THORNTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
July 14, 2003

President Eric Ragsdale called the meeting to order at 6:02 pm. Members in attendance were: Deanna Brueggert, Teresa Carter, Ron Guinn, John Merson, Patty Ramsey, and Linda Yoder. Also present were Library Director Karen Niemeyer, Treasurer Barb Darnell, Clerk of the Works Craig White, Architect Sean Bright, and Bond Counsel Andrea Unzicker. In attendance from the Thorntown Public Library Building Corporation were Kathy Keith, Robert Moran, and Marcia Rapp. Carol Carson was present to notarize signatures.

Bond Counsel Andrea Unzicker presented documents to be signed by the officers of the Building Corporation and the Library Board. The documents included the lease agreement, special warranty deed, and documents required for the bond issuance. Eric Ragsdale also brought documents from Home National Bank for signatures by the board officers.

The Board approved the minutes of the June meeting after a motion by Deanna and a second by Teresa.

Treasurer Barb Darnell reported June receipts of $17,736.36, disbursements of $29,533.82, and an ending cash balance of $86,435.90. She noted that the operating fund receipts totaled $14,498.86 while disbursements were $27,232.34. We are currently operating in the red in some accounts because the tax check is late this year. There have been no changes in our investments in the past month. Barb led a discussion of the Claims Register, noting the addition of $17.65 for Vectren and $87.95 to the Tippecanoe County Clerk for June. A discussion of the Galvin Insurance claim for builders risk insurance produced the information that this insurance protects items stored on site; it is a one-time payment. Because there were two checks for bills over $4,000, Barb requested Teresa sign as the second name on the check. Ron moved the Board accept the treasurer’s report and Patty seconded. The motion passed.

Ron moved that half of the $300,000 paid as a result of the agreement between the building corporation and the library board be used to reimburse the operating and LIRF funds with the remaining $150,000 going into the construction fund. Teresa seconded, and the motion was approved.

Sean reported on his successful negotiations with Flaugher Construction. Although there were some challenges with vacation schedules, Flaugher has been very open to our needs. Patty moved we award Flaugher Construction the contract for construction of Thorntown Public Library additions and renovations in the amount of $1,665,312.50 for the following scope of work: 1) base bid; 2) alternates numbered 7, 9, and 10; and 3) the following value engineering (VE) items: deletion of landscaping, site enclosure fence, secret garden walls, base bid fountain components, interior sign age allowance, projection screens, portable stage, data home-run conduit, and a portion of controls and CO2 sensors; substitution of alternate for LAV1; change the brick allowance to $475/1000; and adjust for the reduced price for sand/gravel/etc. Deanna seconded the motion. The motion was approved. Sean noted that the ground breaking would be in three weeks.

In other old business, Karen reported that she had left another message for Charlie Warburton from Clinton Township about a potential merger. The fact that his daughter-in-law was in the library recently and failed to meet the residency requirements for a library card is seen as most encouraging for the merger prospects. Because the computers have been down as the result of the storms in the area, the discussion of the new policy for patron identification was tabled until next month.

The board appointed Karen as an ex-officio member of the park board since no one on the board meets the requirement of being a resident of Thorntown.

Under new business, Karen reported no new developments with CIPA. Although there is a fall deadline for compliance, the potential black list for libraries grows at a rate of 1,500 sites per day. There is no precise way to determine if a site is legally obscene, so the job is enormous. We are still in a holding pattern waiting to see what will be the most efficient and cost effective way to meet the requirements.

Karen also reported that there is one remaining piece of publicity to be released. Although we have removed the landscaping from the plans, we are hopeful it can be reinstated at the end of the project. In any event, the plan belongs to the library, and Karen plans to release it. Commenting on the negative publicity the Lebanon Library has received and the importance of staying within code, the board questioned how many parking spaces our new library will have. There will be 30 spaces, fifteen each on the east and west sides of the library; two of the spaces on the east will be handicapped.

In the director’s report, Karen distributed revisions to the Indiana Library Law. She indicated that Technology/Administrative Assistant Linda White’s manual on SIRSI circulation procedures is being requested by other libraries. We are charging $25 per copy, thus providing some additional income for the library. Because Flaugher Construction is planning a more aggressive building schedule, library personnel are being told to keep things simple so they are not caught in the middle of a project with no electricity or water or whatever. Karen also reported that her blood pressure is up. Since this is her ninth anniversary, and the board would like to benefit from her excellent work for a long time to come, the board recommended that she should take it easy for a while. The question is: does she know how to take it easy?

The meeting was adjourned at 7:37 pm on a motion from Teresa and a second by Linda.
Next Regular Meeting: Monday, August 11, 2003 at 6 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Linda Yoder, Secretary
Thorntown Public Library Board of Trustees