Westhampton Free Library Adjusts Bylaws For Terms Of Service, Appoints New Trustee

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY —During its July meeting, the Westhampton Free Library Board of Trustees appointed Westhampton Beach resident Steve Wisnoski as a trustee for a term ending in July 2020.

“I look forward to working with the other members of the board, as well as with the library management and staff to make a very substantial community service even better,” Wisnoski said.

Wisnoski is a retired Westhampton Beach High School social studies teacher. During his tenure with the school district, he taught AP American History and created the AP European History program. He also coached various sports teams, including varsity boys basketball, junior varsity football and started the middle school cross-country program.

Throughout his years as a teacher,Wisnoski also served as the teacher’s union president and vice president, a delegate to the NY State United Teachers Assembly and New York State Teachers’ Retirement System.

“I have always been active in the community,” said Wisnoski. “Now that I am retired, I have the time to donate and contribute something back to the community that has been so good to me and my family.”

Wisnoski is married to his wife Maria; they have a daughter and granddaughter, also living in the district.

Earlier in the month, to allow for more diversity and opportunities for service, the Westhampton Free Library Board of Trustees unanimously voted to adjust its bylaws regarding limits of service for trustees.

Through the resolution, each trustee seat now carries a service term of three years at which point a trustee can be reappointed, a release said.

Additionally, trustees may only serve for a consecutive period of six years. If a trustee wishes to serve longer than six years, he or she must take a year off and then reapply for the position to serve for an additional six years. The maximum years of service as a trustee is 12 years.

The resolution also created “classes” of trustee seats to ensure that the trustee seats expire systematically each year.

Through a random selection process, the two Class A seats will be occupied by trustees Susan Rosenberg and Mary Anne Yutes through July 2018; the two Class B seats will have terms that expire in July 2019 and will be occupied by Mitchell Schecter and Robert Santucci; and the three Class C seats will be occupied by Thomas Moore, Barbara Matros, and Steve Wisnoski. They will have an expiration of July 2020.

Prior to the approval of the resolution, board members served for terms of five years with no limit on the number of terms they could serve.