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The Westport Library Board of Trustees met on August 10, 2026, beginning with the approval of minutes for both their general and executive sessions. The board discussed upcoming landscaping work to be performed by the town, which will involve removing overgrown shrubbery and invasive plants between the library and the school. A suggestion was made for a volunteer "adopt-a-section" program for future grounds maintenance. The Director's report highlighted a successful presence at the Westport Night Out event and a record circulation of over 10,000 items in the previous month. The Assistant Director's report introduced a new "Lucky Day" book program for popular titles. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the logistics of an upcoming Mahjong event scheduled for October 7th, organized by the Friends of the Library. With 60-70 attendees expected on a school day, the board expressed serious concerns about the lack of adequate parking and brainstormed potential solutions, such as using lots at the nearby high school or the old West Park campgrounds. The Building, Grounds, and Safety subcommittee reported on plans for a dedication ceremony for new benches and ongoing concerns about the library's aging HVAC system, including the need for a contingency plan and discussions about replacement costs, which could be as high as $100,000. The board approved the finalized descriptions for its subcommittees but voted to table the review of the Collection Development Policy and the Trustee Bylaws until the September 14th meeting to allow for full board participation.
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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
0:25Okay, we have two sets of minutes to approve, so we'll vote separately. Okay, okay, and the general meeting. Okay. Is it exactly what it's in there? Mm -hmm.
0:45I probably, it's probably not in there, is it? It's not. Because I sent it confidentially just to the trustees. So everyone got it in their email, but it's not in the packet because we're keeping, it's confidential. We can still prove we got in there. So everyone got it in their email.
1:01Yeah, okay, okay. Is this for you? Oh, wow.
1:08Oh, is it in there? Yeah. Yeah? No, it's the vote to go in and the vote is in there, but not the contents of the executive session.
1:20yeah okay because that's all confidential so motion to approve the public facing minutes motion any discussion corrections thank you oh sure that took me a while to put that together how it was all supposed to be set up uh -huh all in favor of approving aye aye Okay, motion to approve the minutes of the executive session. Motion. That was emailed to us. Motion. Aye. Oh, second.
2:05My second. Oh, yeah. Okay. Aye. I'll third. Any discussion? Which we should have in executive session. We should have an executive session, right?
2:21excellent. That's great. I can't put you there. Oh, right, right. Date of next meeting, September 14th. I hope it'll be cooler by then. Only more, I hope so. Any correspondence?
2:41I didn't, I've been checking the email for the board of trustees and there's nothing.
2:53Okay, motion to approve director's report.
3:02The new business, the town is going to do this work out here for us.
3:06Of course, take out the stuff, take out all the shrubbering that's well grown in the walk, in the driveway between here and the school, that's true. We had Joseph Koda, but I don't know the apartment's going to do it for us. I'm not sure when, but they're going to take out all that stuff, the weeds and everything.
3:25They have some very heavy duty weed block they're going to put down, and they're going to put down some type of ground that we had to be determined. Take out this, take out all the shrubberings.
3:35some in Joseph's quote some of it was toxic some a lot of invasive plants but one was toxic and then I got all caught up in saying which is grass that was one I never heard I just took a picture of something like it may look like depends on what type of gravel we pick oh very nice oh that's super can you do that hormonal building too Oh, that's super. Can you do that along the
4:03building, too? Let me see, with a camera. Oh, I'm sorry.
4:08You know, I'm surprised. I think a lot of public buildings have to have stones around them for fire reasons. Well, you just have so much overgrowth. Right. It does.
4:20Oh, yeah, I wonder if that's a possibility. I don't like the look as well, but... I had a thought. I don't know if it would work if we sectioned it off and everybody took ownership. of a section. Yeah, yeah. Can I give you a highway that takes care of a highway in the end of the year? Right, right, sponsored by. If we could divide it up somehow into small areas. Right, yeah.
4:40It's not very big. If we could supply the mulch or something, if somebody wanted to come in and clean it up. And put perennials or, yeah. Hot. Mulch. No, just mulch. Try to keep the ground, the weeds, and keep coming up. Right, yeah.
4:53We just don't have the people to do that anymore. people to do it anymore.
4:56Right, right. When you say divided up, you mean among the members of the Right, right. No, maybe if we're volunteers, if anybody wants to come in and own a section. And adopt a section.
5:05Yeah. That's a lovely idea. It just popped in my head the other day, but it needs some more thought, but if we could just stick here and here, sections one, two, three, four, however we want to do it. Well, that would be neat, yeah. I think it needs some more work, but. Yeah, yeah. So you're just talking about the area in front of the library and on the side, and going to,
5:27okay. So, you're just talking about the area in front of the library and on the. It's not that big an area. It isn't.
5:31Once it's done... It needs to be done.
5:37Nobody's going back out there. Right. Yeah. Why shouldn't we take ownership, or whoever wants to volunteer?
5:48There are comments about the director's report. There's something new in here. It's great that the library had a table at Westport Night Out. Yes. Yeah, I thank Bonnie for going. Who was that? Oh, Theresa. Yes, sir. There was a big turnout at that event that night. That was it. Did you go? Mm -hmm. I was going to go, but I forgot. Yeah, she was there. Did you take pictures? granddaughter.
6:20Oh, good. Yeah, she was videotaping. Oh. Mm -hmm.
6:26Is this a different way of reporting? Yeah, it looks different. I'm not sure.
6:34Biggest month of circulation at over 10,000 items. Yeah. Wow.
6:40It's been a big. It's been good. Every time I come in, it's been good. And it's fabulous. It's been a big.
6:53I spoke ahead, it's from the building in the ground. She already put it in the highway department. We're going to do it. Yes, yeah. And I volunteered to help John put the new book drop over there. Oh, neat. To help you put it together. Yeah, that's what's sitting in that big box up there. mm -hmm.
7:13It looks bigger than what it should be, but I guess it's about the same size as the other one. I think so, yeah. The big question is, what color is it? I have blue. Will we have to get signed for it, library drop -off? Um, it might be on it already. I'm not sure yet. Okay.
7:32I'm going to have to tell people what it is.
7:38That would be a good post for you to take time on Instagram. That would be a good post for you. I can't wait to figure out what to put.
7:42Yes. Right. That will get out to a lot of folks.
7:50Okay. Motion to accept director's report. Motion to accept.
7:56Second. All in favor? Aye. Assistant director's report.
8:02Motion to accept. Okay, set. Motion to go. Second. Any discussion?
8:08Lucky Day books. We have a new, um, so it'll be when we have, like, a new popular book, but we have extra copies up, we'll put them up as Lucky Day, so if you come in when it's there, you can grab one, and without having to put a hold on it. Will the books be there, or just?
8:23Um, yeah, when we have stuff, we'll put them out. Oh, I see, it goes together. Mm -hmm, just like the new ones out there, so, very excited. I like it. Motion to accept. Second. So if it's there, you can take it. Okay, all right. I'm trying to make sure when people come in, I'm like, hey. You have to check it out. Put it right out. You have to check it out. You
8:40do, yeah. You get 14 days for it, no renewals, and you can't put a hold on it. Okay. That'll bring people in. Yeah. That's wonderful. It's all a matter of timing. Yes, exactly. We have two yesteryears, two correspondence, and two John of Johns out there circulating. On top of the one buried half. Yeah, on top of the one beer you have. That's cool. Yeah.
9:07I've been watching your videos. Yeah, you're in a timeout. I know. That was funny.
9:12Thank you. Which one was the timeout? That was one where someone promised they were going to come back to the library card and they didn't. So she put herself in a timeout in the corner with a chair. I've seen that one. I saw the one with you back there. That's a new one, yeah. And then the one with, what's her name? Ryan. Oh, Ryan. I saw that one, too. On the Netflix
9:30documentary. That's everywhere. Everybody's doing it. So we have to jump in. Yeah.
9:42Vote to approve Assistant Director's Report. All in favor. Aye.
9:48Friends update. Usually, Bonnie and Carolyn go to the meetings, and neither of them are here. what are the dates of the book What are the dates? sale again I should have written it down
10:15I don't know it's on the bookmarks it's a foul newsletter out there there is yeah Is a foul newsletter out there? is, yeah. Well, the preview is the 11th. Okay. Friday the 11th.
10:33And then I don't have the other days there. No, that's okay. If the preview is the 11th, it's going to be that weekend. Saturday, Saturday. Yeah, and so on.
10:42Good, good. Can we do it on Sunday? Not Sunday, no. it's Saturday, then Monday, Tuesday. No, it's Saturday. Here we go. We've got an expert.
10:5412 to 19, yeah. Oh, wonderful. Opening hours of library. Member preview is September 11th.
10:59Let's see. I think that's further, like, 6 o 'clock to 8, I think, is what it usually is. They don't have it on there, though. And then the last day is the bag for $5.
11:15Yep, but it usually is a head, so neat. Which usually is a hit. Is it? Yeah, people love it, they come in in droves.
11:25Has there been any more discussion? There was a discussion at the last meeting about the Bajon gathering. Maybe Bonnie was going to look into that. What about it? The number of tables and participants, because it was during the school year and parking issues. I think there's like 60 people coming. I'm not sure how many tables, but
11:46they're bringing their own tables because we can't supply that many tables. Sure, sure. They're asked to carpool, and it's at 1 o 'clock starting. Oh, okay. Oh, good. Okay.
11:55Perfect. And I think she's already full. She has a waiting list. And she's hoping that with the waiting list she'll build another one for another event further down the line because people are very interested in that sort of thing. And that sort of thing. I think parking will be an issue no matter what. I think so, yeah, because the parents come in at about 12.30 to 1 to park in our
12:14spots. I think so, yeah. Any ideas for alternate parking?
12:24Have to hire a school bus, hijack a school bus. I don't see how they're going to do it. No. How are they going to fit those people? I know.
12:33I don't see how they're going to be able to do it. I don't see how they're going to be... I think we have some angry people. but they can't have a place to park. So it's 60 people? That's what they're saying. 70 people.
12:43You just said, yeah, two people per car, that's 30 cars. Right. More space than we have all together. And a school going on, so... In school. Yep. I wonder if it would make more sense to have it later in the day. What if we could make a suggestion to let them carpool and park down at the high school and come back? Maybe I can ask Denise. In that block beside the high
13:01school on the left side there. A lot beside the high school on the left side. Right, right. Why don't they just have it at the old high school?
13:08Parking. Yeah. There's more space. It doesn't make sense that they're going to try to do it over here during school time. Yeah. It doesn't make any sense at all.
13:19It's not a day where kids have a half day, is it? And not only that, especially if you have people using the courtyards over there too, they're taking us parking spots too. taking us pocket spots soon and it's not winter time so you're gonna have people over there yeah okay and then we have a waiting list yeah there's a waiting list already hmm and especially if you
13:43have other things going on here I know yeah it's a Wednesday so it's her busiest day yes right time right before that could you knock it down to 30 people she already told people that they could They already paid and stuff, so they've already booked their spot. they're paying stuff so they've already booked their spot It was a $10 fee, but is that to pay for lunch? Because lunch is included.
14:06Because she can't make money on it. No, yeah. I think it's just to reserve a spot. I'm not sure about lunch. I know she's giving lunch, too, but I'm not sure what the $10 is for. Who's putting this on? Denise McKellie. She's part of Fowl. I mean, it's a great idea, but you have to be realistic, I think, you know. I mean, it's a great idea, but... Have parking at
14:29the high school and have people shuttle people back and forth.
14:35Or you could rent a spot out in your driveway. Then I can't get it out. My driveway's not that big.
14:46We've never had people like park on the grass, like behind the building. Well, that's a hill. Yeah, we don't have a level behind. No, you don't want to do that. No, I'm just trying to think of... Yeah, that's a lot of damage. Right, right. I mean, we really are limited with space. Yeah, well, we have 27 spaces total. Right. You don't have to box each other in, you know, box one another
15:10in. Oh, my goodness. Valet parking. That's not going to work. Yeah. You don't have the pocket space for that. No. All right. Well, it's in the future, so... When is it scheduled? October 7th, I think. That's plenty of time to... We should probably get permission from the school if we're going to use that lot. Right, right. Or the town. The school just takes care of the grounds. Yeah.
15:38Because they use the sports fields. I don't know. I think that part needs a little work. I think the whole thing should be looked at. I think that all his things should be... I don't think it should be here during the day. I think it should be, if they're gonna park down there, I think it should be in that building. I think they should look at space over there. There's a lot
15:57of empty rooms down there. What about the old West Park campgrounds? Are they doing anything like that? Can they have them park there? No, that's true. That's locked though, isn't it? Is that locked during the day? We need to get it open, we should ask the school again. When you get it open, we should ask the school, because that's where they parked when they had that event. That's where they park. When
16:14they had the parade, they told them to park over there, and they didn't park over there, because it was closer. But it's just a chain blocking the entry. So it could be opened and... Yeah, just move the chain. And it's not that far.
16:29It isn't that far. No, it's not that far at all. Unless it's raining out, people are going to want to do that. They're going to want to park over here. I know, it's convenience. It's always about convenience. Oh, it's convenience. It's always about convenience. And I would think that if there's anybody else... And I would think that if there's anybody elderly that has issues, they could drop the motion. I was just
16:41going to say that. A lot of the motion people are older. Yeah, yeah. I still say they should do a top of high school. All right. You'll let her know then? I will. Yeah. that's fine. We've got time.
16:57Yeah. Okay. Subcommittee updates. Building grounds and safety. Anything new? No, not really.
17:08We already talked about what we're doing over here, and Polly and I have to work on a dedication thing sometime, maybe in October, of course, and everything should be done then. The grass should be taken back over, because they've got a receipt all around the pads. Might there be a date for the dedication by next meeting? location by next meeting that'd be great now what are all
17:34those signs for those are for the existing That'd be great. benches we have existing benches yes there's a one there in such terrible shape and I am working on some stuff with this is what I got I'll show it to you first this is like a preventative maintenance schedule I took out of one of those books for the HVAC stuff. So this is something that we could
18:01give whoever does our service, just a check off that they do it. We'd have like a book or something for you, you'd have one for each unit. But those are in the books, I mean there are existing things that we can use, part of this I think we need to develop some checklists, so that whoever is John, whoever is here knows that when they come in this is what they should do,
18:23they should actually give them the checklist I actually give them a checklist that this is what we did, along with it, whatever they write up. that this is what we did, along with it. Yeah, because we didn't know when things were maintained.
18:32Yeah, and it doesn't look like the coils have been cleaned here. Oh, really? I looked at all the stuff that Connie put together for me. Oh, wow. And we went back to when GM was here. That's been a few years. So I'm probably going to get a quote to have that AGS come up and give us a quote for cleaning the coils. That might be half the problem we have. And I'm
18:55forgetting something, that older unit outside is in worse shape than we think, because a write -up by somebody a while back said that it has reached its age. How long was that? A couple years. I know Sue started putting in for capital projects of these units way back then. Yeah, a long time ago, yeah. But I looked at one of hers and she put in like $35,000. I don't know where
19:17she got that number. No way she got that number. And it just gets more and more expensive as the years go on. Right. What I'd like to do is talk to Chris and ask him if we need a contingency plan if one of these units go down. Right. What are we going to do? Right. We already had some days when it wasn't working very well. Right. There's a lot of damage that
19:38could happen to the books and stuff. Right. Yeah. And I'm going to ask him do we have to go with the real energy consciousness and go with electric and gas and just go with gas. Energy consciousness can go with electric and gas, let me just go with gas. It's $100,000 for gas. Right. It's a big difference.
19:53Because the way they price it, they're going to have electric and then gas back up. So in case it gets too cold or something, it doesn't work, then the gas will kick in. Right. So it's more expensive, yeah. Because you're running two sources of energy to it. Right, right. I think we should go with just gas myself and replace the units. Mm -mm. I don't know if I'm going to get
20:16approved. So, that's my skill. I don't know. Okay.
20:22Well, the town had the energy woman in the Silicon Valley the other night. Yeah.
20:28She came here and we worked out a plan for it, but they don't meet until September, and then that would be on next year's capital improvement budget. Because it doesn't necessarily have to be the green, you know, it could be. That's my point with Chris, I mean somebody decided we should be a green community, I That's my point with Chris. Somebody decided... don't know if we have to be that all the
20:45way, the price does have to come into it. Well a necessity has to come into it too, you know, I think we're on borrowed time. Absolutely. But didn't they allocate money before and then they got pushed back? You get on a list, and then you get moved around on that list, and we've been moved we'll see if we can do some changes yeah personnel committee we finalize the description can we put a building can we just
21:27make a motion to receive the file oh yes sorry thank you motion to receive and file the Building Grounds and Safety Report.
21:38Second. All in favor? Aye. Personnel, not much of a report, so... Do we have to approve the committee's...
21:50Descriptions, yeah, that's next after finance. Oh, okay. Motion to receive and file the Personnel Committee. I don't think there's nothing. I don't think since there's nothing, I don't think there's nothing, yeah. That takes that step out of it. Yeah, yeah. And there's nothing for finance this month, so. Okay. Can I make a motion we approve the subcommittee descriptions? Second. Any discussion? This is
22:22for all the committees, right? All three. Finance, building grounds, and personal.
22:27Any discussion? All in favor? Aye.
22:35I can revisit these. I do want to make one change on mine before we do that. I have the names of who's on it. I don't think we should have the names. No. Because if it changes... Oh yeah, I didn't put names. It'll change. I did, I did though, so... Okay. It says page one of two, but I don't see it. I reduced it. Oh, okay. Number two didn't print. I mean,
22:56that's the end of it. Yeah. It was two pages. Yeah, so the names were on the bottom. Okay, all right. So we'll just take the names off. Yeah. Okay.
23:10Could you forward that to me? Could you forward that document in that way? Yeah, I'll include it in it. Okay. Number two didn't print. That's the end of it.
23:16Okay. All right.
23:22Now. Alright. Now, I'm thinking we should table the policy review, the collection development policy review. Yes, since we don't have a full, yeah. Okay. Yeah. And now with old business, trustee bylaws, I suggest we table that until September when okay, all six of us had money. We should, before we do that, because it says, if bylaws may be amended
23:55at a regular meeting of board with a quorum present by a majority vote of the members present, providing that the amendment was duly made and seconded at the previous regular meeting. So any amendments we make at September and then approve in October.
24:15Is that the way to read that? Is that the way you read that? Would that make sense? I mean, if you have an amendment now, we can discuss it. And then just vote on it. We can vote on it. Yeah, next time. Because Bonnie should be here for that.
24:36But do we have an amendment? Well, I have a couple of things, a couple of very minor things. Just a couple of very minor things.
24:51It does refer to mass general laws a lot in here. I have no idea what they're talking about. I don't know if we should brush up on what they mean by those general laws. Well, we probably should expand it in the by -law.
25:06What, to put all the general laws in? just at least the title of the general law. No, it just says Mass General Law, Chapter 78, Section 33. Yeah, if you look it up on the state website, it'll explain it.
25:23Just a brief description? yeah. I could do that. I'd be happy to do the next reading. It's going to take it from one page just to three pages. In article 5 where it talks about meetings, somebody wrote on the old one, as needed. Yes, because we voted.
25:47But we didn't, did we vote to change that in violence? Yeah, from meeting monthly to meeting monthly, as needed, in case there's nothing to discuss and we decide to skip a month. Okay. I know we talked about it. Yeah. Did we do it according to the way we're supposed to amend the bylaws? Yeah. We voted. Okay. I hear you. We voted. I understand. In the next page, Article 5, it says, I noticed what
26:20we posted at the town hall. I think we should add A on the town website, because we're going in that direction. Yes. So instead of just a paper copy, it's posted on the website now. Yeah. So we don't have to change it again.
26:33Just put and or the town website.
26:40And on committees number two, just add safety, building personnel, buildings, ground, and safety. So we don't have to change it again.
26:52Say that again, Don? What was that? The following standing committees are appointed by the chairperson, finance personnel. Any committees are appointed by the chairperson, finance personnel? Buildings, grounds, and safety. Oh, and safety, that's right. Yeah, Chris said that the name of the committee should match by -law. Yeah. I have a question just not relating to this. It
27:10says, who keeps the minutes for these meetings? It says they're allowed to be looked at by the public, but who keeps the minutes? I know that Bonnie has me sign them, and I think she keeps them in her office. She's a binder, yeah.
27:22She actually asked me to keep one of these guys for her, so she can put it in the by -law. She actually asked me to keep one of these guys for her, so she can put it in the binder. All right, all right.
27:26right. I always had that question. Where are they? Once they're accepted, she has me sign off on them. Yes. Because I got to thinking back when I was sick, I didn't keep them. They keep it in the binder. Yeah, okay.
27:43Me and I also wondered, when we have the Robert's Rules of Orders, could that be a link, so that anybody would want to look at it, they could look?
27:50Make a look. Where would we put the link? it says here. Oh, the link in the document. Yeah. Oh, in the document. Robert, you will support it. Make that a link in case anybody wants to look at something and get powered up without Google searching it. I wonder, I mean, we can do that. I just wonder if you have to pay. There's different versions of it online because... Oh, I don't know.
28:15There's like short version for small groups and then there's the expanded version for the bigger organizations. Right, maybe not. And we have a book of it, don't we, in the library? I think so. I have a book. Because that would be the easiest. There are many variations of the...
28:37Yeah. I would leave it as it is. Okay. That's my recommendations too. Okay. But now do we want to wait for others if they have recommendations? Yeah, they may. Okay. All right.
28:54Okay.
29:06So we are tabling that until next month. We are tabling the vote on it.
29:12Okay. We're willing to vote on it, any further discussion and any additional changes. Any further discussion and any additional... And then next month we vote on it? Yeah, if we follow the bylaws, which we could change that too.
29:24Vote on it at the same time. So that as needed means we don't have to leave 12 times a year. Right, exactly, yeah.
29:45other topics not anticipated? I don't have anything.
29:56Motion to adjourn.