Three Middletown Library Branches Likely Closing

This article has also been posted on Middletown-Patch

By Linda Baum

The Middletown Library Board will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 19 at the Library’s main branch on 55 New Monmouth Road. The meeting is open to the public. If you care about your Library, you will not want to miss this opportunity to help shape its future as service cuts loom. See the meeting agenda here.

A lot has gone on with regard to our Library over the last two years. In 2011, under pressure to do so, the Library Board agreed to transfer $499,947 of Library funds to the Township. That was followed in mid-2012 by an unexpected, and potentially excessive, increase of several hundred thousand in the amount charged by the Township for services it handles on the Library’s behalf. There were also significant changes to the Library Board’s membership this year.

The Library’s primary source of funding comes from its municipal appropriation. The minimum funding level, established by law, is based on equalized valuations for properties in the Township. The municipal appropriation is $3,470,977 for 2013 and has declined almost $700,000 since 2009 in line with reduced property values. Prior to the 2011 transfer of funds to the Township, the Library had about $1.3 million in reserves. That may sound like a lot, but it is clear how quickly revenue reductions and expense increases can change the Library’s financial picture. Reserves are necessary to maintain the level of services from year to year, and are also set aside for capital improvements. I am not sure of the amount of reserves available now. It may be a few hundred thousand, but that is hardly enough if funding levels continue to drop and extraordinary expenses – such as replacement of aging air conditioning and heating units – arise.

http://www.lincroftvillagegreen.org/pdf/LibraryBudgetFACTS_FINAL.pdf

As mentioned above, the Township handles certain functions for the Library, mainly payroll, benefits, and insurance coverages. The Library reimburses the Township for these “chargebacks”, a common arrangement for many towns. For 2012, the Township significantly increased the amount of the chargeback for the year by $338,493, representing more than a 30% increase from the prior year, as spelled out in the following letter to the Library Board this June:

http://ia601209.us.archive.org/25/items/MiddletownTownshipChargebackLetter6712/DOC062112.pdf

My review of the 2012 chargeback analysis uncovered significant overcharges for certain line items. For a detailed explanation, see the letter I wrote on this topic:

  http://archive.org/details/DivisionOfLocalGovernmentServicesLetter

It is important to scrutinize the 2012 chargeback calculation because inaccuracies may perpetuate into future years. Unfortunately, the Library trustees quickly approved the chargeback without asking questions or demanding answers, even after errors were brought to their attention.

The Township determines the chargeback amount annually and removes that amount from the Library’s municipal appropriation monies under the Township’s control. (This year some monies also came from the Library’s other funds, like fines & copier fees, to pay the bill.) Historically, the Library has little say in the determination of the chargeback, has never not paid the chargeback, and has received little supporting documentation for any year to verify the accuracy of the amount charged. In spite of that, Township officials are now claiming that the Library did not pay its share of pension costs for one or more prior years. This accusation is unfair since the chargeback calculation was not within the Library’s control. Further, if a line item breakdown of costs was not provided for prior years – and I don’t believe one was – the Library would have no way of knowing what costs were included in the total charge. Regardless, it is not clear to me what this issue has to do with the 2012 chargeback calculation, unless the intent is to justify excessive charges this year, which only leads to more questions about the accuracy of charges in prior years.

Something else I would like to shed light on are the Library employee raises that Township Committee members have been critical of. The 6% raises were per the 2007 library employees’ contract, running 2007-2009. The contract broke ground in that it included a contribution toward health benefits of 2% of salary. Library employees were the first in the Township to start paying toward their health benefits, ahead of police unions who began paying 1.5% in 2010 and other Township employees who began contributing 1.5% in 2011. The raises were also intended to bring library salaries to competitive levels in order to attract qualified individuals. Library employees received no raise in 2010, 1% in 2011, and 1% in 2012, and they continue to pay 2% toward health benefits, still more than other employees in the Township.

It is unfortunate that out Library and its dedicated Director, Susan O’Neal, have been the target of harsh and unfair criticism by Township officials. Our Library has been run successfully for many years under Ms. O’Neal’s leadership, keeping up with changing technology and providing programs that serve residents’ needs. Monies have been well managed and savings had been accumulated as required to ensure ongoing operations. But in spite of that, the Library – its Director – has been accused of not being able to live within a budget. That is absurd. We are very lucky to have Ms. O’Neal, who is regarded as being at the top of her field and who had the high honor last year of serving as president of the New Jersey Library Association.

Ms. O’Neal had the additional responsibility this year of providing training for 8 new board members -- 7 are new Township appointees and 1 is the School Superintendent's pick. The new appointments were for various reasons, including term expirations, resignations, and an increase in the size of the Board. The Board consisted of 7 seats prior to 2012. The Township Committee added two seats to the Library Board this year, increasing membership from 7 to 9. Thus, the Board was re-structured in a short amount of time.

In response to criticism over political interference in Library operations, Township elected officials have said that the Library is part of Township and that they would not do anything to harm it. However, I don’t think anyone can argue that the siphoning of nearly $500K in 2011 and the excessive chargeback in 2012 have harmed the Library, already strained by declining revenues and now facing big cuts that include branch closures, reductions in operating hours, and layoffs.

I hope this post helps residents to better understand the issues that may be addressed at Wednesday night’s meeting.

Destruction of Library Board is Reason to Vote Democratic in Middletown

This letter appears online today at the Atlantic Highlands Herald


I urge the election of Linda Baum to the Middletown township committee because she is intelligent and possesses sharp, sound financial acumen, while the opposition Republican campaign is morally bankrupt. Mr. Massell has claimed to be eager to find waste in Middletown government spending. Since his party has had unbroken control for a generation, one would believe that the present administration is responsible for remaining waste. He claims to have saved Middletown money by single-stream recycling. However, Middletown was late to adopt this practice which became available through enormous equipment investments by recycling companies, not by municipal action. Massell claims that the township’s sale of the swim club was a win for the taxpayers, but he is part of the same organization that acclaimed the benefit given to Middletown by its purchase some years ago. Obviously, he implies they made a mistake by buying the swim club in the first place.

The worst of the misdeeds of the present administration is the destruction of an independent Middletown Library board of trustees and their replacement by political tools. The new board members are largely drawn from the Middletown Republican County Committee and follow the dictates of the township committee. After the township committee raided the library last year for about $500,000 of its surplus, funds raised almost entirely from non-municipal sources, the new board has continued the depletion of the library’s reserves, monies accumulated for needed repairs and capital improvements, expenses that had been previously paid by township appropriation. In addition, the new library board has acquiesced to inappropriate township charge backs for which they receive either no justification or an inadequate accounting. In an area where I have expertise, property and casualty insurance, the township’s excessive charge back is tantamount to theft by the municipality of funds from an organization where state-mandated funding is designed to remove the library from political manipulation. The township committee has put in place actions that will destroy the standard of library service that Middletown residents have enjoyed for many years.

Ms. Baum’s long experience in finance and her intelligence make her clearly qualified to serve the township. Her willingness to speak out over irregularities in the present administration’s conduct of its affairs demonstrates that her voice will be heard over the self-serving dealings of a one-party machine.

Randall Gabrielan
Middletown, NJ

It's Your Town - Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 24-12/19/11

The latest and last edition of "It's Your Town" newsletter for the year, which covers the Middletown Township Committee meeting for Dec. 19th, 2011, is now available for your reading pleasure.

Besides the usual contents of the newsletter such as the monthly bill list and various ordinances and resolutions, inside this newsletter you will read a very accurate representation of the public hearing concerning the expansion of the Middletown Library's Board of Trustees, Ordinance 2011-3048 , which became a rather testy affair at times between acting mayor Tony Fiore and the members of the public that stepped forward to address their concerns over the expansion of the board.

The expansion of the Library Board is seen by many as a way for the Township to gain greater influence over the Library's budget and business dealings, to ensure that future surpluses are readily available for the Township's purposes and a repeat of the public spectacle that took place earlier this year over the Township Committee's ruthlessly brutal extortion of $500K worth of surplus and reserved funds from the Library.

This was also the last Township Committee meeting of acting deputy-mayor Pamela Brightbill, who decided not to seek reelection to the Township Committee this year. A Proclamation was presented to Brightbill for her years of service.

You can download the newsletter ..... Here

Dec 19th Hearing on the Ordinance Adding Two Additional Trustees to the Library Board: M'town Patch & Independent articles contain inaccuracies

By guest blogger Linda Baum

If you are a regular to Mike’s blog, by now you are well informed about the Library’s $500,000 transfer to the Township this year and the Town Committee’s plan to increase the number of Library trustees from 7 to 9 in 2012.

A public hearing on the Ordinance increasing Board membership was held at the Town Committee meeting on Monday, December 19th. Several reporters were present at the hearing. Mike Davis’s article in the Independent and Sue Morgan’s in the Middletown Patch were posted within a day or two. While they get points for timeliness, they lose some for accuracy.

Sue Morgan misstates the amount of the Library’s annual budget as $700K – it is $3.7M – but that is a minor error compared to the second to last sentence of her article. She wrote:

“Under an agreement hammered out by both the board and the committee, the township is now carrying the debt service on the library’s parking lot which recently underwent extensive repairs, the mayor added.”

The statement is inaccurate in two ways. As far as I know, there was no major work done to the lot recently, and the Library did not proceed with its lot expansion. Further, per the agreement this year between the Library and the Township, the Library has only two options for covering the cost of its capital improvements – they can pay cash or they can make the debt service payments on bonds (or notes) issued by the Township.

I don’t recall Mayor Fiore making the statement as it reads in the Patch article, and I think it can be attributed to an intentionally misleading comment he made, as quoted in the Independent, about encompassing “some of [the Library’s] capital projects into [the Township’s] capital program, including their parking lot and solar projects.” That made it sound like the Township is paying, but there is no cost to the Township for either the lot expansion or the solar project, which is a power purchase arrangement that involves no capital outlay.

Both the Independent and Patch articles included comments made by both Melanie Elmiger and myself. Melanie presented her comments very well at the hearing and I think they were captured fairly accurately in the articles. However, I think some of what I said was misrepresented in the Independent.

I would like to set the record straight, so here is a recap of my comments at the hearing along with excerpts from the Independent where I feel Mike Davis missed the mark.

Mayor Fiore has been framing the increase in Library Board membership as just an increase in public participation, with no other motive. So if more participation is a good thing for the Library Board, I questioned why that isn’t also true for the Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) Board and for the Town Committee itself, both with just 5 members each controlling budgets of $9 million and $60 million, respectively. In contrast, the Library Board currently has 7 members, soon to be 9, overseeing a budget of $3.7 million.

My point was that the Town Committee’s stance about the need for more public participation on the Library Board runs counter to their stance about the participation levels on other boards & committees. (Keep in mind the Town Committee has resisted the formation of a finance committee that would increase public participation and oversight of its own activities.)

Mayor Fiore replied that TOMSA has 7 board members, and I was quick to correct him that it is a 5-member board with 2 alternates, where only 5 vote at any time. Fiore again insisted, incorrectly, that there are 7 members.

Besides the inconsistencies in board size, there are also inconsistencies in oversight. I compared the Township’s scrutiny of the Library’s budget and operations to its hands-off approach to TOMSA and said that a consistent policy was needed. Fiore said that they do oversee TOMSA and that the money TOMSA gave to the Township – $730K over the last two years – is proof of that. Ridiculous. As I see it, that handout could just as easily be interpreted as a concession to avoid scrutiny. Regardless, it certainly can’t be construed as proof of oversight.

(An aside: If the Town Committee is really overseeing TOMSA and is so gung ho about public participation, how is it the TOMSA Board was able to avoid the public’s eye recently by ignoring a legal mandate to publish notice of their budget hearing? And shouldn’t oversight of TOMSA’s budget entail elimination of unwarranted expenses, such as medical and pension benefits for Board members? The Township has sanctioned these costs!)

Mike Davis’s article contains some partial quotes, inaccuracies, and re-ordering of comments that, combined, miss the point I was trying to make. He describes my comments as follows:

“Public participation is a good thing. You see [that] nine members are needed to oversee a $3.8 million budget,” she said, also citing the seven members who make up the Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority.”

The Township Committee was not exempt, she said.

“Right now you have five people on the Township Committee controlling a $60 million budget. It seems to me you need a consistent policy here. If you’re going to watch one closely, watch them all closely,” Baum said.

I think that anyone reading that would have trouble following my logic. Also, he makes it sound like I’m arguing in favor of the two additional appointees to the Library Board, which I wasn’t. I’m against it given the current political environment, but I admit I may not have stated that outright. I didn’t organize my comments as well as Melanie did, so I can understand if there was confusion.

What You Missed at the Middletown Library Board’s June 15th Meeting

by guest blogger Linda Baum

It was just me again Wednesday night, a little discouraged that more people didn’t show up to support the library. Anyway, here’s what you missed in those 3 hours.

First, an update on the $500K transfer. Scheduled for this meeting was final review of the strategic plan and annual report to be submitted to the State Librarian, plus a required second vote by the Board as to whether or not to proceed with the transfer.

The Board’s review of the budget forecast began with Ms. O’Neal pointing out the obvious, that library funding would be painfully low for years to come. Ms. Miloscia asked, since they would be giving up a lot, if the town would recognize that gesture in the future when the library needs assistance as well. Initially, this struck me as a silly question because I think the town committee has made it clear in which direction they expect money to flow. But it has since occurred to me the Board has a perfect right to know what the arrangement with the town will be. Committeeman Settembrino gave a well rehearsed response free of promises. He said that he didn’t see why not, but mentioned non-starters like the tax cap and the changing leadership on the committee (which will still be republican-controlled next year, by the way). And as evidence of the town’s concern for the library, he pointed out that the town’s 2012 capital improvement plan already includes them (under this plan, the town issues the debt and the library pays the debt service). Ms. O’Neal asked if the Board would be forced to proceed, and she may have meant proceed with the lot construction, the funding arrangement, or both. No to all. The Board has the option to pay cash outright for the work, which presumably would allow them to make their own arrangements except for having to use T&M as engineer. Ms. Miloscia asked, “What if we don’t have the money to pay for it?” Kevin replied, “[That] will be a discussion for next year’s committee, but at this point I would say it doesn’t get accomplished unless it’s funded in accordance with the resolution.” Translation: The Board has 2 options, to make payments on the debt or pay cash for the work, but they should not expect the town to pay for it. For now, the parking lot expansion is a dead issue.

If you read my last post, you know that at the May Board meeting, Ms. O’Neal mentioned that the Board had not been satisfied with prior work done by T&M, who has been sanctioned by the town committee as the one-and-only engineer for all library capital improvements. I asked about that – i.e., what work was done by T&M and when was it done? Only Ms. O’Neal and Mr. Gabrielan spoke and they declined to discuss it, saying it was long ago and they have been assured that T&M would do a fine job. Needless to say, everyone seemed acutely aware that Committeeman Settembrino was in the room. Susan glanced often in his direction as she spoke. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see what kind of looks were being exchanged because my view of Kevin was blocked by the sound equipment.

Review of the Board’s strategic goals led to a discussion about the library in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was at one time among the best funded professional-level libraries in the country, but which had to close branches following a loss of funding and the leadership of its long-time director.

The plight of the Charlotte Library demonstrates why improving library volunteerism is an important goal. Public advocacy – our time and our money – becomes increasingly important when political advocacy and funding fall short. Got some free time? Or college-bound and looking for community service credit? Contact your local library.

The strategic plan and annual report were unanimously adopted by a vote of 7-0 (Resolution 2011-32).

When it came time to vote on the transfer itself (Resolution 2011-33), only Board president Randy Gabrielan took the opportunity to condemn the self-serving, deceptive tactics used by the town committee and to voice his frustration with his fellow trustees. It deserves repeat here:

“We saw the evolving fiscal condition of the library in March and it is here in clear black and white in the strategic plan. We would be imperiling the fiscal well being of this library over the next couple of years if we gave this money away. As far as I personally am concerned, the giveaway is tantamount to the township committee declaring war on its own library. The whole process as I see it is one of the mayor seeking to fulfill his short term political goals, the mayor and the committee not having done what they could have done with respect to cap exceptions and an exemption to meet their budgetary requirements, and they are putting their obligations on us. They did it by various threats, including holding hostage police jobs. Then after we passed our preliminary resolution in March, they’re going to other meetings still holding the same jobs at risk. I was against this in March. I’m against it now. I would have strongly counseled that we rescind our prior passage and vote this down, but unfortunately on the advice of counsel, it seems that our hands are tied. …but I insist that if we as a body don’t recognize what this is doing to the financial well being of the library, that at least the record demonstrates that.”

There was a full 15 seconds of silence after that. It felt like a memorial.

“It’s too much water under the bridge at this point to undo what’s been done.…This Board made a commitment to the township to do this,” said Mr. Milne. There was tacit agreement, and a roomful of downcast eyes. After hearing from Ms. O’Neal that even the Board’s lawyers thought that the Board did not have good legal standing at this point to back off, it was clear that the pending vote was little more than a formality. Resolution 2011-33 passed 6-1, with only Mr. Gabrielan dissenting.

I have to wonder if the town committee knew early on that the effect of railroading the Library Board into what was initially billed as non-binding negotiation would be to obligate them legally. Think back to the February Board meeting when Committeeman Settembrino pressed for a resolution to arrive at a number. The Board passed that resolution because they thought there was no harm in talking….

So now the matter will be passed along to the State Librarian, Norma Blake, for review. I heard somewhere that it could take up to 45 days for her decision. That doesn’t jive with the town committee’s plan to finalize their 2011 budget in early July. I asked Committeeman Settembrino how they expected to do that if the State Librarian hadn’t yet approved the transfer. The Board agreed with his assessment that all the documents were in order and that a quick response was expected from the State. Unfortunately, in line with regulations, the State Librarian reviews only the current year's finances. Thus it is expected that the library’s budget shortfall for subsequent years will be ignored.

I asked Mr. Settembrino how the town would plug the $500K budget hole in the unlikely event the transfer was disapproved. He replied that the library board meeting wasn’t the right forum for that discussion, but he did clarify that the 2.99% tax hike (he said 2.99, not 2.9) reflects the 2% maximum increase within the cap.

Other business discussed at the meeting is as follows:

There was a slideshow presented by Dennis Kowal Architects, who recently completed a feasibility study for the renovation of the Lincroft branch, originally a 2-room schoolhouse built in 1906. The presentation was so packed with photos and sketches that if you’ve never been to the Lincroft branch, you’ll feel like you have. You can view the slideshow by clicking HERE

The good news is that the original structure is sound and can therefore be renovated. There is also ample parking since an overflow lot was added not long back. The renovation would include lots of energy efficiency upgrades while retaining existing wood floors and original hardware. A drawing of the architect’s proposed design is attached to this post. It includes a charming outdoor plaza-lounge created by sandwiching the front walkway between an existing structure and a new addition that would house new ADA-compliant bathrooms and an entry foyer. There is also a magazine lounge, a quiet study area, a contained children’s room (draft-free and no more runaways), and a fireside reading area complete with a gas-burning fireplace. If you live in Lincroft, you are probably filled with a sense of longing right now.


The project would cost roughly $650,000, not including new furniture, security and communication systems, architectural fees, or renovation to the basement storage area (filled with old municipal and police records). Add it all up, and the project budget would need to be in the range of $800 to $900K. And a caveat that the final design could change based on location of underground lines (the architect could not obtain a copy of the property survey).

The renovation probably won’t happen anytime soon because library funds are low for reasons we are all well aware of. The project might qualify for a matching New Jersey Historic Trust grant, but there is stiff competition for these grants, and Mr. Gabrielan, who is town historian in addition to being Library Board president, feels that the chance of getting the grant is slim. No decision has been made yet about how to proceed. The topic is slated for further discussion next month.

Ms. Cavalier asked if they knew how much financial support could be expected from the community. Susan said that $713K was donated for the 2004 renovation of the main branch, but only a small part of that was from Lincroft residents, who may be much more inclined to help fund their local branch. So be on the lookout for fundraisers!

If you are concerned about donating for fear your dollars will end up in the hands of the town, don’t worry. The Board was very clear that Library Foundation money is protected and is not part of the $500K transfer.

You may recall from a prior post that the Lincroft branch has termite damage in the entryway and is believed to have asbestos in the walls as well as lead-based paint. The architect didn’t test for hazardous materials and cautioned the board that if testing for hazmats is done, there is a legal requirement to remediate in line with test results. Susan advised that all paintable surfaces in the Lincroft branch were painted with latex paint in the last decade, so the lead-based paint poses no immediate concern. As for the termites, damage is supposedly concentrated in trim moulding rather than structural beams. The Board opted to wait and address these issues as part of the renovation.

Congratulations to Library Director Susan O’Neal, who is the NJ Library Association’s president-elect for coming fiscal year. “This is both a high honor and an awesome responsibility,” to quote Mr. Gabrielan. Susan’s name will be engraved on one of the silver-toned pages of a book-shaped locket to mark her achievement. The locket, a heavy piece made of gold and faience (tin-glazed ceramic), is the badge of office for NJLA presidents. Susan noted that the locket is actually too heavy to comfortably wear and reasoned that it was designed for a time when ladies wore much heavier clothing. A picture and history of the locket may soon appear on the library’s website.

In accordance with the Conover Whitol Scholarship guidelines, two graduate students enrolled in Rutgers’ library science program will receive $900 each toward the September term. Congratulations to recipients Debra Bodofsky and Elizabeth Edwards. (Resolution 2011-34, 7-0)

The Library welcomes back college student Stephanie Chadwick, who worked at the library last summer and is being re-hired part time for this year’s busy summer season. As a trained page, she is a valuable addition who can “hit the ground running”. (Resolution 2011-31, 7-0)

There was a first-time-ever theft of petty cash recently from the library’s Bayshore branch. The thief scored a negligible amount, and a lock-box will be added to deter future attempts. Yet another sign of the times.

Another topic concerned bill payments that have been held up by town administrator Tony Mercantante. In one instance, the requisition was for the payment of registration fees for a June conference that would provide training for five library assistants at a cost of $100 per person. The payment delay resulted in the registration deadline being missed, so the individuals couldn’t attend and will have to wait a year for the next conference. In another case, payment was denied for food expenses as part of conference attendance by a member of the library’s IT staff. Tony said the town doesn’t reimburse for food. However, the Library does. The Board felt this was unwarranted interference with Library operations. Mr. Gabrielan pointed out that the costs in question are normal outlays for staff development, benefit the library, and have been approved and budgeted for by the Board. Ms. Cavalier wondered if the problem was just ignorance (her word, not mine) on the part of the administrator.

In an effort to address the delays, Susan has contacted Mr. Mercantante, who feels he is within his authority. About a year ago, per Susan, Tony began asking for a written explanation for requisitions over $1000, but Susan said that the voucher, which is attached to the requisition, already lists that information, so to write it again is a duplication of effort for her. She said, “Anything over $1000 he sits on.” Part of the problem, Susan said, is that no one from the town contacts her when there is a question about an expense, so it doesn’t get addressed until she calls the town after there has already been a long delay. She’s wondered if maybe the slowness has to do with cash flow……

This was all news to Kevin, who said he’d look into it.

The Middletown Library "Unfinished Business": The latest on the $500K transfer, the lot construction, the Lincroft Branch, and other issues.

by guest blogger Linda Baum

Mike mentioned in a 5/17/11 post that a number of ongoing issues were slated to be discussed at this Wednesday’s 5/18/11 meeting of the Middletown Library Board, which I attended.

One issue concerned the parking lot expansion project. As Mike said, the Board had been told by the town that T&M Engineering would be the engineer for this work. The Board was given no other option or opportunity to compare costs, but will be responsible for paying the bill for these services.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the trustees voiced concern about the use of T&M, pointing out that the Board had not been satisfied with T&M’s services on a prior project. They were told that T&M is the town’s engineer for capital projects for 2011, so to the extent that the lot construction is designated as one of the town’s capital projects this year, T&M will be the engineer. So says the town.

Maser Consulting had been hired by the Library to do initial design work for the lot prior to the town’s taking of funds. That work is complete except for coordination with the engineer of choice.

It wasn’t clear if a decision had been made about who would pay for the actual construction, the Town or the Library. While the lot expansion was “included” in the $500K transfer agreement between the Library and the Township, the question of who would pay was left unanswered. Committman Settembrino’s comment at Wednesday’s meeting that the library would be responsible for “soft costs” (such as the engineering costs) seemed to imply that the library would not be responsible for the “hard costs” for actual construction.

The Library Board is making no assumptions – they are more likely to be on the hook than not. In fact, they haven’t decided to go ahead with any of the work. The Board feels they may not have sufficient funds.

There are still a number of steps and hurdles before the $500K transfer can be made. First, focus groups must be completed and a strategic plan finalized, and a package of materials including those pieces submitted to the State Librarian for approval. Committeman Settembrino said that Town personnel were under the impression that the package would be submitted to the state by the end of May, but Ms. O’Neal pointed out that the Board couldn’t submit the package to the state until the Board passes a resolution that it has filled all the requirements, where 4 out of 5 pieces require the Board’s approval. A decision was made to finalize review of the strategic plan at the Board’s June 15th meeting, in line with Committeeman Settembrino’s request that discussion take place before the Town’s regular meeting on June 20th.

An important point is that there is no guarantee the State Library will give its approval. Ms. O’Neal commented that the State could take issue with the reserve figure in the Library’s audit, where the reserve includes funds from municipal and other sources.

Some other topics discussed at the meeting:

The Lincroft branch is believed to have lead-based paint and asbestos in the walls given the age of the structure. The paint isn’t peeling, and therefore poses no danger. A concern about the asbestos is that it may be in the walls of the front entryway, which has termite damage. So there are costs involved for the inspection and abatement plan in addition to the repair work. An architect will be presenting on this topic at the Board’s June 15th meeting.

There was discussion about the need for either curbs or reflectors or boulders to prevent people from parking on the grass in certain sections of the library’s lot. (I bet you didn’t know that the fancy boulders in the lot aren’t just there for looks. Nope, they’re there to assist you in stopping.) The Board concluded that posts with reflectors would get the job done at a reasonable cost.

Kudos to Eagle Scout Andrew Bloy, who will be allowed to place a collection jar at the Library’s front desk because he has demonstrated considerable community benefit. Allowing the collection effort represents an exception by the Board to Library policy. The Board was impressed with Mr. Bloy’s request letter and community involvement. In fact, they mentioned that after Mr. Bloy learned that planting a medicinal herb garden at a local medical office would not earn him scouting credit, he did it anyway.

The Board discussed a software donation offer by a local company called Comprise Technologies. The software, offered free for six months, is designed to process payments made by credit card. The Board noted that credit cards are being used with increasing frequency for the payment of library fines. Comprise Technologies will be presenting at the Library Board meeting on July 20th. There are ongoing expenditures to be considered, including fees for the software and service, and costs for integration with other library systems. There was also discussion of implementing a charge for credit card payments, but the Board instead opted to request a donation when credit cards are used. The thinking is that folks probably wouldn’t mind rounding up their payment to the next dollar, at least.

"Unfinished Business" To Be Discussed at Wednesday's Middletown Library Board Meeting

Tomorrow night’s (Wednesday) scheduled Middletown Library Board meeting on the surface seems rather innocuous and uncontroversial when you consider the course of events that transpired over the last few months between the Library and the Township Committee over surplus funds, but as we know appearances can be deceiving. The dangers that lurk under calm surfaces may be hidden from view but nonetheless still exist.

Having looked at the agenda for the upcoming meeting there is a discussion scheduled to take place title “Unfinished Business-Update” for line item #8.

Under this title a number of items will be discussed such as the Strategic Plan ,the Lincroft Needs Assessment and the Maser Consulting Proposal. Also under the auspices of this line item, a discussion will take place about the proposal received for engineering work for the Main Library parking lot.

This discussion could get interesting because this project was one of the priorities of the library’s Board of Trustees prior to the Township’s money grab last month, and as such, it was included in the agreement between the library and the Township on the $500,000 transfer of funds.

What make this interesting is that the Township’s trusted engineers of choice, T&M, would be the engineers on this project with no options given to the library for consideration of other firms, which means no competitive bidding on the project that could reduce costs and no say in the final design or outcome of the project by the library trustees.

So the question is, who will be watching out to ensure that the parking lot expansion project will be done properly and in a cost efficient manner? This is the first test for the Township to see if it can be trusted to do what’s right with the monies that will be given it by the library when the funds are finally transferred in the near future.

If you’re interested in attending the meeting it begins at 7:00pm and will be held in the Community Meeting Room of the Main Branch located on New Monmouth Road.

Atlantic Highlands Library Is Monmouth County's Newest Branch

I found the following press release from Monmouth County somewhat interesting since Middletown's Township Committee threatened to turn over the operation of the Middletown Library to the county earlier this year if it did not receive adequate reserved funds handed over to it, so that the funds could be applied this years Township budget.

While the circumstances behind Atlantic Highlands transferring its' library over to the county was no less controversy, you didn't have the public grandstanding and threats by it's town council Like you did in Middletown that sparked such public outrage amounts library supporters.

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ - Monmouth County will officially welcome the Atlantic Highlands Library as the Library System’s on May 1, marking the addition of the 13th branch to the largest circulating library system in the state.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Atlantic Highlands as our newest branch in the Monmouth County Library System,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Library Commission. “Atlantic Highlands is home to my daughter and grandchildren, and I know first-hand what a wonderful community it is. A library branch there only makes it more special.”

The Atlantic Highlands Borough Council last year voted to join the county library as a branch, and the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders confirmed the action in a vote in December.

“We are so pleased that the people of Atlantic Highlands have chosen to expand our long association by becoming a branch of the library,” said Renee B. Swartz, Monmouth County Library Commission chairwoman. “We will always be mindful of the faith you have demonstrated in our institution and honored that you entrusted the operation of the Atlantic Highlands Library to the library commission.”

Beginning May 1, the library at 48 Avenue C will offer new expanded hours:

Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays - 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fridays - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

During the past few months, work has been ongoing to make the borough library’s computer system and catalog compatible with the county system. The library is currently located on Avenue C while its new home is under construction as part of the renovations at the borough hall on First Avenue. The renovation project expected to be completed later this year.

The county library headquarters is located in Manalapan. Libraries with branch status in the county system include the Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury, Allentown, Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Hazlet, Holmdel, Howell, Marlboro, Ocean Township, Oceanport, Wall and West Long Branch.

Public Hearing To Discuss Budget At Tonight's Middletown Workshop Meeting

One of the items on the agenda at tonight's Middletown Township workshop meeting that will be held at Town Hall@ 8PM, will the public hearing on the 2011 proposed Township Budget that was introduced last month.

I am hoping to be at tonight's meeting but I don't know if can will make it. I am curious to know exaclty how much the SOA (Superiors Officers' Association) and PBA union contract settlements have saved Middletown. I would like to know the cost to the Township per individual plan and per family plan of its cadillac employee health plan and then the same for the Township's HMO employees health care plan, so that it can be figured out approximately how much the Township will be saving based on these settled contracts. It has been reported that if union members wish to remain in the Township's health plan, members would have to contribute 25% of the cost, whereas if union members opt out of the cadillac plan into the HMO, members would contribute 1.5% of their salaries for health coverage. So it should be easy enough to figure out savings if the numbers are supplied.

Also based on details about the contracts and information released about the layoffs that effect the Department of Parks and Recreation, I believe several people have decided retired instead of being laid off. I am wondering how these retirements have affected the budget? Seeing how the Township is using $3.5M in surplus funds to pay off tax appeals this year instead of bonding for the funds, this budget is only holding $500K in reserve. These retirements are bound to eat into the remaining surplus which would leave the township dangerously close to running out of money by years end.

An Eyewitness Account Of How The Middletown Library Board Gave In

By guest blogger Linda Baum

There were only about twenty attendees at Wednesday’s meeting of the Middletown Library Board, a fraction of the crowd that showed up last month. Aside from Committeeman Settembrino, who is on the Library Board, no one from the Township was there. And the mood was different. It was calm, and everyone was polite. I took that as a bad sign.

A handful of people spoke during the public portion at the start of the meeting.

One woman brought up Brian Nelson’s comment at the meeting last month that he had personally lobbied the NJ legislature for the new law that requires public libraries to give part of their surplus to towns. Brian Nelson is Town Attorney. The woman said she found it disturbing that he was being paid with tax dollars to do this. Mr. Settembrino responded that Mr. Nelson has other clients besides Middletown, but of course he failed to mention that many, if not most, of those clients are other towns and the county. So, essentially, Mr. Nelson was paid with tax dollars to do something that most taxpayers don’t support.

Jim Grenafege and I had a common message, that the Township has a history of mismanaging tax dollars, either ignoring problems or responding to slowly or inadequately. Add to that a history of nondisclosure and bad financial decisions – bad for the taxpayers, anyway -- and it’s no small wonder they are looking for rescue now. My take is that if the Township is looking for a handout, the Town Committee needs to show that they have prudently managed the funds already in their charge. There is much evidence to the contrary, and I will get into all of that another time.

Right off the bat, Board President Gabrielan made a motion to give the town $250,000, half the amount that administrators and attorneys had come up with. Only he and Board VP Milne voted yes on the motion, and it failed 5 to 2.

At least one Board member expressed concern that much time had already been spent on discussion by the administrators and attorneys, who were charged with arriving at a figure. Mr. Gabrielan pointed out that they were not also charged with voting for the Board. Mr. Gabrielan felt the negotiations did not accurately represent facts or address concerns, and said that information could be presented in any manner to achieve a desired result. And with that, the sentiment from the last meeting reared its head.

Other Board members seemed just to want to get this issue behind them and get on with other library business. The Board members felt the need to agree to an amount to the town’s liking in order to be insulated from such attacks for the remainder of 2011 and to protect the library from the threat of transfer to the county system, a threat Mr. Gabrielan noted was without merit.

“Tax relief” was a handy feel-good phrase. It had to be obvious to everyone just how little relief the money would provide. I suspect the Board had an eye to how they would be painted in the press. In fact – if I heard right -- a joint press release was part of the negotiated agreement.

There was also considerable concern about the town’s plan to handle the parking lot expansion on behalf of the library as part of the giveback, while still expecting the library to pay the debt service on a bond for the work. The issue, of course, was that the library should not have to pay anything after the giveback, which includes funds that were earmarked for the construction. I am not sure how this was resolved. I think the town backed down, and in the end it was agreed that after the giveback, the library would owe nothing more to the town for the lot construction.

After all was said and done, the Board voted to give just short of $500,000 to the town.

I stayed until the end, just me and two members of the press. There was a second public comment period at that time. I was the lone speaker. I felt the need to point out that the lot construction arrangement was not a good thing for taxpayers because the town would be using the library’s money for some other purpose and then bonding for the construction. That will burden taxpayers with additional unnecessary debt that we would not have had if the library handled the work itself. And it will be yet another reason why the town will be back before the Library Board next year and the year after crying for more money.

Township Makes New And Improved Request Of $500K To Library

Instead of the over inflated request of $1.2 million that the Middletown Township Committee wants to steal from the Middletown Library, local officials have now made a new and improved request to the library for only $500,000 of its reserved funds according to an article online this morning over at the Asbury Park Press.

What strikes me about this article is that Township Attorney Brian Nelson, who is not an elected official but somehow seems to think he is very often, is out in front of this without he lead quote " This is our official request". Where is the mayor or deputy mayor on this; Why no word from them?

The other quote that sticks out is from Township Administrator Tony Mercantante, "Both sides could sue each other, and we'd end up in court for three years, but no one wants that."

This to me seems like an ill disguised vile threat if you ask me, especially if you add it to other inflammatory remarks already made by those who represent the township that threatened to change the composition of the Library's Board of Trustees by not reappointing current trustees and by adding more trustees that would be more sympathetic to the Township's wishes, along with handing the Middletown Library over to the County to run.

The article also reiterates what I have been reminding people of since the February 16th Library Board meeting, which is that this request will not save the jobs of the 26 employees already scheduled to be laid off:

Township officials have said they need the money to avoid laying off more than the 26 positions that are already part of a plan it submitted to the state Civil Service Commission last month. Included in the layoff plan are 10 township police department and 13 parks and recreation department positions.

So now the Township feels that the ball is in the hands of the Library's Board of Trustees at this point, Wednesday night is the next scheduled Library Board meeting and the Township expects an answer to their request.

The last I heard the Library Board was unwilling to give the Township much more than ~$250K, which is what they feel the library is obligated, by state law to return.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens Wednesday night.

Read the article >>> Here

N.J. municipalities scramble to notify voters on property tax referendum; I wonder if Middletown has plans to hedge it's bet

According to the Star-Ledger, today is the last day that municipalities around the State have to notifiy their votes of the potential to hold a property tax referendum that would enable a municipality to exceed Governor Christie's 2% cap on budgets.

I posted Saturday about how Middletown's Administrator Tony Mercantante and others have stated that they had no intention to exceed the 2% cap and that there would be no referendum needed, especially since Mercantante had no idea how a referendum would work. He stated at the February 16th Library Board meeting that the State Legislature(code word for Democrats) in its bill, provided no guidance or allocated any type of funds to municipalities for the purpose of such an event. So Middletown wasn't going to even consider such a possibility.

Instead of planning for the possiblility of a referendum, Middletown's Mayor Tony Fiore, and others that control the town planned to follow Governor Christie's lead and stay with in a 2% budget increase.

That sounds great in theory but wouldn't be a good idea to hedge your bets and announce a referendum just in case they can't stay with in the cap?

Is the Township Committee really prepared to lay off 10 or more police officers and the whole department of Parks & Recreation if they can not get union consessions during contract talks or if they Library Board refuses to hand over any more reserved funds then they are legally responsible to do, which at this point is in the neighborhood of $250,000?

I guess these questions will be answered at tonight's Township workshop meeting.


TRENTON — New Jersey enters a new era today as voters get to find out if they may be asked next month to raise their property taxes beyond the Christie administration’s new 2 percent limit.

Under the law signed by Gov. Chris Christie last summer, residents will decide if their town or school budget can exceed the 2 percent cap through a referendum on April 27, the same day as school board elections.

Towns and schools were scrambling last week to meet today’s deadline to publish a newspaper ad notifying voters a referendum may be held. As of Sunday, five towns — Plumsted, Mount Holly, Riverdale, North Arlington and Chesilhurst — had placed ads and at least five more towns and two schools planned to, according to groups representing towns and schools....Read more >>> Here

It's Your Town - Newsletter Volume 3, Issues 3 & 4- 2/07/11 & 2/22/11; Issue 4 Contains Latest News On Fight For Library Surplus Funds

The latest editions of the It's Your Town Newsletter are now available for reading.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks, so I never got around to posting Issue #3 of the newsletter a couple of weeks ago.

Issue #3 contains information about the proceedings of the February 7th Middletown Township Committee Workshop meeting, while Issue #4 deals with what happened during last Tuesday night's regular monthly meeting of the Middletown Township Committee.

It should be noted for those that have not been able to attend meetings of the Township Committee yet this year, there is a stark contrast as to how these meetings are now being conducted with a 5-0 Republican super majority controlling the Township Committee this year and how meeting had been conducted during the past 4 years when a Democrat sat on the Committee.

Very little to no discussions take place between Committee members about proposed ordinances or resolutions, massive consent agendas that contain several or more items are passed without public discussion and meetings have been over very quickly.

It seems that local government transparency has taken a step backward this year.

Issue #4 of the newsletter should be of particular interest to readers who have followed the news of how the Township Committee has been attempting to extort surplus funds from it's public library, which is in clear violation of state statute.

During public comments Library Director Susan O'Neal, spoke about the virtues of the library and attempted to talk about the perceived surplus funds that the Township insists are available for it's taking, but when she was badgered and talked down to rather arrogantly by appointed mayor Tony Fiore, she ended the discussion and sat down.

Resident Melanie Elmiger also spoke on the Library and asked why was Committeeman Settembrino appointed to the Library Board, what qualifications did he have to serve on the Board and whether or his presence on the Board was in conflict with his position as a Township Committee person.

Read Issue #3 >>>> Here Read Issue #4 >>>> Here

Full House Expected At Tonight's Township Committee Meeting

With the controversy surrounding the Middletown Township Committee and it's attempted extortion to grab hold of perceived surplus funds from the Middletown Library, tonight's meeting of the Township Committee should be a good one. A house full of library supporters are expected to back the court room tonight to further voice their concerns over the money grab by the Township Committee.

Tonight's meeting is expected to be an extension of last Wednesday night's Library Board of Trustees meeting, where close to 200 library supporter showed up to let Township Committeeman Kevin Settembrino, Mayor Fiore and other members of the Township Committee that it was not OK to raid library funds in order to fill a budget deficit in the Committee's Municipal budget.

If you have been following this blog you already know the story of how the Township Committee has tried to strong arm the Library Trustees into handing over funds. The Township Committee stated that if excess library funds weren't transferred to the Township the consequences would be that 26 township employees would be laid off, 10 of which would be police officers from the Middletown Police Department and 13 from Parks and Recreation.

During Wednesday night's meeting at the Library we found out that this was not the case, the 10 police officers and others would be losing their jobs no matter what and any funds garnered from the Library would go toward possibly saving other jobs.

The Library's position is that their are no excess funds available for the Township to take, all excess funds are earmarked for capital projects or have been endowed to the Library with specific instructions for its use. The Library also contends that due to clerical issues, perceived surplus funds left over after the last Library audit in 2009 do not exist. The Township CFO should have transferred money from Library's accounts to Township accounts before the last audit instead of afterwards and now because of this issue funds seem to be available when in fact there is none.

Tonight's meeting starts at 8:00pm in the Court Room located at Town Hall, regardless of how you feel about this, it should be a good show tonight and not to be missed.

Looking At Both Sides

by guest blogger Sean F. Byrnes, former Middletown Township Committeeman

Last week we saw the Township of Middletown enveloped in a dispute over the Township’s effort to convince the Board of Trustees for the Library to turn over a significant share of its surplus to the Township Committee for budget relief purposes. Unfortunately, the manner in which the township chose to solicit these funds lacked tact. Although the township had previously made less threatening overtures to the Library in an effort to win the Board of Trustees’ support for a funds transfer, when that effort failed, the Township pursued an aggressive campaign to convince the public that a transfer would be in their best interest. Spearheaded by new Committeeman Kevin Settembrino, this effort, whether intended or not, seemed rooted in tactics of intimidation and threats to de-municipalize the library and combine it with the County Library system. This effort also suggested that a failure of the Board of Trustees to abide by the wishes of the Township Committee would result in the loss of ten police officers, the layoff of a significant number of Township employees and, if you heard the comments at the Library Board of Trustees’ meeting, an effort by Township Committee members to replace existing Board of Trustees members.

Based on the comments from Board of Trustees’ members at their meeting on Tuesday, it would appear that the resolve of the Board of Trustees has not wilted in the face of these threats. Led by Randy Gabrielan, the Chairman of the Board, the Library challenged the assumptions, numbers and legal authority for the Township’s demand for a funds transfer. Looking ahead, as a Township resident, I would hope that both sides could retreat from the current level of heated rhetoric and restart their discussions.

I think it would be in the interest of all taxpayers for the Township Committee and Library to continue their discussions. It might make more sense to have the Township Administrator meet with the Director of the Library to discuss how the Library might be able to assist the township in this time of budget crisis. From the Library’s perspective, the Board has worked hard to build a reserve that could be used for future capital projects, and there is an understandable reluctance to use these funds to satisfy operating expenses for the Township. From the Township’s perspective, the Library has a protected stream of revenue that is not subject to the same stresses and demands that the Township must face when health care costs increase, pensions become more expensive and the cost of doing business generally continues to go up. There may be opportunities for these two parties to cooperate in other ways that would provide relief to the Township without exhausting the reserves of the library.

There is no question that the Township finds itself in a perfect storm of budgetary constraints. To be fair, some of these strains are beyond its control. But the Township moved at a glacial pace over the last several years as this financial crisis approached. A quicker response to the approaching financial storm would have made the Library ask a smaller one. Accordingly, before the Library turns over any of its reserves to the Township, it would be nice to see an acknowledgment that a swifter response from the township in 2009 and 2010 would have avoided the seriousness of the budget crisis that the Township currently faces. The Township did lay off approximately 16 employees last year, but did so only mid-year. Other municipalities took action much sooner and in more dramatic fashion. The former Mayor’s claims of 40 layoffs include retirements.

Other cost-saving measures were proposed over the last several years, but were rejected as too extreme. Unfortunately, as a result of the Township’s failure to act, the Township Committee must now contemplate cuts that go far beyond those that were previously considered “extreme.” Until the Township forms a subcommittee whose function is to focus on budget recommendations, track existing and anticipated debt, look for opportunities for consolidation and sharing of services and generally manage the Township’s finances on a more regular basis, the Township will always be reacting to rather than planning for increased demands for Township resources.

Once again, in fairness, the unfortunate timing of the Township’s reevaluation in 2009, just prior to a steep decrease in property values, set the Township up for a tax appeal nightmare in 2010 and 2011. (Of course, the township had mistakenly put off its reevaluation for approximately 14 years – had the township completed the reval when it should have, the steep drop in real estate prices would not have resulted in such a large number of tax appeals.) But regardless of the failure to conduct a timely revaluation, the Township has a legitimate reason to gripe, because when a resident or commercial property owner prevails on their tax appeal, the township must return to the taxpayer not only the municipal share of the taxes received from the taxpayer, but must also reimburse the taxpayer for the funds received by the School District during the year for which the tax appeal was filed. This reality is difficulty for some to believe, but true. And, in light of the fact that approximately two-thirds of the tax dollars go to school district activities, the Township ends up paying back the taxpayer for School District funds that the Township never received in its budget.

Consequently, the steady decrease in real estate value over the last couple of years has produced a field day for those filing tax appeals. The Township is now struggling to repay multi-year tax appeals that are probably worth nearly $4 million. Unfortunately, the Legislature has failed to assist municipalities facing this dilemma. Under the circumstances, given the unique circumstances facing municipalities, including picking up the tab for the Legislature’s bungling of pension contributions for public workers, the Legislature should provide assistance to townships by creating opportunities for public entities to finance the tax appeals or extend their repayment terms. In several years, the Township will be through this unique period where tax appeal refunds are substantial and hopefully return to a more predictable budget cycle. The Township Committee took the first step in this direction in 2010 when it decided to conduct a reassessment. Even thought the reassessment cost $400,000 the savings achieved in 2011 from reduced tax appeal filings will be far greater.

The realities of the tax appeals as set forth above increase the pressure for some agreement with the Library. At the same time, the Library will see its share of funding decrease by more than 10 percent next year, due to the fact that its revenue stream is dependent solely upon property values. With a 1.3 billion drop in the total assessed real estate in the Township of Middletown, the Library’s stream of revenue will be reduced considerably. Given this dynamic, it may make sense for the Township and Library to discuss mutual relief. In other words, the Township needs money now most desperately. The Library in the out years may need assistance as its funding stream declines. Perhaps assistance from the Library during the current year could be received in exchange for promises by the Township to return the favor several years down the road.

It might also make sense for the Library to consider some sort of partnership with the Arts Center. While the Arts Center has its own Board of Directors, this arrangement, as far as I know, is not routed in any legislative scheme. Indeed, the Township has effectively turned over the operation of the Arts Center to a non-profit corporation and the Board supervises these activities. Resident Jim Grenafege was the first person to suggest that the Library Board of Trustees might consider assimilating some of the Arts Center’s operations into its activities. A casual review of the websites for these two entities suggests that there is some degree of overlap between the artistic and cultural offerings from these two bodies. Given that they both have buildings that are relatively new and both are focused on improving the education of the citizens of this Township when it comes to arts, literature and music, there may be some opportunity for the Library to assist in the operation of the Arts Center, including some of its expenses. It is exciting to contemplate what the far larger Library work force might be able to provide to the Arts Center when it comes to running the day to day events and offerings at the Arts Center.

At the end of the day, the current legislation when it comes to Library transfer to municipalities, amended in October of 2010, will likely allow some transfer to take place. From the Township’s perspective, the amount of money to be transferred under the current legislative scheme will fall short of what the Township needs to avoid drastic reductions in personnel and services. However, somewhere within the circumstances discussed above, creative minds on both sides should be able to work out an arrangement that provides some additional relief for the Township, even if it may not be a direct transfer of funds of the magnitude the Township seeks. My hope would be that the time and energy on both sides be spent working toward that goal, rather than on blaming the other.

Meeting Minutes From Library Board's January 19th Meeting Contradicts What Was Said By Township Committee Members At Last Wednesday Night's Meeting

Over the weekend I took the time to read through the January 19th minutes of the Middletown Library Board of Trustees meeting which are posted on the Middletown Library's website.

Having sat through most of last Wednesday night's Trustees meeting and now subsequently reading through the minutes of the January 19th meeting, it is extremely hard for me to believe that Middletown's acting mayor, Tony Fiore and the rest of the Township Committee members that were in attendance, including Kevin Settembrino who is now sitting on the Library's Board of Trustees as the Mayor's representative, weren't being honest or sincere about Middletown's budget situation, the amount of money that the Township expected the Library to hand over, the threat to make the library pay market value rent to the Township for the 3 township owned builds that house the Library system or the future of the library.

In his comments to the Board of Trustees, Tony Fiore stated the Township wasn't asking for specific amounts of cash from the Library's perceived surplus and that their were no plans to make the library pay rent or turn over it's operations of the library to the County. However, based on the minutes from January 19th, Kevin Settembrino made it very clear to other members of the Library's Board of Trustees that this wasn't the case.

At one point during the meeting Board President Randall Gabrielan, felt it necessary to "reminded Mr. Settembrino that the Library is a separate board and that it has been so designated for 130+ years to specifically keep libraries out of politics. He also mentioned that the first and utmost role of a Library Trustee is to be advocate of the library.", when arrogantly told that Library Trustees were appointed by the Township Committee and that the Library should be working toward township goals.

Below are the excerpts from the January 19th meeting minutes that pertain to what Committeeman Settembrino stated to the Board of Trustees that night. I highlighted the passages that I see as contradicting from what we heard at the February 16th (last Wednesday night) meeting:

...Ms. O’Neal handed out the 2011 organizational chart as well as a cost analysis for Sunday operation at the library that had been requested by Ms. Miloscia.

Ms. O’Neal mentioned the newly revised “Budget Reduction Worksheet” had now about $160,000 in potential savings to be applied to the 2011 budget and beyond.

Ms. O’Neal reported that her 2001 Budget meeting with the Township Administrator, Asst. Administrator and CFO went well. She said that she and Mr. Trasente had a productive meeting and that she was confident that they could reconcile some of the budget issues.

Mr. Settembrino spoke candidly to the Board and told the Trustees that it is the Township Committee elected officials that have appointed them and that the Library Trustees should be working together with the Township to achieve the Township’s goals. Mr. Gabrielan reminded Mr. Settembrino that the Library is a separate board and that it has been so designated for 130+ years to specifically keep libraries out of politics. He also mentioned that the first and utmost role of a Library Trustee is to be advocate of the library.

Mr. Settembrino told the Board that the Township sent a letter of appeal to DCA in regards to the rate-ables for Middletown. Settembrino said that the Township Committee wants the Library Board agree to take a $333,000 cut in its budget before the reassessments are completed. He said that the impact is inevitable in 2012 and that they would like to see the Library buy into this reduction to help contribute to reducing the budget deficit. He will come to February 16th meeting and reopen this issue for a vote from the Board of Trustees so that the Township can introduce its budget for the March 15, 2011 Township Committee meeting. Mr. Settembrino detailed the situation.

• • Tax appeals in 2010 cost the Township 1 million dollars

• • The revals were done near market peak so tax appeals were expected to continue to be high in number

• • Reassessment will more accurately reflect market values

• • The 2011 Township Budget will not exceed 2% cap

Ms. O’Neal replied that since DCA hadn’t yet agreed to the lower evaluation amount it stands currently that the library will receive approximately 3.7 million dollars for its budget. Mr. Gabrielan said that the library will operate under the State’s formula. Mr. Settembrino replied that even if the formula doesn’t change for 2011, the Township would like the library to send those funds back to the municipality and that there is no restriction on the amount of money the board votes to provide to the municipality. Ms. Cavalier said that if the 1/3 of a mil goes down considerably the library board is going to have to study what its options are and the procedures. Mr. Milne said that the board needs to know the outcome of the appeal on the published October equalized valuation or the new numbers before any decision can be made. Mr. Milne added that he needed to review all the material before making comments on a budget reduction or giveback of that magnitude.

Ms. O’Neal said that $333,000 is a large sum of money to add to the already known 4.5% reduction for 2011 and that the lower rateables in 2012 will make it very difficult for the library.

Ms. Breen asked if this completed Mr. Settembrino’s agenda with the Library Board and he said “No”.

Mr. Settembrino brought up the debt service payments of Main. He said that the library was bonded for 7.243 million dollars and that 3.1 million dollars is the balance that has to be paid by 2022. Mr. Settembrino said he speaks for the entire Township Committee that the Township expects the library to start paying for the debt and expects a payment of $543,000 per year from the library. Ms. Miloscia asked if any other Township buildings are paying their own debt for Township buildings specifically the Arts Center. Mr. Settembrino responded “No” and that the Arts Center is generating revenue to offset its operational cost. Mr. Gabrielan said that this is a significant impact to the library.

Mr. Settembrino also informed the Board that the library should be paying market value rent for the three town-owned buildings in which it occupies. Mr. Gabrielan and Ms. O’Neal said that NJ Administrative Code specifically prohibits libraries from paying rent. Mr. Settembrino said that he would forward the payment schedule and all information that he was discussing with the Board for them to further review and help them make a voting decision during the February meeting when he expects to re-introduce these issues. [See document attached]

Ms. Cavalier said that the library board would have to explain to the community why library services have been cut. Mr. Settembrino said however you decide to communicate that to the community is up to the Board. Ms. Cavalier asked if the Township Committee will accept the responsibility for these cuts. Mr. Settembrino didn’t answer her question. He restated that it is the Board’s decision on how they chose to inform the community of such cuts should they take place. Ms. Miloscia asked Mr. Settembrino if he used the library; does he had a library card? His response was no.

Mr. Settembrino informed the Board that he will be meeting with County Freeholder Lillian Burry to gather information about the County Library system. He said that his intention was to have the library stay as a municipal library. Ms. Breen said that she was glad to hear him state that. Ms. O’Neal asked if it would be appropriate for her to attend the meeting as well and Mr. Settembrino said “No”. Ms. Miloscia then asked if it would be appropriate for her to attend and he responded “No”. Ms. O’Neal informed that board that she had a meeting scheduled with Ken Sheinbaum, Director of the Monmouth County Library system.
Ms. Breen said she would like to see this done in the spirit of cooperation for what is good for everyone, what is good for the library and for the Township. Mr. Gabrielan reiterated that the duties of the Board are to be accountable and informed and that the number one job of a library board member is to be a library advocate.

Before Maser Consulting came to do their presentation, Mr. Settembrino criticized the library for undertaking studies that the Township didn’t know about, and for which it was planning similar action, citing the solar project for which the library contracted for a structural assessment of the roof and also the parking study. He said that such expenses/studies should be approved and communicated with the Township before any action is taken by the library. Ms. O’Neal responded saying that the library was moving faster than the Township following the energy audit and didn’t proceed with hiring a solar engineering firm once it was known that the Township was soliciting similar proposals, and that the parking study was well known to the Township Administrator and two members of the committee more than a year ago....

Based on this minutes, I think the Township Committee's agenda is clear. They want money and they don't care how they get from the library, even if it is illegal to ask for and would have potential crippling effect on the functioning of the daily activities that the Library provides. It is also very clear that if the Township does get what it wants, it will hand over the Library to the County to run, even though the County Library system is considered by many to be wasteful and the personal, political patronage, dumping ground for Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian Burry.

The Middletown Library is no Sewerage Authority

by guest blogger Linda Baum

So some think the Library should offer money to the Township because the Sewerage Authority did? Now let’s think about that.

First, let’s be clear that right now your sewer fees are not part of your property taxes – you pay them separately. Those fees go straight to the Sewerage Authority, bypassing the town budget. Now consider that if sewer services were housed under the Department of Public Works – where they should be – the town would save a bundle by the consolidation and those fees would be rolled into your property taxes. Then the surplus would flow back to the township anyway because the revenue would be part of the town’s budget.

Another line of thinking is that the Sewerage Authority should return surplus money to residents, not the town, because you pay these fees directly. And shouldn’t some part of the surplus go back to the other towns (Highlands and Atlantic Highlands) that pay to use our sewer services? The Sewerage Authority could argue that it has never been the practice to return monies, so therefore there is no need to now. They could also argue that they are an independent body and can do as they please, including continuing to operate on a for-profit basis.

And now one more point. The services that the Library provides cannot be compared to sewage treatment. The Library is the heart of the community. When you walk in, there is a feeling a warmth and family. There we can find the support we need for our personal and professional growth throughout our lives. And keep in mind, the library is funded in accordance with law. It is just that important.

Note:

Last year the Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) donated $365,000 of surplus funds to Middletown Township to help offset last years budget deficit, it is expected that this year TOMSA will contribute a comparable sum to the Township.

The question that should be answered here is; Are residents and other municipalities being overcharged by TOMSA, if so than shouldn't surplus funds be returned to those that have been overcharged in the first place, not given to the Township of Middletown to help fill in budget deficits?

As Ms. Baum pointed out the counter argument is that the surplus is being returned to the residents through local property tax relief, but again what about the towns of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands that already feel they are being overcharged and have no recourse and are indirectly providing property tax relief to Middletown? - MM

Update for Library Supporters

I found the following posted on the Middletown Township Library's website, it's a message from Library Director Susan O'Neal thanking those that came out to show support for the library during Wednesday night's Board of Trustees meeting.

What is most interesting about this, is her call for supporters to attend the next meeting of the Middletown Township Committee on Tuesday night, February 22nd in order to let the Township Committee know that the Library is special and any effort to dissolve the library or hand it over to the County library system would not be tolerated.

This should make for a very interesting meeting Tuesday night.



Greetings library supporters!

Thanks to the many of you who have written letters of support and/or attended the meeting of the Board of Trustees on Wednesday evening. It turned into a Town Hall type of event, with dozens of people taking their turn to speak.

The resolution of the giveback issue is that there will be a negotiation involving attorneys and administrators for both sides next week, and then the Township Committee and Library Board will each vote of acceptance of the agreement.

On this, I will keep you posted, particularly as the library board may decide to have a special meeting in early March for the express purpose of voting on a giveback of reserves.

Because the Township Committee meeting is next Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., I urge you to attend and let the TC know of your support for the library. In particular, we are fearful that the TC will proceed without public vote on dissolving the library and becoming a member of the Monmouth County Library. Unfortunately, as you may already know, public comments at the TC meetings are always at the end of their meeting. [L]

This threat now must be moved to center stage. There has been no proof presented of savings to Middletown taxpayers, and, in its own investigation, we have found out the possibility that costs might be more. Further, there is no evidence that the Monmouth Cty Library Commission or the Monmouth County Freeholders would vote to approve taking on the services to Middletown, and the prospect of doing so in a hostile environment may make it even less palatable.


On our website [mtpl.org] we are posting background information, budgets, reports, legislation and more. Not everything is there yet- but we’ve been asked for more info and we’re getting it up there as fast as possible. Our webmaster Megan is doing a great job trying to make this access as obvious and easy as possible for you to find. In addition, there’s a table in front of the borrower’s desk at Main with handouts of much of the same information. Next week I’ll have packets to go to the branch libraries with the same.

It’s been a rough week …………….. but it’s always you, our customers that make us smile!

Susan O'Neal, M.S.L.S.

Director

Random Thoughts From Wednesdays' Library Trustees Meeting

I have asked a few people that I know, who happened to attend Wednesday night's Middletown Library Board of Trustees's meeting, if they would share a few random thoughts and observation that they may have about what went on during the course of the meeting.

If anyone else who attended the meeting would like to email me their comment I'll also post them. They can be either supportive of the Library's position or the Township's position, I don't care. The only thing that I require is a name, I will not post any thoughts or comments from anonymous email senders. If you were there then you should go on the record as such in either's defense.

Below are thoughts and comment from Linda Baum who was quoted in the article posted at RedBankGreen.com and who asked several questions that night:

It was a tense meeting. There was a clear sense the TC is bullying the library board with its play to villainize them, its threat to replace library board members with appointees more amenable to its demands, and its threat to move the town library to the county system. BTW, it was established that no TC member has ever sat on the library board before now -- Mr. Settembrino's position was typically held by a member of the public.

Sherry, the woman who sent the heavily circulated email about the town's demand, is a member of the library board. I don't know her full name, but I'm sure it's on the web somewhere. She addressed the crowd later in the evening in defense of herself and was visibly upset by the pelting she took from TC members, who called her email false, filled with misinformation, and a subversive attempt to undermine the spirit of cooperation (my words, not theirs, but close). I suspect the real cause of their concern was that her honest, grass roots effort was effective. We all know that the TC would rather that no one be informed about what they are doing.

I was sitting near the Library Board's attorney last night. He was non-vocal, for the most part. But when Brian Nelson was speaking, I heard him mumble, "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Mtg ran long. 3.5+ hours. Very heated. TC arrogance at an all time high. Lots of good points made, mostly in support of the library.

A resolution was approved to have a mtg of the attorneys, the administrators, and a couple others to basically arrive at a figure to be presented and voted on by the whole library board at its next mtg. The TC is pushing for fast decision -- they claim a deadline of March end having to do with 2011 budget.

The library board tossed around the idea of a special board meeting in advance of the next regular one, but decided not to state that in the resolution, which just says "next mtg".

One point the library board made is that a chunk of the money included in the town's c. $4.2M quote of the library's budget is fines and copying charges or money from other sources like grants, not tax revenue. Thus, not the town's money to begin with. I don't know if any of the attorneys clarified the new law's intent with regard to this. The state's librarian (I think that's who she was) said the intent of the law is yet unclear as no rules or process have yet been established to comply with it. (Again, paraphrasing.)

And one more thing, and this is great stuff: One of the last members of the public to speak was a woman who said she encountered Kevin Settembrino in the lobby before the meeting. She didn't know him and said that he didn't identify himself but commented to her something like "Look at all the cars. I wonder what's going on here tonight." Of course, Settembrino denied it.