The Standard Times had a couple of items today about the Dartmouth Library. See op-ed here and Curt Brown's article here. The jist of the two is that the Library Board of Trustees and administration do not want to look at (note I said look at) contracting out library services.
A Library Trustee and the Administrator say in the article,
"Murphy-Aisenberg and Medeiros said the library has instituted ...
... measures to cut costs and it is aggressively pursuing fundraising efforts to raise revenue."It is good that they are agressively cutting costs and raising funds because the library budget is likely to be cut by several hundred thousand dollars for FY10 and probably again in FY11. So the library has no choice but to reduce costs. They will not have the money to do anything else but reduce costs. The question remains what level of services can they provide with the reduced budget.
The whole argument that we can not be a member of the SAILS network if the town contracts for library services is not true. If, and that is still not known unless we actually issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to LSSI and others, the contracted library services could be delivered for less money, the library might lose certification because we did not increase spending. Loss of certification would result in loss of SAILS network privileges. There are a lot of uncertainties in the two last sentences. The town could reduce those uncertainties by simply issuing an RFP and seeing what gets returned. The Library Trustees will not issue an RFP so we don't know if the town can save or not. Basically they have come to their decision without even obtaining facts to weigh that decision. Finally, the library may lose certification anyway since library funding certainly will not increase 2-1/2% and will probably significantly decrease.
It is also not true that communities do not contract with Library Systems and Services Inc (LSSI) to save money. See my post here,
"the county hired LSSI to reopen libraries on a much reduced budget"Our town's fiscal situation is poor. Every opportunity to reduce costs while maintaining services should be explored. Bottom line is the library department is unwilling to do that. Time will tell if that was a wise choice.
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97 comments:
Within weeks of getting their override money, the library asked FinCom if it could seek an override again in 2009, when questioned how it would continue to be sustainable, barring yearly grants, which can not be counted on.
I'm sorry, but on a personal level, an attitude like that shows no gratitude, let alone demonstrating a willingness to work with the rest of the town to find solutions, however distasteful they may be, that will save money.
I resent money given to ANYONE under those circumstances.
It just seems like there is a lot of stubborn resistance from many in our town's government, employ, elected or appointed status, who are desperate to save everything and everyone, and will continue to sidetrack and stall even the smallest, easy-to-accomplish measures that would save money.
I may be reading something into Mr. Brown's article, but the attitude of the library sounds a bit arrogant to me.
28 employees? 28 employees???
No wonder the library is always full. It is full of employees. 28 employees plus volunteers. 28 employees?????
Yes, arrogance is the word. The library seems to feel that because the town passed an override to support the library, they will in the future. I think they are in for a rude awakening. Although the public would agree that libraries are important, I don't think the public will agree with doling out more to a department that shows no sign of cooperating during these trying times.
Anonymous 2:57 p.m. certainly knows how to get the conversation going. I would be interested in knowing if there are any facts behind this claim.
Facts? Why?
What facts would you like for an opinion? I think the opinion about stubborn resistance is right on target but that's just my opinion.
Method of revoking CPA authorityCPA remains in effect for a minimum of five years from the date of voter approval in a municipality. After five years, it can be revoked in the same manner–legislative body acceptance (simple majority) or initiative
petition followed by voter approval–used to approve CPA originally.
A municipality may accept or revoke CPA through passage by the legislative body (town meeting or city council) or through a citizen initiative. In either case, CPA must subsequently be approved by a simple majority of local voters in an election.
Legislative:
1) The municipal legislative body (town meeting or city council) must vote to accept or revoke by a simple majority, the provisions of the Community Preservation Act
2) The acts of the town meeting/city council are then referred for voter approval at the next regularly scheduled municipal election or general state election (November of even-numbered years),
whichever comes first. A CPA referendum may not be scheduled for a special election
Thanks for the info Bill.
I wonder if the people who oppose change that would save money would handle their own finances in the same manner? I find it hard to believe that, pressed for money, most of us wouldn't look to our budgets and spending habits to see how and where we could save money.
Why is handling the town's money any different? Is it because it comes from a collective pocket rather than one individual or family's pocket?
I bet those running our town handle their own finances a lot differently than they handle the town's. Or at least I would hope so!!
Good point! We should never expect opinions to be based on facts . . .
The Library is in no way pursuing an override.
The people in charge of running OUR Library, appointed by the people of Dartmouth are actively pursuing methods to make Our Library system sustainable for the future.
Please stop making false statements, there is no pursuit of an override by the Library Trustees.
The post stated a question was asked, not that any action was or is being taken to pursue an override.
The library spokesperson has said and continues to say they are looking at all ways to reduce the cost of operating the library and making it more efficient. How does that get translated into arrogance? Oh it's the hitching post, I understand now.
to anon 5:00pm, The last time I was in the library, there were so many people working in there they were almost fighting over who was going to help me. I was only returning a book which took all of 1 minute.
If the library was looking at ALL WAYS of reducing costs, they would issue an RFP for contracting service and see if that saves money. Isn't that true?
28 employees?????
The library answered the question about the RFP. You don't like the answer but they have answered it repeatedly.
Delays in at least trying to find cost-saving measures just impede the process. Unfortunately a lot of people are unable to be open to change, even if that means saving money, or perhaps they just plain don't want to or don't even want to try in some situations, for reasons known only to them. It takes a while to persuade them, and that is the delay.
This is not a reference solely to the library. Everyone talks the talk, but how many of them actually walk the walk, and do so with minimum resistance and delay?
How many "talks" and "meetings" have we had with department heads since our financial crisis became known? It seems a decision can't be made or a measure implemented without months of conversation or studies or whatnot. Not that any of this isn't important, but how many times do we have to go around the same topic before anything gets done, if it even does?
28 employees????
28 employees? Yet another factoid? Oh, right, it's just an opinion . . .
They don't have 28 employees. Please check your facts.
28 employees is what the standard times reported in their opinion piece. The newspaper is responsible for getting the facts right aren't they?
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090218/OPINION/902180330/-1/OPINION01
check it out for yourself.
28 EMPLOYEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Again, this is your Library. Please visit and ask to meet with the Library Director. She will give you an accurate count of how many employees the Library has and how many Volunteers they have…Please get your facts straight from the Director and stop making up information… The Library and the Trustees would be happy to assist you with any questions… Again feel free to attend a Trustee meeting.. The dates are posted on the Dartmouth Library web site…..
Many of those 'employees' are on call part time fill in people with very limited hours and no benefits. They get called to fill in when an employee is sickor on vacation. There is always more to a story than sensational one liners. Just takes some work to find the answers.
Bill, why no comment on the Kevin Lee situation. This is a classic witchhunt.
I bet it will be one of the most contentious blogs you put up.
Diane and Joe must go and depending on your response here will determine your fate as well.
Gee Bill. You must be very scared. Careful what you say.
I'd just as soon see no thread on the Kevin Lee situation. Let it play out in the courts which is where this will be going.
I agree with the Standard Times op ed this morning. There are two issues here. One is whether or not the town can afford to provide the service of youth advocate. I am of the opinion that we cannot given the fiscal restraints that we face.
The other is whether it is advisable to link the town's website to a personal site with photos of teens and children. I think that personal pages of anyone, town employee or not, should not be accessible from our town website. I think that the town should adopt a policy that we will not link to personal sites. I received a policy guideline on this issue yesterday from the library staff which I think has merit. I will urge the Select Board to discuss that guideline and adopt it as policy for the town. I will post the guideline as I have time.
To 8:19 AM, why must we assume that the Youth Advocate will be going to court? Yes, his position will probably be eliminated like many others, but name me one other town, just one, that funds such an extravagance. The Youth Advocate can sue but he has no case.
Looks like Lee is trying to make himself a case with this photo nonsense. Otherwise he has no case. If the town is smart, they will take down his pictures and send him quietly away in June.
No need for a post. Kevin Lee has made the case for himself. Total lack of good judgement thus proving he is not capable of counseling children.
No the real issue is Diane Gilberts' comment""to determine what is appropriate and what isn't appropriate as far as content." that sure sounds alot like censorship! I am forced to assume its appropriate as long as you agree with her and if you dont your the next contestant in the great Dartmouth witchhunt. following in the footsteps on Manny Cordeiro(extra-curriculer busing contracts-which the town has no say in) and now Kevin Lee. whose the next contestant? chief of police? because the DPD website has pictures of men in their uniforms(you know how those S+M people love that) or maybe the town seal itself since the anti-hunting crowd is offended by the mounted deer's head on the town symbol.
anon 8:26- I don't think the court case will center around the elimination of the YA position. Should have been clearer in my comment.
To Anonymous 9:04 AM - What will the lawsuit center on then? Hurt feelings? Defamation of a public official? Good luck on that one, pal. Did you ever hear of the Sullivan v. New York Times case? Look it up on the Internet.
Ok then. Does not mean much to me but it will most certainly cost our fair town more money that they do not have. Good plan.
Are you kidding? A lawsuit from Lee? Good luck with that. How does he justify posting a full frontal nude photo of a child on the web? Witch hunt? Anyone with half a brain should know children today are vunerable to child predators and other unsavory individuals who take advantage of them. A person in Mr. Lee's positon should be more than aware of this and SHOULD NEVER have put a child in the position of possible abuse. This is a person we are entrusting our childrens' safety with. His lack of judgement does not instill me with faith that he is capable of being trusted.
As far as I am concerned this is a poor management decision at the Select Board level. Look I WAS a Diane Gilbert supporter, I got her email pointing out her issue with Lee's website. Why send it to me and the hundreds of other people she sent it to? She should have taken it up with the Youth Commission and had them deal with it. To me, involving the public and the press appears to be just a political move to gain votes at Mr. Lee's expense and I am sorry Ms. Gilbert but you have finally lost mine! And to quote your now infamous email yes I believe “you are a divisive and angry nutjob”!
I also supported Gilbert three years ago but what have I seen in the last year or so? A person whom is constantly ignoring the speaker during meetings, a person whom flys off the handle at Town hall employees, A person who seems to specialize in character assassination when challenged,I had thought the school busing extra-curriclur issue was the low point when she called mr Cordeiro a racist in an email and then began questioning his credentials with the IG's office. Now Mr Lee. Instead of contacting Mr Lee directly and asking him to remove to questionably offensive photo(which he claims he would have done willingly) she runs to the police chief and complains, gets Sam Sutters office involved and then the newspapers. Now she wants to censor whats on the Dartmouth Youth website. She wants to decide whats appropriate for everyone to see. No thank you. I will supporting Lara Stone. She wants to work together and end the divisiveness and character assissination. She's got a degree in this type of thing and professional experience to boot.
Dont forget the weinchel farm , she also sent select emails on that one to rile the troops but she got trumped by the school crises.I was at that meeting where it had to be moved to the middle school. How dare they put up more houses in the south. Diane divide and conquer. My way or the highway. I also voted for her not this time. Bye Diane!
Yes Diane. You should have kept your mouth shut and let Mr. Lee continue to have inappropriate photos on his website. How dare you inform the public!
to annon 1136 How about rather than stir the pot, follow a chain of command as maybe an elected official should do. Why get the public involved first! self serving maybe and what about our fiscal dilema? Pictures so important!
I didn't say "Diane should keep her mouth shut". I said there are proper procedures for a "good" leader to take when they encounter a management issue and Diane once again chose not follow them. If she had an issue with a photo on the Youth Advocates website then go to the governing body of that website, the Youth Commission, not email me a citizen in Dartmouth, or the press.
Excuse me but Diane did not go to the press. Joe Michaud did so why are you blaming her? Maybe for political reasons? Why aren't you blaming the police chief for going to the DA? Why aren't you blaming the DA for saying it was inappropriate?
got an e-mail too and she lost me then. why not take her concern to the Youth Committee and air it or pik up the phone and bring her concern to Mr Lee himself? Why not? As for the poster that writes about the full frontal of a child - it's his grandson for heaven's sake with the full knowledge and consent of his children. Please. 1 phone call would have put this to bed. Instead a man's entire life's work now is clouded. Is that the way things qre done in Dartmouth now? I guess it is.
To 11:40. You're right. A child's welfare should never be more important than the fiscal matters facing the town. We should not have informed the public and moved on to more important matters.
Give it a rest already! your right shes the greatest best weve ever had,true representation totally transparent she will win by a landslide! Go Dianne Go. Your the greatset!
I don't care who the child is. When posted on the web it then becomes available to anyone out there including child predators and less than ethical people who take advantage of helpless children. What is wrong with you people? The only explanation I can think of is that you are so desperate to discredit Diane Gilbert that you would defend a person who has exposed a child to possible abuse. Pathetic.
to 11:59 Your opinion about the picture. maybe not mine just innocence! Have 2 sall children of my own. Point is chain of command, leadership go to the source. Why send out emails to supporters that is my question? What it gets is alot of chatter again self serving and possibly shot herself in the foot!
If you define the public's right to know as self serving then there is nothing I can say to you.
Why get worked up. The Diane lovers will simply say she's exposed another great injustice. Is'nt that what we all want? Does'nt matter the method, does ot matter the fall out. SHe's done society a great favor by routing this out. Never mind this stuff has been up for quite some time without objection, never mind the one picture in question (among many other beautiful photographs)is of his own family member. Diane has unearthed a great secret and we should al be eternally grateful to her for protecting us. Go Diane go. Who's next? Can't wait to get the next newspaper-better than the National Enquirer.
1219 again you miss my point ITS THE METHOD! Do it right less back and forth!
Why just Diane? Why not Joe, the Chief and the DA? Political motivations? You all know it wasn't Diane that went running to the press but hey, she's the next one up for re-election. Lynch her so we can have the school people control both sides of the budget.
Sounds good to me! yay Schools
1:57 - got nothing to do with the schools, everything to do with the e-mails Ms Gilbert sent around defaming Lee before she went to the police. sorry to disappoint.
Defaming? Mr. Lee has been accused of nothing more than bad judgement.
Even if the guy claims he was defamed, he's got a legal mountain to climb (as a public official) to prove defamation in court. (Look up the New York Times case!) Besides that, truth is the ultimate defense. No one has even attempted to claim that anything said by Select Board members was false.
The Chief of Police is involved beacuse he has to be. The entire Police Department is at risk of being cut. They have been spared at the moment but they know full well that could change if they were to cross the voting majority of the Select Board.
Don't beleive me, ask any police officer how they feel about the political climate in town right now. For that matter, ask any town employee how they feel about their job security right now and how it is tied to what Diane Gilbert, Joe Michaud and Bill Trimble ask them to do. Then again they may not tell you out of fear.
The police had a duty to report to the DA. That was not an option. Mr. Lee was told to remove the picture by the DA and he did so. Any more complaints should go to the Youth Commission.
As far as Mr. Lee's job- It was saved last year because of the override. This year, Dartmouth is not going to put an override on the ballot. That fact that Mr. Lee's position is being eliminated has nothing to do with his website.
Don't you think the same thing could have been accomplished by just skipping over the police, the DA, the email to the public and going right to the Youth Commission? Yes I think so, but it wouldn't have gotten Mrs. Gilbert quite as much attention.
Say what you want, this episode and the way it was approached will cost the town money. It did not have to be this way.
Please refer to the post by Peter Friedman on Curt Brown's blog. You people are unbelievable. Ms. Gilbert did not go to the papers. She did not go to the police. Are you now going to smear Mr. Friedman for doing the right thing? Are you going to smear the chief for following up on a report about naked children posted on a website that can be linked from our town website? Talk about spreading unsubstantiated rumors. The only thing Mr. Lee has been accused of is poor judgement and rightly so.
who circulated the e-mails that have been going around? where did they originate? they did not come from Peter Friedman.
The emails originated from a concerned citizen. If you had actually read the emails before you started more rumors, you would know that.
If you don't think Diane is capable of sending out anonymous e-mails, then I have a bridge in Padnaram that might interest you.
Oh I get it. You were wrong about who went to the police but now you're right about the emails. I would say you have a credibility issue.
Lara Stone's smear campaign seems to be grasping at straws here.
The email trail I received was entitled "THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW" and it originated from Diane Gilbert.
Why shouldn't the public have a right to know? Mr. Lee posted it on the web so he sure didn't have a problem with it. Actually, I think this is exactly what he was hoping for. If you think the general public opinion is going to be that he did not exercise poor judgement, I think you are wrong. This was calculated by Mr Lee from the beginning. He figured he would push the envelope in order to create a controversy that he could say was character assasination in order to save his job. Shameless!!!!
Like I said at the beginning, this will be one of the most contentious issues on this blog. The fact that Bill did not start a new blog thread says volumes.
I still contend that Joe, Diane and possibly Bill must go. We can only start with Diane, then we will vote out Joe. Time will tell just like with Obama. He now owns this disastrous approach to "fix" our fiscal crisis.
Of course blame everyone else except those who are actually responsible. Obama did not get this country into this mess. George Bush did. Bill, Diane and Joe did not post nude photos of children on a website linked from the town website. Kevin Lee did.
In the article in the ST today, Kevin says that he thinks that town officials should have handled this far more effectively and judiciously. He wants to place blame on town officials for his pictures????
Hello Kevin? You should have handled this better in the first place.
Shame on Mr. Lee. He should know better.
February 20 - 6:02 PM - Exactly how is the handling of this website picture-posting going to "cost the town money"? Do you honestly believe the Youth Advocate has been defamed in some way? How? Do you really think he's got a "case" because another town official (or a bunch of them) quesioned his judgment or hurt his feelings?
There is plenty of blame to go around for the fiscal crisis republican and democrat alike, but the "approach" to solving this crisis is Mr Obama's and his alone. I would start taking your money out of the bank and putting it under your mattress or canning jars or whatever they did back in the thirties.
As far as Mr. lee is concerned, if this issue was dealt with more professionally and not in the public arena he would have agreed to remove the pictures. Now, he has been defamed because he has a stigma attached to him whether or not he was guilty and alot more people have now been made aware of this situation while the stigma continues to grow. It was an innocent picture of his own grandson for God's sake!
The more attention that is drawn to this issue puts the children more at risk because of the negative perception our select board has painted it.
Thanks Diane and Joe for dragging the town even deeper into the abyss.
I don't get it. Mr. Lee posts pictures on a town linked www. site for the world to see and now he is upset that someone told other people that these pictures were there. As my father used to say to me when I did something stupid as a teenager--" Are you sh!!!!n' me????"
anon.12:45. Where was George W.'s approach??? Seems to me you are the who is making more of this issue than anyone else. Here you are talking about defamation when all that has been said is he's guilty of bad judgment. Just stirring the political pot?
There is such this as an "anonymous" email. Almost anyone can find out the source if they know where to look. Whomever sent the email around apparently doesnt know that. Maybe we need another committee. they can work with Diane on censoring the internet.
Diane Gilbert is constantly embroiled in controversy. This latest issue with Kevin Lee fits perfectly with the view I've come to have of her. I don't think she's a nice person and I hope she is defeated in the next election.
I often find myself disagreeing with Bill Trimble on various issues facing the Town. But at least he's not mean-spirited in how he goes about representing himself and his views.
This is a bunch of baloney. Just what Lee and the anti-change crowd want. I'll post a naked kid on the internet and then blame Gilbert so that maybe Stone can get elected. Ya, that's real hard to figure out.
Stone = overides and smear campaigns
If an ordinary citizen with no town affiliation had contacted Chief Pacheco, and that person were identified, would all of you have crucified him or her, also?
Kevin Lee posted a picture on the world wide web, and now he's upset because the Chief of Police and the DA said it should to be removed.
Kevin, You should have known better, You are a YOUTH ADVOCATE! DAH!
Bill, Library funding turned into Youth Advocate discussion. Back to Library, Can you get the public a list of the library salaries and what these workers do? I have read that the Director is overpaid and her secretary. Salary reductions top down would help the budget?
Hi Bill, I'm reading this whole blog for the first time too. Can you offer the citizens some more library cost details and break down the individual employee costs. Seems that to have any discussion we need more numbers on the dollars. As an aside, people won't drop dollars for fund-raising if the top employees are flush. Then it is welfare for salary maintenance, what say you bloggers?
I have a breakdown of the library departments's 2010 budget from the Finance Committee meeting last Thursday. I'll post it when I get a chance. Have a meeting tonight so it may be tomorrow.
Thanks Bill, It seems like every time personnel questions come up on this blog the library folks scatter like......
The Youth Commission meeting is tuesday night feb. 24th at 6:30pm in room 118 at town hall.
Thanks Bill, we'll be waiting for the library figures and info. More info the better to make decisions and cast opinions!
Bill, Please put a link to Peter's letter today, might I conclude: outrageous. The trustees and Director are selfishyly ruining the library for the public and regular employees. All this top staff money, for a small library, Absurd! The Director could be her own secretary and her own Asst. The other professionals who make like $35,000-40 are capable of multitasking and helping out. Reduce top costs, no brainer. They'd rather see the library close. We can get another Director who will be flexible and work with the citizens and schools.
Bill, can you do a library update? Thanks, know it is hard to post everything that pops up.
Bill, can you do a library update? Thanks, know it is hard to post everything that pops up.
I guess we can cut crossing guards and animal control but get money sponging library staff and give pay raises year after year after year after year.
I thought our animal control officer was supposed to get an assistant? Does anyone know if she has?
She has not.
Apparently they didn't think her job is important enough to warrant consideration, even though I thought some of the override money was to get her an assistant.
Anybody see on Channel 12 yesterday that the town of Amesbury (I think it was) is eliminating its entire Board of Health?
If other towns can take drastic actions (I'm not in favor of eliminating the Board of Health in Dartmouth or anywhere, for that matter) and lay off teachers as in Warwick, RI, and firefighters and police in East Providence, why can't we take some (far less) drastic measures and lay off some of the higher paid support staff and make the decisions for some of these people who won't make them for themselves? Why won't our officials take the bull by the horns and finally do it instead of talking and "explaining" how jobs will be lost if people don't cooperate? Clearly some won't.
I want an assistant animal control officer.
It would be nice to eliminate some of the higher paying positions. For the ones we actually do need, I would like to see them cut 20+k if not more. We have to start reducing the salaries we pay. Unfortunately we are dealing with these contracts which guarantee some people their jobs and salaries. Then we have union issues. I don't think the problem is not wanting to do something, the problem is the town's hands are tied. Town meeting also comes into play. It controls the money. If town meeting decides to fully fund a position or chooses not to eliminate it, that's the end of the story.
I guess, with the library, when you 've got a good thing going, you milk it (the taxpayers because of state mandates) dry. Untouchable. What a shame.
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