The Chairperson, Kim Schulz called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM

• Present:  N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Fausone, T. Hartnett, K. Schulz
• Absent: S. Foster
• Also Present: E. Davis, K. Gladden

Call to Audience

(L. Golden, R. Havenstein-Coughlin, L. Papa, S. Rzetelny, N. Szczepanski) – None

Approval of Agenda

The agenda was approved as amended by unanimous consent.

Approval of General Meeting Minutes

The minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

Communications

E. Davis distributed copies of a document from the League of Women Voters concerning State Proposal 14-1 (which appears on the August 5 ballot), the act that would (if passed) provide funding to replace the revenue lost to libraries (and othe municipal entities) when the Personal Property Tax for small businesses was eliminated.

Director’s Report

Davis invited the board to attend the annual staff picnic (Tuesday, August 19 from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM); an official invitation from the Social Committee will be forthcoming.

The Friends of the Library are interested in installing a butterfly garden, in the library grounds overlooked by the fireplace area. (There is a water feature in that space currently, but mechanical problems necessitated turning off the water supply four years ago.) Jim Laffey and Marian Nicholson have met with Friends board members and will be working with them and with Reliable Landscaping to implement a plan.

The financials presented this month are from the half-way point in the current budget year. While certain areas show more than 50% spent (Professional & Contractual, Insurance, & Capital Outlay), expenditures on the whole are at or under budget. (The exceptions were due to the renovation project and to an insurance plan that must be paid early in the year.)

Trustee Fausone requested that Davis, at some future date, present her analysis of the survey results which had been provided to the board.

Committee Reports

The Finance Committee (minus K. Schulz) met the previous week. A preliminary budget was reviewed, and committee members met with Michelle Malamis and Don Thorne of the Canton Community Foundation. Based on that discussion, Malamis is currently culling additional information for her presentation to the board and will be unable to do so at the July meeting. She and Thorne will meet with the Finance Committee again in August and will make a presentation to the full board at a later date.

Unfinished Business & General Orders

Approval of 5-Year Engagement with Plante Moran - In accordance with the direction issued by the board at the June meeting, Davis presented to them an engagement letter from Plante Moran for a five-year service agreement. The Finance Committee had reviewed the terms (which were as presented at the June meeting) and was satisfied with them.

T. Harnett moved and N. Eggenberger supported a motion to approve as presented the five-year service agreement for auditing services with Plante Moran.

The motion passed unanimously 14/7-21-1

New Business

Confirm Timeline to Fill Library Board Vacancy - Davis informed the board that the Notice of Vacancy will run in the Sunday, July 27 edition of the Canton Observer. The board will vote officially at the August 21 general meeting to schedule special meetings to interview candidates. The timeline as proposed was acceptable to the board members present.

Interest in seeing a rubric for candidate interviews and/or discussing interview questions at the August meeting was expressed by several board members. S. Rzetelny will locate this information.

(Draft) 2015 Budget (1st look) - Trustee Fausone questioned how the projected budget numbers were derived in certain areas (such as revenues from penal fines and property tax collection.) He also encouraged Davis to update the Capital Replacement/Maintenance Schedule to better reflect long-range capital improvement projects (suggested through survey results or Strategic Plan goals) in the out years; this will better enable the board to identify appropriate funding methods for such projects long term.

Proposed Revision of Employee Policy Handbook (1st reading) - Davis explained that the full employee handbook had not been revised since 2011 and that changes needed to be made to comply with state, local and federal statutes, and had been vetted by the library’s labor attorney. The trustees will have further discussion and vote at the August meeting.

Call to Audience

None

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 6:51 PM