Swanton Public Library
Board of Trustees
Minutes of Meeting: July 12, 2017
In attendance: Paul Foisy, Kathy Messier, Robert Bessette, Rebecca Rupp, Michelle Beaulieu.
The meeting was called to order at 7 PM.
Sven Kvinlaug from Community Financial Services presented a summary of the library’s investment status. He reported that both the Swanton Library and Vera Cline accounts are performing well, are stable, and are characterized by diversified portfolios. The library’s practice of taking monthly dividends is, he felt, a good management style. He recommended, should we need to use capital for building improvements, that it might be best to do so soon, while the financial markets are strong.
The minutes of the May 10 and 17 meetings were approved. Motion by Kathy Messier; second by Paul Foisy.
The warrants for April were presented by Kathy Messier and approved. Motion by Paul Foisy; second by Bob Bessette.
It was agreed that the staff (Barb and Darla) would be paid for Monday, July 3, for which the board approved a day off. Motion by Paul Foisy; second by Bob Bessette.
Kathy Messier informed the board that she was deeply disturbed by the board’s request for a financial summit meeting in May and the implication that she had been derelict in her duties as treasurer. The board did its best to assure her that this was not the case, and that the financial meeting of May 17 had simply been called to resolve a number of outstanding issues about the library’s budget and overall financial status. Attendees at the May 17 meeting agreed that this had been successful.
It was agreed that a laptop computer be purchased for the treasurer for the maintenance of library financial records. Motion by Bob Bessette; second by Paul Foisy.
It was agreed that Rebecca Rupp would write a letter to the town Select Board about the feasibility of the full-time library employees (the director and children’s librarian) becoming town employees, as is common in the majority of Vermont libraries.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.
The next meeting of the library board will take place on August 9, 2017.
Submitted by Rebecca Rupp