Norwalk library trustees approve charter language giving mayor appointing role for director; one abstention

At a special March meeting, the Norwalk Public Library Board of Trustees approved a three-point compromise that revises how the library director would be appointed and clarifies reporting lines and budget-submission recipients.

The compromise, moved by Alex Knop and seconded by a board member, passed with four votes in favor and one abstention. Patsy Brescia said she abstained because she formerly chaired the Charter Revision Commission.

The approved language contains three principal changes. First, the mayor would appoint the library director from a list of no fewer than three candidates nominated by the board. Second, the city library director would “report to and have such duties as are defined by the library board of trustees on matters of library policy and by the city mayor on matters of administration.” Third, the board’s ability to submit a budget to the Board of Estimate would be revised to add the director of community services as a recipient of the board’s advisory budget submission; the director of community services role was created after the current ordinance governing submissions was adopted.

Board member Alex Knop described the document as “a compromise draft” consisting of three points and said he believed the package reflected how the library currently operates. The board discussed whether to add an explicit reference to grounds management under the policy duties; trustees agreed grounds are already within the board’s jurisdiction and did not add separate language.

Trustees agreed on next steps: the board president will draft a letter to Tyler (name and title not specified in the transcript) that the board will review before it is sent; the document will be forwarded to the charter revision committee and will be the subject of public comment at the committee’s April 1 meeting. The board also noted they had received legal input that Corporation Counsel and the charter committee’s lawyer may not favor the proposed language, but trustees said they felt it was their responsibility to protect the board’s interests in director hiring and policy role.

The board recorded the vote verbally during the meeting: four trustees said “Aye,” and one trustee announced an abstention. No recorded “no” votes were voiced in the transcript.

The board will circulate the final letter to the committee and attend the April 1 charter revision meeting to present the board’s position.