OHIO COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MINUTES

July 11, 2000

Mr. Ted Hess (arrived late), Mr. Tom Stephan, Sr. Mary Jude Jochum, Dr. Charles Julian.

Miss Sally Carroll,

Also Present:

Dottie Thomas, Director; Louis Horacek, Assistant Director, Melissa Patterson, Intelligencer Reporter.

In the absence of the chairman, the members present selected Dr. Julian to chair the meeting. The meeting was called to order by Dr. Julian at 7:05 PM

Mr. Stephan moved that the minutes of the June meeting be approved as presented. Sr. Mary Jude seconded the motion.

Vote:

Mr. Hess	absent
Mr. Stephan	yes
Sr. Mary Jude	yes
Dr. Julian	yes
Miss Carroll	absent

Financial Report:

The financial report was presented.

Sr. Mary Jude moved to approve the financial report and approve payment of invoices and warrants; Mr. Stephan seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Ms. Thomas distributed a written Director's Report.

Dr. Julian noted that he had signed the maintenance of effort of agreement with the West Virginia Library Commission, but felt that the questions about private funding sources were none of the State's business since the library was maintaining its level of public funding.

Ms. Thomas said that she had spoken with Mr. Jamison about an estimate for the restroom repairs, but had not received anything from him.

Mr. Hess arrived at the meeting at 7:25 and took the chair.

Dr. Julian commented that the curb near the entranceway was eroding and needed repair. Ms. Thomas said that library staff would be working on it and also repainting the lines in the parking lot.

Ms. Thomas presented a change in the way holiday pay for part time personnel was determined. The change would mean that part time people would receive holiday pay only if the holiday fell on a day they would normally have been scheduled to work.

Dr. Julian moved to approve the change. Mr. Stephan seconded the motion.

Vote:

Mr. Hess	yes
Mr. Stephan	yes
Sr. Mary Jude	yes
Dr. Julian	yes
Miss Carroll	absent

Consideration of Security System for the Library

Ms. Thomas presented the quote from ALS for a security system for the library. Dr. Julian said that he felt it did not address the actual problem in the Wheeling Room, which was the lack of supervision during regular hours, rather than breaking and entering after-hours. Dr. Julian said that he believed Wheeling Room library materials suffered damage during open hours rather than theft being the issue.

Dr. Julian moved to table the proposal. Mr. Stephan seconded the motion.

Vote:

Mr. Hess	yes
Mr. Stephan	yes
Sr. Mary Jude	yes
Dr. Julian	yes
Miss Carroll	absent

Warwood Signs

Ms. Thomas said that she had been notified by Aladdin Signs that the city did not allow hanging signs. She said she had asked about applying for a variance, but had been told that no variance was possible since the City Code prohbits hanging signs entirely. She said she had conferred with David Klug the City of Wheeling Development Director about the matter. Dr. Julian noted taht the Department of Highways had placed one of the "library" directional signs right in front of the library, and it would have much the same effect in alterting the public as a hanging sign over the door.

Ms. Thomas said that there had been no word yet from the bank about putting a sign on the north side of the bank building. Dr. Julian confirmed that he had spoken to Warwood branch manager David Wharton and the Board of Progressive Bank had not acted on the matter yet.

Mr. Stephan said he favored dropping the matter of the hanging sign. Dr. Julian said more promotion of the library would help also.

Mr. Hess remarked that the Warwood branch name and address should appear on library stationery.

Dr. Julian said he had attended the July 10 meeting of the Friends of the Library. He said that the officers of the group were moving very slowly. He said that they had asked if they could use the Library's FEIN on their bank account rather than apply for one of their own.

The consensus of the Board was that, in order to keep the organizations separate, the group should not use the Library's number.

Mr. Hess said that new business would be considered before the discussion of the budget.

Ms. Thomas said that the library had received $14,000 from the Budget Digest, $7,000 from the Senators of each Senatorial District in Ohio County. She said that there was a lawsuit pending which could cause the appropriation to be frozen or delayed. She said that the money had been requested for a new security system for the library because 3M would no longer maintain the library's old system. She said she had received a quote of $15,400 for a new system in December.

She said the Legislative Digest money would be paid in quarterly installments, so the library could purchase the system from capital funds and then repay itself as the money came in.

Dr. Julian suggested that a discount might be available for PALINET members. He asked Ms. Thomas to check on that question as well as the current accuracy of the December 1999 quote.

Ms. Thomas said that she had prepared new budgets based upon 4 1/2% increases for professional staff and 3 1/2% increases for non-professional staff. She said there were also some changes in line items based upon the year-end final figures for expenditures for 1999/2000 fiscal year now available.

She said she had reduced the amount for gas from 15,000 to 13,000, which was still more than had been spent in 1999-2000, but that electricity had been increased, because the library had gone over budget on that item. She said that musical CD's had been increased from $500 to $1,500 in anticipation of the gifts from the Eagles Auxiliaries of Wheeling and Elm Grove of $500 each.

Ms. Thomas distributed final statements of revenue for 1999-2000, which showed that the library had received $58,717 more than had been budgeted.

Mr. Stephan said he had seen predictions of increased gas prices, but did not feel that it would require revising the budget.

Dr. Julian asked why there had been a reduction in maintenance agreements.

Dr. Julian asked why there budget for Warwood's telephone service had increased by approximately $200 annually.

Dr. Julian wished to comment on the Library Board's subcommittee report on staffing which had been presented at the last meeting, but which meeting he had been unable to attend personally. He said he felt that staffing the library was a very complicated business, involving many different functions and many individual personnel issues. He said that it seemed easy to find clerical staff, but that his experience was that it was hard to attract and keep managment staff, which was why he had favored the 7% increase for professional staff in the report, and still did favor it.

Mr. Hess said that he wanted to formally thank the subcommittee for their efforts and hard work. He expressed the Board's appreciation for the subcommittee's written report.

Sr. Mary Jude said that the difference between the two salary and benefits proposals was around $4,500.

Dr. Julian moved to approve the budget as presented with the 7% increase for professional staff and a 4% increase for the rest. Sr. Mary Jude seconded the motion.

Vote:

Mr. Hess	no
Mr. Stephan	no
Sr. Mary Jude	yes
Dr. Julian	yes
Miss Carroll	absent

The motion did not carry.

Dr. Julian moved to adjourn at 8:45 p.m.