 library building. Seeing a quorum of the Jones library buildings and facilities committee. I'm calling this meeting to order at 903. So let's see, let's perform a sound check to make sure everybody can hear and be heard. Farah. Yeah, George here on the move it didn't hit the North Amherst Library outside. Alex Lefebvre I'm here and Sharon is here as well. So pursuant to chapter 20 of the acts of 2021, this meeting will be conducted via remote means members of public who wish to access the meeting can do so by clicking on the live link to this new meeting that can be found in the public meetings calendar on the town of Amherst website or by dialing in by phone. The public is able to comment during the public comment segment of the posted agenda by raising their hand. This meeting is being recorded and will be posted on the library website. See, I've learned to change that at the last minute. Okay, so first order of business is the minutes of June 21st. Anyone make a motion to approve those minutes. Make a motion to approve the minutes. Great. Second. Second. Lovely. Any questions, comments on the minutes? Okay, hearing none. Farah, how do you vote? To approve? Yes. Yes. Sorry. No, that's okay. I'm not rolling on all cylinders. I haven't had breakfast yet, George. Yes. And Alex votes yes. The second order of business that we have looks like we're going straight to public comments. I do see that we have three people in attendance. One of which is Nate Malloy. I don't know if Nate is going to be pulled in later, but if anyone has a comment they'd like to make in the public, now would be the time you can virtually raise your hand and we'll bring you in. Okay, seeing none. We'll move on to the next item of the agenda, which is the Community Preservation Act Agreement. So there was in our packet a Community Preservation Act grant agreement. This is with respect to the million dollars that the Friends of the Jones Development Committee applied for, for special collections as part of the library project. And before hearing a motion, I actually have a couple of questions. And since we have Nate with us, maybe Nate's the person who can respond to that. So I'm hoping Nate can hear us. Welcome. Yes, I'm here. Ben, Ben Breger might be here as well, but I can, I'll make up some answers. I don't, he's not in the audience. Okay, all right. So, so I just, my question was, I mean, what was sent over to us seems like a pretty standard agreement for accepting CPA funds and, you know, indemnification language and how the invoices are to be paid. And, you know, when we took, when we received money relative to the chimney, etc., that made sense. But this situation is rather unique in the sense that it is, the project is being run by a town committee at this point, not a library committee. The invoices are being paid by the town finance director after approvals by a town committee. And the trustees have already signed a memorandum of understanding with town that we will pay the funds. So I'm, so this, this doesn't feel like a document that's, it feels like a standard document that's not representative of the sort of unique situation that we're in. And I'm wondering, because we have the MOU, like, do we need to be signing a document? And if so, we'd have to make a lot of changes to this one to sort of make it look like what's really happening. Yeah, I mean, I think this is a standard, you know, CPA grant agreement. It's just a, you know, it'll be considered the contract between the town and the library so that we can encumber the funds to be paid out. And if, you know, it may not be representative of the process for this project, I wouldn't, I mean, I wouldn't be too hung up on the language, because I don't think we're going to withhold funds. So we just want to make sure that it's worked or formed based on the scope that was in the CPA proposal and what was funded. So, you know, it's a, it was pretty generic, but for special collections. And so, you know, and I talked to Ben about this, I just said that, you know, we don't want to, you know, if we, for instance, usually we'd ask for, you know, a schedule of values if this was a project and in the payment request, once it's approved, you want to, we'd want to see that work had been done for special collections. So it'd be something similar and it could just be that, you know, the OPM provides, like a cover memo or cover letter, which is very brief with payment requests saying that, you know, this, you know, this has been spent on special collections, whether it's, you know, a design piece or construction, because I don't, you know, I don't think the work is going to separate it out as that on a schedule of values. So it's really then, you know, someone from the project side, you know, you know, stating that the work's been done and, you know, maybe the trustees would or Sharon, you know, we'd want someone from the library then to just confirm that and that would be sufficient to process a payment, right? We just want to make sure that there's some confirmation that work was done according to the CPA proposal. So, yeah, I understand what you're saying about how it's really going to work, but, you know, really we just want some proof that the work was done and that the library approves of it and then we'll pay it. Yeah, and that all sounds great, but when you say, I, so my prior history was in malpractice, so signing documents that aren't representative of agreements, I like, I literally can't recommend to the board that we do that. So if it just, like, you know what I mean? Like if the document is, the whole reason for contracts, as you know, I've said this before, the whole reason for contracts is when things go sideways, you go to the contract and so signing a contract that nobody intends to follow, there's no reason to sign a contract in that case. So can we then come up with either a contract specific to this or can we come up with maybe another MOU about how we handle the payment so that you guys can follow it? I mean just something along the lines of what you just said would be great and I would no problems. Sure, yeah, I mean do you have the version, do you have the CPA agreement in a Word document and we could just track change it and you could, you know, just change the payment section or something. It's not just the payment section though, Nate, it's the whole, it gets into the whole thing like there's an indemnity clause and again, we're like it's who's paying how's like literally every aspect of this language is you'd have to rewrite most of it and I think it would be far more cumbersome to try to finagle what we're doing into this document and again I'm like happy to do whatever needs to be done I just think it's gonna be a lot more work to try to and we already have a memorandum of understanding with the town saying we're gonna pay. Yeah, so let me, you know, right, you know the Comptroller Sonia would and you know accounting and Sean would want to look at it too so I can reach out to them and just ask if there is a simpler agreement we could get in place. You know the restriction that those trustees have already signed is in place so you know the big usually with CPA funds the you know it's really important it's trying to get a restriction on the property which we already have and so we don't need to get a new one. Exactly. And really it's just then you know right how do we process these payments so we'll need a document, you know some type of contractor document that's signed by the library in the town so we can encumber the funds that's I mean that's really what accounting we'll need so as I can just ask them what they need what you know what what would suffice. Yeah and I would actually really love to hear if you could check in with Sean because I mean as far I mean tell me if I'm wrong Sharon but Sean's paying the bills so right so I think like checking in with Sean about what makes sense and what's actually happening and again this is because the friends of the Jones right are the ones who applied for this so technically like I don't even like I don't know whether it goes to them and then we send it or whether it just goes directly like yeah. Was it the friends of the I thought it was the Jones not I don't know we'd have to I mean to look yeah yeah I'll have to look I mean they're the ones who did the application but I'm sure the trustees ultimately had to sign off on it but right so that's why I think the contractor probably would be with the trustees or you know whoever would sign something this will call it a payment agreement would be the trustees in the town and I would have and in Sharon we'd have to check too like I don't know I don't even I don't even know like how the funds go like I don't know who the CPA would issue would they issue it to you know I mean so I just think all those details need to be worked out yeah so and then we just formalize it and then we sign it. So what we've been doing is the friends just pay the town directly but as far as the bills so the OPM would say yep here's the bill this this work has been done Craig would sign it I would sign it Sean McGona would sign it and then town accounting would pay that bill directly to the contractor. Yeah for CPA it's kind of interesting you know we'll enter into a contract with the entity that applied you know typically like a property owner or you know LLC or non-profit or something but then sometimes we'll I guess tricky sometimes we'll pay the vendor directly then but then the vendor you know needs a W9 it becomes you know part of the town kind of record and we've been trying to get away from that but the irony is most places apply for CPA funds because they don't have the cash flow to pay for the work and so then how can they pay for the work and when we then we reimburse them right so non-profit asked for 300,000 to do some work and then it's like oh well you know take out another loan for 300,000 but then we'll pay you back right away and it just so you know it's kind of strange the idea is that they are applying for these funds because they just don't have that money to do the work and so you know sometimes we'll say well approve the payment from the contractor we'll write that entity a check and then once the check's received by you know the non-profit entity they have to act on it and then pay the contractor the problem there is it could take you know the town 30 days to make a payment right you miss the payment cycle and then by the time you get money to write up contractor so there's a lag there and some are understanding and sometimes it's like you know do you really want to wait 60 days for a payment so let me talk to Sean which to me even more makes me want to talk to Sean but because at the end of the day like the trustees have said you know by the time this is over in five years we will have given the six and a half million which is inclusive of you know right the CPA funds and how and when Sean wants to receive them is really up to the town not and we've said we'll give them as we receive them which you know we get the first half million that we just wrote a check for before so yeah this I really feel like this needs to be driven by town and then we'll happily I would imagine sign off on whatever makes the most sense for for the town finance department so yeah I mean typically like I said we don't pay and you know we pay for work reform the town will pay for work reform please you don't like you know forward it you know a cash advance or anything and so we just did this with Valley and we had a you know further 132 North Hampton Road project East Gables and you know they you know it was a half million in CPA and we they just invoiced us for all of that with one invoice it's not you know it's simpler because it's just you know the town and Valley but you know they've incurred the cost they met the requirements of what the CPA agreement said and you know we just they just send an invoice and we're the town will process it you know it is different with the library I think it's I'm assuming it's a borrowing so then we also you know I think it was we'd start drawing on this fiscal year FY 23 so you know it's like once we start the question is like if you don't think you need it for next fiscal year then sometimes it's better not to start the borrowing you know and let it let it go for two fiscal years and and Sean got the schedule because we get we get money from the mblc after certain milestones and so there is a whole schedule of anticipated borrowing and when money will be paid and so again going back to you know sitting down with Sean and and probably our opm and just figuring out what makes the most sense and then putting I don't think it's complicated I just think we just need to figure out sort of what the pieces are and then writing agreement that matches that and then we'll go ahead and you know right so again so you know what precipitated this happening is originally you know I think Sharon reached out and said we may need confirmation that the town's money is available or as a I don't want to say a match but that there's commitment from the town the library to be able to apply for or receive other funding for the project and so you know I drafted maybe an award letter which sometimes we send out and sometimes you don't when CPA funds are allocated and so I think there had been a generic email from Sonya you know the other year but it wasn't you know it wasn't signed so then we're thinking okay could the town manager really that's the position authorized to say the funds are available and so you know it goes back to we can work on this agreement you know and we can try to figure out something really simple that works and then the question also is if you need some you know something in writing and signed by the town stating that the funds are available or committed or something for um you know for other funding just let us know there's a draft letter that I you know I think I shared with Sharon at one point and you know we would just have to make sure that that's accurate and then we can have the town sign it and provide it so that's really why this started right and then I said oh well if we're starting this we might as well just get the CPA agreement signed too because you know it's just easier to get it done with sure sure okay did anybody else have any questions comments thoughts okay Nate thank you very much for attending and appreciate um yeah appreciate as always your attendance and flexibility around unique situations yeah I know that yeah I know it is it is and every time every time there's something different I work with first time home buyer programs just a quick anecdote and you know one wants to refinance and then they said oh we're doing this and you know there's a new situation for the program and it's like the town never likes to subordinate agreements but it's like your banks will say well we're not going to you know have a 50,000 top $50,000 of the town be above you know a refinance on a house and so then you know it's been weeks of going back and forth in negotiations and it's just yeah you know it's funny that if you're not really flexible then it's like it's just won't make things work so it's great that we have good staff and I've been reaching out to Sean and others about this other one too a lot just getting advice because we need you know we want to help people and make it work so yeah well appreciate it yeah I'll reach out to Sean we'll see how this can I mean maybe I'm hoping it's just like the one page CPA agreement then yeah great one's been voted everyone you know it's not like there's a question about supporting the project so it's really just how do we satisfy accounting exactly exactly all right we look forward to the whatever whatever comes our way that that you're able to to work out with with Sean and Sonya and everyone else in town so thank you great yeah thanks for being responsive to our need to have a document that you know so we can apply for other grants so appreciate it thank you Nate thanks all right so the next item on the agenda is the North Amherst Library Building project George are you giving that because you're standing like outside I mean I could because we have all these great visuals as long as I don't lose service again so where we are at right now everything is out of the Montague Road property and either in the new temporary space or in storage and we also did a lot of weeding so everything is in here the IT has been mostly set up we should have phones by the end of the week and we just this morning received some shelving which I will be assembling today I know there's no staff scheduled to be in the building today but hopefully tomorrow when they come in they can actually start shelving some books so that's a wonderful thing we have not heard the only other things beyond that are signage and positioning the book drop outside the space and we are still waiting for confirmation that those site plant because they had to be a site plan change so we're just waiting for confirmation that that has been approved by the town and that is being orchestrated by Arthur here at the Coles property he's he's handling that part of it so once that's done we can have the book drop outside and we'll have signage and it'll all be wonderful so yeah I think that's where I'm at I don't know if that's Sharon has anything to add to that or not no just you know the mill district has been awesome they've been so patient and staff are really excited to get in there it's going to be a very cool space there's more space there's seating you know that space for the computers lots of parking and it's just what the mill district has there for families it's just one big playground actually and it's just lends itself beautifully to story times and things like that so we're we're excited to open yeah any Barron do you have any questions comments I had one I know that the district one neighborhood association Dona has I think in the press release they had talked about wanting to participate in opportunities around programming and I guess I just want to know is there a timeline if people are wanting to volunteer to help with programming or help with story times is there how much time does the staff need to settle in before they can then sort of take volunteers to help them with things yeah I don't know so our head of branch services Petra pendroff just started what two weeks ago something like that so she you know she's going back and forth between the months in and the mill district and they're all going to do it together you know so staff are really you know becoming one and stay tuned okay they'll make all sorts of announcements when they're when they're ready okay great okay so are we going to open if we don't have all of our shelving yet if we get the signage and the book drop will we just open with some some boxes or are we waiting until we get the rest of the shelving from town or what's do we have a glanner on that shelving just got here this morning so I I don't know right I don't think so but I don't know if we'll be able to get more so we just don't know yet so if we can open with what we have we will yeah and if if you know if we can't get any more shelving then we'll put the rest of the books in storage okay got it good okay all right I think the last item on the agenda is topics not anticipated by the chair oh no that's not there but I don't have any topics that I didn't anticipate so yeah anything else or is that it okay we did have a leak in special collections not a leak an hvac problem no that's unanticipated again because the ac um yeah one of the you know as we all know there are three units above special collections storage and one of the units froze up and of course proceeded to leak water but no water got into special collections itself we had a tech there yesterday we thought out the unit we have it running they've pressure tested it and it seems okay but we are watching it daily just to make sure that there are no issues oh and I think this is the one unit that we haven't outright replaced mechanical parts on yet sorry okay so far so good keep us keep us in the loop and thank you George for you're welcome working at multiple buildings simultaneously and and and limping that system across hard you have a question yeah this is about Jones Sharon do we have any idea of possible places for temporary locations for the Jones yes we we received we have a couple of ideas and I'm not sure that uh I'm not sure that it's ready to be shared only because folks have reached out to us and now the opm needs to analyze and I I'd hate to say oh here's possibility and then for everybody's hearts to get crushed okay so um we'll see but we are I don't it's what I have received is not enough square footage rise so we still are looking for more possibilities whether it's office space or really spaces to put the books you know the for adult circulation that kind of a thing so if you know anyone or do you have a hand up or are you no I don't have a hand up tell if you're shielding yourself from the sun yeah I'm shielding from the sun yeah okay good all right um then if no one has anything else yet another quick building some facilities meeting so thank you guys so much thank you 26 thanks have a great day bye