By Nicole Falco
"You are our neighbors," Brian Lynn told the 50 residents gathered at Monday's Norwood Park Civic Association meeting. "You've been coming to our library and we'd like to continue to serve you. We will work with you to improve services to you because we want you to be with us. We would consider putting a branch closer to the unserved areas."
Elmont's main branch is on Hempstead Turnpike, and there are two satellite branches in Stewart Manor and Alden Terrace. The library would consider moving either of the satellite branches.
Lynn was a tough act to follow, but Marshall Botwinick, director of Valley Stream's Henry Waldinger Memorial Library, and Joan Kelleher, director of the Malverne Public Library, were also invited by Bob Steiner, Norwood Civic president, to offer residents an explanation of their library's services. The West Hempstead Public Library may be a fourth option for the community, but the Franklin Square Public Library has already said it does not wish to be considered for contracts with any of the communities.
While explaining their library's services, the representatives also invited the communities to consider contracting with their library for service when they vote in a town referendum. The referendum has two parts: authorization to establish a special library funding district, and the establishment of a tax rate. The tax rate will depend on which public library residents choose to contract with. Both parts of the referendum must pass in order for unserved residents to obtain library service.
At least one of the four neighborhoods will have the opportunity to vote in a town referendum to establish a special library district and an accompanying tax rate for service by the end of September 2003.
"I'd like to serve the greatest number as quickly as possible," Deputy Town Attorney Eugene Ferencik told the crowd, but he didn't specify which community or communities would go first.
There are approximately 9,700 residents of North Valley Stream, 4,700 in East Franklin Square, 150 in North Malverne and 700 in North Lynbrook who still rely on state-mandated access cards for limited library service. These unserved communities were issued state-mandated access cards in January 2000 after the New York State Board of Regents ruled that the sale of library cards was illegal. The more than 15,000 residents can continue to use their state-mandated access cards as long as they are actively seeking a solution to their library situation.
An omnibus bill enabling four separate town referendums to establish a special library funding district in each of those communities was introduced in the Senate by Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), and in the Assembly by Bob Barra (R-C, Lynbrook) and Tom Alfano (R-C, Franklin Square). It passed last summer.
Since each of the four communities will have separate referendums, each one must decide for itself which library to contract with. A contract can last up to five years. Even if all four communities were to decide to contract with the same library, they would still vote in separate town referendums. According to Ferencik, whichever communities do not vote in referendums this year will do so in 2004.
The Norwood Civic meeting was the first of many informational meetings. In addition, Ferencik said, the Town of Hempstead will mail notices of the vote to the residents of the four communities. Andrew Mastromarino, legislative aide to Town Councilman James Darcy, said Darcy's office and Town Councilman Joseph Kearney's office will also send mailings to constituents to keep them informed of the process.
"We're going to try to get a feel for what each community wants before we make a determination [about which library to contract with]," Mastromarino said.
Approximately 4,800 residents of Valley Stream's Mill Brook and South Valley Stream communities approved a special library funding district and chose to contract with the Valley Stream Library when they approved a town referendum in September 2002. As of January 1, those residents were allowed to apply for their full-service library cards.
Unserved residents are encouraged to visit the libraries in their area in order to decide which one they would like to contract with. The library a community chooses will affect the tax rate established for them. So far the four possible choices are:
Elmont Public Library
1735 Hempstead Turnpike
(516) 354-5280
Malverne Public Library
61 St. Thomas Place
(516) 599-0750
Henry Waldinger Memorial Library (Valley Stream)
60 Verona Place (behind Village Hall)
(516) 825-6422
West Hempstead Public Library
252 Chestnut Street
(516) 481-6591
If you are a resident of one of the four unserved communities and would like more information or to find out when the next meeting on this issue will take place, contact Joe Eisner, a representative of Nassau Library Systems, at (516) 292-8920 Ext. 274. NLS has been actively working with unserved areas to help them secure service since the Board of Regents ruling.
Additionally, Bob Steiner, president of the Norwood Park Civic Association, which represents East Franklin, can be reached with questions at (516) 872-0212. Also, Babette Stack, a member of the Morton Civic Association, which represents families in North Valley Stream, can be reached at (516) 485-3706.
