SCARBOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes of the Meeting

June 15, 2023 (hybrid meeting)

Attendees: Bill Donovan (President and Chair), Kate Borduas, Kim Corthell, J. David Dittmer, Ellen Detlefsen, Anne Janak, Judy Johnson, Barbara Kapp, Kathy Little, Nicholas McGee, Susan Powell, Lenore Rapkin, Nancy Crowell (Director, non-voting), Catherine Morrison (Assistant Director, non-voting)

Absent: Peter Freilinger, Jim Kupel

The meeting was called to order at 4:32 PM by Bill Donovan.

New trustees Kate Borduas and Kathy Little, Friends Liaison, were introduced and welcomed. It was noted that they would abstain from voting during the meeting until the election of officers for FY2024.

Consent Calendar: Motion to accept was made by Susan Powell, seconded by Anne Janak, and carried unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report: Dave Dittmer had nothing to add to the written report he had circulated to the board. Motion to file for audit was made by Anne Janak, seconded by Susan Powell, and carried unanimously.

Library Director’s Report: Nancy Crowell announced that the Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, June 28, and urged board members to attend. She will distribute details prior to the meeting.

She noted that the library has received over $56,000 for the annual fund this year, exceeding our budgeted goal of $52,000.

Town Councilor’s Remarks: Nick McGee commented that the library’s budget proposal was accepted by the Council. He announced that Bill Donovan will serve as the library’s representative on the community center planning committee. He thanked everyone for their feedback about the town questionnaire section on the library and will push to make the modifications that were suggested.

President’s Remarks: Bill Donovan talked about the community center project, noting that it has a great deal of momentum and potential for funding. The first meeting of the committee will likely be in July. He will want input from the board on how the library might collaborate in planning use of the space.

Unfinished Business:

Building project — Review of BEC charrette with Simons Architects. Susan Powell reported that, after the staff’s session with Simons Architects in May, the expansion committee met with them again in June. They have agreed to come back with a plan which will provide an expanded space but a smaller footprint than their original design.

FY2024 Budget. Nancy is pleased that the library’s municipal budget request was approved without changes and that the CIP was amended to provide funding for HVAC controls rather than the solar panels buyout. The budget includes increases for staff pay and salary for a development position. There were questions and discussion about the timing and cost of necessary repairs to the HVAC system. As we are still waiting to hear back from Mechanical Services and Maine Controls with more information about what exactly will be needed to upgrade the system, it is too early to know.

Succession planning — Report on process and meetings. Anne Janak reviewed the steps that have been taken so far in the search for a new director and announced that the first round of online interviews started this week. The transition team received 26 applications for the position and selected ten candidates for one-hour Zoom interviews. Once they have narrowed down the candidates to a select few, the staff and board will become involved during the final in-person meetings. Liam Gallagher, Assistant Town Manager, will also participate in the final interviews.

New Business:

Retirement Party for Nancy Crowell. Barbara Kapp reported that a joint committee of trustees and Friends board members have begun meeting to plan a fundraising event for Nancy’s retirement in the fall. Barbara is co-chairing the committee with Kate Kearns, new president of the Friends. The event will be a brunch on Sunday, September 10, from 11-1, at the library. Monies raised from the ticketed price of $100 per guest, additional individual contributions, and corporate sponsorships will go towards “Nancy’s Generator Fund”. The goal is to raise $45,000 in honor of Nancy’s 45 years of service to the library and her longtime wish to have a generator, which would allow the library to continue operations and provide a safe space for the community in the event of a power outage.

Election of Board Officers for FY2024. The following slate was presented:

President: William Donovan

Vice President: Susan Powell

Treasurer: J David Dittmer

Secretary: Barbara Kapp

Motion to approve the slate as presented was made by Anne Janak, seconded by Lenore Rapkin, and carried unanimously.

Nancy extended thanks and acknowledged Anne Janak and Lenore Rapkin, whose terms have expired and are both departing from the board after many years of service. A round of enthusiastic applause followed. Jim Kupel, another long-term trustee, is also leaving the board but was unable to attend the meeting.

Next Meeting of the Trustees. The board will not meet in July. The Annual Meeting will take place in August, and all committee chairs were reminded that they need to submit annual reports before that meeting. Bill Donovan asked everyone to let him know if they would like any change in their committee assignments or which committee(s) they want to join, in the case of new board members.

Items for Next Agenda:

Policy updates

Adjournment: Motion to adjourn was made by Susan Powell, seconded by Judy Johnson, and carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 5:20 PM. Respectfully submitted by Barbara Kapp, Secretary