wflelectedboard.org“Residents for a Free Westhampton Free Library” have created a website aimed at wresting control from a self-appointed board. Citizens are urged to sign a petition and attend the Oct. 30 board meeting.

The word “Free” in the title of the library means that it is a privately-held 501/c/3 non-profit corporation with an “association” status as a library, rather than being a “public” library. Taxes supply 95.27% of its revenues.

Residents passed out 200 leaflets in front of the library Sept. 15-16 calling for an elected board and the resignation of board president Joan Levan. Former WHB town attorney Hermon Bishop wrote in the Oct. 8 Southampton Press that she should resign.

The website has the heading, “Calling for an Elected Board” and says taxpayers in WH school district as well as those in East Quogue, Remsenburg-Speonk, Eastport/South Manor and East Moriches “should have a say in the election of the Westhampton Free Library board members.

“We believe in American and democratic taxation with representation,” it adds.

The library’s total revenues of $2,939,000 in the year ended June 30, 2015 include $2,102,000 from WH residents and $698,000 from the other towns. It has $4,163,931 in cash and cash equivalents partly due to the $1.3 million gift in 2013 by the estate of Ann Skovek. Spending on $3 million in capital projects is planned which may involve using 2,500 square feet of attic space. There will be public meetings on such plans.

Board Refuses to Set Nighttime Meeting

The Oct. 30 meeting has been set for 9:30 a.m., which has become a bone of contention.

Former library employee Sabina Trager said she submitted a verbal and written request to the board at its July 15 meeting to consider an evening meeting so more citizens could attend.

She made the same request at the Aug. 12 meeting, saying board members made no response to the request.

Trager then met on Sept. 4 with library director Danielle Waskiewicz and made the same request. The response, Waskiewicz told her, was that the board was “considering” a move to the evening.

A dozen citizens were angered Oct. 14 when they showed up for a board meeting set for 9:30 a.m. only to find out it had been cancelled the night before. Staffers said this was the first time a board meeting had been cancelled at the last minute.

Among those who showed up were Bishop and Southampton Press reporter Greg Wehner who posted a story about the cancellation.

Andrews of Corcoran Is Library VP

The only email of a WH library board member that is publicly available is that is Karen Andrews, who as VP has the second highest title on the board. It is available because she is an agent with the Corcoran Group, part of Realogy Holdings Corp., Madison, N.J.

Realogy, with $5.52 billion in sales, is the nation’s largest residential real estate firm. (NYSE: RLGY). Founder Barbara Corcoran sold the company in 2001 for $70 million to Cendant Corp. and Apollo Mgmt.

Anne Lacombe, VP-PR of Corcoran and Anna Crowley, PR manager of Corcoran, have been informed via emails of the crisis at the WH library and the No. 2 position of Andrews on the board but have not responded.

Citizens Urged to Write Letters to Press

The “Free Westhampton Free Library” website urges residents to “be informed” and to write letters to the Southampton Press and 27east.com and attend library board meetings.

It also asks residents to share the website with friends and sign the change.org petition that is on the site.