other conversations about the elections, we'll move on to policy update with Aaron.

Thank you. Um so the policy committee we met on um March 11th. Um we had some discussion uh regarding um the uh tie uh vote for the um uh for the volunteer policy. Um and I think one of the concerns that had come up during the um so a tie means it's defeated, right? So we still don't have a volunteer policy that's approved by the board. Um so some of the discussion that came up that we took as feedback was um you know if you're Corey checking people who um you know are or start at the library who aren't 18 when they turn 18 who's going to to check them right so um we discussed that the uh the schools um Corey check uh annually um and that's you know potentially something we can do. We haven't rewritten the policy, the policy still stands as it is. Um but if for whatever reason um the the the board feels that the policy doesn't reflect what we want um to present to the community or the volunteer policy, then you know we can take uh changes, amendments, and something that we can all agree on, right? Um but this would be the third time that it's come to the board, right? So um beyond that um we discussed the uh collection development policy um and we reviewed uh commentary from legal um uh so that one you have tonight for for vote as well. Um and as I discussed at the at the last meeting or previous meetings, um this is a really kind of a a big shift in the way that we um look at uh materials that are um being requested for us to review or be uh

removed from the collection. Right. So with this new policy um the policy dis uh discusses in great detail how we develop our collection. So if somebody believes that an item doesn't meet the spirit of the collection development policy, they can challenge the the policy and if we find yes, we agree that item does not really meet the the spirit of the collection development policy, then we would remove it. So it's no longer an individual book banning um form that they they would need to fill, but is something that they would challenge the policy. Is that accurate? Anything to add? Uh I would even say that um there there I don't think that there would be any challenges brought to the board um because it would be it would come through me.

That's right. So this is it safe to say that this affords greater first amendment protections? Gotcha. It absolutely does. All right. Yeah, that was a great distinction. Thank you. So, we're the policy we're approving um means that if someone feels something shouldn't be in the collection, then um that would really come to the library director and they would review the collection development policy and and see if it fits or not. And so, we really wouldn't have to do those sort of reviews, right,

going forward. And and uh I'll I'll mention one last thing because I know that you know we need to keep things moving along, but every time we mention this first amendment stuff, I will always mention that uh as a reminder to our own board and the community that um within the policies um of the library and mirrors the American Library Association's freedom to read statement um an unbelievable three-page document that um if you don't like it, don't read it. You know that it's a very strongly worded document and um I I honestly think it's a must readad for everyone.

Thank you. Um and lastly, we uh we began um review of some feedback we got from legal regarding um the meeting room policy. Um, a lot of it uh was um I don't want to say wordsmith, but um it was uh was that the one that was a lot of like cap capital L for this library here and that but it was it's rather long policy. So we didn't quite get through it an hour that he had allotted for for that. So we'll continue to review those those edits at the next uh meeting. Um but certainly if if you want to um be involved in that policy development um you know please join us at the the next meeting we meet on the first Wednesday.

So you are you looking for a motion to approve All right. So in the meeting packet the collection development policy is worded. Yeah. You're looking for approval of the collection um development policy and the volunteer policy. Yeah. Okay. I thought you said the volunteer policy. I thought you were still talking through the options of it. Did out of those options you land to keep it as is. You had listed out a couple options. So I I guess I missed that. Or we like what are the changes from last month to this month when

no changes. So So we took the feedback and we discussed it and we felt that this this policy still uh reflects what we want to present to the board. We haven't gotten any feedback on what should we change, right? except we just had lots of discussion about um so again I'm not getting any direction from the board as to what we want to approve for volunteer policy and you know the the policy subcommittee um takes feedback and we still believe that this is uh the best policy for us and unless the board wants to vote it down and and give us something different, then we can do that. But, um, you know, it has been voted down uh because we had a tie and um I looked up Robert's rules and if something does it doesn't get approved by a majority vote then then it's um it fails.

Last time we only had four trustees, so there's it was a it was two and two. Right. Right. I have a quick a question on the policy, but I don't know if you guys want to make the motion for the policy and then have the discussion. Why don't we start with the collection development policy? Um, so I'll entertain a a motion. Thanks for describing the the changes and um you know the um the goal of that policy. Um so I'll entertain a motion to um accept that. I I'll make a motion to approve the collection development policy. Seconded. Uh motion made and seconded. Any discussion on the collection development policy?

Yeah, I have I have one. So, the collection development policy didn't exist before and this is brand new or is this an amendment? I'm sure it existed, but this is an amendment. It is a um rebranding of the materials selection policy. Okay. Got. So, it does the same thing, but it just is called something different. That's better. And um the library displays policy is also included. So, but it'll replace those two. Correct. Those two will Y. Yeah. Okay. So, it combines M um the rebranding of material selection policy and material displays policy. Mhm.

All right. So, um, just to quickly ask you whether or not, um, I I think that the the separate document that I referenced being the freedom to read statement, that was sort of like for an addendum or an attachment or um, an appendix or something of the materials selection policy as that is currently known. Mhm. So where then is the freedom to read statement? It's right at the bottom. There's a link at the bottom. There's a bunch of links

at the bottom of the I got. Yeah. At the bottom of it says references. This policy is informed by professional standards and best practices included but not limited to and there's seven links there and and so um and I'm I see these seven links but one of the things that we did is um rather than incorporating everything by reference. The freedom to read statement is actually printed out as part of the text of the material selection policy.

Will that continue to be the case? because I I politely but feel strongly that of all the documents um I mean well I mean they're all important but um I would hate to see it just buried as incorporated by reference knowing that that had actually been in print as part of the text had you talked about that piece um it it's maybe nuanced but it was always up front and center as part of the document.

And um and by having it on our own internal website, we can be sure that it won't quote unquote go away with some disabled link elsewhere. So um well, how about we just um I mean I know some of those links are probably quite long, but like freedom to read, freedom to view are relatively short documents. Can we for the paper copy that exists in the library, can we print those out? Sure. and include them with that.

That that's fine. But as far as access I mean as long as and I'm wondering I I know that I don't want to get into a song and dance about PDF accessibility but I I links and and Google drives and all these other things sometimes become disabled u um you know or disconnected over time. And I like the fact that even if we even if the text isn't printed on the website that there's some document that is physically housed electronically that isn't just a link incorporated by reference to some.gov website or or a mass website.

I guess the opposite side of that would be we have a copy and it gets outdated and it's one more thing we'd have to maintain and we're better served. We'll know if the link breaks, right? Because you can click it and see it. I think if we have to go through and like check and see if anything's changed, that might pose a greater risk on I understand on being out because it would be there would be more to monitor. Yeah. And and there the the doc I'm sorry the um the policy is going to get reviewed well I don't know what the review cycle is but every couple years anyway. So if there's a broken link we can update it

and even in and I'm not saying that we have to drown ourselves in paper. Um, but moving forward, I would love from a First Amendment standpoint for these links to be more prominently featured on on the front sections of our website. That's all. Yep. So, I'm not going to put up a fuss about then, you know, having, you know, and your objection is well taken because, yeah, that that does pose, for lack of a better term, liability if we're we're having outdated documents. So yeah, and a lot of lot of businesses you can have printed copies for that exact reason. Yeah. Um Yep. Carrie.

Yeah. So I just wanted to say I really like the fact in the references that it says the policy is informed by professional standards and best practices including but not limited to. I think that really, you know, lets the community know that we're aware of these that we take them into consideration. But our policy is our policy and again if things change great point right um to your point I think we need to spell out the links you can't we can't have um hyperlinks that are obscured right that's true so if there's a print copy people need to know what the website That's true so that that makes sense of course yeah

okay any other comments on the collection development policy yeah just from a uh uh a thank you standpoint. Uh I know policy subcommittee things get visited and revisited and go back to legal and come back and and it's it can sometimes be or often be a thankless task. So I know Aaron you've taken the lead and I I don't know who else is currently on the subcommittee is it probably

you this meeting in person or is that meeting in person? So, thank thank you for being the most recent uh you know, addition to the policy subcommittee because that's a lot of work and I appreciate everything that goes into that and and um and really uh informing us as a board to not have to just dig in and jump into the weeds at our main meetings and that we're guided by, you know, the subcommittee work

and it's extreme. I mean obviously it's important to us and the the library itself but it's important to the library staff as well because they have these guiding documents for when there's any questions by the community. Okay. Um if I don't any other discussion on this um hearing none um all those in favor I opposed um declare the motion carried. Congratulations. So that includes um the the edits to show the links. Correct. Correct. Yeah. Very good. Um so then I'll entertain a motion on the volunteer policy. I make a motion to approve the volunteer policy. Second. Motion made and seconded.

Um I would like to request just a couple of very minor edits. Um so in um section one volunteer age restrictions um 1D it says all volunteers age 18 or older. I think that should be aged a ge. Um in section three volunteer expectations um 3E um nonoperational I believe should have a dash in it and in the section um volunteer task um I was a little confused in the volunteer task in the bullets um there's semicolons at the end of all of the bullets and then the very last one has a period and a semicolon. um didn't wasn't really, you know, not really familiar with seeing that or whether that's necessary to have semicolons in between them. I thought that was a little strange. And then in the um the sentence um following that that says all volunteers will receive specific training. Um it says um and to make sure the volunteer feels. I think it should be make sure that the volunteer feels. um just it kind of popped up like the wordsmith kind of um popped it up so I wasn't sure if we needed that in there.

Okay. Did you capture all that? I can repeat it if you like. It's all highlighted in when we download the word document. Everything that you just said. It is. Oh, I you know I highlighted it. So did I highlight it for everybody? No, when you the grammar brings up Yeah, you're right. All double. Yeah, cuz I see I highlighted it. Okay, so you're just saying the underlying part. Yeah. Okay. Any other discussion around the volunteer policy?

Yeah, I had a couple questions because I know last time when we talked there were concerns around like like Katrina how you were going to be looking to implement like process around some of this. So, um like can you just tell me a little bit about like what that you're expecting that process to look like?

Yes. So, um, based on our conversation, I had a conversation with Kristen Pacane at the town hall and asked her about Corey checks, um, repeating those annually. Uh, she said that she would be willing to help us out with that. So the internal procedure would be um to keep a list of current volunteers and their dates of birth should they not be of um legal adult age to make sure that we're Corey checking children as they graduate into adulthood and doing that annual quy check. So we would have a central list.

Okay. Is that something where in 1D then we'd say that because it says right now all volunteers 18 or older subject to employee background check to be completed prior to be becoming a volunteer and so we said and refreshed annually at the libraries and towns discretion like if we add that there because then it shows that it's going to be be happening annually like the way it's worded it just seems like it's a point in time. So, if we're going to change our process so that we're doing it annually, I think reflecting it in here covers a lot of the concerns, right? Because I think you said if you cy anyone under the age of 18, nothing really pops anyway, so it's not worthwhile. Um, so I love that we're going to like do it annually, especially that's kind of how people are handling Corey checks. I think that was a lot of of Chris's concerns and I think if we update the language accordingly with that it will

we'll close that. So the library itself does its own corey check. In other words, we don't we don't borrow from another organization even if it's elsewhere in town. We don't do the corey check. Um we send it to town hall and they do it for us. Right. Yeah. Okay.

I guess yeah that's in other words it's but it's it's meant though. Right. And it's meant though for the purposes of the library being I guess the sponsor or the initiator of that. I know that I always kind of found it a little bit odd that like if I'm in one entity in town and I have a current Corey check and then the next week I want to go to another similar entity that the first Cy check doesn't count. It it continues to have you have to go through the process. It would be a separate one. Right.

Yeah. And then I had a quick question on 1C. Since they're accompanied by a parent or guardian, do we then count that parent or guardian as a volunteer as well? I wouldn't um they would more be they're not technically volunteering. They'd be there as a patron. I was just thinking if they also apply then to the Corey check as well. if they are if the adult applied to be a volunteer then yes we would we would definitely want to do that. Which number is that again? Uh 1 C. Do we have any volunteers who are age 10 to 13? Sometimes we do. Okay. I don't know if we have any currently but I know that it's happened in the past.

Interesting. Got to get them on into the library system early. There's some very enthusiastic children out there. All right. I guess I mean boy scouts um can well they can become boy scouts when they're 12 I believe. So you could have kids that are eager to get those volunteer hours in and I think scouts uh tend to like to volunteer. National Honor Society too. Yeah that seniors. Yeah. You'll get some of that under

Yeah. Yeah. Any other questions on the volunteer policy? So I guess to Rachel's point, do we have to clarify the wording then? So we would um do we need to then change 1D to talk about the annual checks or can we do it as is? How would it be if we said um in that last section to be completed prior to beginning as a volunteer and annually henceforth? Yeah, that sounds it. Okay, that was very py. I like that. Aaron's rubbing off on

Yeah. And honestly, like thank you both and probably all three, right? Like I'm just looking across at them. Um, but I really appreciate you taking the feedback and I know like we didn't come out with clear direction because part of it is there was a lot of open questions out of it and Katrina, we didn't want to like hamstring you either into a process that didn't make sense. So I I know that was a little bit of a tricky situation and just really appreciate you guys taking it back and talking through the process because because this this feels much more comfortable on my end and if that is going to be the process I think reflecting it in the language will will be

yeah I mean Katrina's been great taking the feedback from the board and then taking it to the town talking uh with other town groups to see how they do things too. So uh she's always had really great insights for us to discuss at the subcommittee meetings. So, thank you for that. Great. Thank you. All right. Well, uh, hearing no other discussion, uh, all those in favor of accepting the volunteer pol or approving the volunteer policy, I I opposed declare the motion carry. All right. I Is that third time of charm?

Third three times a charm. I I have a I guess a a procedural question moving forward and it's a recommendation that that's similar to what the bylaw review committee and the charter review committee do in town. Um, I have found it helpful that when we're um amending or consolidating or or doing uh rewarding policies or bylaws or whatever that we somehow through strikeouts or color coding or whatever that we denote deletions and additions so we know when reading it how it differs from the the existing document. and and also that that we shadow or or put something prominently on each of the pages that it's a draft and maybe the date so that no one could confuse things that are in draft as being the final product. And and then the other question is now that we've approved the collection development policy, how do we sort of retire the material selection policy and material displays policy I guess in perpetuity as you know how do we house them and or archive them and note that they've been retired and and that they are now consolidated into this amended document

that was on my list, too. Do we need to officially, Erin, do we need to officially approve the retirement of those two policies? I think it's incorporated by reference. I think we would want to and I guess my question is what's the document retention on that? Like, do they live at the town hall just in case anything comes up like like how how long do we have to retain those documents for? I don't know if there's a not to put you on the spot, a regulatory aspect, but there's probably just it's probably sits on our server until the server dies or something like and I hate that until the server dies. I mean until like Orwell Orwell would love you. A major

until it dies. I had one feedback earlier uh on the motion that we all approve. Y it has does it not need to say that as suggested as with the suggested uh changes? Right. So we approve it. Amend the Oh, with the amended. As amended. Yes. As amended. So do I need to amend my motion? I I I think Mr. Chair, I I think you could pro in my opinion you could probably after the fact just seek unanimous consent that that was intended to incorporate. That is definitely the intent, but I will I will seek another vote. Like is that does everyone agree that was yes implied by the Thank you.

All right. Um, so do we need to officially retire those other two policies by a vote? We've we've never done that. Um, but again, uh, I've only been a trustee for 10 years and policy sub for just uh four or five years, but um, so the volunteer policy is new and I would say that the collection development policy is um, just a new version. It's it's really a a new um, policy for us. So I I do understand your point about when we're approving something, it's always nice to see what we're striking and what was added when it comes to the board. Correct. Right.

And in the public, too, that that I I find it just challenging to look at two documents and realize, oh my word, we only change one sentence. Yeah. You know what I mean? Sort of like the way now the town clerk requires in red any amended agendas to be all right. What is what is the change? And we saw that this time around with the Eagle Scout project. That was the change. I didn't have to search for it. Okay. And we I think we talked about this two months ago, right? Having a redline version of it that we saw. Are you guys using Microsoft Word like Well, so is this an agreement of of the board that this is what you guys want to see going forward? it would be helpful but if it's very cumbersome let us

so so what's going to happen is there's going to be a lot of discussion on why things were stricken and way the way things were written before right and it's going to belabor our votes so if we do this going forward and and this is for future trustees that I'm I don't even know you know that may be on the board right like so we have to agree that what we're presenting to you is um really the final copy that's to be voted on. It's not to be word smith. It's not to be changed, you know, and and if you if we can't vote on it at our meeting in five minutes, table it goes back to policy committee. Like that has to be the expectation

because I think that's what's going to happen. I mean, maybe we have done that before and it just it just belabors. Well, I I certainly would be in favor of the draft watermark just because as soon as we print things out Yeah. you know, they get left behind or something like that. Um, I I I think I initially preferred the red line, but hearing what you said, I would be okay if the the policy committee would highlight the changes, sort of what you did today instead of redlinining. But yeah, and and

presumably you guys have had a redline version when you were working through it and then you just clean it up a little bit. Yeah, I also um so a lot of training that I do like with my job like we have like the original version we have the red line and so like this red line is wonderful because it's one little change and it's highlighted. When you have something where it's redlined and the whole thing is redlined it's unreadable. It really is. So um so so yeah and this I think it really makes a lot of sense. I don't know like if we're rewriting a policy I don't know how much value that adds because it's you know you really can't Yeah. what we're presenting is is the final copy.

Well, I think that's a great point, right? If it's a policy where you're changing one line, let's just highlight the one line or something, right? If it's something like this where you've combined two major policies, like that doesn't have a lot of value to your point because of the substantial amount. So, I think if it is just tiny changes, being able to call that so we we have that perspective, right? Yeah, that's a good point. and all all the existing policies that would be replacing would be on the the library's website, right, for your reference. Um and then then I think the final point would be um understanding what our retention policy would be for expired. I don't and I don't we don't have to discuss it.

Yeah. But but I think it's it's something that we can bring back to the policy subcommittee, but why would we ever need to um uh refer to an old policy that's been outdated? I'll tell I'll tell you why reasons um for like discovery. So if there's there's like legal holds. So there's a certain amount of time you have to hold documents before you can get rid of them. And so if there is ever like a legal item that came up on one of our policies from that time period. Yes. Like that's what you need to know. So I actually wonder if the town knows and if they have like a standard they use for it. Um just to make sure that it's there and somewhere it can be retained. Right. I would just put it to the policy committee to investigate that.

Right. And and and I think it's useful I mean for we word nerds that those who are inclined to dig deep into these uh old policies aren't necessarily inventing the wheel. If if you look at an old policy versus a new policy, you could compare and contrast how one became the other. um and and re and reasonably infer things and so um so that someone who's looking to change something I think it benefits them to see the prior versions of it. I I think that's the audience. Um maybe another policy subcommittee. Um does that make sense or am I talking in circles because it's late? I mean, as far as I I I hate the idea of just making things disappear, you know, or allowing things to disappear. Um, I mean, there's no harm done to hoard things electronically. It doesn't take physical space like this water bottle, you know. Um,

my concerns a little bit more. I know yours is more of documents that were we weren't able to find. And so, again, my concern is really the legal piece. So, if there's a reason we legally have to h hold those policies that the town administrator says like like well I understand the like nice to be able to have that historical record piece. I'd say my piece is coming more like is there a legal expectation of us. So So let's just leave it to Katrina and Aaron to investigate a little bit. So, so and along but along those lines next to them with the real but along along the lines of

what Rachel is mentioning is that about the legal piece on top of that though are the legal reviews are those legal reviews of the draft subcommittee you know uh recommendations are those distributed by means of uh is is it attorney client privilege or is that distributed by uh means of email? And if it's by means of email and it's it's been distributed by the town to you, let's say, then that's a public document. My what I'm getting at is that if we're going to then

stress the importance and I agree with you on this point that the keeping these documents even if for the sole reason for legal purposes then if you're talking about a legal um opinion that speaks to whether we should move forward with this that or the other thing regarding a proposed policy then that communication should be kept with that material that you want to hold on two separate things makes sense to just take it offline because we won't have any answers. I think we I we I think we recognize the potential concerns, but none of us have answers until they I think we talk to the town. Yeah. All right. All right.

Okay. Um I'm going to move on to the agenda to new business with Katrina. So, uh A is funding trustees and scribe. So, if it pleases the chair, I would love to to move to our two guests that are in the galley here. Okay. of course. Um, we've got Jennifer Chase here for St. Paulie and we've got Nick Valerie here for the EV charger discussion. So, okay. Yeah, I don't know if Jennifer wants to kick us off. Yep. So, we'll we'll start to the St. Paul textile clothing sheds and that was a proposal we saw in our packet. Um, so, welcome. Thank you. Unfortunately, my wife

I don't know about you, but I'm Oh, look at this. I'm just going to take this for the the twirly thing again. Oh, um, bro, we missed it. Is it the same as I'm sorry, if you need a copy, you can take mine. I'm not a paper person, so I got it. Yeah.

Um, so my name is Jennifer and I work for St. Poly textile and our company works with actually work for 1,800 now um 1,800 nonprofit organizations uh throughout the northeast and what we do is we partner with lo one local organization in a community or neighborhood and we donate to your organization a woodframe shed as you see in the packet that we've purchased from a Menanite company in Pennsylvania. So they are beautiful sheds like you see in your backyard. Wood frame, shingled roof, and they have a donation shoe on the front. So people from the community can actually come and donate at their convenience. And what we're trying to do is reduce the 85% of used clothing that's thrown away in the US. Massachusetts actually has a law that you cannot throw away textiles anymore. Um, but even before that, we were collecting 175,000 lbs of clothing per day. So, we're definitely making an impact on the textiles that are thrown away. Um, and what we do is we provide obviously the beautiful woodframe shed. Um, but then also outreach materials. So, we give you promotional materials to promote the program, flyers, posters, something that can go on social media, something go local paper, kind of promoting the program and then also helping promote the library. So, it's very much an outreach project as well for the library. Um, and we strive for cleanliness. So, our number one priority is that it's always kept clean in pristine order, which is why we pick up from that shed every six to seven business days or more if needed. So, we are an open line of communication between us and the library to make sure that, you know, if we ever need to pick up again, we will. um if there's ever needing any kind of maintenance, what have you, we we maintain them year round, we actually carry a $10 million

liability insurance on every one of our locations. Um so if anything happened in or around the shed, we are responsible. Um and what we do is we give keys to our hosts. So whether it be the library or whoever is hosting our program, so that someone from that organization can also monitor the shed between our weekly pickups. So, we give you keys to the shed. So, we just ask you to visit the shed a couple times a week to make sure that the chute area is never obstructed and people can freely donate throughout the week. Now, our sheds hold between 4 to 600 bags of clothing. So, it's very hard for it to get filled up, you know, within that 6 to seven business days. Um, but that shoot area can kind of get a little clustered, you know, between our pickups. So, we just ask that someone can just keep their eye on it. And then what we do as a company is we take all of the clothing in large bulk quantities. We sell it very cheaply to US and foreign government agencies, relief organizations, and other types of businesses that sort the clothing. So there's no sorting on your end. We do very minimal sorting in our in our warehouse in Connecticut. Um but the bulk of it is you know redistributed to um relief organizations, government agencies and other types of businesses like that that sort it. Um and it gets redistributed worldwide mostly to developing countries where people below the international poverty level can actually access quality used clothing. Um but the nice thing about our program is that you have keys to that shed. So if you ever needed the clothing at a local level, so for instance, if there was a fire in the community and the fire department said, you know, we need clothing right away because, you know, Mr. Jones just had a fire and they have nothing, we want you to use that clothing at the local level so that it can actually help people here in Grafton

or surrounding towns. Um, it's very important to us that people know that it's there and it's used for the community. And we also give the library funding for everything that we collect. So it's very much a fundraising project as well. A lot of libraries that I work with work with the friends group if they have it uh because they're usually the volunteer fundraising portion of the library. Um so we actually give your organization4 cents a pound for everything collected. So on average, it's between $50 to $200 a month that you can use for the wonderful programs that you do at a library. I'm sorry. Can you repeat the number?

Yep. So we give 4 cents a pound for everything collected and on average it's between $50 to $200 a month. Um, and um, I actually have a couple of examples of some organizations in the area that host our program, how long they've hosted and how much they received last year. So, I placed a shed over at St. Peter's Church in North Bridge the end of 2024 last year. So, they've had it for a little over a year now. Um, they collected 43,000 pounds of clothing which clothed 7,800 people worldwide and that gave the church $1,700 for for their church. I'm sure you know Northridge St. Peter's Church, huge yard sale all the every year, but they even I went to their yard sale and they actually told me how amazing their shed was and they said, you know, our yard sale is great, but that shed's just pushing pushing through. So, I was very happy to hear that. Um the Upton Graange, you might not even even notice that it's there. It's a little shed up on the Upton Graange. Um they've had our shed for 12 years now since 2014. Um they had collected 33,000 lbs of clothing last year that clothed over 6,000 people worldwide and they had about $1,300 for their graange to help support their local community. Um, then we've got Bethl Lutheran Church, which is a little bit further away in Auburn. Um, but they've had our shed since 2017. They collected 68,000 lbs of clothing, which clothed over 12,000 people, and they did $2,700 last year. Um, and then the most recent or most I'm sorry, not most recent, but the closest library that we have to here would be the Milis Library. And they've only had our shed

since the middle of 2025. And they did $784. So they're they're, you know, they probably are going to be doing $1,500 if not more this year. Um, and that was 19,000 lb of clothing. and 3,600 people worldwide that were clothed. So, um I've actually placed two more libraries since then. I've actually placed I think a total of six libraries since I started four years ago. Um and I believe your wording that the library is the pulse of the community is actually perfect and I wrote it down because I'm keeping it. Um because it it's completely true. I have an 8-year-old and we visit the library at least once a week. Um, I feel like you guys programs are imperative for the community and I personally love helping libraries because of that. Um, so I've placed a number of sheds at churches and um, other municipalities and legions, but my passion is libraries and senior centers. So, um it was a while back that I actually spoke with Tom, the previous director, and he loved this idea and then one thing happened. Um one thing after another happened and then kind of fell away. So, I'm presenting finally um thanks to Katrina and um looking to see if the library might be interested in working with us.

Thank you, Jennifer. You're welcome. Um yep. Open open to questions. We'll start with her since she spoke up first. Okay. So um so we do have a very vibrant friends community um sorry friends organiz not community um friends organization. So I would be happy as the leison on to the friends to present this to them. Um I guess um the biggest question that I have is um Katrina do you have thoughts or do you have thoughts as to where the shed would be located on the library property and I guess what kind of permission would we need to get from the town? Um because it's um it's a good size shed. It is. Yes. For good reason, obviously.

Um so if there are any, you know, permissions needed from the town, that's something that I can get for you. Um any kind of permitting. We actually take care of all the permitting. There's never any monetary obligation for the library or the friends of the library. So if there were permits, we take care of it. Um if they need to be renewed, we take care of it. Um, there's actually permits needed in Worcester for all of our sheds that need to be renewed every single year and we do that. Um, so everything comes to me and I take care of that. Um, and I'm happy to do it.

Um, but placement I I don't know. I I pretty much I just learned from that young gentleman's um presentation that you guys don't necessarily own all of your parking lot, which I was not aware of, but that doesn't stop anything. So, the last four libraries that I placed, um, Shirley, Milis, um, Sterling, Connecticut, are all municipal properties. They might even be at a town hall. So, we would just go to the select board, um, either town administrator, however it is, and just ask if they can give permission to place it. um they're always happy that we carry our own liability insurance, that we maintain it, and that someone from the libraries get or the friends of the library is actually going to help maintain it. Um and that it's a beautiful shed and not a metal box.

Yeah. And and I think I want to grab Prau because he raised his hand earlier. Thank you. Thanks. Uh so I I think this is a very noble uh cause and especially helping out uh communities that are uh in need. The question I have is for our town. I know there are two places where we do uh cloth the clothes being collected right one near the municipal center one in South I don't know if there is another location where we have collection of bins well we have St. Vincent de Paulal is three blue light blue bins in the stop shop parking lot and in north graph and St. Mary's parking lot next to the cemetery. There's one in the um home field, too, right? The credit union parking lot. That's true. Yeah.

Yeah. And so, um yeah, it's it's one of the interesting things is that on one hand as a trustee, I'm like, "All right, if I give any objection to this, maybe this is taking money off the table." But on the other other hand, I'm constantly um I'm a regular closed donor of gently used clothes. I'm I'm like the recycling maniac. Good. Okay. Both in trash and recycling and in clothing. Um and and so

um and so I'm always Yeah. It's clean, it's folded, it goes in the bin. I can't tell you the amount of times that however well-intentioned some of these programs are. I I on one hand I I like the fact that it's frequently or more fre frequently visited than other ones, but um people basically are moving out of town and they literally dump all I mean baby carriages and bicycles and lamps and all sorts of things. There was it looked like someone had emptied out their apartment a couple of months ago, you know, one of those things. And so yep,

uh that was that's one of my only uh concerns. That's the biggest concern that anyone has ever brought to us. Um, so in the beginning I mentioned that our sheds carry and hold a lot more items. So those metal bins, first of all, people associate metal bins with dumpsters. They are just going to abuse those. People respect our sheds 99% more than the metal bins. They hold a lot more. They can fit a lot more. Um, and they're going to respect it also because it's at the library. It's not at a gas station or a grocery store where it's not being watched or monitored. But also, our job as a company is to remove everything that is donated because people are people

and they will donate things that are not textiles. So, we have a sign right on the shed that says clothing, shoes, belts, purses, stuffed animals, bedding, but people are going to donate things that are not those items. Um, but it is our job to take it. And the first thing that we want you to do because you guys have eyes on it between our pickups is to call us so that we can come and get it right away. Um we have trucks in this area constantly. Um and then also again we are open line of communication between us and every partner that we work with to make sure that they can actually tell us when something like that happens because we don't want that for your property and we don't want that for our business as well. Um, but yes, people will donate items like that, but it's very infrequent when it comes to our sheds over those boxes. Okay? And it's not going to take away from those other boxes either. People are going to keep donating to Salvation Army. They're going to keep donating to Goodwill. They're going to keep donating to St. Vincent to Paul. They're going to keep going to where they always went. We're trying to pick up everybody else that doesn't know where those are. um and also, you know, bring more awareness of the library. And when people want to help a local organization like the library, they don't necessarily know how to. But if they just come to the library and they say, "Oh, you guys have a drop off box. Okay, the next time I got to I'm coming, I'm going to drop off my clothes here because I know that it's going to help the library because it has the library's name right on it." So, they know directly it's going to help their local

community organization. And I guess my question is for Katrina, right? It sounds like we were we were lucky that you you brought this topic, right? Did you have a chance to look at anyone else or is this just because they came to us that we're we're considering it? Uh I think it's because they came. Yeah.

Well, I guess that what I'd throw out to the committee, right, is to your point, we do have a lot of other ones in town. There's actually a bin I go to in Sutton because they take items that are ruined clothing. They are stained. So, as a I have small kids, a small child, right? So, I have a lot of stained clothes. They take it and they turn it into insulation for walls. And they'll take the good stuff out and kind of resell it um or donate it and you get a portion back, which I believe is is unfortunately higher than the amount that that this proposal is. So I just knowing that one quick example, I think if this is something we want to pursue, we should probably just look at a couple options to see what best fits the local community's

need and just just do our due diligence. Yeah. I respect that program to Did you approach the town like for other locations or like why did it funnel down to the library? Um I live in Milbury and again I'm very much into the libraries. Um, I believe it was it was maybe two years ago that I approached Tom, but um I approached the Legion. Um, I approached the Lions Club actually and they said, you know, we'd love the idea, but we're too far out from, right, centrally. Um, but no, I didn't I don't usually go right to the town. I always go to like the local nonprofits. Um, but also to make I'm sorry.

No, go ahead. I was going to say to make your point. So the um president of our company is actually a CEO also of SMRT which is an international company um that is secondary materials and recycled textiles. So his that that company makes sure that anything that is not wearable is actually made into something else. So we're kind of I would say though if you could donate the stuff that's not wearable because again you can't throw it in the trash, right? And so, so I think as we were talking, right, that's that really is kind of the gap right now. Like I said, I have to drive like a couple towns over. You mean for like true textile recycling? I think they for textile. Yeah, we take everything.

They take the state. They said it was just stuff that you could like when you market it, do you say you can donate that stuff and it's going to be taken care of? Yes. Yes. I saw that in the in the material. Okay. Sorry. As you were talking and I was reading it sounded like you only like we so you actually market that you can bring ruined clothes. Yes. Because of that rule. Now I was we were on the same page. I thought it was only one. Sorry. No. And that makes Well, I think it makes such a huge difference. It does. Right. Because like we just put everything in one pile and then we say if stuff's ruined it it's going to be put to good use and if it's not then it it gets

and with the discussion around pay as you throwbacks people would be inclined to throw out a bunch of soiled towels and in a $4.50 50 cent bag and and so if they can donate it to your organization versus you know spending money on trash bags right

so um Rachel the the bin that you saw that also takes the soil materials how is it size-wise compared to this because one of the things that I really am excited about with this one is the large size because I know that often times the bins in town get over phone and I have friends who work with them and it's frustrating because there's good materials aterials that are left in front of the ruined comfort and they're ruined. Exactly. So, so that's one of the things that I really do like about this is that um you know that that it can hold a lot so that you have less hopefully you know damaged and that's exactly why we designed it that way.

Well, and I I think they're just like your traditional metal ones, but like I said when I was reading through it, I took it as like just the good stuff. So, like as long as you're taking the bad stuff, like like that's really the the win for the community because there's a lot of places that take the good stuff. Yes, I just have I think we need to w because I can see Doug's Well, I don't honestly I don't think we have enough information now to to approve it tonight, but we have enough information. I don't expect that. No, I know. I'm just saying as a as a board um but certainly enough information for us to go out on our own and come up with other ideas or decisions.

So so my question is you know let's say we like your product um and we we agree to this um but all of our fears are realized that you know people are leaving books and and car seats and all this stuff and you guys just aren't doing what you said you would do. Yep. How do we say goodbye? Yeah. What's the contract?

So, we have absolutely no contracts. The only thing we ever have you sign is the a direct deposit form, which is how we pay your organization. So, we don't have any contracts that say you have to have us for any amount of time. We have a 98% retention rate on every one of our locations. But if at any point in time you said this is not working out, we're not going to argue. We're not going to say anything. We're going to say okay, we will remove it for you. The only thing we need to do is get on the shed haulers removal. So on their schedule which is usually about 30 to 45 days. Okay. So it's completely at will. Yes. Right. Thank you. Um thank you for coming. I'm sorry I had to wait through the No, that's okay. I was warned.

And do we have your contact information or do we Katrina does? Yes. Yes. And the list that I passed around that is a list of all of the organizations that we work with in Massachusetts and all the libraries that we work with. Um it was on white pieces of paper. Um so feel free to you know reach out to any one of those locations and get their opinion of our program. That's why we give those lists um so that you can even either visit them the ones that I listed or any of them on that um on those pages. So and if you need physical phone numbers I'm happy to give them too. Great. Okay. Thank you so much. Fantastic organization.

Thank you. Um, okay. So, next, um, we have Nick Valerie. Is that right? Um, and he's going to talk to us about the, um, EV charger replacement project by East Coast Renewable Energy. So, welcome, Nick. Good. Good evening, everybody. How's everybody doing today? Well, thanks. Excellent. Thank you.

Uh, so my name is Nick Flori. Uh, the gentleman who had uh, presented this to the town, his name is Tim Cullen. Uh, I'm the owner of the company. So, I normally attend these events. Before I get into anything on the uh what I'm going to present, I like to actually open it up to the board and ask whatever questions you guys have so I can address those questions first and then I can get into um all the background. So, with that being stated, is there any questions as to um what we're offering?

Yeah. So, we had um we discussed this I think at the last meeting. I'm just looking through the the minutes here, right? Um uh so it almost looks like it's too good to be true. I'll give you that. Um in you know, we have had a lot of challenges uh with our our current um system and uh that's why we're looking very favorably on on your project. Um

currently we don't charge our patrons anything, right? And I think built into your your model is almost um like a cost structure kind of offset the cost that we wouldn't be paying but it's being kind of attributed to the to the users, right? So it's almost like a a user fee. So whereas you know the we're going from zero to having a fee and then a markup to kind of pay pay for that project so that we don't incur the cost. Is that kind of accurate? That's the kind of way I understood it or maybe you can clarify. Yeah. So, um what you're talking about and if I understand it correctly is more of the performance-based model that we recommend. Yeah.

So, uh most charging stations require you to pay a annual or a monthly fee. That monthly fee or annual fee covers the credit card processing, the 24-hour customer service, which we can get into in a second, and then the Wi-Fi/Cellular data that uh goes to the charging stations itself. So, that performance basis is 5 cents a kilowatt hour. You can uh assess that to the EV driver. Mhm.

Okay. Okay. Uh normally what I recommend is if your cost of electricity your all-in rate is just using a round number 25 cents. The cost for the um performance base would be 5 cents. So if you're not looking to charge make any profit on these things in this example you would charge 30 cents a kilowatt hour for the consumer to charge their vehicle. Um, with that being stated, I want everybody to understand that the cost to charge in um, your residential electric charge right now is right around 35 cents a kilowatt hour.

So, it would actually behoove the community to charge at the town as an amenity because it's going to cost more to charge at their house if they have the availability of a charger. Yeah. And I I think that um are we still under contract in Grafton for the aggregation? Uh the I think we were an aggregate of a few communities where it was for the electrical rate. The electrical rate at first it started at at a really nice rate of like nine or 10 cents and then it's continually gone up. U do we know what that aggregate rate is? Uh so I don't know what that is but the aggregate rate is on the supply portion. And you still have your delivery portion. Okay.

So the combination of both is right around 25 cents a kilowatt hour I would assume for the town. Okay. But but so whatever whatever we're paying for electricity in your example is 25 cents per kilowatt and then you're taking in the your company takes 5 cents add-on. We don't take 5 cents. Okay. My company think about my company as a contractor. We're going to get all the permits, all the approvals, all the incentive for you. We're going to build it, install it, and then we're going to turn the keys over to you. Yeah. That cost of 5 cents is nothing more than administrative cost for what you're paying for your house to run the internet.

Yeah. Okay. If anybody owns a business, you guys know that there's a cost to you uh to the business for a credit card swipe. Sure. Okay. Um and then obviously there's a cost for admin to handle the 24-hour customer service. So that does not come to my company. That goes to the third party supply uh provider. I do have a question. So one of the things we've talked a lot about is how we keep our library director from out in the weather trying to to fix these. So like at what point will you actually send someone physically out to address like a service concern if the virtual piece won't won't work?

That's a great question. Uh before I get into that direct question, I want everybody to understand is the warranty on these on this equipment is a 2-year warranty. My company gives a fiveyear warranty. Okay? So you have five years for the warranty. Now that warranty does not cover vandalism nor wear and tear. Okay? Now to go into your question, if the charging station is not working for whatever reason, we will send people out to repair it. Okay. Um, in the truth of anything with dealing with a contractor of any sort, it's having to have time to get out there because other jobs are going on. Okay. I'm just going to be very clear with that. Um, time frame, couple weeks to be clear, but I just can't predict what's going happening in the future with a lot of stuff.

That sounds different than what we have now. So, okay. Um, I guess the the the follow-up question is like is there a charge for coming out, right? So, say like we've tried to press the reset button or whatever, someone drives into it, backs into it. Yeah. Like like do we get charged? Of course, there's always going to be a labor charge. Um, just like any kind of contractor coming out to your house, the light doesn't work, you're going to call an electrician, they're going to come over. If it's just hitting the reset, right, he's still going to charge something. you know, unfortunately the day and age of uh labor being zero, it's just not there. Yeah. And do you have the fee structure for that?

Um, unfortunately, the fee structure is going to be dependent upon what the labor cost is at that current time. So, that's it's it's all labor cost at that point in time. Yeah. So, we need to figure out how to budget for something like that. Yeah. So, that doesn't have to come to this board every time uh you know, support maintenance is is required. Um, that would be helpful to have like Maybe you could give us some examples of other installations that you've done. Um, you know, in terms of how often they might need support and maintenance, you know, I mean, if someone there it looks like the cost is 26,000 for two units. Uh, for a grant

two Well, no, no, no. The So, the incentive Okay. Depending upon So, let me just back up for a second. Uh, both National Grid and the state of Massachusetts have an incentive. Y

Okay. those incentives. If you've used a portion of the incentive, it comes off of what is available. So, the initial incentive uh through the state is up to $50,000. Okay? So, a lot's going to be determined on what incentive, if any, that you've used. Okay? The majority of the cost of installing charging stations is actually infrastructure because your infrastructure is there and we're just doing what they call a rip and replace which is buying the new equipment, installing it and going from there. Uh to give you a u a close to home example, um Southbridge Southbridge town hall, they had uh already used some of the incentive. they only had $20,000 left of the incentive. Uh, another installer went in and said that we can do what you're asking for, which was rip and replace three single port charging stations and install another charging station altogether. They wanted $25,000, which would have been $5,000 out of pocket for the town. They couldn't do it. Tim Cullen who uh came to the town he went to the town of Southbridge came back to me and I says yes we can do it for those numbers and uh replaced everything. So the actual dollar amount is going to depend upon what you have and what I briefly saw when I walked in here kind of quickly because I couldn't figure out where I was it took me to uh over the another location of the town. Um, you have all wall-mounted um, charging stations. They're not on pedestals.

Well, so our station, our charging station, the ones that the libraries are pulling, not not the ones. Okay. Again, I just saw what I was trying to explain what I saw coming in here, so I apologize. But what you're saying is the town has probably used up some of their incentive putting some of these other. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, we'll have to find that out. Yes. Um, I guess the root of my question was if someone down the road after we have it installed runs over the thing, it's going to cost us $13,000 to replace one of them. Uh, not exactly because that's going to be covered with your insurance on the property. Okay.

Okay. Um, if somebody vandalizes, again, covers for insurance. Wear and tear items. Somebody rips something out. Okay. then that's you know not that's again vandalism right all right um but the so the maximum we would probably pay would be around 13k per unit if I would say yes well I was just trying to get a so to give you a better answer okay when we submit for a brand new install we're right around 12 to $13,000 all in for one port

so we can do one board infrastructure in uh infrastructure installation and equipment and the equipment we're installing is a 50 amp smart charger. Okay. Um a lot of the chargers out there that others I don't think are really doing anymore but over the last 6 months most people have converted to the 50 amp. We've been doing the 50 amp for about a year now. Um they were doing 40 amps. So you're but you said that because we already have the infrastructure it would not be 13,000 because correct you're just putting a a new piece of equipment you connecting it

correct at the end of the day the dollar amount really shouldn't be a big factor if you haven't used the incentive yet. Okay. Okay. Um so it's really dependent upon what incentive if you even use an incentive in this example to the library. Okay. Yep. And that's something we would be able to figure out. We actually look into it for you. But, uh, if you have the information as to what incentive you used, it's always easier because getting things from Yeah, we have other people that's kind of filed away, it's kind of tough to get. Um, have you installed any of the other systems in Grafton? No. No. Okay.

I had a question and it's for Katrina. So, I think we may have asked Tom this when he was director. So we all right. So we stand to be on the hook for something some expenses depending on what the service needs are. However, it was my understanding and I I I was confused about this that the revenue that's generated actually goes into the general fund of the town. It doesn't go into the libraries coffers. Am I correct? the revenue that's generated from the EV charger. Yes,

that I thought that was and there was a reason why that I think it was explained that somehow that um actually I I don't recall the reason, but it it I didn't fully understand how everything came in out in the wash. Mhm. But it seemingly did. I thought ours were free. Like the ones at the library, I I don't charge. I don't know. But I thought we didn't charge at the library currently. Correct. currently. But did we ever I thought we did at one point. Now I don't remember. Yep. All right. So which essentially means it's costing the town. Yeah. I also know that we don't pay an electric bill. The town covers the cost.

Okay. So that's okay. So that was I think that that was um I think how it was explained that anything that if there were a charge then maybe it was a hypothetical that if there were a charge that the town would want it because they give us free beyond the electric and that comes allegedly comes out in the wash if we were to charge. Do they charge for any of the EV chargers in town? I am not sure. I think I thought they did because I remember thinking, oh, it's like everybody would come to the library, but ours are always broken, so that's why they don't come. Doug, may I just um comment on something that Katrina said. So,

um we don't pay an electric bill. I thought when years ago we were getting a credit from National Grid, uh for something maybe either being overcharged um and so right. So, I feel like we were paying electric bill. Thank you. Yeah, we're still negative $95,000 on our electric car. Okay. So, so at some point we will start pay for that electric car. Oh, they did. So, the town does in uh they will in perpetuity pay the electric bill. Is that your understanding? I am not sure. Yeah, because Yeah, it used to be that we did pay it, but we had a credit. Okay.

So, the lights are on. Yeah. So, real quick in in regards to the out-of- pocket cost that may incur, okay, if something breaks, okay, for the labor cost, um, if you do charge a little bit above what the cost to charge is, as Roger Roger, yeah, as Roger has mentioned, I would imagine you can just set up a slush fund. Okay. If you can work it with the town, again, however it works. Um, but that's normally what people work, you know. I mean, I don't look at these charging stations as a huge revenue generator. It's a nice amenity for the town.

Um, I have two chargers at my house and these 50 amps, you know, charge a heck of a lot faster. So, they should get good use. Mhm. Whether it's just we currently have, please, do you know what we currently have? I don't. Okay. If I was to take an educated guess, it's probably a 30 amp charger, if not older, smaller. So, are you looking to put in two units and it's four? Is it one station and two pumps or is it two stations and four pumps? Is two I can't justify. You got to tell me what you have there. Do you have two um what do you have there now? The picture shows the one post with two

and that's what we have there now. One on each side, right? That one tower can charge two cars. So, I can do that. You can either do a dual port, so one charger with two ports on each side, or I can do a single port. So, it's all dependent upon however you currently have it set up. We have two dual ports. Perfect. So, that we can do that. We have four outside. You have single ports. So, I can just rip these out and just put a single port in there. So, now these are these are described as accessible um charging stations. I think you'd mentioned I think it might be handicapped accessible.

Handicap. They have to um they the incentive requires at least one to be ADA compliant. All right. So, are you talking about to does that now include and I thought it did. I don't know whether it's a mass architectural board or an ADA um um compliance where new installations I I don't know if this counts as new or or replacement that you have to have at least one accessible parking space with an access aisle in the same way that we see all the other accessible parking spots because you think about where those four are right the one on the far right would be accessible I believe is is it does it

in the front yeah I think it I think that's I mean it's an important thing to know but I don't think that's important for our conversation tonight. No, no. I I Well, I I think if we're going to eventually possibly agree on this and replace them, we we have to be we have to be compliant with what the current law is regarding the accept the actual let me let me just be very clear how this how it works. Y is if you want to move forward, okay, you're going to sign the non-binding documents that I think you have in front of you, right?

Okay. There's a couple other documents we'll need. Okay, very simple documents. Uh once we get it, then we come over and we do a site visit. If there's a question which is pertain to the ADA compliance, we'll reach out to the um I'm going to use the you know ADA department of the state and let them know if that complies, what we need to do and so forth and so on. If it blows up and the ADA authority says that we can't do this or whatever it is or it's not grandfathered in, right, then we just let you know and we say we can't do it or this is we need the cost to make it ADA compliant. At which point in time if there is a cost, you guys have the right to say we're not interested in leaving it alone.

And and I would just mention that our uh town's ADA coordinator is our uh inspector buildings uh Tracy Shy. So I would any anything that any site visits I would recommend including her.

Yeah. So if you guys elect to move forward and again everything we're talking about today is non-binding. Um it doesn't become binding until the incentive program approves everything. You sign off on the incentive program documents. You send it back to us. We send it in for you. Once they stamp it that everything is good. Now all of a sudden things become binding. Once things become binding now we buy the equipment which normally takes about 3 months to get in. Sorry, 3 weeks to get in and then we can install right after that. All right. So this agreement that we have is just really approving you to go on to the next step.

Uh let me just talk let me just talk to you what that agree what that set of documents is. It is basically um whoever has purchased a house in the um last 20 years it is a good faith estimate. Okay, this is just something that you're attesting that my mortgage documents are correct and we want to send it to the underwriting to get it approved. That's exactly what this is. You're attesting yes, we're interested in putting charging station this at this location, these number of chargers, we're going to come out and we're going to do an appraisal on the house, which is a site visit. Once the site visit comes back, as long as it matches and we can do everything that we talked about here, which is zero out of pocket, we then submit it to the incentive for uh for the final approval, if you would.

Okay. So, just any other questions? Yeah, one one question and maybe you can't answer this, but um is is there an opportunity for us to maintain a zerocost uh charging station at the library with this current proposal? The answer to the question is yes, but you'll have to pay an annual fee or a monthly fee. Okay. Okay. So you can continue to offer $0 to charge. Yeah. Okay. The one out of pocket expense that is essentially associated with this or the two out of pocket uh is going to be the cost of electricity which you're not paying.

Yeah. Okay. And then what I recommend is the performance basis. The reason why I recommend the performance basis is why do you want to pay for something if people aren't using it? But I apologize miss what is your first name? Carrie. as Carrie would mention that the charging stations would be used if they were working. Okay? So, the performance basis probably would work out best for you guys anyways. But if you want to offer it for no money out of pocket, then the out of pocket cost would be an annual or a monthly fee.

So, an So, let's say the annual fee is I'm going to throw out a small number, $1,000 a year, right? Um, but to your point, maybe people don't use it and we don't even incur a $1,000 cost for a year. So, we're better off just paying the the five cents, you know? Exactly. And and let's take it to the next level. Sure. If it cost to charge at home 35 cents. Yeah. Because that's the electric cost. If it cost other places 30 cents to charge if you're charging five cents, that's a benefit, right? It's not a big deal. I see. I mean,

but we're not charging five. We're not 5 cents is not zero because we're paying for the electricity. I mean, the town is paying for the electricity. Uhhuh. Right. Yeah. You guys are telling me the town's paying for the electricity. I'm just trying to address his question. If you want to continue I mean about you as in the library you the town I mean we're still paying the electricity, right? But people I think people need to sign up for an AMP up account and have the credit card available even though we're not charging the credit card. Yeah. Right. So in this case, we're not asking them for anything different than we're already asking on the current chargers because, you know, it would be a 5 cent fee or No, it's 5 cents per kilowatt hour. I just want to be very clear. It's not

kilowatt hours does it when you charge a car like the average car, how many kilowatt hours is that? I I just had AI tell me 10. What was the answer? Uh from like 10% to 100%. Um it'll take uh about 4 and a2 hours and 54 kilowatt hours. So that times five, right? Um it's like a couple bucks. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So $2.50 or something. So it's very minimal. I Yeah, I think you've answered all our questions. Um I think from our perspective it's just getting a little details on like just outlining the actual costs and the electricity stuff and and then it seems like very simple next step but

and what are the local towns any adjacent towns to whist that you've got these things hooked up uh hooked up the answer is no unfortunately the incentive program is a little slow. Okay. Um so the reason why Southbridge moved so quickly is it was already approved. Mhm. So, we went in like the night and shining armor and said, "You don't have to do it for $5,000 out of pocket. We'll do it. We can take care of it for you for free." Okay. So, the transition was nice and easy. Are you sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. So, so the answer to your question is nobody else has been approve the deals that we have submitted, nobody else has been approved. Okay.

Okay. and the um like they all go on the same app like when people are looking for chargers this

one one of the other benefits of the performance basis or even the annual fee with the charging stations that we install which nobody asked I'm going to bring it up now uh I recommend the Autel charging stations um whatever charging stations you guys want we can essentially install I think Autel is the the best out there in my opinion um so by working with them. The guts of the Autel uh equipment is done by a company called Ready. They're out of uh I think Michigan. Uh so US your based company. Um one of the I don't want to say claims to fame that they do, but they also put your charging stations on I use the word the majority of the EV apps. Yeah. I like to say they're on all of them, but there's always different ones popping up and I don't want to, you know, tell you it's on all of them and then somebody says, "Hey, I'm on this app and it's not on there." So, uh, it is on the majority of the EV apps out there.

Great. Any final questions for Nick? Longer days means more time to show off.

Yeah. So the the only thing I'm going to mention is if you guys exced um I would recommend kind of moving a little bit faster because when the incentive money is gone, it is gone. Okay. Um where things are non-binding and it sounds like this is something you do want to move forward, but there's a couple, you know, things you have to figure out. Uh, my recommendation, and again, I'm not trying to sound like a pushy sales guy here, uh, but my recommendation is to sign the non-binding document, provide us with the docu, the other supporting documents that are needed so we can get out and do the site visit and then submit for the incentive. And I can tell you that we are probably 6 to nine months in waiting for the incentive to be approved. Mhm. The good thing is National Grid did recently open up their incentive and they are claiming that they are moving a little bit faster.

So, one one last question, Nick. Um, are you in front of us tonight having been asked to come here through having approached our town administrator select board's office? I I will answer the question in two ways. Okay. one I can't be 100% sure of that. Uh Tim Cullen had said um that can you present to the library board or whatever it was and I said sure didn't understand what was going on. Okay.

Uh but to on the other note I do believe that we got trickle down here that we needed the formal approval from the library board to take it to the rest of the town. So I'm not overly sure. And who is Tim Cullen? I'm sorry. Tim Cullen's one of my sales reps. Oh, from your Okay. From your Okay. So Tim Cullen is local. He um uh he lives in Sutton.

All right. Great. And um yeah, because I I I think that um just so the left hand knows what the right hand is doing uh for us uh I guess through you Katrina u to touch base with I guess um Evan or William to see you know I'm I'm sure the town is there's a lot of electrical suppliers or other whether you call it solar or EV stations that come before municipalities and I just want to make sure we're not um you know duplicating ating efforts in that um there may not be something already in play. So uh this this was arranged by William. It was okay. Then you answer my question. Okay.

I mean we I think as a board and as the the library director, I mean I'm not happy with the current solution. So we're certainly looking for another solution. All right. Well, thank you. Uh appreciate it. I have business cards if you guys want them. If not, I think you have all my contact information. So yes, we would direct probably all questions, Katrina. So thank you very much. Any questions, please direct them to Katrina and then I can address them fairly quickly. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Um for the benefit of the board, we do pay AMP up $1,000 a year um which is our current EV charger company. So and that's for connection access. So that comes that's part of the our budget.

That's part of our budget. And it's um is it the same for FY27? Is that the same? I probably I don't know. Well, that's what you I haven't received a bill yet. Is the um um is the board interested in further discussing this or should we move on? I I think that um I would be interested in uh unless we want to see other proposals that we should um approve the good faith estimate tonight. so that you know we can move forward with this like so we've discussed this at the last meeting um and we had a lot of questions and tonight was the question guy last month

yeah so um I mean I was looking through the minutes too and and there was a bit of discussion about it so you know this came from um we talked about you know that that Evan uh did did they do the install here no he said no but they they're not happy with the current provider, right? So, I guess they want us to check out who's or William, right? Did you say that? No, we're not. I said we're not like the library hasn't been happy with our supply, but AMPUP is not all over Grafton either.

No, it's not. So, what happened was your your question was perfect. Yes, they did send a sales rep to the town and say, "Hey, we have this program. We use the state incentive. It would be of no cost to you." Um, and that happened mo hours before I had a meeting with William to ask him about the broken AMP up chargers and he was like, "Perfect timing. This guy just came in. Let me contact them and get more information about their program.

So, William had been communicating with these guys about the program, about the project, about all of the details. It's my understanding that the town has not used the incentive that he is talking about. So, we should be able to get everything covered. Great. Totally. Um because I I don't like William didn't say that they had used any of the incentive and he told me that was he like I don't think that we did. But we don't have any experience with this company. The town does not have any experience with this company. Correct. In the incentive grant, I would want to know what I guess the sunset provision is. Is it is it provided by the state of Mass or is it combination? My understand federal and Mass.

Massachusetts and National Grid. He said it's up to 50,000 split between the two. Correct. I mean, I don't I don't see um to your point, Erin, I don't see any negative with proceeding with it. Right. Yeah. The the big question I had is it's it's a black box to me because I don't know enough about EV chargers

and I hadn't heard of Autel before. Uh I try to do a little bit of research on it but um you know so I can't really speak speak to the technology um I mean I think uh just doing some quick numbers a 50 you know amp charger uh will charge your car in about you know four and a half to seven and a half hours and that's what people tend to do is they'll leave their car kind of charging overnight at the library which you know is okay. Um, but beyond that, um, I mean, he said he'll install whatever we want, but, you know, maybe he's getting a kickback from Autel or something to install, you know, because he's a reseller or some something, right? So, that's what they proposed.

Um, but I wouldn't know an alternative. So, I'd have to um, you know, they do have a five-year warranty. And do we know what kind of technology supports the Autel? because that's just the hardware, you know, the software, you know, is amp up, right, that we currently have. That's the software piece. And whether, you know, well, he did say that when I asked that question, he said that they participate in the majority of the apps that Okay. people look. Good. Good. Not all of them, but the majority of them. Yeah. So, in reality, right, I mean, our goal would be to service Grafton primarily, and you know, over time, people are going to figure it out. But yeah, so the question for this this board is

where I take him at his word and say, "Well, you know, who knows when this incentive is going to dry up. You know, I I would say you got to do this now." That was a little salesy, you know, if you hadn't picked picked up on that, right? Um because uh but are we in an emergency situation where we would want to act sooner than later? We are. I mean, they're in horrible shape. It's been like a very bad experience. And I mean, this is I guess the question is, yeah. Do we do we uh approve this whatever he keeps calling this thing agreement to proceed? Yeah.

Um or do we collect more information and then at our next meeting we have all that information and we're excited to go forward. I think can we do both that we while we proceed? This is not commitment. It's a good faith estimate. It is. It's just a good and we can parally Okay, from my point of view, I'm still not clear what is the cost of ownership. I think we need to figure that out and are there any alternatives to this, but I think we can at least kickstart this conversation with them so they can go figure out what homework they need to do and get back to us. So, we have two different data points by then. Mhm. this agreement the points

one is what he's going to come back and say it's going to take 9 months for an approval and here is what it is incentive you have you don't have here's a cost while we can figure out what is the cost of ownership and maybe bake this into the model okay

so I just wanted to point out in the document that they provided there there is a at the at the bottom it says agreement to proceed customer site host agrees to proceed with the final proposal for the scope of work at the address exclusively with EVSSE solutions. It is interesting. Upon completion, EVSSE will provide site host with submittal package for final approval. Site host grants EVSSE solutions the right to file rebate applications on their behalf. So, this is locking us in.

It's much more of a commitment than he implied. Yeah. Would we be able to ask the town if the town can apply for the grant and saying we're we're looking to and like like to start that process, right? Because what he explained is somehow they had the grant funding approved and then they were able to just come in and and put it in. So, is there an option where town applies for the grant funding and saying we'd like to use a portion of it for us to replace the EV things and then while that's going on, we can finalize who we'd want to go with. I think we should explore that. Yeah, I think I think after reading this, my opinion is to hold off on signing this agreement.

Thank you, Carrie, for pointing that out. I I looked at that and and I I questioned that whole that whole sentence um about you know locking anyone else out you know and and to your point and other folks have spoken here about yeah who knows how long it's going to take. So we yeah we sign this and then something better comes along. We're still waiting for these guys six months from now and we're we're still locked in. So, so, so I don't disagree with um, you know, not approving it uh, the good faith estimate tonight, but what is the action item here if we don't do that?

I think it's that if Katrina can take it back to the town to see if we can start applying for that grant without having a vendor to do it to start that process. And then I think the other things we had we were looking at was like really understanding the total cost of ownership and just seeing if we wanted to get a second opinion because I think there's a couple things we'd have to like also finalize, right? Would we want to take an approach where we charge an extra cents per one to cover any labor and do we manage it in a way where we we increase that cost and to always keep an X dollars of amount in a fund to repair it? Right. And then when we have that money in the fund, maybe we we drop it down.

Do we use the approach where we take $1,000 from our budget? My preference would be that we use that for all the other building maintenance stuff and and build it into the specific program, but I I think there's a lot around the pay maintenance structure we'd want to have a good approach with before we we voted. And I' I I'd like to hear the town's opinion on like what else are they are are they looking at other EV vendors from the rest of the town? I just I don't want this to stall either, but I'm also not looking to rush into it because again,

sometimes we meet we meet once a month and we talk about same things month on end. You know, we get the information we need and then when does it when do we make a decision, right? And what do we need to make a decision and and to um I understand I understand that point. I agree with that. I I would though ask or seek your opinion as to that last page of this this uh ag this agreement, the last page of the document. Um I'll compare it to what I would expect to see with my u home heating oil contract where I sign somewhere

and then the vendor sign cosigns it. They've received it in their agreement. this doesn't have any of that that extra line or sign off by EVSE that you know we're sending it to them dated. Um how do we how do they receive it and document that they've received it and that they're in agreement with this? There's no there's no section on this form that I would normally expect to see. Yeah. And I'm not even sure it's something that the board should sign as opposed to the town signing because if the town is paying for the electricity, it's really their kind of contract that they're signing. So that's just another question I would have for the next month.

I think that's a great question. Also, Katrina, maybe we can ask him if we can get a copy of a contract, right? Because this is like an initial scope of work, but it doesn't have outlined any of their like any of the details of the contract. So to your point, I don't think this is the contract we would sign. This is just saying good faith committee can cover it. We're in right, but I think we'd still want to see that contract to know some of those those other points. Okay.

So I think I think I have these four action items, right? Trying to understand the incentive grant, either what's left or what we could do if we do this separately, cost of ownership, what kind of fees we would need to either charge or collect. Um and then just doing diligence on the company itself. Yeah. And he was reluctant to answer if we wanted to budget for the repair costs, you know, is there um that's what I was trying to get. What's the maximum if if Yeah. Was there was there an example? I think his his answer was the maximum would be around 13 grand if someone ran it over and it was trashed. Yeah.

But anyway. Okay. Um, are those questions that I think you can take on, Katrina, or you going to want someone on the board to help? I'll try. I'm happy to like lean in on this with you. So, if you want like a partner in crime as we're outlining some of it. I have zero expertise in EB, but I'm willing to like partner with you if there's always a chat GPT Gemini make you way more can help it out to ask you. Okay. Thank you. I think we're going to move on because we're already very late. Um, we have requests, right? 150th anniversary celebration committee proposal.

So, um, scratch that. I think I saw an errant date somewhere that said that the library Oh, yeah. We're not 150 years old. built. So our building is almost a hundred years old, but the library itself could be because we started with a little room in the you know. So so the original library was um 1867. So our 150th anniversary was actually in 2017. I hope you and hope you celebrated. No, so we we did we did have a party in 2017. Okay, good. We did and it was a 90 year celebration. That was the 90th. 90th. So next year we are would we would be 100 years.

Oh really? Yes. In 2027 to what? The building our bu the Yeah. 1927 1927. Okay. So that must be different than the Okay. So we'll talk about that I guess in the future. Yeah. All right. So, so we should have some defin we we a couple of years ago we were talking about having a hundredy year celebration for like for the the building, but it's not the first library building on the town. It started off as a room like in the Yeah. Okay. Um strategic planning.

Um a process I would like to get underway. Um now that I've been here for almost five months, I think I'm ready to dive in. I would really like to um have a it's my goal to have a strategic plan in place um by mid December if at all possible because there's um some potential grants that I would like to apply for and we need a um strategic plan and action plan in place with the state. So, um, as I understand it, um, you were looking at, um, having consultants come in. Um, the MBLC does and and the Mass Library system consultants, um, provide a service while they're where they will come and do some work with us, but not all of it, obviously. So, I I wanted to get a sense for where the board was at in terms of approach.

That sounds great. So I was thinking a little bit about this the other day and I've spoken to and hopefully prau you will help uh take this over as as a representative of the board. We had talked about this but I just want to add my two cents here. So um talking to other uh trustee boards um some of them have taken it on as a trustee board uh subcommittee or item where they would develop the strategic plan and not have a consultant do it. They said sometimes you know it's difficult and they wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it can be done. Now, if you're saying that there's resources from the state,

we could partner with with those resources and really put a strategic plan together kind of on our own if we had the skill set um you know and and the drive and the time to do something like that. Is that kind of where your head's at? Yes. Yeah. Are there certain resources like someone who would come in and help facilitate it still so it's not on the board? So we did like a subcommittee who could maybe meet a little more regularly than this to help make it move faster and then the state would provide the consultants is what it sounds like.

Uh to a degree. So they won't provide the full It really depends on what we're doing. So I have experience developing um surveys. So I'm happy to do that and get that out to the community. In terms of focus groups, um they'll send out representatives or and consultants who can run not maybe not every focus group that we're interested in running, but they'll do one for the staff or they'll go to the schools or, you know, they'll do a couple of in-house focus groups. So, it's really how the committee wants to um use those resources and then what we can do aside from that. Yeah. So the output would be something that we would produce, correct?

Correct. As a board, the document we would produce that in the end. Okay. Thank you. Go ahead. So I I as the planning board did that the 20-year plan, right? So we were involved in that

planning board. Um I think with Bob Hassenger being on the CMRPC, there were lots of credits because he was also chair. So we I thought we the town had a lot of access to not just being getting an advisor from CMRPC. they facilitated a lot more and there was a lot more uh actionable uh inputs plus deliverables that they provided. So if we can check on that piece um I I think that will be one of the options. I think state does put aside some funding for these kinds of initiatives as a as whatever they do and if that we have access to some kind of hours from I don't know is there a CMRPC equivalent for mass libraries and we can dip into that pool and get get some

past reference points right we are not looking at um the full-blown solution to be created for graph yeah I think that makes a lot of sense because we had you know Erin and I had you talked to a consulting company that charge a lot of money to come up with a plan and I mean we have a beautiful new library like we like we need a strategic plan but I think you know trying to be cost effective and take advantage of the resources and then maybe down the road you know something like that's a more costly one timely I think yeah timely timely is going to be the important piece to this if we don't think we have the time that that's what I was going to ask is like do we have as a board do we have people that can commit time to do that or do we need to pay someone right

yeah I I I'll volunteer right uh I being in person for conversations is the difficult part but I think uh from from a commitment I do have a lot of interest in this I can work on this u before we get to a subcommittee there is some groundwork we can do and we can have regular updates uh uh at at the board meeting to say here is a target here are things that we're proceeding and here is a potential ETA for the next step of actions that the board needs to make. So it's sounding like perfect then you're suggesting for the next board meeting you have like an action plan and a little more deal right and like we could say like is that timeline and resources something this group can commit to

but so you're you can commit to doing that for our next meeting I yeah okay assuming I I can have at least some conversation with Absolutely. Okay. And I know we have our obviously we have the previous strategic plan. It would be good to find that document and distribute that to the board too. It's right there on the website. Yeah. But we Yeah, we do have that system. Yeah. Great. Yeah, that'd be great. All in favor? Sorry, chair. I didn't mean No, I don't think we need to do any kind of subcommittee at this point. Appreciate that. Yeah. Thank you, Prau. Um I think there's obviously some side benefits for having the board um you know, participate and contribute to that as well, right? Of course. Yep. Okay. That's really exciting that you have some potential grants.

Yes. We'll see. All right. Anything else with the strategic plan? All right. Um, moving on. Uh, walkabout. We'll skip over um just for the walkout. So, I sent pictures about the the granite that was chipped in the parking lot. Um, I I don't think there I think that was the only negative thing that I found, but Okay. I saw that. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Okay. Um, director's report.

Great. Um, so I think the only thing that I had to add to this was under personnel and staffing. Um, within the last couple of days, I had a staff member give their notice. So, we are going to be um hiring for a part-time staff um in the near future. Um I don't want to name names or positions because they're I want to give them the space make the announcement to everybody. But um just a heads up on the board for that. Um any any questions on the Yes. Not on that.

No. I mean it's great that the I always like I'm a data person so I always like the numbers. It's great to see the numbers increasing year-over-year. Um, and I'm glad that you presented that data to the finance committee as well. Um, so they can actually see like even if the numbers were staying flat, right, it's still an amazing resource that a lot of people use in town. Yes. And what a remarkable number. 119 events in February, which is a short month. So like I think that speaks a lot. And personally, we were able to attend the children's sign language class. And that was like such a meaningful like development developmental opportunity that like we use all the time now. So, excellent. Just some really great stuff coming up. Thank you.

I think it is just shocking that the digital downloads are down so substantially like that. Especially with the snow days, you would think that that you know that Oh, they're up. They're up. They doubled. They doubled. I thought Oh, I'm sorry. I'm reading it. I read it backwards. I'm sorry. Yeah. Okay. the mag I think it was the other thing right there. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm always I'm used to reading right to left and I transpose. Sorry. The hard books went down a little bit like the physical books. No, that went up. They went up. Oh, I thought they went down. So, okay. So, Julie noted next time. Yeah. So, the the library the only thing that went down was library cards, but

and then total and visits went down, but but visits was I was thinking about and it's a short month, too. So like when you think about the days and we had three full snow day cancellations this month as well. So and we cancelled 12 events over those three days. Yeah. Okay. That's like I totally like like the left and the right thing like I because financials like it's always left to right so I didn't read it. Sorry. I will fix that for next time. Any other questions on the um I I do I I had a

two questions but they're related. Um so and I'll go I'll reverse this on the second page uh under B finance. Uh thank you for presenting in front of finance committee and for those who attended. Um as far as um the difficulties we will face should the town not pass an override. And um but going back to the first personnel and staffing updates, that first bullet point about the union negotiations. Um, so the town and library union began negotiations on new contract this month. Negotiations are scheduled to continue into April. How do we know what we can afford uh when the override vote isn't until May? Uh, so and and so it just seems like it would be premature to end

but that's beyond Katrina. Yeah, it's not that's beyond the purview of this board anyways, right? Yeah. So the LI So you're all right. it. Yeah, union union negotiations would be private anyway. So, we wouldn't know about that. So, um I just questioned scheduled to continue until April and that's a month before. It's when the contract is up. I think they is it April? Oh, I thought it was um Well, we have to do it in advance of when it's expired. All right. So, yeah, the contract expires June 30th. Um and so they begin negotiations a few months ahead of time. so that they can

so all right so I'm just hoping that those negoti I trust that those negotiations will include contingencies that are based on the outcome they I don't think they're going to worry about that at all they're negotiating their compensation contracts they're going to but anyway that's beyond the view of this board so what was your second one for managing that through that process so let us know it's thank you yeah all right I'm just I'm just saying that it just seems early, a month early, then we know how much we, you know, what the fallout could be and and um that's why we have to vote for the over.

What was your second question? um the use of uh about the use of state aid and trust funds and and this may be uh a question to tackle in another meeting regarding a historic um review of the his history of the library in different branches and whether we still have um oversight of every single fund that any branch of the library in town ever had. I think she provided that, right? Didn't you provide the I have that but you you talking about what Skip mentioned which Yeah. Yeah. So so Skip um he's a trustee for the Nelson um Memorial Library

and he's a finance committee member. Yeah. So um his argument was that we haven't been spending any of the trusts. So I I spoke to the finance committee and said that we have you know we have because he said in the past 20 years. So, we have Yeah, we have. Absolutely. We have um and Mary Lauria mentioned um that, you know, we had about 75,000 um that we could spend,

you know, um but that was that was all that was available to us. And I I um emphasized to the finance committee that when we have funding requests that come to the board, um we tend to look at state aid first, right? And unless there's uh because those trusts are entrusted to us, the library from you know people who want to give to the library. Um so we only really dip into that and for extenduating circumstances or projects that we feel are really appropriate for the library, right? Not to pay our bills. Yeah. You know, and Katrina gave us that it's it has a weird name, DOC 5, but like Katrina gave us the the fund. So we have it in our packet.

Okay. But so sorry to Skip's point was that we have may have like book purchasing um trusts for like the South Grafton Library that may be tied up in probate court or something to that effect. So for future meetings, I think we need to take a good look at our trusts and make sure that we have control over um everything that's available to us. Yeah. Because some of these like look it says FBD ord FB filer. So FB4. So, it's hard to know exactly what those are, right? Are we able to like But I have we have all that information for the trusts. I can dig that up. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.

You know, you're on and sorry. And that's not to say that the board shouldn't spend some of these trust, right? Even if there's a couple thousand dollars if we want to buy have a program for some children's books and we want to spend the trust. Yes. Because some of them have um what's the right word? You know, it defines what it can what the money is going to be spent on. Some of them are actually some of them are actually for children's books and stuff like that. So we can spend those. So maybe very good. Maybe Katrina and I can go through them and present just an overview of the trusts at one of the upcoming meetings. Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you.

Um any other questions on the director's report? All right. Um let's see what's next. Public input. No public input. Um, next policy committee is April 14th. Oh, no, sorry, April 1st. Um, friends is on April 14th. Um, I did notice that the next trustee meeting is April 22nd, which is in the middle of February, I'm sorry, April vacation week. Is that it's an issue for me? Uh, I'll actually be around this time, but uh me too. But but if we if we want to move it, we can move it. Um, I would like to move it. I'd like to move it. Okay, good. I'm not the only one.

Um I I would suggest the easiest thing would just be to push it to the following week. Okay. Which is that 29th? The 29th. I don't The week before that is the 15th, which is kind of like tax day. But I think because probably pulling together strategic plan approach, we should probably give them the extra way. So does anyone have an issue with April 29th? We have the Well, let's hope we have a room. Well, sure. We could always do it via Zoom. Zoom and we have the other There's the other room upstairs that we're in. Okay. I I think having everyone here is more important than

So, would that be Christine? Can you check to see if we can change next month's to April 29th and see if this room is available? Thank you. Um the town meeting is May 11th. you know, as elected members were expected to attend and there'll be good reasons to attend. Um, so hope to see you there. And then town elections are the week after on May 19th. And Katrina, you'll attend the town meeting. I'll be there. Okay. Um, long time ago, we used to always kind of sit in the same area. Um, we haven't done that in a couple years. Do we want to try to sit in the same area? Yeah. Bottom bottom left. Bottom left.

Stage left. Right. I know stage right us when you're walking in down to the left. Yeah. Someone send an email with the location. Yeah. We don't have to sit like next to each other but in the same general area. Yeah. But can Katrina sit with us though because if you're usually if you're not um a resident of Grafton, you usually have to sit in the front right. But we'll wave at you. It's a good question. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Call D about that. Oh yeah. But you know what though? You're right. If someone's sitting in the audience, then if they throw their hand up. Yeah, they usually have a The front front right is usually where there's non non- grafting people. We But I thought there was

we had to count by hand for the library because now we do the click because we didn't have enough clickers, right? But I think it it's I don't recall whether or not um there's uh this is a moderator question. Don Anderson could answer that as far as how she would want um I know that historically that um non-residents there were times that if they were a non-resident but like a department head they could sit with their boards and committees for us and making Jay right does Jake live in Grafton Dr. Cummings? Yeah he lives in Craft. He lives in Okay. So that's Anyways Trina you can ask where you can sit where you're allowed to sit.

Yeah I I'm sure they'll tell me. All right. Any other discussions? If not, I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. So move. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? That was a probably second, right? Yeah, probably seconded. I heard him. Yeah. Um, all in favor? I I All right. I declare the motion carried and meeting adjourned at 9:36.