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Panda board chair outlines station plans; trustees defer appointment of library director to June
Summary
Panda board chair Eric Ryback described programming and volunteer needs at the public-access station. Trustees heard the presentation and agreed to defer action on the proposed appointment of Alex Geller to the June meeting so the vacancy can be publicized and residents can apply.
Eric Ryback, board chair of Panda (Public Access Northern Duchess Area), presented the nonprofit's history, services and plans to expand programming beyond traditional cable. Ryback said Panda has recorded municipal meetings for decades and is pursuing expanded streaming, volunteer recruitment and updated bylaws.
Ryback described the board vacancy (the village-appointed seat held previously by Mark Drain) and noted library director Alex Geller expressed interest in serving. Trustees discussed whether appointees should be village residents and whether the opening should be broadly publicized. Some trustees urged publishing the vacancy to give village residents a chance to apply; others noted recruiting volunteers for nonprofit boards is often difficult.
After discussion trustees voted to postpone the formal appointment to the June meeting to allow more time for outreach and (if desired) for Alex Geller to appear before the board. The board suggested a two-year term for the appointment as a compromise to allow review after an initial period.
Why it matters: Panda provides recorded municipal meetings and other civic programming; the vacant village-appointed seat influences how the station connects with village residents and local organizations. Trustees emphasized transparency in recruiting and the value of local representation while acknowledging volunteer recruitment challenges.
Next steps: Trustees will place the Panda appointment on the June agenda, publicize the vacancy and consider a two-year term for any appointee. Panda will continue outreach and present additional materials as requested by the board.
