Goshen Library Board Votes to Move Director Supervision from the Board Chair to the 1st Selectman
05/21/25
In attendance: Chair, Henrietta Horvay, members Josephine Jones, Patricia Sanders, Anne Green, Lynette Miller, Johanna Kimball.
Library Director Linda Senkus Benedict opened the meeting with a detailed written report, highlighting options for reporting circulation and program statistics. She urged the Board to consider the usefulness of the data, stating, “that stats had to be worth ten times the time it took to get them.”
Benedict also sought approval to rearrange parts of the library to accommodate new computers, including moving a single bookshelf. The discussion led to a disagreement between Chair Henrietta Horvay and Miller. Horvay suggested waiting for a cost estimate, while Miller countered that the decision fell within the director’s responsibilities. Benedict noted the work could be done during regular hours using library staff. Miller made a motion to allow the shelf to be moved during work hours; the motion passed.
In her role as treasurer, Miller presented account balances and raised concerns about the status of the library fund, which she said had been converted to a sinking fund—possibly as early as 2011. She cited Connecticut General Statute §11-27 to support her contention that the Board must retain access to the fund. Miller reported speaking to Board of Finance Chair Ned Bixler, who assigned Paul Collins and Pat Reilly to investigate the matter. She added, “I don’t think it’s anything that really has to take too long and if he wants to just send it to Chip Roraback [Town Attorney]. I don’t think they had any authorization or ability to under statute to touch those funds.”
Board members also discussed the library’s budgets for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. Horvay warned that “we have to watch what’s going on between now and next month so we don’t go over for the year.” Benedict responded, “I watch running totals . . . I’m not concerned about any of them.”
A contentious exchange occurred during discussion of the President’s Report. Miller expressed frustration that a facilities review required by the by-laws had not been included on the April meeting agenda, yet Horvay included hers in her president’s report. Miller said to Horvay, “We thought we were going to have until the end of the month and we would all submit our report.” Miller called for the item to be tabled until all members could participate. Horvay agreed that all members could submit their reviews at the next meeting.
Tensions continued over Horvay’s distribution of Connecticut’s meeting requirements. Horvay suggested that individuals had spoken “out of turn” at a special meeting and contended that during “executive meetings” individual’s names shouldn’t be used “without their permission.” Miller replied, “I’ve never heard that. . . . That’s not in FOIA.” She challenged Horvay to cite a by-law prohibiting name usage. No documentation was produced. Horvay stated she was “offended by [her] name being used . . . the way it was used.” Miller countered that Linda was trying to give them information in executive session that cannot be discussed in regular session and asked how the Board could discuss the department without the use of a name. Horvay said, “it doesn’t matter.”
Horvay shared correspondence from Fire Marshal Bob Diorio regarding the accessibility of the library. Diorio stated he would assist in determining if new ramps comply with the Connecticut Fire Code but lacked authority to mandate compliance. Board member Josephine Jones made a motion for Benedict to explore grant opportunities for ramp funding, and Miller volunteered to locate a carpenter from her husband’s (Jon Miller) company (C.H. Nikerson) for construction.
Miller raised the issue of executive sessions multiple times, particularly regarding cybersecurity concerns with the library’s computer system. She cited a conversation with Russell Blair of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission and stated, “We should have gone into executive session and not announced [publicly] that we have weaknesses and security weaknesses in our library. I want to make sure we never make that mistake again.”
Miller moved to add an unscheduled executive session to the agenda mid-meeting without a stated purpose. At the end of the meeting, Miller moved to enter that session “to discuss the performance of a library officer.” Board and Commissions Clerk Willow P. Scott was dismissed, and no external participants were invited to attend. Specifically, Miller stated, “We’ll just be in executive session . . . we’re going to come out of executive session and then adjourn.”
Upon return, however, Miller made a motion “that we amend the library director’s job description and forward the changes to the Board of Selectmen;” there was no audible second. Following a discussion of the changes–including a change of the supervisory responsibility for the library director from the library board chair to the First Selectmen–another motion was made for the changes which was seconded by Jones. The Board approved the recommendation to shift supervisory responsibilities.
