Saugus board wants library trustees out

SAUGUS – The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to draft a letter to the Library Board of Trustees asking for their resignation.After a long executive session with Town Manager Andrew Bisignani and John Sullivan of the accounting firm Melanson Heath, the Board returned to take the vote based on the findings of a financial audit by Sullivan.?We find ourselves in an unfortunate situation and we do appreciate the volunteers,” said Selectman Chairman Scott Crabtree Wednesday evening. “With these situations everyone puts their time and energy into this, unfortunately, based on the findings, the board felt this was an appropriate action to restore the public confidence and trust.”The decision came the same day that former library administrative assistant Linda Duffy, who is accused of funneling more than $800,000 from the library, pleaded innocent in U.S. District Court in Boston to four counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft.Reading from his report on Tuesday night, Sullivan said that the Board of Trustees allowed Duffy to perform record-keeping for the library account, prepare reports to the trustees and maintain custody of bank statements.?The trustees did not fulfill their responsibilities to provide reports to the town,” said Sullivan. “There is no record of library reports being provided to the town or library reports included in the town?s annual report. The funds were not accounted for on the town?s books and were not subject to the town?s annual audits.”Pamela Gill, chairman of the trustees, was at the library on Wednesday evening collecting personal belongings. She said she was “disappointed” with the Board of Selectmen?s decision and felt “hurt.”?They never even spoke to us,” said Gill. “They didn?t ask for our side of the story and there was no communication between them and us. They didn?t have the courtesy at least to let me know before the rest of the town knew. I guess I was supposed to find out through a letter in the mail, which is a pretty lousy way let someone know that their hard work and effort over the past several years was for naught.”Gill said the Board of Selectmen did not share any of the audit information with her, and said the trustees were not involved in the day-to-day operations of the library.?The missing funds were donations or fees that were to be collected by the library personnel,” said Gill. “It was not in my purview to be in on the daily workings of the library as far as who is making donations and things like that.”On Wednesday, Crabtree said the Board of Selectmen first found out about the findings at its meeting Tuesday night, and that they were instructed by the FBI “not to have any discussions regarding the investigation in the library with anyone.”Bisignani said the auditors will also be looking into former interim Library Director Ewa Jankowska, who served as temporary director from 2007 until new director Diane Wallace took over in June of 2011.?During the course of the discussion, (Sullivan) wanted to know who was in control and (Jankowska) was in control,” said Bisignani. “There was a feeling that the director should have caught on to this a lot sooner.”Wallace discovered the financial irregularities shortly after she took over.Bisignani said investigators don?t believe Jankowska was involved.?She just didn?t catch it,” said Bisignani. “She?s not listed as a suspect. They want to make sure there?s some accountability.”Sullivan?s report also listed changes in the way the town should handle library finances, including having all cash receipts reported to the Library Director who is to then deposit all receipts weekly with the Town Accountant.On a monthly basis the director will receive a report from the Town Accountant to reconcile with her own records.?Obviously we?re watching it a lot closer,” said Bisignani. “We?re going into areas where the authority of the town is not as well defined as it should be and we?re