SACHEM PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

April 21, 2026 5:00 P.M.

The regular meeting of the Sachem Public Library Board of Trustees was attended by Diane Longo, Marguerite Barone, Susan Tychnowicz, Thomas Lohr, Robert Winowitch, Kristen Stroh and Sandra Bartalis.

Neely McCahey informed the trustees that she would not be available for the April 21, 2026 Board Meeting and was formally excused.

The Board members previewed the Board Meeting items on the agenda electronically prior to the meeting.

Trustee Marguerite Barone reviewed all warrants with the Director before having them presented to the Board for their approval.

The meeting was called to order at 5:05 p.m.

The meeting began with a Pledge of Allegiance.

The Board adopted the agenda. (Longo, Barone; unanimous)

Public Expression/Participation

None

Minutes

The Board approved the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting on March 17, 2026. (Winowitch, Lohr; unanimous)

The minutes of the Executive Session of the March 17, 2026 Board Meeting were approved. (Lohr, Winowitch; unanimous)

The minutes of the Sachem Public Library Annual Budget Hearing on March 31, 2026 were approved. (Tychnowicz, Barone; unanimous)

Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer’s Report for March 2026 in the amount of $5,852,418.72 was approved. (Longo, Winowitch; unanimous)

Payroll and Related Expenses

The Payroll and Related Expenses for March 2026 in the amount of $674,070.42 were approved. (Winowitch, Lohr; unanimous)

Payroll Warrant #31 dated March 12, 2026 in the amount of $194,175.35 was approved. (Lohr, Tychnowicz; unanimous)

Payroll Warrant #32 dated March 26, 2026 in the amount of $27,195.34 was approved. (Tychnowicz, Longo; unanimous)

The March 2026 Payroll Summary was approved. (Winowitch, Lohr; unanimous)

Schedule of Bills

The April 22, 2026 Schedule of Bills, warrant #34 in the amount of $200,971.97 was approved. (Lohr, Tychnowicz; unanimous)

Director’s Report

The Board reviewed the Director’s report with interest.

Assistant Director’s Report

The Board reviewed the Assistant Director’s report with interest. Mrs. Stroh compared Sachem to the other larger libraries in Suffolk County.

Library Statistics

The Board reviewed all the library statistics with interest. The social media stats increased significantly. Mrs. Stroh explained that the library’s new TikTok account launched mid-March.

SCLS Board Report

Mrs. Tychnowicz reported to the Board that she was unable to attend the last SCLS Board Meeting.

Old Business

The Board accepted the results of the Budget Vote for 2026/2027 and Trustee Election results. The proposed tax levy of $13,150,787 was approved by a vote of 275 to 56. The Board congratulated Thomas Lohr on his re-election as a Library Trustee. (Winowitch, Tychnowicz; unanimous)

The Board reviewed the press release that recognized Sachem Public Library as a certified Sustainable Library. Mrs. Stroh announced that the library will hold a celebration on May 1, 2026 in Discovery Grove from 11:00 – 12:00 p.m.

On the Director’s recommendation, the Board of Trustees formally approved the rental of a carousel for the library’s 110th anniversary celebration on May 16, 2026. The total cost for the rental from Glam Amusements Ltd., located at 96 East Willow Tree Road, Spring Valley, NY 10977 is $13,650. The company required a 50% deposit at the time of booking, with the remaining balance due on the day of the event. (Barone, Winowitch; unanimous)

The Board approved the Security Camera Policy. (Tychnowicz, Barone; unanimous)

New Business

The Board reviewed a $15,200 renewal proposal from TeraSky for VMware vSphere Foundation. The IT department chose an alternative software solution for server configuration. The Board took no action and no motion was made.

On the Director’s recommendation the Board approved a payment to the Long Island Library Conference at Bellmore Memorial Library, 2288 Bedford Avenue in Bellmore, NY 11710. The payment will be included in the first check run in May. The original invoice for the Long Island Library Conference was previously paid; however, the billing has since been updated to include an additional fee for non-members. The vendor requested prompt payment. The total amount due is $225. (Longo, Barone; unanimous)

Other

The following was approved and discussed under Other:

The Board discussed rescheduling the May meeting due to a scheduling conflict with NYLA’s “Spring on the Hill” event in Albany. The meeting was originally set for May 19, 2026 has been moved to May 26, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (Winowitch, Tychnowicz; unanimous)

The Board discussed improving signage for the Budget Vote. The Board suggested relocating the poll worker tables toward the lobby.

The Long Island Library Conference will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at the Melville Marriott.

The Reflections Exhibit will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026.

The Sachem Library’s 110th Anniversary Spring Fest will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Executive Session

None

Personnel Report

The Personnel Report was approved. (Barone, Winowitch; unanimous)

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 5:52 p.m. (Winowitch, Lohr; unanimous)

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Tychnowicz