Undocumented HVAC Unit Found Leaking During Stair Repairs at Glen Ridge Library

The Glen Ridge Public Library Board of Trustees met on January 14, 2026, and heard that staff replacing back stair treads discovered a heating and cooling (HVAC) unit that does not appear on any building plans or maintenance contract. The unit was found to be leaking, and a plumber has been asked to provide a repair estimate. Separately, the library's boiler needed a pump replacement to fix a temperature-regulation problem, though that work has not yet been invoiced, and the meeting room sink is broken, with a plumber also called in for that estimate.

In personnel news, Rohit Tote was sworn in as the newest member of the Board of Trustees, replacing outgoing trustee Geoffrey Darby. The Friends of the Library reported that its annual appeal raised $20,613 from 117 donors, well above its $15,000 goal, and the group is discussing a possible tuition reimbursement program for employees pursuing library science degrees. Work also continues on retrofitting light fixtures to LED bulbs in the Young Adult area and installing sound-dampening plexiglass elsewhere in the building, projects partly funded by a Library Construction Bond Act (LCBA) grant with about $2,100 remaining. The Board also passed Resolution 2026-01, raising the library director's independent purchasing authority from $500 to $1,000 to keep pace with higher costs.

On staffing, a substitute Library Assistant resigned effective January 6, 2026. The library's Communications Manager will move to overseeing the Adult Desk full-time starting February 2, two current substitutes will split the extended Adult Desk hours, and the library plans to advertise for three new substitute library assistants.

Financially, the Treasurer reported that 2025 expenditures finished about $37,300, or roughly 4%, under budget, with dividend income running about $3,576 ahead of projections and the state cash management account holding $311,576. The library's terminal-leave fund, held with the Borough, was confirmed at $46,014.48 against a required $45,430.52, meaning no extra contribution is needed for 2026, though one is expected in 2027; staff will look into moving the fund into the library's own account. Minutes from the December 27, 2025 special meeting were approved, with trustees David Lefkovits and Edward Kastenmeier abstaining; no reason was recorded.

The Board elected its 2026 slate of officers: Bernice Clark-Bonnett as President, Marilyn Law as Vice President, David Lefkovits as Treasurer, and Tina Payne as Secretary, passing 8-0 with Damein Phoenix absent for the vote. Trustees also approved the December 2025 bills list, including a $45,000 appropriation payment and $19,261 for materials, and unanimously passed a routine year-end resolution moving small amounts between materials budget lines on the auditor's recommendation. The Board signed its annual certification affirming compliance with the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS), and adopted seven standard annual governance resolutions covering auditors, legal counsel, official newspapers, petty cash, depositories, and check signers.

Other items included a Friends-sponsored author event with Jay Cooper that drew more than 60 attendees and cost about $1,300; marketing efforts for the library's Strategic Plan that generated 426 website views; LCBA grant spending of $4,835 on window soundproofing and stair tread repairs; a $1,000 year-end bonus paid to the library director by the Borough; December payroll totaling $45,113.37; and a $1,000 payment to digitize local history photos and documents, a project expected to be completed by December 31, 2026. Smaller facilities and purchasing items included study room repainting, an electrical inspection, new staff jackets, NJLA conference registration, new Playaway Readers for children's collections, staff appreciation gift cards, a new laptop, and two office printers. The library also reported receiving over $55,000 in unbudgeted grant funds and a $4,225 fourth-quarter state aid payment. No members of the public offered comment, and the meeting adjourned unanimously at 7:18 p.m.

What to watch

• A plumber's repair estimate for the newly discovered leaking HVAC unit has not yet been received.
• A separate plumber's estimate for the broken meeting room sink is still pending.
• Staff are researching whether to move the library's terminal-leave fund into its own cash management account.