BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Wednesday January 17, 2024 Board Meeting   Preston Town-County Library

CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL

The January 17, 2024 meeting of the Preston Hot Springs Town-County Library Board was called to order at 2:10pm.  Board members Peg Winebrenner, Nisca Warthen, and M’lin Kendrick (by Zoom) were present.  Library Director, Starla Rice, acting as secretary, was also in attendance. Jane Putz was present from the public.  

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Minutes from the December 20, 2023 board meeting were read by the Board members.  

Discussion: Peg entertained a motion that the minutes from the December 20, 2023, meeting be approved.  Nisca moved that the minutes from the December 20, 2023 board meeting be approved.  M’lin seconded that motion.  All trustees present approved.

BUDGET & CLAIMS

The board was presented with the budget reports for December 2023 and the claims.  Peg entertained a motion to approve the December 2023 budget reports and claims. Nisca moved that the claims and the budget reports for December 2023 be approved.  M’lin seconded that motion.  All trustees present approved.

The following claims were submitted:

Visa                              $973.86     Office Supplies, Repair and Maintenance supplies, Books,                                                                                      

                                                        Non-Government Grant Materials, Insurance, Tamarack Federation.

 Kendrick Group LLC  $200.00     E-rate Consultant

Envisionware              <$429.76>  Check sent in August wasn’t cashed. Paid with Visa card January 18 2024 This is a request to reimburse fund 700 the amount of the missing check.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Starla presented the January 2024 Director’s Report.  

Discussion:  

Old Business:  

1.  Budget planning for the next year:  The Library Board started with the current fiscal year and discussed future budgeting.  There was discussion of purchasing a carpet cleaner instead of hiring out the carpet cleaning. It was decided that the library could afford a pretty good carpet cleaner for about half what we pay per year for carpet cleaning.  The director will visit A1 Vacuum in Kalispell later in the spring to look into purchasing a carpet cleaner.  Between now and then Library Board Chair Peg Winebrenner will loan her commercial carpet cleaner to the library for a test run. Purchasing a carpet cleaner would save us almost $1000 dollars per year and make cleaning the carpets a more, timely process with attention to stains happening regularly instead of yearly.  The director discussed some other ways in which we can save on spending.  The library purchased 3 years of office supplies, including book wrapping supplies and paper. We also purchased 3 years of maintenance supplies, including toilet paper, hand towels for the bathrooms, garbage bags, and cleaning supplies. The discussion was meant to break down the budget process and get comfortable with where we want to cut spending and where we don’t want to cut spending.  The numbers  are favorable for the pay raise we gave January 1st 2024 going forward.  We can do so much to make dollars go further and really without cutting services.

New Business:

1.  General Administrative Business:  Town Council Meeting:  it was suggested that Rube or Matt attend.  The director will look for a carpet cleaner before the fiscal year is over.

The February meeting of the Library Board of Trustees was scheduled for February21, 2024 at 5:00pm.

PUBLIC COMMENT:  The Hot Springs Library Foundation had a meeting concerning having the library resided.  They are leaning towards steel siding horizontal on the top with vertical wainscoting. Upper being white and lower being a shade of gray.  They have asked if the Friends of the Library would be willing to purchase the outside light fixtures when the building is resided.  

ADJOURN

Meeting adjourned at 4:22 pm as per motion by Nisca seconded by Peg.  All trustees present approved.