East Norwalk Association decries TTD commissioners’ tactics 
regarding library authority

Stan Siegel is the executive director of the East Norwalk Association.

To the Editor:

The Board of the East Norwalk Improvement Association Inc., doing business as the East Norwalk Association (ENA), having been founded in 1910 and establishing its East Norwalk Association Library 100 years ago, in 1915, vehemently opposes the plan of the Commissioners of the Third Taxing District to hold a public meeting on May 30th for “…input and vision for the future of your library.”

While, in fact, the electors of the Third Taxing District did approve funding for the hiring of a library consultant to develop a master plan for the East Norwalk Association Library, nothing in that action transferred the authority of the management, operation, and care of the library to the commissioners of the Third Taxing District.

Quite the contrary, the century-long, and sole responsibility of the management, operation, and care of the East Norwalk Library began and remains with the Board of the East Norwalk Association.

Most recently, the ENA Board adopted the following resolution in response to the plan of the TTD Commissioner’s to abrogate the ENA authority:

“That we, the East Norwalk Improvement Association does not recognize the authority of the Commissioners of the Third Taxing District to (a) form a Library Planning Committee and (b) that Committee, if indeed formed by the TTD Commissioners, does not carry with it any authority regarding the organization, conduct, or operation of the Association’s Library. Since its founding of the East Norwalk Library in 1915 by the Association, its Library has been operated and managed solely by the Association as part of its organizational authority. Further, the electors of the Third Taxing District, at each of its Annual Meetings, has the singular and sole relationship regarding the operation of the Association Library by enabling the approval of the Association’s operating budget as part of the overall operating budget of the District itself. 
  
“Therefore, under the circumstances outlined for the formation of a Library Planning Committee in the District’s Special Meeting of April 1, 2015, the Board of the Association further declines to participate in such a Committee and will take whatever action necessary, to assure and protect its right for the operation, management and conduct of its Association Library.”

The commissioners declared that they, and they alone, would set up a Library Planning Committee to be composed of the three Third Taxing District Commissioners; three members of the East Norwalk public of their choosing; and two Board members of the East Norwalk Association.

In the spirit of cooperation, and while still maintaining its authority, the ENA Board does offer to participate in a Library Planning Committee with, however, the three Third Taxing District Commissioners; three Board members of the East Norwalk Association; and three members of the East Norwalk public mutually chosen. This, the ENA Board believes, will adhere to the sense of the motion made and vote taken at the TTD 2015 Annual Meeting regarding the forming of a tri-party committee and will retain the authority to form such a committee with the East Norwalk Association, which maintains management and operating control of the Association Library.

Further, as to the approval, by the Electors of the Third Taxing District, in their Annual Meeting of January 2014, regarding enabling a sum of money be set aside for a master plan consultancy regarding the Association Library, the Board contends that such a master plan and consultant as chosen, be managed by the Board of the Association which, as stated here and on many other occasions, has the sole authority of the conduct of its Association Library.

Toward that end, and as part of its service to the East Norwalk community, the Board would most certainly seek the input of the district electors, Library users, and others based upon the advice and plan of the Consultant hired for such a Master Plan – which is the basis for the creation of a Library Planning Committee. Toward that end, contact was made by the Association to the chosen Consultant without, as yet, any response.

Most recently, the TTD Commission chairman offered a suggestion that the TTD commissioners and ENA have the “issue” mediated and offered a mediator of their choosing and asked that the ENA Board to approve someone to meet with their chosen mediator to resolve the existing differences. In the spirit of cooperation, the ENA Board agreed that mediation might bring a resolution to the ongoing situation.

However, despite the fact that the commissioners have decided on who they would have as the mediator, the ENA Board’s choice of mediation representation was flatly denied by the commissioners and they instead reached out to decide on and chose a mediator of behalf of the ENA.

It should also be noted, that last year, the TTD commissioners sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request via Certified Mail to the ENA Board members seeking information regarding the operation of the library including divulging the names and addresses of its cardholders. This necessitated the hiring an attorney by the ENA Board, as a large unbudgeted expense, to determine what, if anything, in the commissioners’ request was subject to FOIA scrutiny.

These actions by the TTD commissioners strengthens the resolve of the ENA Board, on behalf of its library and service to its community, to bring this unusual matter to the attention of the residents of East Norwalk and to the general public of the great city of Norwalk. This decision, to continue to oppose the TTD Commissioner’s interference in the management, operation, and care of the East Norwalk Association Library was formally agreed upon, by the ENA Board, at its meeting, May, 19, 2015.

Stan Siegel

East Norwalk Improvement Association Inc.