Board of Trustees Minutes of July 23, 2015

Transcription

1 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015 M I N U T E S A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees was held in the Hon. Robert T. Groh Board Room of the Central Library, Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, Thursday, July 23, 2015, at 7:48 p.m. I. PRESIDED: Carl Koerner, Esq., Chairman of the Board PRESENT: Adrienne Adams Hon. Augustus Agate Martha Baker Judy E. Bergtraum, Esq., Vice Chair Maria Concolino Lenore R. Gall, Ed.D. Matthew M. Gorton Julissa Gutierrez James Haddad, Esq. (by teleconference) Haeda Mihaltses (arrived at 8:03 pm) Michael E. Rodriguez, Esq., Treasurer Edward Sadowsky, Esq. (left at 8 pm) Robert Santos, Esq., Secretary Eli Shapiro, Ed.D, LCSW Earl G. Simons, Ed.D. Gabriel Taussig, Esq. Comptroller, Hon. Scott M. Stringer, Ex-officio Represented by: Jimmy Yan Speaker, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ex-officio Represented by: Eve Cho Guillergan, Esq. Borough President, Hon. Melinda Katz, Ex-officio Represented by: Elisa Velazquez, Esq. Bridget Quinn-Carey Interim President and Chief Executive Officer EXCUSED: Jukay Hsu 1

2 II. MINUTES: BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING June 25, 2015 It was moved by Judge Agate that the minutes of the Board of Trustees meeting of June 25, 2015 be approved as submitted. The motion was seconded by Mr. Sadowsky. The motion passed unanimously. III. REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD The Chairman of the Board recommended that the Administrative Committee meeting for August 13, 2015 be cancelled and all Trustees agreed. The Board Chair stated that as a board we have accomplished a lot. We are working on important revisions to the by-laws and the executive search that Ms. Bergtraum will talk about. The list gets longer and longer. We made a commitment to ourselves that everything would be transparent and deliberate and this takes time. It is going to take a long time to rebuild this organization. We are pressured to get things done, but we have to accept the fact that if we are going to be transparent then we have to be prepared to forfeit expediency. Mr. Sadowsky asked if we heard anything on the US Attorney investigation. The Board Chair said we have not heard anything. The Board Chair stated that the Vice Chair, Ms. Bergtraum, is the Chair of the Search Committee. Ms. Bergtraum informed the trustees that the Search Committee was formed, they had a teleconference and they are moving ahead. Tomorrow, a list of search firms will be interviewed who are very well known in the search area, have very good reputations and include firms from all over the country. We will do our due diligence to select a search firm as quickly as we can so that everyone has the information. We will move ahead at the right pace and make this a very intensive search to get the right person to move the library forward. IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS A. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE July 9, 2015 The Chair of the Administrative Committee presented the report of the committee meeting of July 9, AT THE BOARD MEETING, MR. TAUSSIG, CHAIR, ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, RECOMMENDED THAT THE REPORT ITEM(S) BE ACCEPTED AND THE ACTION ITEM(S) BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY MS. BERGTRAUM AND SECONDED BY MR. SANTOS. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 2

3 B. BUILDINGS & GROUNDS COMMITTEE JULY 23, 2015 The Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee presented the report of the committee meeting of July 23, AT THE BOARD MEETING, MS. BERGTRAUM, CHAIR, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE, RECOMMENDED THAT THE REPORT ITEM(S) BE ACCEPTED AND THE ACTION ITEM(S) BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY MR. TAUSSIG AND SECONDED BY MR. SANTOS. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. C. COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS JULY 9, 2015 The Chair of the Committee on Standards reported on the committee meeting of July 9, AT THE BOARD MEETING, MR. GORTON, CHAIR, COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS RECOMMENDED THAT THE REPORT ITEM(S) BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY JUDGE AGATE. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED MR. TAUSSIG. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. D. COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS JULY 23, 2015 The Chair of the Committee on Standards reported on the committee meeting of July 23, AT THE BOARD MEETING, MR. GORTON, CHAIR, COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS RECOMMENDED THAT THE REPORT ITEM(S) BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY JUDGE AGATE. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED MR. TAUSSIG. THE MOTION PASSED. V. INTERIM PRESIDENT S REPORT 1. Interim President s Report The Interim President reported on the following: STAFFING: The Library has been regularly communicating with John Hyslop and Local 1321 to keep them updated. Positions for frontline staff are being posted this week. Outreach will include job fairs, open houses, posting a teaser on the QL website, using social media, buying ads on the library listservs, including a recruitment pitch in our internal and external publications. For other key positions, recruitment is actively underway. We are being deliberative; we need to get the right people. HOURS across the borough will be 10am 5pm on Saturdays (currently Flushing and Central are 9am 7pm but we are considering additional 3

4 hours during the week at those locations). Hours at Kew Gardens Hills will be on Sunday instead of Saturday. CAPITAL: CCTV/Security Cameras will be installed at nine locations; ADA accessibility will be completed at three locations; renovations will be made at four locations; building expansion will begin at Arverne; we have received supplemental funding for the budget shortfall for the New Hunters Point; Far Rockaway will have a new facility and North Forest Park and Richmond Hill libraries will be renovated. As for infrastructure, Flushing Library will have a new elevator installed; six locations will have HVAC replacement; three locations will have roof replacements; and one location will have masonry restoration. PENINSULA: The cost was $3.6 million to rebuild. We are in the process of purchasing almost 39,000 new items for loan, 33,000 of which are books. We plan to reopen for public service on August 18 unless there are delays. EARLY LITERACY: NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Richard Buery visited Jackson Heights Library as part of a citywide campaign highlighting the importance of early learning. A visit with Health Commissioner Basset is set for Corona next week. Both are important partners in Queens Library s early learning initiatives. City s First Readers Initiative received almost $300,000 citywide additional this FY, but not sure yet of the percentage that will come to Queens Library. It is good news all around. IDNYC: This program continues to be a mutually advantageous partnership. More than 40 thousand IDNYC cards have been processed at Central and Flushing Libraries in the first six months. It is providing a valuable public service and more than 900 people have linked their IDNYC to their Queens Library card account so it is a library marketing tool as well. A pop-up sign-up event is being discussed for other library locations. COMMUNICO: This is a digital platform for web, mobile and digital screens and Queens Library is one of the first US libraries to pilot using it. The company is providing it at no cost as part of the pilot. We are using them to manage our information screens, such as the ones in Central. We are piloting a new splash page for our customers who use PCs and our wifi connections. The service has a Google search box and every time a user clicks on it, Communico will receive an amount from Google and Queens Library will receive a percentage. This is a potential source of additional funding. UPK: Construction is proceeding on schedule. We anticipate opening on time with 36 students. 4

5 K2K: Kick off to kindergarten was piloted in five branches and we are expanding to eight branches. The evaluation of this first phase showed that 65% of the children spoke a language other than English at home and 85.5% made measurable gains in pre-reading skills. The program is intended to provide high-intensity training and modeling to support parents as their child s first teachers. It is a unique curriculum that Queens Library developed in NYC. It is grant-funded and we hope to expand. STACKS is a new, more formal version of our current afterschool programs. Students have to enroll and commit to attending at least three times a week. The content is provided in a new, evidence-based curriculum focused on the needs of our afterschool students. We will be measuring and evaluating achievements. Results and attendance are more measurable for our grant funders and will encourage a higher quality program. 2. External Meetings and Outreach Activities June 16, 2015 July 15, 2015 The Interim President presented and discussed the attached External Meetings and Outreach Activities from June 16, 2015 July 15, Key Performance Indicators June 2015 The Interim President presented the attached report of key performance indicator statistics for June E. AUDIT COMMITTEE JULY 9, 2015 The Chair of the Audit Committee presented the report of the committee meeting of July 9, AT THE BOARD MEETING, MRS. MIHALTSES, CHAIR, AUDIT COMMITTEE, RECOMMENDED THAT THE REPORT ITEM(S) BE ACCEPTED AND THE ACTION ITEM(S) BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION WAS MADE BY JUDGE AGATE AND SECONDED BY MR. SANTOS. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. AT 8:19 PM, IT WAS MOVED MRS. MIHALTSES THAT THE MEETING MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY JUDGE AGATE. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. AT 10:59 PM, IT WAS MOVED BY MRS. MIHALTSES THAT THE MEETING MOVE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MS. BERGTRAUM. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS PROVIDED: 5

6 Tonight the Queens Library Board met in executive session to hear the preliminary findings of our general counsel regarding the Comptroller's investigation as they relate to our Interim President/CEO. The credit card charges highlighted by the Comptroller are predominantly purchases of goods and services for Library business. Some of the charges require further review after consideration of appropriate tax regulations. The Board will wait for the full review before taking further action which could include requesting reimbursement for such charges or reporting them as additional income for the employee involved. Since the date of these charges this Board has imposed even greater standards for incurring and documenting purchases. The Board reminds our entire staff that strict adherence to Library policies regarding expenditures is a cornerstone of a well-run organization worthy of the public's trust. IT WAS MOVED BY JUDGE AGATE THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MS. BAKER. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11:02 pm. Attachments (8) 1) Report of the Interim President and CEO 2) External Meetings and Outreach Activities June 16, 2015 July 15, ) Key Performance Indicators June ) Administrative Committee Report July 9, ) Audit Committee Report July 9, ) Buildings and Grounds Committee Report July 23, ) Committee on Standards Report July 9, ) Committee on Standards Report July 23, 2015 Robert Santos, Esq. Secretary 6

7 Attachment 1 7

8 Attachment 1 8

9 Attachment 2 AGENDA ITEM: June 17, 2015 INTERIM PRESIDENT S EXTERNAL MEETINGS AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES June 16, 2015 July 15, 2015 Meeting with donor, Lisa Steiner, for visit of Central Library Speaker at Community Board 12 meeting, Trustee Adams in attendance June 18, 2015 June 19, 2015 June 21, 2015 June 22, 2015 Meeting with Eric Gioia and Foundation Board members Teleconference with Christopher DelGiudice and Nicholas Antenucci of Wilson Elser Borough President s 2 nd Annual Immigration Resource Fair, Flushing Library Teleconference with Board Chair Carl Koerner and Labor Relations Committee Chair Michael Rodriguez Teleconference with Kathleen Almanzar, Director, Office of Immigrant Initiatives, DYCD Introduction at NY Philharmonic event at Cunningham Park June 23, 2015 Teleconference with Standards Committee Chair Matthew Gordon NY1 with Lina Klebanov of Time Warner regarding their partnership with Queens Library and exhibits at Central Library Teleconference with Michael Woloz, Jeff Rodus and Marty McLaughlin of Connelly McLaughlin & Woloz Inaugural meeting with Jamaica NOW Leadership Council at Queens Borough Hall 9

10 Attachment 2 June 24, 2015 Interview with Shelley Goldberg, NY1 at Chelsea Studios Teleconference with Standards Committee Chair Matthew Gordon Queens Museum Gala June 25, 2015 June 30, 2015 July 1, 2015 July 7, 2015 UPK Graduation Ceremony, Woodhaven Library Teleconference with Board Chair Carl Koerner and Audit Committee Chair Haeda Mihaltses QLF Committee Meeting by teleconference DDC presentation of Glendale Library finishes Meeting with John Hyslop, President Local 1321 July 9, 2015 QLF Committee Meeting by teleconference Teleconference with Standards Committee Chair Matthew Gordon July 13, 2015 July 15, 2015 Presentation at Summer Library Science Class, Queens College Visit from First Lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Buery at Jackson Heights Library as part of a five-borough tour of early childhood programs Teleconference with Michael Woloz, Jeff Rodus and Marty McLaughlin of Connelly McLaughlin & Woloz Teleconference with Christopher DelGiudice and Nicholas Antenucci of Wilson Elser Investing in Libraries appreciation event at NYPL 10

11 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation Interim President s Report Key Performance Indicators Queens Borough Public Library July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015 In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes Arverne 233, % 114, % 8, % 8,235 4,6 Astoria 82, % 91, % 10, % 20,130 6 Auburndale 153, % 76, % 7, % 17,838 6 Baisley Park 43, % 58, % 4, % 21,721 1,6 Bayside 429, % 193, % 10, % 44,511 6 Bay Terrace 102, % 81, % 11, % 34,285 6 Bellerose 115, % 82, % 5, % 23,713 1,2,6 Briarwood 176, % 122, % 20, % 16,508 6 Broadway 242, % 258, % 10, % 9,436 6 Broad Channel 89, % 22, % % 68 6 Cambria Heights 99, % 191, % 29, % 14,380 6 Corona 213, % 229, % 25, % 26,082 6 Court Square 83, % 77, % 3, % 22,849 6 Douglaston 115, % 97, % 5, % 20,226 6 East Elmhurst 56, % 75, % 10, % 7,298 6 East Flushing 106, % 61, % 3, % 12,

12 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes Elmhurst 309, % 145, % 1, % 28,086 6 Far Rockaway 144, % 182, % 13, % 25,308 6 Forest Hills 423, % 324, % 22, % 174,687 6 Fresh Meadows 614, % 227, % 12, % 87,663 6 Glen Oaks 354, % 155, % 21, % 48,767 2,6 Glendale 90, % 60, % 3, % 8,961 6 Hillcrest 219, % 115, % 4, % 9,964 6 Hollis 69, % 57, % 2, % 5,841 1,6 Howard Beach 138, % 88, % 3, % 17,071 6 Jackson Heights 469, % 418, % 20, % 88,405 6 Kew Gardens 109, % 96, % 1, % 26,425 6 Hills Langston Hughes 90, % 164, % 19, % 20,171 6 Laurelton 84, % 127, % 18, % 51,819 6 Lefferts 132, % 152, % 19, % 46,394 1,6 Lefrak City 100, % 131, % 9, % 11,888 6 Long Island City 144, % 164, % 41, % 33,682 6 Maspeth 209, % 138, % 4, % 28,

13 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes McGoldrick 183, % 121, % 19, % 30,409 6 Middle Village 77, % 42, % % 5,769 6 Mitchell-Linden 204, % 138, % 17, % 37,165 2,6 North Forest Park 130, % 88, % 1, % 21,894 6 North Hills 119, % 99, % 9, % 25,296 6 Ozone Park 150, % 106, % 6, % 19,103 6 Peninsula 55, % 29,109 X 2, % 5,098 4,6 Pomonok 101, % 81, % 8, % 11,805 6 Poppenhusen 93, % 74, % 4, % 15,377 6 Queensboro Hill 115, % 129, % 8,423 X 15,435 2,6 Queens Village 133, % 107, % 13, % 12,216 6 Rego Park 197, % 183, % 7, % 19,705 6 Richmond Hill 182, % 173, % 37, % 62,739 2,6 Ridgewood 195, % 305, % 41, % 57,263 6 Rochdale Village 54, % 96, % 8, % 10,324 1,2,6 Rosedale 30, % 38, % 3, % 8,397 1,6 Seaside 155, % 89, % 11, % 25,170 4,6 13

14 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes South Hollis 62, % 84, % 4, % 41,945 6 South Jamaica 66, % 142, % 19, % 18,327 6 South Ozone 104, % 85, % 5, % 26,976 6 Park St. Albans 75, % 102, % 5, % 3,601 6 Steinway 256, % 215, % 26, % 17,962 6 Sunnyside 213, % 208, % 16, % 37,503 1,6 Whitestone 146, % 88, % 8, % 43,951 6 Windsor Park 161, % 109, % 6, % 22,584 6 Woodhaven 145, % 119, % 17, % 17,190 2,6 Woodside 166, % 160, % 24, % 33,330 6 Community Libraries Total 9,631, % 9,715, % 727, % 1,659,385 Central Library Adult Learning Elmezzi LIC Center Adult Learning Center Elmhurst Adult Learning Center 2, % 27, % 2, % 7,627 6,7 1, % 60, % % 1, % 24, % 8, % 2,

15 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes Flushing Adult Learning Center Peninsula Adult Learning Center Rochdale Adult Learning Center Steinway Adult Learning Center Adult Learning Center Total 8, % 87, % 8, % 1, % % % % % % , % % 4, % , % 199, % 23, % 13,841 6 Central Adult Fiction Central Adult Fiction Ask at Central Adult Desk Non-Fiction Central Adult Non-Fiction Ask at Central Desk International languages Central International Languages Central Library Ask Current Collection 96, % 34, % 193, % 125, % 12, % 5, % 33, % 15

16 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes Central Library Fine Arts/Media Central Library Center Others Central Library Hot Picks Central Library Interloan Central Library Job Info Center Central Library Young Adult Children s Library Room Discovery Center 589, % 68, % 26, % 1, % 2, % 87, % 378, % 279, % 27, % 49,370 6 Central Total 1,616, % 1,372, % 78, % 403,221 3,6 Flushing 1,597, % Flushing IRC 33, % Flushing Job Info Center (JIC) Flushing Media Center 1, % 9, % 16

17 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes Flushing Total 1,702, % 1,846, % 53, % 244,633 6 E-book and E- Magazines Virtual Music and Movies Virtual Library Total Langston Hughes Black Heritage Queens Village Mail-A-Book Miscellaneous Other Miscellaneous Total 544, % 403, % 947, % 5 8, % 60, % 2, % 8, % 621, % System Total 13,990, % 11,287, % 885, % 2,307,245 Website Visits 7,854, % 17

18 Attachment 3 Agency Circulation In person visits Program Attendance Reference Notes Wireless Use 453, % 8 Computer Sessions 2,985, % Notes: 1 -- Library closed for renovation during a portion of the current fiscal Library closed for renovation during a portion of last fiscal Central Library partially closed during renovation in current fiscal Closed/Partially closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. 5 Formerly called All E-Content; Streaming e-content metrics started 2/ Monthly reference data only available since April CEL ALC moved from Annex to CEL branch starting Jan no accurate gate count possible 8 - Jan and Feb 2015 wireless session count unavailable 18

19 Report of Administrative Committee Meeting July 9, 2015 Attachment 4 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE July 9, 2015 REPORT A meeting of the Administrative Committee of the Board of Trustees was held in the Hon. Robert T. Groh Board Room of the Central Library, Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, on Thursday, July 9, 2015 at 7:21 p.m. PRESIDED: PRESENT: Gabriel Taussig, Esq. Chair, Administrative Committee Judy Bergtraum, Esq. Maria Concolino Matthew Gorton Haeda Mihaltses Michael Rodriguez, Esq. Edward Sadowsky, Esq. Eli Shapiro, Ed.D, LCSW Carl Koerner, Esq. Chairman of the Board, Ex-officio Bridget Quinn-Carey Interim President and CEO Tracy Yogman, Vice President, Finance & CFO Lewis Finkelman, Esq. General Counsel EXCUSED: GUESTS: Julissa Gutierrez Adrienne Adams Lenore Gall, Ed.D. Earl G. Simons, Ed.D. Public Advocate, Hon. Letitia James, Ex-officio Represented by: Larry Schimmel, Esq. Comptroller, Hon. Scott M. Stringer, Ex-officio Represented by: Jimmy Yan Speaker, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ex-officio Represented by: Eve Cho Guillergan, Esq. 19

20 Report of Administrative Committee Meeting July 9, 2015 Attachment 4 I. Action Items(s) THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE July 9, 2015 REPORT 1. FY 16 City General Fund Budget Modifications It was moved by Mr. Taussig that the Administrative Committee recommend to the Board of Trustees, the modification of the Fiscal Year 2016 City Fund Budget as follows: Estimated Revenues Appropriations from the City of N.Y. + $ 600,998 Total Estimated Revenues + $600,998 Appropriations Health Insurance + $557,998 Contractual Services + 3,000 Technology Equipment - Council District ,000 Programs - Pomonok + 5,000 Programs - Briarwood + 5,000 Programs - Council District ,000 Total Appropriations + $600,998 The motion was seconded by Mr. Sadowsky. The motion passed unanimously. II. Report(s) 1. Government Grants Secured Fiscal Year 2015 July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015 The Interim President provided a report on government grants secured for fiscal

21 Report of Administrative Committee Meeting July 9, 2015 Attachment 4 2. Personnel Report 5/16/15 6/15/15 The Interim President provided a report on personnel for the period May 16, 2015 through June 15, IT WAS MOVED BY MR. RODRIGUEZ THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. SADOWSKY. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:26 p.m. Gabriel Taussig, Esq., Chair, Administrative Committee 21

22 Report of Audit Committee Meeting July 9, 2015 Attachment 5 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE July 9, 2015 REPORT A meeting of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees was held in the Hon. Robert T. Groh Conference Room at the Central Library, Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, on Thursday, July 9, 2015 at 5:34 p.m. PRESIDING: PRESENT: EXCUSED: GUESTS: Haeda Mihaltses, Chair, Audit Committee Judy Bergtraum, Esq. Edward Sadowsky, Esq. Gabriel Taussig, Esq. Carl Koerner, Esq. Chairman of the Board Bridget Quinn-Carey Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Tracy Yogman Vice President, Finance & CFO Lewis Finkelman, Esq. General Counsel Robert Santos, Esq. David J. Spara, CPA, MBA Toski & Co., P.C. (by video conference) Adrienne Adams arrived at 5:38 pm Maria Concolino Lenore Gall, Ed.D. Matt Gorton arrived at 6:14 pm Michael Rodriguez, Esq. Eli Shapiro, Ed.D, LCSW Earl G. Simons, Ed.D. Public Advocate, Hon. Letitia James, Ex-officio Represented by: Larry Schimmel, Esq. Comptroller, Hon. Scott M. Stringer, Ex-officio Represented by: Jimmy Yan Speaker, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito Represented by: Eve Cho Guillergan, Esq. 22

23 PUBLIC SESSION 1. A Review of the Audit Plan THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE JULY 9, 2015 REPORT Report of Audit Committee Meeting July 9, 2015 Attachment 5 The External Auditor, David J. Spara, of Toski & Co., P.C., participated by video conference. He discussed the General Audit Plan dated June 30, AT 6:20 PM, IT WAS MOVED BY MR. SADOWSKY THAT THE MEETING MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS LEGAL AND PERSONNEL MATTERS. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. TAUSSIG. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. All staff left the meeting with the exception of the General Counsel. AT 7:18 PM, IT WAS MOVED BY MR. TAUSSIG THAT THE MEETING MOVE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MS. BERGTRAUM. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. Action Resulting from Executive Session Discussion IT WAS MOVED BY MRS. MIHALTSES THAT THE GENERAL COUNSEL IS REQUESTED TO REVIEW THE ALLEGATIONS AS RELATED TO THE INTERIM PRESIDENT & CEO IN THE REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER S INVESTIGATION OF QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY DATED JULY 7, 2015 AND REPORT BACK TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. THE GENERAL COUNSEL IS AUTHORIZED TO ENGAGE SUCH REASONABLE ASSISTANCE AS DEEMED NECESSARY FOR THE ASSIGNMENT MADE. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. TAUSSIG. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. IT WAS MOVED BY MRS. MIHALTSES THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. TAUSSIG. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Haeda Mihaltses Chair, Audit Committee 23

24 Report of Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting July 23, 2015 Attachment 6 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE July 23, 2015 REPORT A meeting of the Buildings and Grounds Committee was held on Thursday, July 23, 2015 at 6:16 p.m. in the Hon. Robert T. Groh Board Room, Central Library, Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York. PRESIDED: Judy E. Bergtraum, Esq., Chair of Committee PRESENT: GUESTS: Adrienne Adams Julissa Gutierrez James Haddad, Esq. (by teleconference) Edward Sadowsky, Esq. Robert Santos, Esq. Earl G. Simons, Ed.D. Gabriel Taussig, Esq. Carl Koerner, Esq. Chairman of the Board, Ex-officio Bridget Quinn-Carey Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Verriello Director, Facilities and Environmental Services Kwok Yim Director, Capital Projects Martha Baker Hon. Augustus Agate Maria Concolino Lenore R. Gall, Ed.D. Matthew M. Gorton Haeda Mihaltses Michael Rodriguez, Esq. Eli Shapiro, Ed.D, LCSW Mayor, Hon. Bill de Blasio, Ex-officio Represented by: Lydon Sleeper-O Connell Comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, Ex-officio Represented by: Jimmy Yan Speaker, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ex-officio Represented by: Eve Cho Guillergan, Esq. Borough President, Hon. Melinda Katz, Ex-officio Represented by: Elisa Velazquez, Esq. 24

25 Report of Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting July 23, 2015 Attachment 6 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE July 23, 2015 REPORT The Buildings and Grounds Committee presented the following action item(s) for approval and report item(s) for acceptance: Action Item (s) 1. City Capital Funding for FY 16 It was moved by Ms. Bergtraum that the Buildings & Grounds Committee recommend to the Board of Trustees acceptance of the recommendations of the Capital Projects Management Team to allocate $10,000,000 in system-wide capital funding for projects as prioritized in the Library s Ten Year Capital Plan. INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS Library Project Description Estimated Cost Queens Village HVAC $1,000,000 Queens Village Roof $750,000 Ridgewood Masonry $1,475,000 Hillcrest Roof $750,000 Hillcrest HVAC $750,000 Queensboro Hill HVAC $800,000 Seaside HVAC $300,000 Laurelton Roof $800,000 Middle Village HVAC $750,000 Jackson Heights HVAC $850,000 Total $8,225,000 RENOVATION PROJECTS Library Project Description Estimated Cost Glendale Project shortfall $500,000 Richmond Hill Added scope for Pass-through Project $1,275,000 Total $1,775,000 Grand Total $10,000,000 The motion was seconded by Mr. Sadowsky. The motion passed unanimously. 25

26 Report of Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting July 23, 2015 Attachment 6 Report(s) 1. Maintenance, Repair & Renovation Maintenance, repair or renovation purchases awarded between June 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015 in excess of $5,000 are provided below for informational purposes. Approved procurement procedures were executed in accordance with Board Purchasing Policy, including all items purchased by utilizing Board of Trustee approved Requirements Contracts, Government Requirements Contracts, competitive quotations or in response to emergency conditions as a matter of health and safety. Broadway Flushing Tournesol Siteworks LLC to fabricate and deliver exterior furniture for installation - $12, Architectural Tile, Restoration, LLC. to perform emergency disinfectant and remedial cleaning of four restrooms as required - $8, BAF Refrigeration to perform emergency repairs for failed A/C unit in the data recovery room - $6, Rochdale Hon Company c/o AR Kropp & Sons to deliver and install furniture as required - $19, IT WAS MOVED BY MS. BERGTRAUM THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. SADOWSKY. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m. Judy Bergtraum, Esq., Chair Buildings and Grounds 26

27 Report of the Committee on Standards of July 9, 2015 Attachment 7 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS July 9, 2015 A meeting of the Committee on Standards of the Board of Trustees was held at 7:27 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2015, in the Hon. Robert T. Groh Conference Room of the Central Library, Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, PRESIDING: PRESENT: Matthew Gorton Chair, Committee on Standards Adrienne Adams Maria Concolino Lenore Gall, Ed.D. Haeda Mihaltses Edward Sadowsky, Esq. Earl G. Simons, Ed.D. Gabriel Taussig, Esq. Carl Koerner, Esq. Board Chair, Ex-officio Bridget Quinn-Carey Interim President and CEO Lewis Finkelman, Esq. General Counsel EXCUSED: GUEST(S): Martha Baker Jukay Hsu Judy Bergtraum, Esq. Eli Shapiro, Ed.D, LCSW Public Advocate, Hon. Letitia James, Ex-officio Represented by: Larry Schimmel, Esq. Comptroller, Hon. Scott M. Stringer, Ex-officio Represented by: Jimmy Yan Speaker, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ex-officio Represented by: Eve Cho Guillergan, Esq. 27

28 Report of the Committee on Standards of July 9, 2015 Attachment 7 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS July 9, 2015 REPORT Report(s) 1. By-Law Revisions The Committee Chair continued the committee s conversations month about the Library Board's by-laws, looking specifically at the role of the Board Officers, their role & responsibilities, board office elections and terms of office, etc. Further conversation on this topic will continue at future meetings. [The Committee needs to spell out the duties before a trustee agrees to take the position.] Another Standards Committee meeting is scheduled for July 23, where discussion and deliberation will continue on additional issues related to reforming the by-laws. After the Committee Chair read the description of each of the board offices, the following comment/suggestions relative to the powers and duties of each were noted: Chairman Presiding officer of the Board Provides counsel to the President and CEO Provides direction to the Board Vice Chair Assists Chair Acting Chair in Chairman s absence Secretary Consensus that a more explicit outline of the Secretary s role be included in the bylaws. Secretary attests to the legitimacy of the minutes. Suggestion is to add a signage regarding the accuracy of the minutes; consider whether Secretary will certify resolutions. 28

29 Report of the Committee on Standards of July 9, 2015 Attachment 7 The responsibility is the Secretary s to be sure that all meeting notices are sent 72 hours in advance and that public notices are on the website. Practically speaking, the Secretary doesn t send these out, but it is part of the Secretary s oversight role. There was discussion on whether there should be a backup position for the Secretary or should the Secretary just appoint one on an as-needed basis. Also discussed, was whether it is the Secretary s role to prepare the calendar of meetings for the, as historically it was prepared by the Chairman of the Board. Treasurer Ideally, Treasurer will have experience in finance related area. Should by-laws mandate that the Treasurer have relevant experience? After discussion, it was stated that this will be considered at the election. There was discussion about how other organizations organize Finance, Investments and Budget roles. Treasurer should be the Chair of Finance Committee and should serve on the Executive committee. Should the by-laws be the framework or descriptive? A suggestion was to separate the by-laws from the process; by-laws are more of a constitution; we can create policy manuals or handbooks. Treasurer should meet quarterly with the CFO to review the policies. Note that the Chair of Finance is an ex-officio member of the Queens Library Foundation. Assistant Treasurer No additional responsibilities were suggested Will serve as ex-officio on QLF Board in absence of the Treasurer Nominating Committee and Elections The Committee Chair opened the discussion regarding the Nominating Committee. There was discussion on whether the Nominating Committee was necessary and different approaches to nominating candidates for office. Nominating Committee is a mechanism to create the slate of Board officers. Historically, Queens Library s Nominating Committee was appointed by Chairman of the Board and then full board voted on the Chairman s recommendation. There was discussion regarding whether the Nominating Committee can/should nominate someone for an office who is serving on the Nominating Committee. 29

30 Report of the Committee on Standards of July 9, 2015 Attachment 7 Terms of Office There was discussion about pros and cons of term limits. The consensus is that we should have term limits. It was stated that the terms should be January December but terms as an officer may not be the same as the term as a board member. There was also discussion about not taking a vote this, but starting this in 2016 and re-electing every other. General Counsel stated that there is a provision that an officer can be removed at any time. The Committee Chair stated that there are a few different opinions and the committee will determine how best to move forward on the term limit details. At the next Committee on Standards meeting scheduled for July 23, there will be another topic for discussion. By September/October, we should have a revised draft of by-laws. IT WAS MOVED BY MS. GALL THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. SIMONS. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m. Matthew Gorton, Chair Committee on Standards 30

31 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Report of the Committee on Standards of July 23, 2015 Attachment 8 MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS July 23, 2015 A meeting of the Committee on Standards of the Board of Trustees was held at 6:41 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2015, in the Hon. Robert T. Groh Conference Room of the Central Library, Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, PRESIDING: PRESENT: Matthew Gorton (arrived at 6:57 pm) Chair, Committee on Standards Adrienne Adams Martha Baker Maria Concolino Lenore Gall, Ed.D. Edward Sadowsky, Esq. Earl G. Simons, Ed.D. Gabriel Taussig, Esq. Carl Koerner, Esq. Board Chair, Ex-officio Bridget Quinn-Carey Interim President and CEO EXCUSED: GUEST(S): Jukay Hsu Hon. Augustus Agate Judy Bergtraum, Esq. Julissa Gutierrez James Haddad, Esq. (by teleconference) Michael Rodriguez, Esq. Robert Santos, Esq. Eli Shapiro, Ed.D, LCSW Mayor, Hon. Bill de Blasio, Ex-officio Represented by: Lydon Sleeper-O Connell Comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, Ex-officio Represented by: Jimmy Yan Speaker, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ex-officio Represented by: Eve Cho Guillergan, Esq. Borough President, Hon. Melinda Katz, Ex-officio Represented by: Elisa Velazquez, Esq. 31

32 Report of the Committee on Standards of July 23, 2015 Attachment 8 THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS July 23, 2015 REPORT Mr. Taussig, as Acting Chair, began the meeting until Mr. Gorton, Committee Chair, arrived. By-Law Revisions Meetings Quantity The Acting Chair began the discussion stating that our current by-laws require holding board meetings ten months out of the, every month, with the option of meetings in July or August. In the revised draft of the by-laws, provided by Dan Kurtz, Esq., the quantity of monthly meetings was amended to six meetings a. As a general proposal, meetings would be held every other month. The Executive Committee would be empowered to act on behalf of the Board. From an administrative point of view, it would be critical to have the Executive Committee empowered in this way to transact business; waiting two months to have board approval would be challenging. It was noted that holding meetings six times a is a good idea. Committee meetings would be held in the month between each Board meeting. The Committee on Standards will review this and will need to discuss; the by-laws could reflect a minimum of six regular meetings of the Board. Attendance Currently in the by-laws, if a Trustee misses three consecutive meetings without being excused, the trustee is deemed to have resigned. A trustee is marked excused if they inform the Chairman of the Board or the President s office that they are not able to attend, prior to the start of the meeting. There was discussion whether there should be a definition of what qualifies as excused; should there be automatic removal for someone missing half of the meetings; or some other scenarios of attendance. After discussion, it was noted that the Secretary of the Board would keep track of the attendance. The consensus was to retain this section as currently outlined. Quorum The Committee Chair stated that quorum is half plus one (10 members, based on total Board membership of 19). Except for Audit Committee which requires a quorum, the other committees do not. The by-laws will define a minimum committee size; not less than two to conduct business. It was recommended that the committee consider the minimum be three for a standing committee and two for special committees. 32

33 Report of the Committee on Standards of July 23, 2015 Attachment 8 Voting There was discussion on whether a trustee is eligible to vote by proxy. It is not possible to vote by proxy. Teleconferencing Trustees may participate by teleconferencing. In the draft revised by-laws, a trustee can participate by teleconference, but cannot vote and participation does not count toward a quorum unless, as per State law, the board meeting is held in a place that is in a public venue, open to the public. There was discussion about whether there would be extra costs to the library if meetings were held in different locations such as keeping security and other staff on premises. Special Meetings A Special Meeting of the Board can be called by the Chairman of the Board or five members of the Board pursuant to current by-laws. In the revised draft, this is expanded to include officers. Mr. Taussig proposed a change to any two officers and five members and all agreed. Votes requiring super-majority By-laws state that a super majority is two-thirds of the Board (13 members). There will be instances when a super majority vs. regular majority vote is required. IT WAS MOVED BY MS. ADAMS THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. SIMONS. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m. Matthew Gorton, Chair Committee on Standards 33