Hanover Select Board Votes Against Expanding Library Trustees
Board decides to study issue further after hearing from current trustees about their operations
HANOVER - March 3 - The Hanover Select Board votes against a proposal to increase the number of library trustees from three to six members, choosing instead to study the issue more thoroughly before making changes to town boards.
The decision comes after a joint meeting with the current Board of Library Trustees, who presented differing views on whether expansion would benefit library operations.
Select Board Chair Vanessa O'Connor, who proposed the increase, explains her rationale for wanting to expand the board.
"My ultimate goal would be to have every board in town that we do have control over the size of go up to ideally in the five to seven member range," O'Connor says. "It definitely increases diversity of perspectives and skills and demographics of the boards to ensure that the trustees reflect the broader community needs."
O'Connor notes that with only three members, it's challenging to represent a broad sector of the town. She adds that a larger board would make it easier to form subcommittees, serve as liaisons to other community groups, and distribute responsibilities.
Current Library Trustees Chair Tammy Tedeschi expresses satisfaction with the current board size.
"I feel that we, as three, have been working great," Tedeschi says. "We have always met quorum. Actually, all three of us have been at every meeting."
Tedeschi explains that the small size allows them to easily accommodate scheduling challenges around elder care, child care, sickness, and schooling. She also notes that the trustees' responsibilities are limited to making policies, approving the annual budget, and overseeing the trust.
Trustee Pimhatai Koslowsky supports the increase, citing the benefits of having more perspectives.
"I support the increase of the members because I think the current members, we all bring something to the table. We all have different perspectives," Koslowsky says. "I think it will be better if we have more viewpoints and more perspectives to share."
Koslowsky adds that other communities around Hanover have more than six library trustees, and that there has been interest from residents in serving on the board.
The third trustee, Jeanne Cianciola, opposes the expansion, questioning the need for more members when the board has "little to nothing to do." She also raises concerns about discussing expansion while the library faces potential funding cuts.
"Now just does not seem like a good time to even bring up the discussion," she says. "Again, with the potential discussions about cutting funding or closing the library."
Select Board member John Tuzik suggests the board should take a deeper look at all town boards and committees before making changes.
"I think it's probably worth looking under the hood townwide and investigating it further to see maybe which boards and committees would merit such an expansion," Tuzik says.
After discussion, the board votes to remove the article from the town meeting warrant, with O'Connor indicating she would like to continue exploring ways to increase civic engagement in the future.
In other business, Police Chief Timothy Kane addresses concerns about local law enforcement's role in immigration enforcement.
"Immigration enforcement falls under the purview of federal authorities, not local law enforcement," Kane explains. "Primarily, that is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the United States."
Kane clarifies that Massachusetts law enforcement can only detain individuals for immigration purposes if there is a judicially issued federal arrest warrant, not merely a civil detainer.
"If we were to simply hold on at their request, then we would actually be violating the law," Kane says. "That would be considered an unlawful arrest on our part."
Kane notes that local police cannot impede federal immigration enforcement activities but emphasizes that Hanover police are not being asked to conduct immigration enforcement.
Other significant items discussed at the meeting include:
- The board approves permit fees for the Transfer Station Enterprise Fund, including a senior discount for residents age 65 and above.
- Budget Director Jim Hoyes presents financial projections showing budget challenges through 2032, with shared expenses growing at 7-8% annually while revenue increases only about 3%.
- The board discusses options for a potential override question on the annual election ballot, with Town Manager Joe Colangelo recommending that the levy limit question be greater than the recommended budget to ensure sustainability.
- The board agrees not to pursue a levy limit increase less than the amount required for the town manager's budget but will decide at their next meeting whether to set it equal to or greater than the budget amount to build excess levy capacity that won’t necessarily be taxed right away.
- The board removes a proposed article to increase cemetery fees from the town meeting warrant pending further information.
The Select Board plans to make a final decision on the override question by the end of March, with public budget forums scheduled to begin in April.