New City Library Board Hires Interim Director

During a hastily called special meeting New City Library trustees unanimously approved hiring Maurice “Mitch” Freedman as interim director. The position has been without a permanent director for a year. Marianne Silver, the library’s director of adult services, filled the position for seven months but stepped down in late December. 

Freedman has a Master’s Degree in Library Science and a Ph.D. He served as director the Westchester Library System for 23 years and as president of the American Library Association in 2002. The Mount Kisco resident held the position of interim director at both the Nyack and Purchase libraries. 

In a statement released by the library, Board President Tom Ninan said, "His appointment is the positive outcome of the board working together toward a common goal and will go a long way in addressing the misinformation that has been put out to the public. "Mitch's expertise and leadership abilities will be an asset to the library and the community."

Freedman will start on Monday. He attended Tuesday night’s meeting and met the trustees who were there. The library needs to have a director in place in July or August or it risks losing its charter. 

Former director Chuck McMorran left in May 2012 after the majority of the board declined to renegotiate his contract.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ninan said the board should go into executive session for a personnel issue and possible criminal matter.  Members Ed Kallen and Jeffrey Greenberg disputed the need to go into closed session with Kallen saying the agenda items did not meet the criteria for an executive session.  Kallen also said the special meeting, which was held in the outdoor Children's Garden because no meeting rooms were available, violated the Open Meetings Law because it was called on short notice and the adequate public notice was not given.

The board’s first listed agenda item was to discuss the status of the search for a permanent director but it was tabled.

The cost to repair one of the library’s two boilers was questioned. Blend Air, proposed to do the work for $6,250, however it billed the library for additional repairs. According to Library Business Manager James Collins, the company charged $9,000 more because when the boiler’s casing was removed, corrosion was discovered, requiring more work. 

The new bill was not itemized. Board members complained that the combined bills equaled of two-thirds of the $22,000 cost of a brand new boiler. A recommendation to negotiate with Blend Air was approved. Kallen raised the possibility that the $9,000 could be applied to the cost of a new boiler. Collins, the Building & Grounds Committee and the library’s attorney will contact Blend Air.

Review and approval of the new contract with the library’s staff was also tabled.