I’m still trying to parse out this evening’s Library news, specifically the grammatically- and syntactically-challenged Press Release distributed this evening. I am trying to figure out why it was sent out tonight.
In many ways, the release repeats the points made in Friday evening’s Times article: the encouraging news contained in a letter from “Acting” Business Administrator Andrew McCrosson indicating a pledge from the Mack Administration to appropriate sufficient funds from the (still-unapproved) Fiscal Yer 2011 budget to allow the Public Library to re-open the four neighborhood branches closed since August; the response of Library Director Kimberly Matthews that she and her Trustees required more formal notification from the Administration before it could the process of re-opening branches, and recalling laid off employees.
But tonight’s Release rather, how shall I say, eccentrically shifts the tone of the discussion into a tirade against the Director and her Trustees. This tirade and the Mayor’s palpable anger seemingly stem from the Director’s and Trustees reasonable position of insisting on formal authorization of funds from the City. Mr. Mack this evening goes nuclear with his announced “Library Community Task Force,” with announced goals that intrude on the prerogatives of the Trustees and Library Director. From Friday to today, what changed to justify this approach?
This press release is certainly a piece of work. But let’s put the matter of its style and tone aside, and focus on the substance.
The Mayor is certainly peeved at the Director and Trustees, but omits any mention of the perhaps inconvenient fact that The Mayor is a Member of the Board of Library Trustees!! If he has a problem with how the Director does or doesn’t communicate what the Mayor says to her Trustees (and I am not willing to concede that point), or for that matter any action or policy of the Trustees,then the Mayor should get on the phone and talk to his fellow Trustees, or better yet, attend the meetings of the Trustees! What conceivable problem exists with doing that? Doug Palmer certainly had no problem communicating his wishes to the previous Library Chair. Trust me on that one.
Library Trustees are Mayoral appointments. All of the current members of the Board were appointed by Mr. Palmer, true. But if the mayor has problems with any of them individually, he can ask for their resignations before the ends of their terms. The Trustees in turn are certainly entitled to tell the Mayor to shove it; they are independent trustees and can’t be forced off the Board for the hell of it. But if the situation is dire enough — and it is, Lord knows it is — perhaps those conversations would lead to some mutually agreeable way to work on behalf of the best interests of the Library and its customers; any city mayor worth his salt should be able to rely on his powers of persuasion. In any case, it would be a simple matter of, you know, the Mayor having conversations with his fellow Trustees! We seem not to have gone down that reasonable road.
Instead, the Mayor has called for a volunteer task force “who will identify best practices for operating and maintaining our libraries and day to day operations.” Those are clearly among the responsibilities of the Trustees. And the Mayor, unlike other instances of task forces or committees, doesn’t even suggest any members for this task force who have any aptitude, qualifications, or even interest in the Library. He makes an open solicitation for volunteers, regardless of background. How bizarre.
In tonight’s Trentonian piece – which is not an article, actually, but a post of tonight’s Press Release and a September 13 letter from Trustee Virginia Dietrich to the Mayor – Ms. Dietrich is quoted as accepting the Mayor’s assurance of additional funding. She said, ” We accept your assurance that you do not require the approval of City Council to commit these additional funds to the Library.”
This is very savvy, on her part. She is saying. “We don’t actually think that you can do this without Council [for what it;s worth, I kind of doubt it, too – KM], but hey, if you want to make that commitment we’ll hold you to your promise! Try to get out of that, even if Council says no!” But also in this letter Ms. Dietrich asked the Administration to provide written assurances more solid than an email from the BA McCrosson, so that NJ Civil Service rules on personnel recall and other regulations be followed.
From September 13 to tonight, that kind of formal written assurance has apparently not been given to the Library. And Mr. Mack is peeved that his word is not considered his bond, and lashed out with this very troubling release.
There’s bound to be more behind this than is obvious tonight, and I hope we all hear it. But for now, the Mayor’s odd decision to govern via (badly-constructed) Press Release is doing nothing to get the Libraries re-opened.
The problem is that the city cannot formally commit any funds until the state announces its aid to the city. Likewise, Matthews seems hell-bent on closing the library branches, which seemed to be her main goal since coming to Trenton. She had actually put together a plan to close the entire system last Spring. I am guessing that she has some nice clauses in her contract or some other golden parachute to help her.
I agree, that the administration should be putting more of the spotlight on the board members, including Eric Jackson. Eliz Yull is new to the board, but a midnight Palmer appointee. Her vote together with the de facto votes from the mayor and the school superintendent should get you one vote shy of really changing things at the library.
Did you call to ask to get on the special task force? You should be one of the first approved. As well as the very next appointee (if not the current stand-in for the mayor).
Mike, right on the funds. I think the Trustees are correct in being skeptical about any commitment from the Mayor or BA in advance of an adopted budget; any speculation about that prior to the State’s input wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s (not) written on. In her Sept 13 letter to the mayor, Virginia Dietrich accepts the budget commitment for the library, but she has to know that’s really pretty worthless.
Ironic to see the Library Trustees finally getting religion on the need for formal commitments in writing (and I am not talking about an email from the BA), since Judy, Jim and I spent seven months trying – unsuccessfully – to get just a written deal from them.
I agree that Matthews has long preferred to be working out of a single facility rather than keep the branches open. But in this case. I think the Trustees and Director were acting prudently in the absence of actual approved appropriations. Remember the Mayor’s promise of a big private donor?
No, I haven’t and won’t submit my name for the task force; sorry, Tack Force. As described, it appears to be stepping on the Trustees turf. Not that they have really done much productive in their tenure. Rather than throw up another ad hoc group, the Board of Trustees needs to be re-built with members with the commitment and know-how to: 1) manage the Library and provide strategic vision to the system and oversight of management, and 2) RAISE MONEY!!!!