At the February PPL Board of Trustees meeting, Board Chair Lisa Churchville reviewed the core principles of the PPL Corporation:
· Charter states its mission is to run “a library” [meaning one?] in Providence, with cursory mention of “branches as advisable.”
· PPL trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to conserve PPL assets: buildings, books, collections, foundation.
· The trustees can only go forward according to the plans already identified, as contained in the Steinberg report, the Strategic Planning report, etc.
· The City of Providence should have oversight over the Providence tax payers’ money [which is used solely for the branches].
Finance Committee Chair Jim Nagle gave the Financial committee report:
He presented the FY 09 Budget options: The choices range from retaining the status quo to closing all nine branches while keeping Central or keeping the branches while closing Central—and everything in between. ANOTHER committee was approved to review all of the option.
The longest discussion (over an hour and a half) came regarding a resolution proposed by long-time trustee Howard Walker. With some minor changes and the addition of a statement regarding “extraordinary” expenses associated with one-time payments for lay-off, mothballing branches, etc., to be paid from the Foundation, the Walker motion passed.
It appears that PPL will use the Foundation’s funds to dismember the Library, but not to save it.
