To Janet Esagoff, Great Neck Library Board President:
In your platitudinous message in the current issue of the Great Neck Library Newsletter one word stood out: Lies. Your word!
There is no transparency.
Never has a budget item appeared stating anything about a new structure at the north end of the district. Fortunately there is the GNLWatchdog who does better than sanitizing the minutes.
Since I began writing to the editor your office has decided to do some of the things that it should have done prior to my campaign.
There is no excuse for air conditioning to fail after 42 years. Lack of adequate preventative measures….your fault.
From GNLWatchdog The Big Picture( Ralene Adler and Norman Rutta):
Since 2006 the library board and director knew that the A/C had to be replaced (see GNL minutes August -October 2006-available at director’s office).
They taxed the public for budgeted repairs and never performed them. They then reallocated the unspent surplus into the Main building expansion fund and then spent it on architects, lawyers and consultants for a “new building” while they neglected to repair or upgrade the Main building.
Board trustees continue to use the age of the Main building (42 years) as the justification for a proposed $39.2 million (includes debt service) project.
The age of the Main Building: 42 years old, is not old for a building or a home that is properly maintained.
Great Neck North High School is 81 years old, Great Neck Middle School is 69 years old, and the South campus was built in 1958, so it’s 53 years old
Is anyone calling for the destruction of those buildings? Of course not, as they are being properly maintained.
Would you buy a new car and neglect to change the oil ?
Of course not.
Norman Roland
Great Neck
