Library Board Appointments Delayed Pending Mayor's Return

The Waukesha Common Council voted to delay appointments to the Board of Trustees following public comments from current Library Board President Paul Kasprowicz at last night’s Common Council meeting.

Kasprowicz said he had asked Mayor Jeff Scrima in May for reappointment to the board, on which he has served for the past 12 years and the last six as president.

However, he just recently learned that the mayor had not recommended him for reappointment. He received no communication from Scrima about not being reappointed.

The mayor instead recommended former Mayor Carol Lombardi and Waukesha resident Renee Ramirez to serve on the library board. One position was to replace a board member who resigned. There are 10 members on the library board, including Kasprowicz.

“Currently, I’m the only attorney and CPA on the library board. As elected president of the library board for the past 6 years, I received unanimous approval each time from my fellow board members,” Kasprowicz said during public comments.

He cited the success of the library over the past years as a reason for his reappointment: the library was named ; the children’s area was renovated; and just recently, the library .

“I did not preside over a series of cataclysmic failures and mistakes. Quite the opposite,” Kasprowicz said.

Scrima, who is out of town for three weeks, wasn’t in attendance to speak on the issue. The council voted to delay the appointments until July when he returns. The motion passed with one opposing vote, that of Alderman Roger Patton.

Alderman Andy Reiland, council representative on the library board, urged the council to put the appointments on hold. He also suggested a possible alternative option -- council reviewing the make-up of the library board. However, Alderman Joan Francoeur questioned whether that was possible because of library board bylaws. 

A number of the aldermen spoke in favor of the delay.

"This one gives me pause. I don't think it would hurt anything to wait and get some verification," Alderman Duane Paulson said.

Aldermen Eric Payne, Paul Ybarra, John Kalblinger, Vance Skinner, Kathleen Cummings, Steve Johnson, Reiland, Francoeur and Paulson voted in favor of the delay. Council President Joe Pieper ran the meeting in the mayor’s absence.