Glen Ridge library board approves new flooring, duct cleaning as 2024 budget takes shape
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Trustees approved $21,645.60 for new flooring in the second back reading room from Direct Flooring and up to $4,500 for duct cleaning with Shoot Masters (scheduled for January), both funded from the Building Fund. The board also adopted resolution 2023-12, the formal paperwork needed to complete moving library cash into the New Jersey Cash Management Fund approved the previous month.
On finance, the treasurer reported the library pacing at 80% of its annual budget through October, with the first construction payment of $72,235 made to GJG Construction. Initial 2024 budget planning showed total planned spending of $871,358 (up 4.76% year over year), driven partly by a BCCLS billing-formula change (population to active users) that added 6.5% to costs; staff expenses were held to a 3% increase in line with the borough, while programming spending was increased 16%. On Geoffrey Darby's recommendation, interest income from the new state fund was budgeted at $10,000.
The board also approved the 2024 holiday calendar as amended, opting to observe Juneteenth on its federal date (June 19) rather than New Jersey's floating Friday observance, and to close November 7, 2023 for a staff development day. The December board meeting was moved up to a 6:00 p.m. start, with the holiday dinner to follow rather than precede it. The Director reported the library was launching a seed library in partnership with the Environmental Advisory Committee and had joined the Palace Project digital-content platform.
Trustees Geoffrey Darby and Jeanna Velechko arrived after the vote to approve the October 11 meeting minutes, so that vote passed 7-0 without them present rather than unanimously among the full board; every other vote that evening, including the flooring, duct-cleaning, NJ Cash Management resolution and holiday-calendar motions, passed unanimously once the full board was seated.
What to watch
- Final 2024 budget vote expected at the December board meeting
- Duct cleaning with Shoot Masters scheduled for January 2024
- New reading-room flooring installation to follow board approval