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Libby trustees authorize up to $10,000 appraisal of collection, debate funds and governance
Summary
Acting as Libby trustees, the board approved spending up to $10,000 to hire a New Hampshire appraisal cooperative to inventory and value the Libby Museum collection and discussed capital-reserve accounting, potential use of Huff Moving for storage, and the need for trustee bylaws and public sessions.
The board, sitting as Libby trustees on June 3, voted to contract with the New Hampshire Antique Cooperative to perform a comprehensive appraisal of the Libby Museum collection for up to $10,000. The vendor will perform an on-site visit (estimated three to four days) and produce a full report over several months that groups like-items and lists significant specimens for individual appraisal.
Select Board members and trustees discussed logistics including whether items would be moved (the coop will not move items for appraisal; professional crating and off-site storage would be a separate step), possible use of Huff Moving to crate and store items, and whether the Friends of the Libby might share costs. One trustee asked for a current accounting of the Libby capital reserve and for clarity on where previously collected dock funds have been held; trustees agreed to obtain an accounting and consult the town attorney about whether funds should be held in a capital-reserve account rather than in the general fund.
Members also discussed greater transparency: scheduling public records review for documents related to the Libby and asking the charitable-trust unit (CTU) to provide state records. A member of the public urged trustees to adopt bylaws and a clear agenda format to guide trustee meetings.
Vote details: Motion to contract for the appraisal (not to exceed $10,000) passed by the trustees; board authorized the expenditure and will provide a 90-day update to the CTU as required.
