Dispute continues at borough meeting

Charge: costs, funding unknown as library measure comes to a vote next week, By David Hulse MILFORD — The choice to be made the library board’s scheduled Aug. 9 vote on a new location for the Milford branch is “our last best chance,” board member Tom Hoff told a packed house at Monday’s borough council meeting. If public support for that choice doesn’t materialize, “that’s the end for me,” Hoff said in impassioned terms. The crowd ostensibly turned out to hear builder Tom Hogan again outline plans for a 6,000 square-foot, $3 million “Plan B” alternative to the Pike County Public Library purchase of the Biondo Building on Broad Street. But the confrontation following it, between library board members and staff, stole the show despite Borough Council President Matt Osterberg’s attempts to quell it. Library board members agree they are short at least $500,000 for Plan B. No one knows where that money will come from. Hogan also outlined plans for a “turn-key” building, finished in every detail, but board member Rebecca Lindsey said under grant bidding requirements, “a turn-key approach isn’t possible for us.” As much as he would like a new library, Hoff said new building operational needs would add another $300,000 in new costs. In reply, newly appointed board member Robert Rohner complained that “key” senior board members had withdrawn donations to the library project - donations tied to the Fred Schwartz design - while expressing concern about funding and pressing for a vote. Council member Ed Raarup said “in all fairness,” things that people donated for are no longer there. Rohner’s colleague on the library board, Gayle Schuster replied, “We’re talking about board members, not others...They want us to vote on a contract when they don’t have the courage to go with it.” Given the dissension, Councilmember Denny Wagner was not sure of the point of hearing Hogan’s presentation. She accused Rohner of trying to sabotage the Biondo purchase. Rohner said the board thus far only voted to negotiate terms and see the price of the Biondo Building and called Wagner’s charge “a little dramatic.” Library Director Ellen Schaffner said,“The truth of the matter is that we don’t know the cost of the Biondo Building.” She said different numbers have been “thrown around,” one with purchase and renovation costs as high as $3.5 million. Lindsey replied, “We looked at a lot of different things. We did the best due-diligence we could.” Detailing an expected $67,000 operating deficit in the coming year, Schaffner said, “We can’t afford to rush into anything right now. We need a plan to run our system. We need real numbers.