TOWN MEETING ROUND-UP

Canterbury - Elkins Library in Canterbury had an increase in staff hours and wages. In 2007 there were 9 hours a week that had just one staff member working and now all hours are double staffed. The wages increased from $58,100 to $68,000 because of the added staff hours and a significant hourly raise. The town also passed empowering legislation. Warrant articles for RSA 202-A:4-c allowing Trustees to accept unanticipated funds; RSA 202-A:4d allowing Trustees to accept gifts of personal property; and RSA 202-A:11 permitting the library to retain all money from income-generating equipment all passed.

submitted by - Susan LeClair, Director
Elkins Library

Epping - The Harvey-Mitchell Memorial Library in Epping had a warrant article on the ballot to fund a new staff position for the propose of expanding the library's hours to include Mondays. The amount of the article was $8,000 and it passed by a wide margin. The new hours will begin Monday, March 31st. The complete schedule will now be Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fifty-four open hours total every week.

submitted by - Amanda Reynolds Cooper, Director
Harvey-Mitchell Memorial Library

Francestown - Held their Town Meeting on March 15th and the George Holmes Bixby Memorial Library was successful in acquiring a positive vote to go ahead with renovations and a town release of $170,000 set aside in the Capital Reserve Funds. Pending weather and any other unseen forces, we hope to break ground in April.

submitted by - Carol Brock, Director
George Holmes Bixby Memorial Library

Grantham - Our budget passed (ca. 5% increase) and we had two warrant articles: one for $12,000 for replacing the windows in the original (1900) part of the building, and one for $50,000 as saving towards an addition - now we have to form a building committee.

submitted by - Dawn Huston, Director
Dunbar Free Library

Greenland - The Weeks Public Library budget passed - 2007 Town Appropriation: $188,760; 2008 Town Appropriation: $207,000. The 9.6% overall increase covers the Assistant Director's salary and benefits for the full year (only budgeted for 10 months in 2007), COLA adjustments for all staff, the increase in the cost of health insurance for the two full-time employees and an increase in the snow removal line.

$75,000 warrant article passed on March 15th, 2008. To see if the Town of Greenland will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Seventy-Five Thousand dollars ($75,000) to be added to the Capital Reserve Fund established by the 2007 Town Meeting for the purpose of funding the future growth of the Weeks Public Library, with the Library Trustees and the Board of Selectmen named as agents to expend from said fund.

submitted by - Denise Grimse, Director
Weeks Public Library

Madbury - At the Town Meeting on March 11th, 2008, the town voted in the affirmative on: Article 5: to see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand dollars ($10,000) for the existing Capital Reserve Fund established in Article 9 at the 2002 Town Meeting for a Library Building Fund. They have approved additions to our Capital Reserve Fund every year since the establishment of the fund in 2002. Our library budget passed, allowing a 3% increase in the Library Director's salary (.46) and we also added one hour to the Assistant Librarian's hours of 5 hours a week plus a 50 cent increase on her hourly pay. Also, in our budget, was an increase for our oil heat. I am hoping it will cover it!

submitted by - Nancy Bergeron, Director
Madbury Library

Mason - The Warrant Article for $5,000 to add to the Library Building Capital Reserve Fund passed.

submitted by - The Staff at Mason Public Library

Milton - The following article was successful at our recent town elections - Article 7: To see if the Milton School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand dollars ($5,000) to purchase library media for the Nute Library. This is a special warrant article appropriation. Note: This is in addition to Article 3, the operating budget. This article passed 641 to 294.

submitted by - Karen Brown, Director
Nute Library

New London - Voters in New London approved $68,000 to be placed in Capital Reserve Fund for the resolution of lingering building maintenance issues at Tracy Memorial Library.

submitted by - Sandra Licks, Director
Tracy Memorial Library

Pelham - The Pelham Public Library's budget goal for 2008 was to take the initial steps toward pay equity for the library staff. The hourly rates for the Library's lowest paid part-time library assistants were not even on the town employee's pay matrix chart. The library proposed increases of $1.00 per hour for the library assistants and 3% cost of living increases for the full-time staff, resulting in a 7% increase in the library's budget request. At the budget presentation, the Budget Committee was provided with backup materials demonstrating the pay inequity (and inadequate staffing levels) with comparable New Hampshire libraries serving similar populations, along with reports of the increasing demand for services. In response, the Budget Committee did not simply deny the requested increase, they recommended an operating budget 5% less than our 2007 budget, returning the Library to its 2004 level of funding.

The Library Trustees requested a meeting with the Budget Committee to ask for reconsideration of their recommendation, but the request was not acknowledged. At the public hearing on the budget, the Library asked to be heard with Friends of the Library and other supporters present. The Committee Chair stated that we had nothing new to present to them, so we should take our case to the Deliberative Session of the Town Meeting. Faced with the prospect of living with this budget for the entire year, on January 1, 2008, the library reduced its hours from 50 to 42 hours per week, and cut salaries by 5%. At the Deliberative Session, the President of the Friends of the Library made a motion to amend the Town Operating Budget warrant article by increasing the Library's operating budget by $16,000. About a dozen people spoke in support of the motion, several asked the Budget Committee Chariman directly why the cuts were made to the library's budget in view of annual dramatic increases in circulation and attendance. No satisfactory reason was given. The vote was 77 to 5 in favor of the amendment! The victory was sweet, but short lived. At the Ballot Session of Town Meeting, the entire town operating budget was defeated, so we have gone to a default budget. Our 2008 budget is our 2007 budget - which is much better than living with our 2004 budget! The truth is, we still are riding on the momentum of that successful amendment. It was a real boost to the Friends of the Library and all of our supporters to see grass-roots democracy in action. We will build on that momentum. Just wait until next year!

submitted by - Sue Hoadley, Director
Pelham Public Library