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Three trustees of the Westhampton Library board, including president Joan Levan, bowed to public opinion today by resigning from the board. Their replacements were criticized on the ground they were not democratically elected.
Resigning besides Levan were trustees June Sellin and Marth-Ann Betjemann. Appointed to succeed the three were Tom Moore, Barbara Matros and Susan Rosenberg. There is no board president thus far.
The appointment of Moore, husband of Westhampton Beach Mayor Maria Moore, brought howls of protest from the more than 60 residents present at a meeting that lasted an hour and a half. They claimed it was an obvious conflict of interest.
Directors, left to right are Karen Andrews, vice president, Susan Rosenberg and Tom Moore
Moore had been on the library board until this spring when residents said it was a conflict of interest. She resigned, saying she only stayed on to help new board member Betjaman.
Rosenberg retired in 2014 as a math and science teacher at WHB high school, where she taught 38 years. Matros taught Spanish, Latin and English at the high school for 33 years, retiring in 2005.
Members of the audience rose more than 30 times mostly to protest the failure of the board to immediately switch to an elected board and to schedule board meetings in the evening. The board voted after the meeting to hold all sessions for the rest of the fiscal year at 7 p.m. at night
Levan, asked why the Oct. 14 meeting had been cancelled, refused to elaborate. Neither board members nor library director Danielle Waskiewicz would explain the failure of Kevin Verbesey, director of the Suffolk Cooperativ Library System, to appear. He was to have discussed how the WH library board could changed to an elected board.
Among speakers was former WHB town attorney Hermon Bishop who said there was no reason the board could not quickly make such a decision.
Board members said they would take requests of the citizens under advisement since they had not had a chance to meet yet.
This reporter was among the speakers, saying that in hosting a vigorous debate by citizens the library was performing the new role for such institutions as advocated by the American Library Assn. ALA annual gives the Gordon M. Conable Award to libraries that host such meetings.
Criticisms were also voiced about the $3 million being set aside for capital improvements. It was pointed out that the $7.5 million building is only five years old and that funds should be spent on speakers that explore issues facing WHB.
Numerous speakers noted that almost all of the library’s funds come from taxpayers (96% from real estate taxes) and said the board should be more responsive to public opinion.
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