Bloomfield Township Library Board Vacancy Generates Interest

The Bloomfield Township Public Library received eight applications for the lone vacant position on its Board of Trustees by last week’s deadline, officials said.

Library Director Karen Kotulis-Carter and trustees now will begin sifting through all the information provided by the candidates and will schedule interviews, which she hopes will take place during the next two weeks.

If that happens, she said the board will be on track to swear in its newest member as early as the Aug. 16 meeting. The board, which meets monthly, is also scheduled to meet July 19.

That member will be appointed by the board and will serve at least until the next general election.

Kotulis-Carter would not disclose any of the candidates' names, but she said there was a good mix of business professionals and community leaders. The candidate selected will replace Lyle Dahlberg, who resigned in May after serving just more than a year on the board.

She said he was a dedicated member of the board but had significant time constraints due to a new career opportunity.

“We want a nice mix and, most importantly, we want people who use the library because they’ll know how the decisions that the board will be making will impact them,” Kotulis-Carter said. “There are some tough decisions to be made, and it’s a tough position to be walking into.”

Last week, the library implemented a new nonresident borrowing policy in response to revenue losses totaling more than $1 million. Changes to how township residents use nearby libraries followed. Kotulis-Carter said she does not anticipate any other major policy decisions while the new member gets acclimated during the next few months.

According to state law, the library board manages and disperses the tax revenue collected through a special public library millage. The board members’ primary functions are to maintain the facility’s budget, set short- and long-term policies and oversee the hiring, firing and overall performance of the director.

There are citizenship and residency requirements, and those interested in the volunteer post must be able to attend monthly meetings in addition to fulfilling several other obligations.