Thank you for your clear and concise article outlining the two views regarding improvements to the Great Neck Library’s Main Building.
However, the term “grassroots movement” only describes the Watchdog group committed to a library renovation rather than an expansion.
As stated in your article of October 7, 2011, the pro-expansion, two-year closing, $20 million (and counting) group is led by political operatives who stand to benefit by providing their support to the pro-expansion group. The only true grassroots movement is led by residents who regularly attend library board meetings and rightly question the judgment and ability of the library board and administration to lead and oversee an expansion project.
Library Board President Janet Eshaghoff, an attorney, signed a $20,000 contract with a PR firm to advocate for a library expansion without presenting the proposal to the board for approval or public discussion.
President Eshaghoff’s excuse as stated in the September 15 board meeting for her violation of the open meetings law was that it was a “misinterpretation on my part that the public had to review and have access to the contract.” President Eshaghoff’s excuse of “Oops, my bad” is unacceptable.
In the meantime, the contract was signed and $20,000 marches out the door.
(Great Neck Library) Director Jane Marino was given the task of securing bids to replace the library’s broken cooling tower. Ms. Marino got one bid for $485,000 from Dattner Associated, the firm hired to expand the building.
When asked by members of the board why only one bid was secured, director Marino’s excuse was that she was under the impression that the board wanted Dattner Associates to design the construction plans.
President/lawyer Eshaghoff added that Dattner had not shown any indication of being dishonest and she did not want to seek other architect’s bids.
In other words: “I didn’t feel like doing my job and they have honest faces.” $485,000 marches out the door with no due diligence or oversight.
In this poor economy, with so many out of work, with the cost of basic necessities skyrocketing and seniors not receiving a cost of living increase in their Social Security payments for three years, now is the time for cutting costs, not increasing them. I just received my school tax bill and although my assessed value went down, my tax levy went up $1,040. The (Great Neck) Park District is looking to by-pass the 2 percent tax increase cap so that they can increase their 2012 operating budget to $16,560,146 (an increase of more than $1,206,000 over 2011). The Great Neck special districts must come to the realization that our community can no longer sustain the belief that Great Neck must have the newest, biggest and best of everything.
A no vote on Oct. 25 will force the board to renovate and restore the Main Library responsibly.
Stu Hochman
Great Neck
