Sunday, October 29, 2006

Westchester Library System to poll member libraries on Elmsford/Ardsley contract

An article in todays Journal News (www.lohud.com) reports that the Westchester Library System has decided to poll all the member libraries before deciding what actions, if any, will be taken regarding the Elmsford/Ardsley library contract. Earlier this fall Elmsford pulled out of the Greenburgh library (Greenburgh will lose over $250,000 a year)and entered into a contract with Ardsley which offered the same card at a reduced price. Critics suggest that this action could have county-wide ramifications. Under the current WLS guidelines anyone in Westchester who holds a library card anywhere can use any library in the system. Will communities throughout Westchester enter into bidding wars for library contracts at inexpensive rates? Will smaller communities close down their libraries and enter into much less expensive contracts with a library that offers them a cheap card? This is not about Ardsley/Greenburgh/Elmsford. This issue has county-wide and library system ramifications. The WLS hopes to issue a decision before the end of the year.

ON ANOTHER NOTE-- the town will be opening up bids for the library expansion project on Tuesday.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that if the WLS does not support the GPL in this matter, GPL must change its plans. The library must be moved away from 119. The town should provide land in secor or ridge road parks. That would be just as central located, but not next to Elmford, the free loaders.

what do you think Mr. Feiner.

Anonymous said...

As noted by Bernstein to the WLS this will hurt the low income people who live close to 119.

But so what, most of those people are in the Villages. If there elected officials dont care about their access to theses programs, why should GPL

Anonymous said...

There would appear to be just as many low income people around the 9A area who reside within Elmsford's village limits, no?

For those who'd need to take public transportation, I think it would be just as convenient to get to Greenburgh's library as to Ardsley's library. Bus #5 goes along 119 and down 9A directly to Ardsley's library on a very frequent schedule, and Bus #1C goes down 9A from Valhalla through Elmsford directly down to Ardsley's library, too.

Anonymous said...

Dear bus rider:

Perhaps you should look at the Saturday and Sunday schedules.

Anonymous said...

weekend bus schedule:
true, not as frequent

Anonymous said...

re 9a v. 119,

you wanted elmsford -- they're yours,

that why gpl should move.

Anonymous said...

The Barnes and Noble property might make for a great GPL location, as well as help to revitalize that sad stretch of Central Park Avenue.

Anonymous said...

my guess is central ave is even more expensive than 119

we should look for a location back from teh main streets

that is why park space would be great

Anonymous said...

Mr. Feiner,

You respond to every other blog

The parks are supposed to be for the benefit of unincorporated Greenburgh, as is GPL. Is the town willing to donate land for this.

GPL can not continue to provide for village people. Our only choice is to move. That is sad, but there are no other choices.

Anonymous said...

Greenburgh benefits from being a member of the Westchester Library system. If Greenburgh moved the location of the library Elmsford residents who have a library card from Ardsley still will be able to use our library. Edgemont residents use the Scarsdale Public Library and the White Plains Library. Sometimes I even use the Eastchester library. I don't want to lose that privilege

Anonymous said...

Let's be realistic! How can we demolish all of Central Ave and start over? We don't even own the land. You may have tons of money. I don't. I also think that a study of Central Ave might be worthwhile. Let's assume we get one good idea from the study. The entire avenue could be turned around. Central Ave might get the new look we all desire.

Anonymous said...

I think we should revisit the bond. It was a close vote. Had we known that, in violation of WLS rules, we would lose the Elmford revenue who knows what the vote would have been.

maybe we should look for contracts with scarsdale and WP and forget about the 20M bond

Anonymous said...

We dont have to lose borrowing priviledges, we can have legitimate contracts in line with WLS rules and keep borrowing priviledges.

Or we can have cheapo contracts with someone else, and count on WLS not doing on anything.

Anonymous said...

Is it too late to go back on the library bond vote? Heck only a few hundred people voted at all since it was not on election day. Lets have the bond vote on election day when most people come out to the polls, I bet the results would be different!

Anonymous said...

does anyone know the exact provisions of the bond??

If the estimates do not come in at the 20M -- what happens

Anonymous said...

If the estimates come in significantly above the 19.8 million dollar bond figure the bids will be rejected and the architect will resubmit new drawings.

Anonymous said...

Do you know where to obtain the exact wording of the bond? There were all types of representations made as to what we would be getting.

Anonymous said...

Dont you think it would be a good ideas to wait to inventory books until we have signed contracts?

Anonymous said...

The bond amount of 19.8 million is misleading. Interest also has to be paid on the borrowed money. So the true cost is many millions above the 19.8 figure.

Anonymous said...

I think the ways bids/contract/bonds work is that only the construction cost is what the 20M (or whatever). I still want to know, we were promised all types of things. Can they just eliminate them if bids come in too high????

Anonymous said...

If the bids come in too high tomorrow the architect has to go back to the drawing board.

Anonymous said...

Dear curious anons:

The Bond document states that their purpose is to construct a larger Library. There are no specific or itemized entries such as 160 parking spaces or 200 seat auditorium. These were only the representations made by the Library Board of Trustees at their "information" sessions when they were courting the public to vote for the expansion.

Anonymous said...

dear hal,

do you know where the bond document is available????

Anonymous said...

The Greenburgh Library Board is the most arrogant and self-righteous Board east of the Mississippi. They brought on themselves the loss of the Elmsford association. They ask too much and offer too little. And they haven't done their math. If you really want to find out the real average cost per taxpayer, see Ed Krauss' recent letter in the Scarsdale Inquirer.

We won't know the full extent of the debacle for a while, but rest assured, we will know it.

Anonymous said...

Mayor Williams probably would not have signed a contract with Ardsley if the Greenburgh Library had treated Elmsford better.

Anonymous said...

Dear curious anon,

The bonding documents are available by FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request through the Town Clerk's office. There may be an online FOIL request form on the Town website. You can view the document at Town Hall or you can have a copy @25 cents per page (Civic Associations get copies for free).

FOIL requests should produce most anything that exists on paper in government.