MINUTES OF THE MEETING
THRALL PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT
OF MIDDLETOWN AND WALLKILL
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
November 12, 2014
I. Attendance
Ms. Lange called the roll.
Present
Mrs. Lois Ruckert, President
Mrs. Tonia Crown, Vice President
Ms. Barbara Kay, Treasurer
Ms. Marlena Lange, Secretary
Mrs. Rosa Boyd
Mr. Richard C. Bell
Mr. Carl Berkowitz
Mr. Matthew Pfisterer, Director
Absent
None
Visitors
No visitors
II. Agenda
A. Roll Call G. Financial Officer's Report
B. Minutes H. Committee Report
C. Visitor Comments I. Old Business
D. Correspondence J. New Business
E. President's Report K. Adjournment
F. Director's Report
III. Discussion and Recommendation
A. Mrs. Lois Ruckert, President, opened the meeting at 7:00pm and led the pledge to the flag.
B. Minutes
Mr. Berkowitz moved for adoption of the minutes of the October 8, 2014 meeting.
Ms. Lange seconded.
Ayes: Ruckert, Bell, Berkowitz, Crown, Kay, Lange, Boyd - 7
Noes: None
Motion declared approved. (11/12/14 - 69)
C. Visitor Comments
No comments.
D. Correspondence
A copy of all correspondence sent to each Board member is attached to the official
minutes.
E. President's Report
Mrs. Ruckert reported that Mr. Pfisterer and she attended a seminar on Library Law in
October. Mrs. Ruckert also reported that there is another seminar in November on Open
Meeting Laws.
F. Director's Report Con't.
(A copy of the Director's Report sent to each Board member is attached to the official
minutes.)
G. Financial Officer's Report
Mr. Pfisterer reported on the accounts and balances. (Attached to official minutes)
H. Committee Reports
Finance Committee: Ms. Kay moved that the regular monthly disbursements for
October 2014 in the amount of $90,146.62 having been audited by Rosa Boyd and
found to be correct, be approved. Ms. Lange seconded.
Ayes: Ruckert, Bell, Berkowitz, Crown, Kay, Lange, Boyd - 7
Noes: None
Motion declared approved. (11/12/14 - 70)
Building & Grounds: Ms. Lange reported on Building & Grounds.
Our head custodian has completed work on our new public computing work top that he
constructed out of plywood, formica and custom molding. The work table is L shaped
and is supporting computer workstations 1-8 as well as terminals A and B (express
terminals). This is a substantial improvement in both appearance and functionality from
staff and library patrons.
Mr. Pfisterer continues to wait for proposals from the two larger HVAC companies he has
contacted regarding the boiler replacement project. Mr. Pfisterer will reach out to others
to provide estimates.
One of our staff members has arranged for the decorative gutter downspout that was
damaged as a result of a car accident to be repaired at no cost to the Library District. The
repair requires the use of specialized welding equipment and is being done by a metal
fabricator in Port Jervis.
Mr. Pfisterer received no further reports of materials infested with insects and our
exterminator has not reported any evidence of infestation in the collection or in the
building.
I. Old Business
(The Board moved Old Business to be discussed after New Business)
Discussion was held on the RCLS 2015 Budget.
Ms. Lange moved to take a vote to approve the RCLS 2015 Budget. Mrs. Crown
seconded.
Ayes: None
Noes: Ruckert, Bell, Crown, Kay, Lange, Boyd - 6
Abstained: Berkowitz - 1
Motion declined. (11/12/14 - 72)
J. New Business
Ms. Lange moved to go into executive session at 7:34pm to discuss salaries. Mr.
Berkowitz seconded.
Ayes: Ruckert, Bell, Berkowitz, Crown, Kay, Lange, Boyd - 7
Noes: None
Motion declared approved. (11/12/14 - 71)
The Board returned from executive session at 7:45pm.
Mrs. Ruckert discussed the Revitalization Act from the seminar she and Mr. Pfisterer
attended. One recommendation was that we should adopt a Whistleblower Policy and the
second recommendation is that we have a Conflict of Interest Policy. Also, they
recommended that all non-profits have a Sexual Harassment Policy. Discussion followed.
Discussion was held on the nominating committee. Ms. Lange volunteered to be on the
nominating committee.
The Board discussed the Board Meeting dates for 2015. The November meeting in 2015
will be November 4th since Veteran's day falls on the second Wednesday of that month.
Mrs. Boyd asked the Board about changing the Board Meeting time to start at 5:00pm
instead of 7:00pm. The Board agreed to change the start time to 5:00pm beginning with
the December 2014 meeting.
K. Adjournment
Mrs. Boyd moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:20pm. Mr. Berkowitz seconded.
Ayes: Ruckert, Bell, Berkowitz, Kay, Crown, Lange, Boyd - 7
Noes: None
Motion declared approved. (11/12/14 -73)
Respectfully submitted,
Marlena Lange, Secretary
TABLE OF MOTIONS
(01/08/14 - 1) Accepted slate of officers
(01/08/14 - 2) Designated Middletown Times Herald Record as official newspaper
(01/08/14 - 3) Designated the Orange County Trust Company as official bank
(01/08/14 - 4) Designated Stifel-Nicholas as Investment Firm
(01/08/14 - 5) Appointed Robert Isseks as Library District's Attorney
(01/08/14 - 6) Adjournment
(01/08/14 - 7) Approval of 12/11/13 minutes
(01/08/14 - 8) Approved President, Treasurer & Library Director as signatories to Orange
County Trust Bank
(01/08/14 - 9) Amended #8 motion to include R. Boyd as trustee signatory
(01/08/14 - 10) Adjournment
(02/12/14 - 11) Approval of 1/8/14 re-organizational minutes
(02/12/14 - 12) Approval of 1/8/14 regular minutes
(02/12/14 - 13) Approved BUDGET AMENDMENT #10 (12/31/13); monthly
disbursements for 12/13; BUDGET AMENDMENT #1 (2/12/14);
monthly disbursements for 1/14
(02/12/14 - 14) Executive session
(02/12/14 - 15) Returned from executive session
(02/12/14 - 16) Approved to follow through discussion in executive session
(02/12/14 - 17) Adjournment
(03/12/14 - 18) Approval of 2/24/14 minutes
(03/12/14 - 19) Approved monthly disbursements for 2/14; BUDGET TRANSFER #5 (12/31/13)
(03/12/14 - 20) Approved BUDGET AMENDMENT #2 (3/12/14)
(03/12/14 - 21) Accepted NYS Annual Report for 2013
(03/12/14 - 22) Adopted revision to smoking policy
(03/12/14 - 23) Adopted Children's Room Use Policy
(03/12/14 - 24) Executive session
(03/12/14 - 25) Adjournment
(03/27/14 - 26) Executive session
(03/27/14 - 27) Proceed what was discussed in executive session
(03/27/14 - 28) Adjournment
(04/09/14 - 29) Executive session
(04/09/14 - 30) Approved procedures as discussed in executive session
(04/09/14 - 31) Approved reg. mtg. minutes 3/12/14 & spec. mtg. minutes 3/27/14
(04/09/14 - 32) Approved BUDGET AMENDMENT #3
(04/09/14 - 33) Approved monthly disbursements for March 2014; BUDGET TRANSFER #1
(04/09/14 - 34) Approved 2014 election timetable
(04/09/14 - 35) Adjournment
(05/15/14 - 36) Approval of 4/9/14 minutes
(05/15/14 - 37) Approved monthly disbursement for April 2014
(05/15/14 - 38) Approved BUDGET TRANSFER #6
(05/15/14 - 39) Resolution that term Treasurer be changed to Financial Officer
(05/15/14 - 40) Executive session
(05/15/14 - 41) Adjournment
(06/11/14 - 42) Approval of 5/15/14 minutes
(06/11/14 - 43) Approved monthly disbursements for May 2014 & BUDGET AMENDMENT # 4
(06/11/14 - 44) Accepted changes to By-Laws for financial officer
(06/11/14 - 45) Approved letter nominating c. Berkowitz to RCLS Board
(06/11/14 - 46) Adjournment
(07/09/14 - 47) Approval of 6/11/14 minutes with a correction
(07/09/14 - 48) Approved monthly disbursements for June 2014 & BUDGET AMENDMENT #5
(07/09/14 - 49) Executive session
(07/09/14 - 50) Approved proposed Amendments to By-Laws
(07/09/14 - 51) Approved NYS Override Amendment
(07/09/14 - 52) Accepted proposed 2015 preliminary Budget
(07/09/14 - 53) Adjournment
(09/10/14 - 54) Opened Public Hearing for 2015 Budget
(09/10/14 - 55) Approval of 7/9/14 minutes
(09/10/14 - 56) Approval monthly disbursements for July and August 2014
(09/10/14 - 57) Approved BUDGET AMENDMENT #6
(09/10/14 - 58) Closed Public Hearing
(09/10/14 - 59) Accepted amendments to By-Laws
(09/10/14 - 60) Executive Session
(09/10/10 - 61) Board supports Heritage Trail
(09/10/14 - 62) Adjournment
(10/08/14 - 63) Approval of 9/10/14 minutes
(10/08/14 - 64) Executive session
(10/08/14 - 65) Approved monthly disbursements for Sept.; BUDGET AMENDMENT #7
(10/08/14 - 66) Certified Election
(10/08/14 - 67) Executive session
(10-08-14 - 68) Adjournment
(11/12/14 - 69) Approval of 10/8/14 minutes
(11/12/14 - 70) Approved monthly disbursements for October 2014
(11/12/14 - 71) Executive session
(11/12/14 - 72) RCLS 2015 Budget vote denied
(11/12/14 - 73) Adjournment