The Westhampton Free Library board last night heard detailed plans for spending millions on the six-year-old building. Residents were not notified.
Residents at the Westhampton Free Library meeting admonished the board for not publicizing the major presentation that was to be made at the meeting on construction plans.
A 35-minute Power Point presentation was made of plans to build out the attic of the library including blueprints and options. A total of $1.9 million has been allocated to construction and interior design. There are also plans to spend $1 million on acquisition of a parking lot.
Citizens at the meeting were perplexed at the failure of the board to publicize the presentation either by posters in the library or an announcement on the library’s website or a release to the press.
“It’s just another example of the library board providing zero accountability and transparency,” said a resident.
Tom Moore, board president, husband of Westhampton Beach Mayor Maria Moore, replying to criticisms by residents at the meeting, said the plans were “preliminary.”
Four residents were present at the meeting. They noted that neither the July nor August board meetings were publicized in the library newsletter that is sent to 14,000 library card holders.
Board Feel It’s Being “Attacked”
Trustee Susan Rosenberg asked why citizens feel they have “a need to attack the board?” They replied that citizens have a right to know what actions the board is taking with millions of dollars of taxpayer money and that taxpayers should be told when such plans are being revealed.
Present at the meeting were three architects from H2M, Melville, N.Y. They left after their presentation and did not hear any of the questions or remarks of residents. The meeting lasted 56 minutes. The same firm is using a topographic and boundary survey of Main street made by Fox Land Surveying that could be used should WHB decide to install a new sewage treatment system.
The cost of the survey, which will take four to six weeks, is $24,000.
The board, asked whether the library construction project is being put out to bid, did not provide a firm answer to the question.
Citizens, who have created the “Free the Westhampton Free Library” website, have been pleading for more than a year with the board to switch from appointed to elected status.
Sag Harbor Library Switched to Elected Board
WH residents noted that The John Jermain Memorial Library, Sag Harbor, is a Suffolk County association library like the Westhampton Free Library. Unlike the WFL, however, the JJML Board amended its by-laws in 2004 to change from an appointed board to an elected board.
The Library has had an elected board for a dozen years and there have been no negative issues involving civil service, said WH residents.
The Sag Harbor board invited community organizations to join a Community Library Committee to assist in determining the best approach for the expansion of library services. Twenty-four community leaders participated. The committee formed a community-based Library Development Committee. Nearly forty residents participated.
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