1969-04-10

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An Official Newspaper Of The Incorporated Village of Farmingdale - 5- rv/ ng Greater Farm/ ngda/ e, S e e p a g e and Melville
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On Newstands
Or $ 4 yearly
By mail
Vol. 6 No. 32 Second CUm » Postage ha* beea paid at Fanniagdale, N. T. 117SS Thursday, April 10, 1969
LIBRARY READIES TO
CUT HOURS, SERVICES
A curtailment of library hours and some services and an increase in
the tentative library budget from $ 363,125 to $ 407,059 and an increase
from three to four cents in the tax rates resulted in a spirited public
meeting of the Farmingdale Public Library Board of Trustees held on
Tuesday before a crowd of about 100 taxpayers who jammed the small
Community room of the South Farmingdale Branch Library.
$ 39,034 of the $ 45,934 budget hike was due to salary increments and
benefits, but does not include raises because negotiations are in
progress.
The budget increase would be $ 25,000 more but for proposed closing
of the Main library on Wednesdays and all of July, closing both
libraries on Sundays, cutting one library hour daily and no library
service on all holidays.
Trustees Warren Altmann and Carl Gorton opposed any increase
over present expenditures. They referred to portions of the budget as
' fat' and asked for more staff ' productivity'.
Rather than cut back on library hours, several taxpayers suggested
that smaller and less specialized staffs at certain hours should be
used to effect savings. Don't hit us where it hurts most, one taxpayer
said: Others suggested savings by charging those who read best
sellers with a nominal fee, as well as increasing book fines as a means
to preserve the present library hours.
Mrs. Lucille Rosen said that if the proposed cuts are made, ' how
much are we saving, ten cents a week'?
Mrs. Charles Gerston pointed out that library service costs the
homeowner between $ 17.50 and $ 20.00 a year.
Gorton and Altmann both objected on economy grounds, to the
Library Board's intention to hold the budget vote and trustee election
in May since the School had postponed their voting date to June.
Board President Robert Callahan said that the cost of a budget vote
and election would be between $ 2,500 and $ 3,000 and A legal opinion
from Albany is being sought whether a Library Board can hold its own
election. Meanwhile, no official date was set for the budget vote on
trustee election.
A 400 name petition to build a mezzanine for additional space in the
South Farmingdale Branch met with some resistance. Some tax­payers
felt that improvements should not be made to a rented
building. The Board had passed a resolution last month asking the
School Board to place on the ballot the purchase of the Branch
Library. Even though the School Board has not responded to the
request, the petition pointed up that about 8,000 books were stored
away because of lack of space. The mezzanine construction would not
burden the taxpayers, it was pointed out, because the money was
available from fees and fines and the space was needed.
Trustee Gorton took objection to a mimeographed list of
professional librarians who indicated that they were in support of the
Farmingdale Library Board majority and the library director in
carrying out the book selection policies of the American Library
Association.
The group, which called themselves, the Commissioners Com­mittee
on Library Development, went on to say that ' they opposed the
election of trustees who would impose their own policies upon the
entire community, cut back library services and restrict public ac­cess
to the full range of materials required for an understanding ' of
our times.'
Gorton called this reprint ' propaganda' and a waste of taxpayer's
money. ' If we can't control our local library, how can we control
government,' he stated. He went on to say that the Liberal hard core
2,500 to 2,700 in the community are trying to take over the library.
' Isn't that just dandy,' he said.
' Do you respect the American Library Association'? he was asked.
' Definitely not,' he replied.
Village Tax Rate Up 14$; Public Hearing On Monday
The Incorporated Village of Farmingdale tax rate will be increased
from $ 1.96 per $ 100 of assessed valuation to $ 2.10, if village officials
give approval after first holding a public hearing this Monday evening
at 8: 30 p. m. at Village Hall.
In addition to providing employees with a 5 percent salary increase,
provision was made for the purchase of a new ladder fire truck, a
heavy duty truck for the highway department and provision for in­stalling
drainage facilities on Sullivan Road.
At the Annual Organizational meeting on Monday, Mayor Joseph
Zureck appointed trustee John T. Hallahanas Deputy Mayor for the
coming year.
The Board of Trustees also made the following designations and
appointments. Joseph Stern as Village Attorney; Robert M. Callahan
and Gregory W. Carman as Deputy Village Attorneys; Charles J.
Cronin, as Acting Village Justice; James J. McKenna, Village
Assessor; Jeanette Runge, Clerk to the Village Justice; Fred
Rathgeber to a five year term on the Planning Board; Edwin S
Voohris and Son as Village Engineer; Albrecht Marmaroand Co as
Village Auditor, and The Farmingdale OBSERVER and Farmingdale
Post as official newspapers.
The Franklin National Bank, Bankers Trust Co., and First National
City Bank were designated as official depositories.
The second and fourthMonday'sof the month were designated as
official meeting nights.
Village Officials Mull Updating Of Master Plan
The Incorporated Village of
Farmingdale Hoard of Trustees
met with the Village Engineer on
Monday to discuss the updating
of the Master Flan of the Village
which was accepted by the Board
ten years ago. The up- dating
would provide studies to ease
the pressures ol lack ol Municipal
Farking facilities, and
procedures to convince the
Nassau County Board ol
Supervisors ol the inadequacy ol
Main Street lor use of vehicles
and large trucks. The
preparation and planning of
village requirements as
recommendations to the New
York State Department of
Transportation in their plans for
grade crossing eliminations and
the development of the Kepublit-
Field for general aviation pur
poses and the institution of high
speed rail service were also
discussed - Such a study could be
provided with Federal and State
Funds, with the Village share of
the cost set at one- sixth of the
total it was learned.
The Board of Trustees also
discussed the current building
programs with George Cook, the
new Building Inspector, who has
taken over the post since the
retirement of Chester Ketcham.
Ketcham had been Building
Inspector since May, 1958 and
retired April 1st of this year.