St. Mary’s County library trustees approve mobile‑van contract, investment policy and extend fine‑exempt status

The St. Mary’s County Library Board of Trustees on Sept. 20 approved three major items intended to expand services and formalize the library’s fiscal rules: the board accepted a Manifold proposal to build a mobile library van, adopted a revised investment policy governing the library’s OPEB (Other Post‑Employment Benefits) fund, and revised personnel rules to extend fine‑exempt status to certain departing employees.

The actions were taken during the library board’s public meeting and follow staff presentations and exchanges about funding, vendor selection and long‑term pension liabilities. Jim Hanley, board president, moved each of the three formal approvals; votes carried on each motion.

Why it matters: The mobile van is intended to deliver materials, Wi‑Fi and programming to parts of St. Mary’s County that are distant from branch locations. The investment policy governs roughly $1.3 million in OPEB assets and sets target asset allocations; the personnel change alters how the library treats fines for employees who leave after meeting a 10‑year vesting threshold in the state retirement system.

The mobile‑van contract and funding

Board members heard that the library issued an RFP for a mobile library vehicle (bookmobile with Wi‑Fi and accessible programming space) and received a single response from Manifold, a Maryland company. Michael (staff member) told trustees, “We had only 1 response to our RFP. The good news is, Manifold, it is a Maryland company, so the money will stay in the state.” The project cost estimate discussed at the meeting was about $300,000; a $250,000 state grant is available and additional funding is expected from ARPA and LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) sources.

The contract requires a 30% down payment. Michael (staff member) explained the state grant/reimbursement process: the library or county fronts expenses and applies for reimbursement; reimbursements “come very quickly” and typically post within about two weeks. The board voted to accept the Manifold proposal and begin work on the project.

Investment policy and OPEB discussion

Trustees reviewed and adopted a revised investment policy that covers the board’s OPEB assets (described in the meeting as approximately $1.3 million, currently invested by Asset Strategies at Schwab). The policy sets an overall target allocation in which equities are the majority of the portfolio (discussed as roughly 64% equities / 36% fixed income, versus a long‑term 65/35 goal mentioned earlier). The board’s legal review of the draft focused on general permissibility rather than investment selections.

During debate, board members pressed staff and each other on several points: whether exchange‑traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds should be preferred, whether corporate fixed‑income vehicles should be explicitly allowed, and how long a fund must have a performance history (one trustee moved to require a 10‑year minimum track record; that amendment failed). John Walters, board member, asked whether the stated allocations matched underlying holdings; Michael (staff member) explained that moving some REIT allocations into equities changes computed percentages and that final allocations will be coordinated with the investment adviser.

Trustees also discussed the broader funding picture for retiree liabilities. Michael (staff member) said the OPEB fund “will pay all the PAYGO and then it becomes a neutral expense for the library” if the fund reaches recommended levels. Board materials and discussion noted that the plan is currently about 27% funded and that the library budgets annual contributions (the board discussed a $99,000 line in the operating budget) while also covering pay‑as‑you‑go costs when required.

Finance, audit and routine approvals

The board approved routine financial items: minutes from the prior meeting (with a small stated correction), an expense report/EAL acceptance, and the treasurer’s quarterly report. The treasurer reported account balances as of Sept. 15: PNC checking $710; Vanguard investment accounts about $75,952 (shares 7,131.608); a Rudolph account at about $18,820. The board discussed the vendor Unique (a notifications/return‑of‑materials service) and an unexpectedly large billing after reinstating the service following COVID‑era suspensions; staff said they will recommend a funding source next month to cover that one‑time billing.

Audit and staffing updates

Belinda (staff member) was reported to be working with auditors; a draft audit is expected before the board must approve it for state filing (the draft was anticipated so the board could approve it by mid‑October for the Nov. 1 state deadline). Michael (staff member) also reported staffing changes: a new catalog librarian and a digital resource analyst were hired, Kathy Fabienne marked 10 years of service at Lexington Park, and A.M. Dillon was named the library’s ADA coordinator.

Fine‑exempt policy change

The board approved an amendment to Personnel Manual section 6.5 (retiree employee benefits) to extend fine‑exempt privileges beyond retirees. Under the revision, employees who leave the library system in good standing after 10 or more years of service — the state vesting threshold referenced in the discussion — will continue to be exempt from fines on materials checked out. Michael (staff member) said the change will be applied going forward and is not intended as a retroactive amnesty; trustees discussed that the policy responds to a former long‑serving employee who left the system and requested parity with retirees.

Other items

Staff reported Smirla/SMRLA‑related work on tagging materials (an RFID tagging project) and a digital‑content effort: the library is trialing a new e‑book app (named Palace in the meeting) intended to aggregate OverDrive, DPLA and other free content, with further work planned to integrate Hoopla content.

What’s next

Trustees directed staff to send the approved investment policy to Asset Strategies for implementation and to follow up with the vendor selected for the mobile vehicle. Staff will present recommended budget adjustments and the draft audit at future meetings.

Votes at a glance

- Accept minutes from previous meeting (motion to accept minutes with correction): mover Jim Hanley; second Sandy Hellenstein; outcome: approved (ayes recorded orally, unanimous). - Accept EALs/expense report as provided: mover Jim Hanley; second John Walters; outcome: approved (ayes recorded orally, unanimous). - Approve treasurer’s report (quarterly) as presented: mover Jim Hanley; second Michael (staff member); outcome: approved (ayes recorded orally, unanimous). - Accept Manifold proposal for mobile library vehicle (RFP award): mover Jim Hanley; second Janice (board member); outcome: approved (ayes recorded orally, unanimous). - Adopt revised investment policy for OPEB assets: mover Jim Hanley; second Sandy Hellenstein; outcome: approved (ayes recorded orally, majority). - Revise personnel manual section 6.5 to extend fine‑exempt status to employees who leave in good standing after 10+ years: mover Sandy Hellenstein; second John Walters; outcome: approved (ayes recorded orally, unanimous).