##VIDEO ID:93l5-omyPm4## I call the meeting to order at six o'clock uh we're going to look at the minut minutes of the 13th of November Cindy I just had a couple grammatical things um you find one on my own the extra period after ramp uh no I I didn't find that one I there should be in the those present um there should be a comma after Ginger salon's name before your name oh sorry I missed that yep and then down same page uh Library directory report the Third bullet conser monitors is that what they're called that's how they're that's what they're called and that's how it's spelled okay because I had I had no idea that that was what they were called and then um under old business where I um indicated how much we had applied for you wrote 9500 I applied for $9,800 $9,800 okay okay just I don't I want to make sure that we get what we asked for okay and I could I probably just misheard how you said it no problem uh what else uh any any other items there's one typo that's just it's a very interesting typo and and if it's not a typo please forgive me bottom of the first page uh Janes we don't have a noun after Janes after the possessive so did you mean two Janes yes both The Janes from the Historical Society who came over and sat was me and help translate the titles from polish to English so pull that apostrophe out yep put or put both their names in Jane grico and whoever the other Jane was or two Janes from the Historical Society but but it would be nice if we had their names okay I can find I know one was Jane gripo and I don't remember the other Jane but I can certainly pop in on Tu say and ask okay that would that then then then you can um just add that any body got anything else okay if if not then I'll uh entertain a motion to accept I make a motion accept okay is there a second I second okay and we'll do roll call Fred yes George yes Deborah yes and I vote Yes okay um Bob as you know or maybe may not know had um surgery on his torn man today so he um he's probably in la la land right now and he figured it would be better not to be here um uh and he's just gonna be taking it easy but he did send out I believe you should have received today both the special Revenue accounts report and the um uh Library um Municipal budget report um and if you have any questions it probably would be you could ask them now and I could I could you know uh funnel them along to Bob if you want I don't know if if you have any questions on the financials I did not you explain the the column that's Revenue some have numbers in there and others don't is that interest or is that something else which page you talking about what the I guess the special Revenue accounts okay uh Yeah well yeah for example the only thing I can say is that like uh state aid we don't get any um we get the beginning balance but we don't get interest on the state aid right that that wouldn't go that there the Lions Club in summer reading perhaps we don't get interest because there's such small amounts I don't know I will ask yeah the bottom third of it with Damon and dickon Library I mean you got yeah large sums of money right I I I don't know the answer to that question I am assuming that um he and dar are still working to bring all of this up to date um because uh months ago and and um I don't think he and dar have finished bringing all this up to date and he just wanted to make sure that you had the general outline um but I will ask him about that um I don't want to I'll when he calls me next I'll I'll leave it until he calls me um when he's feeling better okay but I'll get the answer that question I can answer those questions oh go ahead so the liance club is actually a donation so there we not that's not an interest bearing account because it's a donation and the summer reading is a grant so much like state aid because it's a grant it's not going to be a revenue um it's not in Ed anywhere where it's going to draw interest for us okay that still doesn't answer the question for the huge Damon Dickinson Danforth masesi uh accounts and we'll we'll we'll find out the answer to that I'm I'm I know that Bob is interested in finding out how all of those operate and I know that he and dar have been having conversations about you know how it's How It operates and how it's invested and that we had a little bit of a discussion Ginger had some comments on that those Investments um but I'll get the answers to that for you okay anything else on financials all right then we go to director's report Cindy it's all yours all right thank you Mr chair so um there's two things that came up since I sent out my director's report we got a delivery of oil from curus so we have a full tank of oil and our new thermostat is working wonderful because it's all programmed to run at certain temperature when we're there and run at a different temperature when we're not as the backup to the Mini Splits and I ordered two I'm working with Beacon with Mobile Beacon which is a nonprofit organization that helps libraries and other organizations to get um Mobile Hotspots for patrons to use so I've ordered two mobile hotspots that will be serviced through the T-Mobile network that are on their way and that is part of our dig part falls under part of the digital Equity plan and it also falls under our computer upgrades how do how does that how does that work Cindy so we're paying for the we're paying for the two mobile hotspots and then for a year we have service Ser um they'll provide us for a year of service and then if we decide we want to continue we just renew our service for next year and so it's set up so that each time someone borrows the mobile hotspot we go in and we get a custom code that would be used for that particular Patron and then if they don't return the Hot Spot it gets shut off so they're not going to get to continue to use it um but this is would be for someone who um maybe they're just new in town and they haven't got their internet hooked up yet they can take it with them and hook up use their devices at home or if you're G you so it's just a way to be able to provide internet for maybe people who don't have internet and maybe they just oh go ahead there's no deposit required or anything like that there's no deposit required or anything like that they send um I filled out the forms I told them what we wanted I told them how many gigabytes we wanted they are sending us them along they're going to have um they're set up so that people can't go to a adult sites on them okay yeah all right sorry go ahead you can continue with your report so I did send our our final draft of the stre Strategic plan to Boston to the mass Board of Library Commissioners on November 18th and I received an email on the 19th that they approved our strategic plan for the next five years because it met all the criterias and on top of that every year on December 1 you need to send an action plan to MVC for what starting July for what are you going to do from your strategic plan for the upcoming fiscal year so we're talking FY 26 so like starting July 1st 26 so I I was very easy to go in and find the information and I sent in two or three items of these are the things we're going to work on during FY 26 and I sent that to auson on November 25th and they sent me an email on or sorry December November 25th and they sent me an email on November 27th that it was approved good work than and then I did send oh yes George I have a question can you tell us what the the items that you uh suggested for the action plan or maybe email us with them just I can email it to you I believe one of them was to put up the to get the um suggestion box up and running and I forgot what the other one was but I I will make a note to email emails action plan to board thank you that would be great okay and then um I did send out my FY 26 budget request and we can talk about that further when we get to there and then I just wanted to mention that all Library within massachus not just C Remar but all libraries within Massachusetts seem to be experiencing delays with Ingram which is the primary book dealer that we deal with um when ordering our library materials and that's because they give us between a 405 to 50% discount on the items we order um part of the issue stems from not enough employees in their warehouses to be able to pack the orders and then um um they did have a meeting and one of the major delay issues is processing so that's where if you're library and you order books from Ingram but they do some type of processing for you be it putting the plastic M jackets on the book or doing cataloging or spine labels or whatever that's what's taking the longest um so hopefully they're going to get they they said they have staff they're getting them trained hopefully they'll stay but it could be at least least the beginning of February before we start to see a difference um and of course most of the even though the Publishers are here in North America most of the books are are printed in China so that could be a whole another issue come January if tariffs are imposed they just they just want to come after the books that's all it is and that's does anyone have any questions about anything um circulation numbers a little bit down huh yeah I noticed that almost 100 yeah I noticed that is there do you think there's any reason for that well I know we were closed for um on Monday was Veterans Day so that could have made a difference and I know there were a couple of days on a Monday when we didn't have music and movement and they check out a lot lot of books which is good okay because that's I mean that's the lowest figure in since 2018 I don't know since 2020 yeah okay I yeah okay thank you that's all I have is that any questions any questions for her okay then we'll we'll move on to Old business um Bob sent everybody uh a sort of a a little summary of what we've been doing um and he just wanted me to to flp from topic to topic uh the wooden bench outside uh he's pursuing getting the technical school to um work on that but as Cindy knows um the tech school is really notorious for responding slowly when you make requests I don't know whether it's because they had get so many requests or and the bench has been put away for the winter okay where is it probably garage or whever the town stuff because it's not in the Gazebo this year yeah in the Yellow Barn probably up the street okay um the uh Roofing request I think I told you last month or maybe not but we have applied and I just got uh as I told you from Allen we've made it two steps of the way we'll have the public hearing on on the 11th of February and then it should end up on um the town meeting um warrant uh and then we would be good to go with replacing that roof and the roofing contractor is prepared to hold that estimate as is for a while um we received uh some estimates about environmental testing and we've met with um with Pete um Kane and uh um obviously the the one thing we've run into is that we wanted to go with I think Bob told you this last time but I'll repeat it we wanted to go with a big a company big enough to be able to do all the kinds of testing that we want and process their findings into a a form that we can understand with that would have an action plan attached to us like what steps we need to take one of the estimates did that and then the other two were simple was like a a menu thing and we would end up having to uh not interpret the data but figure out what to do with the data um so we are leaning toward going with Atlas um if we can and to that end I have applied for um funding from uh cap capital Improvement um for that um particular one and also Pete suggested that we put in that rather large estimate for um painting downstairs for Capital Improvement so we're going to we're going to put it I I did apply last Friday for both and Pete indicated that he got the applications so we'll be hearing from finance committee um to come to them to discuss um that but we're we're on top of it and we're also working um uh with Keith Bardwell because apparently the town hall is going to need to be painted and we're wondering if we can somehow figure out a way to do the town hall exterior um with the exterior of the library um we might be able to get a better deal um so we're we're pursuing that um the fire alarm Pull Station is installed on the first floor um the one for the basement uh could not get a strong enough signal um Wi-Fi signal so we're going to have to um figure out what we're going to do with that at another time um and then you know that that large maintenance spreadsheet he is still working on updating it um so that's um what he wanted me to share with you okay so that takes care of Environmental Testing painting and now uh and update on roof replacement and could we just look one more time at the proposed budget Cindy send another copy I believe to you yes so the only real difference I did was every year Comcast increases our bill by $30 um and I always try to negotiate with them and that's the lowest they say they can go so that um the only difference for the FY 26 request was actually the um compared to the other ones I sent out was the increase to Comcast so that I don't end up being $360 short during FY 26 to cover our Comcast other than that um I did increase our electricity by $500 from 5,000 $500 to $6,000 our maintenance budget I went um I did another $500 increase from $6,500 to $77,000 um I got an email that our CW Mars speciment is going to be $1,960 for the year so that's why that is that amount and then of course the Comcast and then I did add an additional $1,000 to the lift inspection because we have to have the technician from Fire Equipment Incorporated there with his plunger to push the fire um alarm inside the shaft in the presence of the lift inspector so that will help cover that is that is that plunger made of gold no it looks just like a regular rubber plunger on a long stick for $ thousand doll okay yeah I'm sorry Bob it is what it is no I I get that and and uh one other thing um Cindy reported to me the other day when I was visiting with her that um we got last month's electric bill and our usage was down but the cost cost $700 we use 21% less electricity than we did last year at this time so it's can you explain that again um one of you I didn't get the gist of it he so usually our Lake bills have been running between three to $400 and then I got the this most recent L bill from eversource which I submitted today on the bill scheduled for payment and it was $700 and it show when you get your bill it shows you like your percentage usage and it showed that we used 21% less electricity than we did within the time frame last year than we did for this year or we used 21% less electricity this year than we did last year at this time but the bill was still $700 because of the delivery fee and the um what's the other fee transmission delivery or something that transmission and delivery yeah yeah yeah so I mean if the Thunder doesn't get you the lightning will so yeah so and then of course the $1 15,6 58 for collection development is what reflects the 20% when you add together the salaries and the operating expenses for FY 26 so as of right now we're looking at a total request for FY 26 of $93,900 which is a $4,000 increase from FY 25 but it's we're not asking for anything exorbitant we're just asking for increases in the areas where we know we're going to see increases oh I just I hope you have as good of luck as I've seen you have every other year with the finance committee because your report is very thorough to them and they like it when it's thorough um and keep stressing you know how many books we have and how many things we have to blend out and how much that's being used because they love those facts because yes last year last year we loaned out more books to library patients to other libraries than we borrowed from other libraries well that's good yeah okay so that's my FY 26 budget request what do you what do you think we okay with going forward with that do do we have a plan if some of the the requests that you submitted not only CPA but for Capital Improvements don't get approved are we just going to delay that for a year or do we have a a way of funding some of that do happen I don't have a I don't have a plan B uh Pete Pete suggested because I mean the the atlas uh uh Environmental Testing is $6,900 so and I mean even and the other ones just for doing for example example mold testing it's it's almost $900 for the guy and then each test that he does is like $550 so uh this is way out of our league uh and Pete understands that Keith understands that and and the way Bob and I presented it was that some Board of Trustees has to finally get the answers for this so that we don't keep kicking it down the road and every time somebody wants to paint something or scrape something they got to wonder whether they're lead paint there um and they get that and I think they're very supportive and Pete seemed to indicate that there weren't a lot of requests um for Capital Improvement monies so that's why he suggested to to go for it uh and so the short answer Fred is no I don't have a plan B we'd have to figure out what to do next um because I don't know where we're going to find $6,900 is is there a way of putting some of that into the budget and saying in case it don't get approved we can use this money for whatever you want to Aline item maintenance or whatever you call it well that if I were on the finance committee I'd say well hang on a second you want us to give you some more money and you've already applied for this money and we don't have an answer about that application yet and so what are you going to do with that money if you get the grant um I think we have to wait until we find out whether we get uh funding from Capital Improvement well that happened before they approve our budget I don't know um I know that the capital Improvement requests Pete gave us an extension on the deadline and they were all due on November 30th and he said there weren't a lot um and uh I don't the next step is that we would be called um to justify our requests so Bob and I plan to attend uh whatever finance committee or whatever it's called the CI Capital Improvement committee cic um we appear before them and then we'd get us a better sense I don't think we should uh act on a plan B now and I I I wouldn't be in favor of adding it to the budget um because you can't do it in pieces I mean we went with Atlas we want to go with Atlas because the there is a it's a comprehensive test testing system and a and uh it will help us figure out what to do next um once they discover whether or not we have these things in the environment there that's just my opinion and it I could be wrong Bob do those go ahead Fred but there is a line item in there for maintenance if we do we know what we're gonna use that money for uh in the budget there line item for maintenance right yeah and we've we've used all of the maintenance money every single year so we know we know what what today what we're going to use that money for no I mean part of it is that things happen uh the Min splits go something happens and it's $800 or $900 um we have to have that maintenance fund to cover maintenance costs that may arise over the course of the Year okay why do you have a plan no okay I don't either I'm just hoping that that $6,000 is going to cover whatever might happen I mean eventually uh we're going to have to completely fix the the rails on the um um ramp um because several of them are cracking now you know things things happen but we don't have a particular a particular plan for that 7,000 or whatever it is um at this point but we know we're going to use it we have every year the capital Improvement um are those meetings held before the joint select board finance committee meetings for the FY budget requests I wish I knew the answer to your question because I'm sorry I thought it was a good question oh it is a good question but I don't know um I don't know when we're going to be called in Pete wasn't sure so and we're we're in touch with Pete every week so I'll ask and see if I can find that out when are those budget meetings usually February or January well no we I have to have my request into Peete by December 31st so he can compile everything together and I think February March the latest I remember doing it was April okay well I think we we can uh I'm H happy with you proceeding with the budget that you've presented because that's part of your job and um and then we'll hope for the best in terms of this other funding um and see what happens with capital Improvement all right can I ask question on the fire alarm system the pull boxes you say there's not a strong enough signal for the one downstairs is that the location of that is it by the exit door or is it yes by the doter room in the doter room door that goes out there would there be strong enough signal there and will that meet the the fire chief's uh recommendation or well the fire the fire chiefs recommendation was for two wired ones and I believe that in Bob's had conversations with the installer who has figured out a way to hardwire that one but that's still up in the air okay so we're we're we've got one and that satisfies and and the fire chief is aware of it and that satisfies him and um we're working on H how to make the one downstairs work we also have room instead of that back room Fred I'm not I'm not a Fire Control expert I'm not a fire chief I can't answer your question I don't know I am fairly certain that Bob has had good conversations with them and I'm also fairly certain that the technician probably tried that um I think it has to do with the fact that the walls are like three feet thick right we also used our remaining arpa safety electrical upgrade funds to cover the the this installation so if the in the future the board decided they wanted to do a wired Pull Station downstairs we'd have to find funding to cover it I believe that would come out funds left I believe that would come out of Maintenance that could be a maintenance yes okay all right that's I I'll talk I'll talk more with Bob but I just don't want to bother Bob for a few days while he's recovering um and I'll talk more with him we we we've had a lot of meetings and and Bob and I have been to see Pete several times and uh uh Ginger's husband Jim has been really great because he's had uh he has expertise in this area so he often comes with us to see Pete um as sort of a spiritual adviser um so anyways um I'll I'll keep you posted on all of that um I just I put out as an item the review of the holiday gathering just um if you wanted if you had anything to say about it um I thought it was a a very nice event it was aov enjoyed yeah I don't know if uh how to account for the fact that there were uh 20 or so fewer people this year than last year uh I don't know whether the time of day or the time that was right after Thanksgiving which it was last year as well um I don't know an extra week last year too but like a little bit longer stretch of time between Thanksgiving in Ah that's true yeah you're right because this Thanksgiving was way way down at the end of November yeah you're right yeah okay um but anyways if you have if you have thoughts uh write them down and send them to me um just so I can keep a little folder and then when it comes time next year to plan um you know maybe it should be 3:30 to 5 instead of 3:00 to 5 I don't know um yeah on that on that note I missed I was sorry to miss it this year but I know the previous year couple of people expressed to me the feeling that it went on so long and they were waiting for something to happen so that it was two hours ra you know and I think an hour and a half might be something we want to look at yeah yeah I agree well I tried to entertain them you gave an excellent spech you really did well thanks uh okay um and I noticed that Sheila has just joined us and we are is there is there any other old business if not we'll go to discussion of Reviving The F friends group hi Sheila you're ghostly ghostly tonight in the dark okay so um anyways Sheila how about can you just tell us where where we are do we have a friends group and um we're trying to figure all this out not really um the last meeting we had three people showed up one of them was Julie uh one was meta and myself and I had a bunch of information and literature you know where to look into these things um some good contacts some good information from mblc um Julie kind of overran that meeting in all honesty and and told us all how it worked and uh then left as as you're aware so I kind of took some advice and just laid low because the thought was we needed to just lay low work behind the scenes um Kelly I think who was voted in his Treasurer has not had the time I've had a pretty chaotic summer so there hasn't been been a lot of requests um I don't feel like the staff really feels they need a friends group honestly and I don't know what the friends are looking for as I have talked to friends um my own personal and watched what happens within other libraries I see that it it it seems seems to me they do as much of the you know some of the volunteer work as well as some of the capital fundraising and that has been my understanding about what a friends group should be um there's also from you know a prior group the feeling that they weren't supported um that they were kind of going off and doing their own thing but again they are a you know autonomous nonprofit um I I just kind of feel as though I what the trustees may be looking for and what the director feels a friends group is may be very separate so I just honestly have not had the time nor energy to to follow through and and anyone I've asked locally or you know within South Airfield Conway what have you um just don't seem to have the interest so I've asked around you know do you volunteer on other committees and such and it seems to me that I don't know getting volunteers finding people to engage has been very difficult and I've heard that from other libraries other directors um you kind of know what the last couple of years uh Bob anyway have been like for me so I just don't have the energy to devote and I um I think that a friends group is needed and I think in this case um a whole new group fresh blood would be a good place to start um I'm not a marketing person I'm I'm not a salesperson I don't want a campaign so you know it's just somebody with the energy and the wherewithal to to take that on I suppose is what would be necessary okay so um what should we do folks well Sheila thank thank you very much and could I just ask a question please the Julie that you referred to I don't know who that is okay she was um like a fill in a substitute for some time Julie okay I do know her then I do and she and she was and is she now the library director in Goan yes that's cor okay now I know who we're talking about thank you very yeah I think I mean she was very well meaning she was trying to help Cindy um during a busy time and um she just uh I I think was comparing it to some you know other local librar she had worked that and my understanding in the mission statement of the current you know Group which hasn't changed I I did at the meeting say that I would like to have that Rewritten but um she was very adamant about you know staying in the background uh talking only to or getting report from the director than figuring out what they needed to raise for one given year and I kind of feel like that's really a narrow Viewpoint and I and I don't know if other folks there I mean being that there were only three of us um people just seem to be burnt out on it I think and that's why I say maybe I don't know how to engage with the other patrons we don't have a book club or anything like that so you know I'm I'm definitely a library lover but I admit I've had to think back and I have been with the library in one form or another for about 15 years and uh my life the last couple got um pretty hectic I was I still work full-time um my mom just passed in February uh she's had dementia but before that about four years of Alzheimer's so that was me not having the time I stepped away CU I don't like not giving 100% you know if I'm going to engage with a any of the Town departments so you know there was also a real hard time um trying to bring people in people came in they tried it was a lot of ideas um and like me uh aging the ideas were there the action wasn't being taken there were a lot of you know probably pretty good ideas but nobody to follow through on those so at some point what was that about two years ago Bob I think the trustees stepped in to just kind of you know sit in the meeting to clarify anything that needed clarification you know the role of the friends the role of the trustees the role of the director and staff Etc and um that didn't that didn't go over well at all so it didn't go over well with whom with that then friends group okay yeah um I think in some cases they felt a little overridden uh we were only my understanding to attend the meeting just to clarify but um I think maybe you got carried away with how it should work and here are some ideas you might try and the problem is you know it was a very small group and it there has to be action behind the ideas and it just it wasn't going anywhere and there wasn't a lot of feedback about what types of events and programming we might be looking to do um what the director might want you know we've surveyed the town on what types of programs uh and got some pretty good feedback from that but it it's kind of been always hit or miss with this particular Library um we can have a great event and it's ill attended because there's I don't know something other with the schools going on or you know if it falls around a holiday it's sometimes hard to get attendance um and possibly like me you know the house kind of shuts down for us at like 7 o'clock at night um we have an aging population and you know WEA like this people don't want to go out I just don't know you know I I don't know that's just it and I would love to see somebody with the energy and the you know time to engage get involved it would be really great but I I don't have the time right now okay so members of the board what what would you like to do perhaps perhaps we should create a subcommittee that could meet and make a map of how we can proceed um what what and we would use the um Deborah thank you for sending along that information uh and that link um so that we could read over um all of the things that she that you just said Sheila I mean they're all in the mblc um and we justce what we need to do is is we need to to to sort of map out what what we want to do and then figure out how we're going to proceed to to encourage some people to to run it um I just otherwise we're just going to sit around I think and and talk about things that we all agree ought to happen but without a focus without a some sort of map and a a a timeline that we could try to follow um to revive it I I don't you know I think we're just going to be flailing around in the bushes somewhere Deborah you wanted to say something no I'm just I I I what I want to say I hesitate to say because Ginger isn't here yeah but Ginger was a friend at one point in a previous library and I know that um she has ideas around that and I wonder if we should table this until we can ask her if she can be on that subcommittee I think I mean one of our strategic plan goals is the revitalization of a friends group um and and now I could be very wrong about this I'm new to the board but when I was reading those materials what I came away with was that the friends are um are are very much a fundraising arm so for instance the the cost of the holiday party that's something that friends fundraising might have contributed to As I understood that and that they do work hand inand with what are the what are the the goals that the library director and the trustees have set and how can the friends contribute to that in a financial way and a volunteer way in terms of fundraising goals so I I would agree with Sheila that somebody with some fundraising experience and organizing experience would be very crucial that was my reading of those materials yeah um and it unless I'm wrong and again I don't want to be speaking out of turn for ginger I think she's had a lot of experience with that so she might be a valuable person at Le to talk to in this conversation she also was on that last um group of friends before um Sheila um there were there were four four or five women and uh she was one of them as well so yeah I I'm I'm I'm fine we can we can put it on uh the next um next month's agenda and I can talk to her before that to indicate to her that this is what we might like to do think about it and and see what happens okay are are you all okay on that I know that it seems like we're kicking the can down the road but I think Ginger would be a valuable um resource for us she's had experience out in Eastern Massachusetts and she's had at our library as well I've heard good things yeah yeah I think that sounds like a a good idea I'd also hope that maybe next time we can also discuss or maybe we put it off till we have a subcommittee um a little bit more discussion of the of the of what we want the friends to do and what they might want to do one of the things in that wonderful um document that you sent around Bob via Deborah uh was that there seem to be also not just a fundraising thing but also getting involved not only in suggesting things but then helping carry it out so that they the friends I would want them to have a little sense of ownership in what the library is up to rather than being merely a fundraiser you know I'm sure I know they serve a lot of functions but what are the it seems to me that there's been a disconnect between in what Sheila is saying too what the friends conceive of as their duties what staff may conceive of and what trustees May conceive of and we would want to get on the same page before we get too too far along I would think and also I just want to say Sheila thank you for uh coming and discussing these things which are very difficult things to discuss and also for all the work you've done um I mean again I'm also new to the board but um much appreciated well thank you guys for and women excuse me for um you know for being there I I wish I could share more or tell you more um I do believe wholeheartedly that it has to be cohesive and it is for the most part you know we just got to figure out a way as Bob said to get there to map that out and uh now Sheila are you still accepting requests for for um programming and stuff from from the library if if Cindy asks well there's only really two of us to to answer that but I mean I guess while there's funds in the checkbook my feeling is that if she has a request certainly and then I assume um hopefully if there could be you know a road map and some interest um and I will also say it doesn't have to be just weightly people um but right you know it it takes all kinds as we know would you be uh would you be willing if uh if we got a subcommittee going would you be willing time allowing to maybe attend one meeting just to offer your expertise I don't know if I'd call it that I certainly would though I I would call it that I mean I had a lot of fun with the friends probably what 12 or 15 years ago and it and it was a very active group um and I've tried to think and rethink what would work you know as far as engagement and I think Bob you've just hit it go back to the road map what what is the common goal and can the trustees the staff and the friends agree yeah not agree but uh work toward that okay it would be a good thing well yeah I mean I have to accept some responsibility about sort of the the whole issue of the friends was occupying our agenda for months and months and months and months and I I finally as chair put my foot down and said look the friends are the friends the trustees are the trustees we got to both kind of fly our own in our own Orbits for a while um and but maybe that was uh you know too abrupt or so I I think if we wait for ginger and we talk about this uh next month and perhaps form a subcommittee that might be the the best way rather than flail through six or seven people having ideas at a meeting where we can focus present something and say okay trustees what you think of this and and work from there what do you what do you folks think I think that's a good plan okay so Sheila we'll we'll keep you informed um uh that would be great thank you and I will I will share whatever I can yeah okay well thank you very much for attending tonight appreciate it okay good luck than Merry Christmas all okay bye happy holidays thank you um all right so uh I will put that on next month's agenda and I'll talk with ginger um just a couple more items under new business when we were um we were asked by uh one of the contractors that came to see us about the environmental testing it to look at the library Blueprints and we do have a set uh in a in a tube in the library but they are deteriorating at at extraordinary rate because they literally are blueprints from way back in the day 1940s 748 um and we asked um Pete the there had been I think maybe Town Hall documents um were digitized and they have a company and they gave us the company's name and so um Bob and I are looking into uh trying to get those um Blueprints digitized and we're also searching for um what are called as built drawings in other words they're the the final blueprints of what actually was built the blueprints for example that we have now show a third floor there was supposed to be a third floor with an outdoor patio um budget constraints shut that down um so what we have is we have the the architect drawings we're looking for the asilt drawings and we're going to try to digitize both but we would come of course to you to present our findings about the digital digitizing process um but we're working on um and I told you that we've made Capital fund requests and I think Cindy has a funding request under that last item there Cindy is actually asking to postpone the request I'm going to reach out to the friends to see if they would fund it if not I mean every every tiny step is important that might be important just to start the dialogue again okay so and if not I will definitely let you know yeah okay the last item on the new business was um I just I think um that it would be a good idea if we developed a checklist and I'd be willing to work with Cindy um to develop this checklist about um how to prepare the building for when we're going to have an event um the the the holiday event looked really nice but that was in part because Bob and I had to vacuum the floor Swiffer the floor sweep the floor um and the toilets when they're not used apparently for a couple days they look like they Rusty and stuff they get hard water stains yeah I know so I I think um what I would like is and I just wanted to share this with you so that you could approve of us doing this and then we would bring the checklist to you there are I think there are things that the custodian should do um when we know that we're going to have event on the weekend that if he comes in on Wednesday that these things need to be done first this room needs to be ready the tables need to be you know what whatever the checklist involves but I think um we need that um so I that's why I just brought it forward to you and if you're in agreement I'll meet with Cindy and we'll come up with a checklist and bring it back to you uh a few weeks down the road that's a good idea okay okay um is there any other item that has uh that is burning in your soul or mind I don't know if it will work or not but CL was recommended as a possibility to get rid of the hard water stains so I'm was gonna get CLR calcium lime rust oh yeah I I mean yeah I was gonna pick up a bottle just to see yeah and just please remind um Matt that we're using magnesium chloride only on the front steps no more calcium chloride that stuff is as hard as a rock anyways good that's why we left it as hard as a rock because it would discourage him from using it um but we have to use magnesium chloride because it's it's safer um it's safer for the trees um the other thing is um Cindy um th those maple trees in the front no one Taps those right I'm gonna see John hannam I think that I think that they should be tapped they're right there oh that would be so cool and I mean we could syrup we could maybe he could make a couple of special bottles for the 75th great idea okay all right so um maybe some Maple candy yes yeah I don't know how much yeah yes Fred yes and your discussions with with Pete and maybe Keith is if you talked about I'm sure the town has a as a a budget for maintaining Town buildings have you ever talked about that or have they mentioned they have budget that they use to do these maintenance things that we do at the library for other Town buildings does that come up or you aware of that they men anything like that I'm sure they have a budget for that it's um always been my understanding as director that we're responsible for the maintenance of having a maintenance budget for our own Department that yes something like snowplow you know the salt and sand covers all of the town but it's always been my understanding that each department is responsible for their own budget well Library I don't know if the who does it for the library it's a town There's No town library I don't know if they have a budget or whatever but it's whatever uses it but I I assume that well I I guess in the past I know there's been there is an account that the a budget item or account or or po of money that the town has set aside for emergencies that happen to our town buildings I don't know if emergency is the right word for it but for maintenance and upkeep of our town buildings uh there that has been been used in the past now I don't know the size of that who controls it whether it's Town Administrator or somebody else but I would think that would apply to all Town buildings not just certain ones I guess maybe Bob your next time you meet with Pete ask them if there's such a thing and how do they maintain other buildings in town well I mean part of the reason we met with Pete and Keith was you know it was it was partly a for lack of better term of fishing EXP ition to float that number out there and and see if anybody would step up and say oh we can cover that with X Y and Z and then he sent us to um Capital Improvement but I I I'll I'll ask um Keith is uh they resurrected the job of what is he called now superintendent of buildings right um so yeah I'll have a conversation we have to have a conversation with uh with Keith about painting anyway so yeah we'll we'll include that in our next conversation Keith got a nice new check with the new title yeah I assume the superintendent of buildings as well I don't know does he have a budget other than for his salary I think Cindy's uh got hit the nail on the head that every department head is responsible for their maintenance budget of if there's a building involved or whatever which is why we have a maintenance budget in in ours right yeah okay does Keith have that as a superintendent of building maintenance does he have a budget for other than I'll ask him because it was just like I don't know three or four weeks ago that I discovered that there was a superintendent of buildings I did not know that you know um that was I guess an old an old function and they have have brought it back and given it to Keith um because he's been doing it in one way or another anyway right but I I'll I'll find all that out okay okay everybody I hope your holidays are wonderful we need to figure out when we're meeting next so January 2nd January Wednesday is the 8th do we want to wait till the 15th oh January 15th is a holiday no isn't it no no we celebrate Martin Luther King Day on that Monday the 20th on the 20th on the 20th okay so we could meet the 15th of J anuary does that work for people yes yes sure I think that's better than the eth okay yeah especially since we all be recovering from our holiday I'm not even ready for the holiday okay all right everyone I hope you have wonderful holidays and I'll see you in the new year and you Bob thank you I need a motion to adjourn motion to adjourn is there a second second are those in favor I uh and any any post I didn't think so everyone take care of yourselves safe holiday