Baby It’s Cold INside

Now that we’re finally being treated to real January weather, the usual suspects have reared their ugly heads. Accidents due to freezing water on our streets have begun to happen again. Notices to seniors and children to bundle up are part of every news broadcast. And of course, our old nemesis at the Greenburgh Town Library is back. We’ve learned once again that there is little if any heat on the second floor, making it unusable. This, after we had been told by Mr Feiner that a new supplemental furnace had been installed this past year.

An email was sent out by one of the administrators regarding meetings that are to be held on the second floor:
“...wanted to let you know that there is no/little heat on the second floor of the library. There was an issue last week, and it is still not fixed. It will only get colder as the day goes on, so I am CANCELING tonight's ... meeting.”

Mr Feiner has bragged numerous times about purchasing a new auxiliary boiler for the library. You may recall the under-powered and inadequate HVAC system for the library installed during the library’s renovation was overseen by Mr Feiner and his Board as the lead agency. They touted a new energy saving geothermal heating system for the library that would reduce heating costs. However, it was incorrectly installed as well as installed on the wrong side of the building and failed as a cost savings energy solution.

Last year found the Fairview Fire Department responding numerous times to the library as the uninsulated sprinkler pipes in the uninsulated area above the drop ceiling on the second floor burst. While damage was minimal to library resources, this issue should have been addressed years ago! But since there is rarely monies budgeted for maintenance and infrastructure replacements, the library continues to languish as Mr Feiner’s personal political football. It needs to stop. The library should be made whole again with working systems, hours that accommodate the public and more books, videos and meeting rooms. While we will probably have to be content with the lack of promised meetings rooms, these changes must be made. Only then will we have A Better Greenburgh.