+17 votes
by (620 points)
Niles Library – Board of Trustees Recently the Board of Trustees voted “Yes” to authorize Administration (@mazy1695 Lempke) to pay bills without the Boards approval. Trustees… We elected you to represent us (the tax payer) and you voted away your responsibility. What next? Send this Board a message and call 847-663-6650…. Your comments will be automatically sent to each Board member.  
Niles Library – Board of Trustees Recently the Board of Trustees voted “Yes” to authorize Admi

8 Answers

0 votes
by (530 points)
Explain to your constituents why!  
by (1.5k points)
@retirement - Board meeting videos are posted on you tube about a week after the board meeting.  
by (620 points)
I can't answer that question Jack. Please send your comment to the board members at 847-663-6650
by (140 points)
Hello! I have the authority to pay the library's bills during the COVID 19 crisis should the Board not be able to meet to approve them. It is strictly in case of emergency, and temporary. I think we should pay our bills, and the Board agreed. They will be meeting to approve the payment of bills tonight as usual.  
by (1.1k points)
Sounds like an appropriate action to me. The complainers will always complain about something.  
by (2.7k points)
@mazy1695 why doesn’t the board approve bills monthly? It’s not like the library is living paycheck to paycheck. Plenty of money on reserve. Can you also justify spending the same amount of money during your closure as you would if you were open? That is just flat out an embarrassment.  
by (140 points)
@kaylor They do pay the bills monthly. The resolution was in case they couldn't gather a quorum during the pandemic.  
by (2.7k points)
@mazy1695 that’s a poor excuse. Why couldn’t you get a quorum with video conference meetings? Maybe you can try those answers with others but it’s not going to work with someone like me.  
by (140 points)
@kaylor, you can't attend a meeting when you're on a ventilator.  
by (2.7k points)
@mazy1695 nobody was on a ventilator. Again these were hypothetical procedures. Maybe it’s time somebody start to FOIA all the spending going on. Why is there full staff being paid while the library is closed? How can spending be the same?  
by (2.7k points)
@mazy1695 can you please tell me who the library FOIA officer is?  
by (140 points)
Mr. Trunco, I am a children's librarian turned library director who is just trying to serve the community. You will find all of our spending information freely available to you through our website. You will find we buy a lot of books and dvds. I am the FOIA officer if you want something that isn't there.  
by (2.7k points)
@mazy1695 expect a couple of FOIA’s from me in the coming days. To say you are a children’s librarian and just trying to serve the community is like you are doing community service. However, it seems to be with benefits you are making a nice $146, 311. 12 salary from the library. So please don’t talk about serving the community when your spending at the library has been out of control and the disrespect for the public and certain board members show monthly.  
by (2.7k points)
For all to see just in case you didn’t know. Here is the tax dollars hard at work. None of the people have been furloughed or laid off while the library is closed. How much I’m salary is getting paid to sit home? Justification on this executive director?  
by (570 points)
@kaylor WAIT What?! 134K DOING What?! 107k what!?  
by (2.7k points)
@joo863 $236k in salaries for just those employees over the last 2 months the building is closed. That’s 23. 6% of what the library “saved” us for taxes already spent. The village and parks have both cut staff, aren’t paying part time employees yet the library spends spends spends.  
by (800 points)
@mazy1695, just wanted to share a word of encouragement to you and the rest of the library staff. My husband and I decided to move to Niles 3 years ago to start our family. In those 3 years I have been beyond impressed with the services the library offers both before I had kids and even more after. Part of this pandemic being hard is not being able to take my son to the library to read books and play. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the effort I've seen put in even while the building was closed to create and share online resources including the virtual storytimes. The staff at the library are certainly not just sitting at home, but trying to find new and innovative ways to serve the community during this difficult time. I am also very glad that you and the rest of the leadership have taken this approach rather than laying people off. Keep up the good work.  
by (620 points)
@feathery3 Megan, thanks for your Comment.  
+3 votes
by (2.9k points)
Yup! Out of 12 million dollars to work with to abate to help Niles tax payers they approved ONLY 1 million! Real help. It is so important to remember on the Nov ballot there is a referendum question about TER@retirement limits for Niles Lib Trustees. Please check YES to support term limits! This is the first step get new people that actual care about tax payers of Niles. The director and most of the board spend spend spend-always!  
by (1.9k points)
@offload0 my friend who is very knowledgeable was running. He was blocked by one of the current trustees who fought every step on the way in the cook county court system to keep him off the ballot.  
by (5.8k points)
@ivonneivor265 , My husband and neighbor were on the board for several years. They had everything under control during that time but of course were voted out because they were the only intelligent ones on the board who know how to curb the spending and spend the correct way.  
by (620 points)
@derward Thank you for you service Connie. It reassuring to know that a change of Trustees can make a difference. Please vote next November for term limits.  
by (5.8k points)
@slayton6964 , I will! And will make sure others do as well!  
+7 votes
by (1.5k points)
@ivonneivor265 kwas k - I remember that over a very petty reason clearly they were worried about getting someone in who actually cared
by (1.9k points)
@steffy267 you are correct!  
+1 vote
by (6.3k points)
Maybe tax payers money shouldn’t go to library and they can fund themselves.  
by (820 points)
@polycrates this would not work.  
+9 votes
by (2.7k points)
I just hope some real candidates step up and try to bring this back to reality.  
by (1.3k points)
@kaylor time for you to run!  
by (2.7k points)
@klipspringer definitely something to think about!  
+2 votes
by (2.5k points)
Funny I was at the board meeting and I don’t remember that you only have the power if the board was unable to approve the bills themselves. Can’t believe I missed that?  
by (620 points)
@defalcate It was item (D) on the April 15th meeting.  
+5 votes
by (2.2k points)
Allowing the Library Director to pay bills under emergency circumstances in which thr Board cannot meat sounds like governing responsibly to me.  
by (110 points)
It breaks my heart to hear anyone advocate for cutting people’s livelihood in a state of emergency.  
by (2.7k points)
@gantlet402 what about the people who have lost their livelihood and have to pay the taxes for the library to keep spending money? What about the fact that millions are in reserve and the library could have cut all the taxes period or the $2 Million option? That breaks my heart for the whole community of Niles.  
by (820 points)
@@tape797 thank you and I agree that this shouldn't be a forum for badmouthing to this extent. I do value a heads up about bad experiences but this is not appropriate. @@gantlet402 and Susan, thank you for your input.  
by (2.7k points)
@baleful4779 not sure it’s inappropriate talking about salaries being spent and how much it costs niles tax payers.  
by (620 points)
@tape797 That was my point Mathew
0 votes
by (5.8k points)
For all you people who have never been to a library board meeting, you should go. Several people , myself included left in disgust. Could not believe what transpired at this meeting!  
by (530 points)
Examples please.  
by (820 points)
@derward which meeting? I will watch it.  
by (2.7k points)
@baleful4779 @derward I know if you want to see disgust for our country one minute into the April meeting the library board president says that saying the pledge on a virtual meeting is irrelevant! And watch January and February’s when Carolyn asks questions about $3, 500 to a guy that’s out of business and the number doesn’t work. The staff and other board members are so disrespectful. It’s time this board changes.  
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