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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

HOW BROKE IS THE HARTFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY?

Apparently not very broke by the looks of some of the salaries.

A lot of discussion has been going on regarding the intention of the Hartford Public Library Board of Directors decision to close several library branches.. Below is a list of salaries paid at the Hartford Public Library.
For a relatively small operation, I just wonder how much could be saved to keep branches open by possibly paying more realistic salaries.
A Chief Administrative Officer , and an  Executive Director. And $101,151.96 for  a "Customer Experience Officer"? Is that like a greeter at Walmart?
And it looks like more "directors" on that list than a Hollywood movie set.

Bridget Quinn-Carey, Chief Executive Officer 860-695-6348
Mary T. Tzambazakis, Chief Administrative Officer
860-695-6312
Leticia Cotto, Customer Experience Officer
860-695-6335

Brenda Miller, Executive Director of Hartford History Center
860-695-6347
Homa Naficy, Executive Director of The American Place
860-695-6334
Gilda Roncari, Director of Donor Relations 
860-695-6296
Don Wilson, Director of Marketing & Communications
860-695-6282
This is the Hartford Public Library, not the Smithsonian.
A meeting will be held tomorrow night at City Hall with the Hartford City Council regarding the Library.

The Hartford Public Library Board of Directors is as follows:
Officers Gregory C. Davis, President
Geraldine Sullivan, Vice-President
Edward C. Keith III, Treasurer
Ana Alfaro, Secretary
Directors
Arunan Arulampalam
David Barrett
Amy M. Barron
Melvyn Colón
Andrea Comer*
Miguel Correa
Andrew Diaz-Matos
Marc A. DiBella
Stephen B. Goddard
Antonio J. Matta
Phyllis Shikora
Ex-Officio
Hon. Luke A. Bronin, Mayor

Click on the "HPL Salaries" line below to view the full size document

  Hpl Salaries by on Scribd

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Library chief executive officer makes $164k a year!!!! Well over what the chief of police salary is....now that's comical. Luke has taken absolutely no steps to cut costs. Yet he wants to destroy police and firefighter pay, benefits and pensions! He wants to pay cops what he pays library security officers. Luke, you are an absolute disgrace and should ashamed of yourself. Once again....pensions did NOT break the bank!!! A bankruptcy judge will have a field day with this!

Anonymous said...

HPL needs to be eliminated along with the housing dept. Lets be honest nobody in hartford actually reads a book and they only go there to use a computer.

Anonymous said...

Have you seen how many "security" guys work at the Main Street branch?
Some of them start getting salaries around 7:30 in the morning. The Main branch opens at 9:30am, what do they need to be there hours earlier? Who needs so many of them anyway? They sit there chatting, "working" on their cell phones doing nothing else.

Anonymous said...

Marc DiBella on Hartford library board. Is he another member of the infamous DiBella family, whose father "not Hartford resident" is MDC chairman?
Is Hartford a city ran by the mafia? Just wondering.

Anonymous said...

nice work if you can get it.

Anonymous said...

Kevin I may not always see eye to eye with you but you mange to get the dirt and expose these crooks for what hey really you got police officers dodging bullets and fire men running into burning buildings that don't make this kind of money without busting their A$$ in overtime so let me get this straight Bronin thought by laying off two dog catchers was the answer rather than telling one of these overpaid entitled Jabronis at the library y'all gonna have to take a pay cut or I'm eliminating positions this post just raised my blood pressure and posted me off

Anonymous said...

I'm too lazy to use my calculator,Kevin, what's the total in salaries alone for HPL?

Anonymous said...

When the Hartford Courant reads your blog and then steals this as their own story, I'll bet you it makes front page... Great work finding this, Hartford government at its finest. The State of Connecticut needs to let them go bankrupt, and then appoint a cut throat lawyer with no ties to the City to come in and make common sense choices. When will the politicians wake up and realize what they are doing... Aetna figured it out, who is next to leave this sinking ship?

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

And with all those "Directors", who are they directing? I don't see many "underlings" on the list, or is it just a title to justify positions and pay?

Anonymous said...

These comments sound like an evening with the Witches of Eastwick -- going after everyone. I will admit though, some salaries seem out of line. I would think that in filing, that all salaries and benefit packages would be up for review. Many pay grades may be justified. But it's the packages that worries me the most.

Anonymous said...

The director of the Hartford History Center makes $100,000.00? Plus benefits perhaps totaling another $30,000.00. Sorry to say, but everything should be on the table for cost reduction.

Anne said...

Last night at city council, someone said that HPL used to be run by a "head" or "chief" librarian. Now they have a CEO, which indicates it's no longer about education and providing a community service--it's a corporation, being run like a corporation, and all about the $$$. Five of the board members are not even Hartford residents.

Anonymous said...

That list is absolutely mind boggling. I agree with the 1:50 remark - at a minimum, why so much security? I'm sure there are issues from time to time but no way can you justify that many security people. The libraries have fairly limited hours compared to suburban libraries - I'd think 1 or 2 security people in the main branch would be plenty.

The overwhelming thing I note is that it seems like there are lots of "chiefs" but very few "Indians". I doubt the library would lose much by cutting that 111 number in 1/2.

And, as a follow up to 8:45, would love to see a requirement that board members be from Hartford and, perhaps, even that they NOT be members of other boards or related to City politicians. We see the same names over and over and over....and since Hartford continues it's rapid decline, at some point can the rest of us agree those retreads aren't looking out for the City? Or else they aren't capable of making the decisions that need to be made. We need fresh faces.


Btw: Kevin, I thought I read once the library was the beneficiary of a trust - is that true or just a rumor? I haven't read anything about trust distributions and what they're used for...or if they exist.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

I am not sure about a Trust, but the phone numbers are listed for the "Directors" feel free to call them and ask, and there is no reason you can't do that anonymously if you wish

The fish stinks said...

Im disgusted. A waste like the busway. 6 people per bus. 550 main street does not need the amount of security guys sitting behind a desk at the entrance playing on their phones. And in this day of tech, who actually rents a book anymore. Most books are on line for free. The handsome high speed city hall walkbeat officer can expand his area and dial in that building quick. (Yut) But in sure bronin will overlook these six figure pay outs. Full medical for all also i bet. Life is good to be a greeting specialist making more then the fire and police chief. This is pretty disturbing. But its out in the open now. Hey brookman, post some more departments. Especially city hall. I am guessing there are plenty of interesting hacks making six figures with full benefits.
Dirty politics !!! Vote republican !!!

Anonymous said...

Another Dibella mofia member. Life is good for legal larceny in hartford. Big mansions on the shoreline. The fat cats get their fill from the weak democratic hacks in hartford. Who even reads paperbooks anymore. Make a hartford book app and call it a day. Imigration services is pretty laughable while in at it. I guess luxury items like these is why hartford runs out of money in 60 days. Im sure bronin will just not pay the police and fire depts in order to pay the library CEO her 165k plus benefits a year. Your days in politics are numbered bronin. You lost the northend vote monthes ago. I bet a take home car and gas are part of the deal also. The board of ed is just as bad. Im glad the state is broke. Hartford is a mess. I will only go to see guns n roses next month.

Anonymous said...

HERE WE GO AGAIN:
THIS BLOG EXPOSES AND REPORTS ABOUT HARTFORD LIBRARY PAYROLL.

THE FOLLOWING DAY:
THE COURANT "EXPOSES AND REPORTS" ABOUT HARTFORD LIBRARY PAYROLL.

Anonymous said...

Kevin: At least one of these "Directors" is "directing" the customer experience (for over $100k a year)

Anonymous said...

The Hartford Public Library system is the unofficial Hartford Homeless Shelter during the day.
Wait a minute, it may well be the OFFICIAL city homeless shelter during the day.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anne @ 8:45 PM: there's no requirement that Hartford library board member be a Hartford resident. There is however a requirement that Hartford library board member be politically connected.

Anonymous said...

Now that you blew open the Library’s salaries let’s see if you are man enough the publish all salaries and benefits such as overtime for
City Hall
Hartford Public Schools
Fire department
Police department
Show us what you’re made of and that this isn’t just smoke coming out of where the sun doesn’t shine.

Dancing with the Stars Sequel said...

5 years ago a group of African American police officers were suspended for dancing in public in uniform. I guess now dancing in uniform in public is condoned by a certain deputy chief, who also has a history of dancing. Funny how times change and rules only apply to certain people. Those officers need to get that discipline removed and maybe get advice from an attorney.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

8:25am

You are capable of getting the same information, let's see if you are "man enough" to do it. Feel free to send it to me once you get it and I will post it here

Anonymous said...

@6:12

Not so fast with your assertion that Kevin discovers a new story as with the library, and the Hartford Courant takes it without giving credit. And I didn't read that Kevin agreed or disagreed with your statement. Point of fact Kevin, the salary revelation was a Freedom of Information Act request from the newspapers. Or did you initiate this Freedon request? If you didn't then you are getting a free ride on the newspaper's efforts. Plus, you didn't deny that it first came from them.

What is it, Kevin? I hope you won't delete this emerging expose since you often assert that you make the discovery and the Hartford Courant takes the story.

Please respond.

Anonymous said...

The five officers disciplined were being paid to work the J, not dance and F-off. They should be thankful that's all the got. Two officers dancing at a community event for a moment or two boosts the image of HPD. The previous five wouldn't know community policing if it smacked them in the head...

Anonymous said...

Oh the Hilton incident one of the officers was a white female and the officer that told the Hilton to lodge a complaint was Hispanic funny how that works only two of the officers are still in the pd

Anonymous said...

where is the foi for the booking 45 video ??

Lou Diamonds said...

Kevin if you he your hands on the booking video that shows what the officers were doing while the prisoner was dead change the name of the blog from we the people to The A-Team and just run for Governor because you get more results than all the current politicians in power

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

10:40am

First off, I don't answer to the Courant or any media outlet because some reporter gets their panties in a knot when they get beat. Look mat the time stamps and I clearly once again beat the Courant. It doesn't matter whether the information comes from an FOI request or someone handing me an envelope in an elevator, as long as it is legit and verified. No media outlet has exclusive rights to a story and the reality is that many of my sources that give me information also have the Courant , Channel 3, Channel 30 and everyone else on speed dial and is about getting their message out as opposed to any deep seated loyalty to me or anyone else. And if we want to be honest, ask the reporters at the Courant how often they "uncover" crime stories in Hartford just by following me on Twitter. And I am sure you never see any credit to me for that. It is all part of the game

Anonymous said...

The Hartford Public Library is a mess, Yes, politics are involved. There are no checks and balances. The Board of Directors are out of control. Years ago it was never like it is presently. It is a shame.

Anonymous said...

Listen do what you want and when you want. However, the media is a source of information. Not every person has a computer or any these fancy phones. So get real.

Anonymous said...

Normally, I'd agree that Kevin beats the Courant on crime stories. He clearly does.

But the Courant has been covering the library closure issue more than anyone since July. And given that Vinny Vella's story reflects him researching other branches shows he was working on it for some time. If you think he ripped off Brookman and threw that story together in a few hours, you clearly have never filed an FOI.

So, no, no one "owns" a story. Kevin doesn't. The Courant doesn't. But who cares, as long as the info gets out.

Stop complaining who's first and just appreciate the work.

Anonymous said...

The Hartford Courant is failing miserably, just accept that fact Courant peasants. The paper is garbage.

Anonymous said...

The failing hartford courant has figured out late that everything is digital. No one gets papers delivered anymore. And then they try and sucker folks on their site to pay a whole dollar a month to read their ripoffs.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 5:08 PM
When did the Courant report the unjustified, big, fat salaries of some of the fat cats in Hartford Public Library, when the library system is financially broke

Anonymous said...

Those officers were NOT dancing in public but at a private indoor event plus some other nonsense. Obviously you weren't there.

Anonymous said...

Lol..you are correct

Anonymous said...

Watched on TV the Hartford Public Library President Greg Davis and CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey make fools of themselves. They just could not sell their story. The HPL has taken on to much. Something has to give. There are to many high salary positions. The CEO makes over the top. She is green to Hartford. How much experience dose she have? Where dose she reside? I hope the Court of Common Council decides to merge the HPL.
This would be the best option. The HPL Board of Directors beg folks to volunteer. Why doesn't the higher up staff volunteer?

Anonymous said...

Look up the HPL head Bridget Quinn Carey and her prior job in Queens NY. She was caught abusing city credit card for personal expenses. Why was she hired in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me???

Anonymous said...

Pretty amazing how she committed fraud in NY. Nice catch. How the F did she get hired by Hartford and who the F hired her......she better not be employed after this. Disgusting.

Anonymous said...

Everybody must read this Long Island City Post report about Hartford Public Library CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey and her extravagant $$$$$ spending of Queens Library credit cards. Is this what Marc DiBella and Hartford board of directors hired?

http://licpost.com/queens-library-delusions-of-confidence

Anonymous said...

2:39 am. NO KIDDING, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S ALL TRUE.

Anonymous said...

8:55am: You are asking "How the F did she get hired by Hartford and who the F hired her."
THE answer is that NYC pushed her out and no other city in the country - anywhere in the world - hired her.
Just like Thomas Feller was hired by Segarra as well as many unqualified others, that's how the F Bridget Quinn-Carey was hired by Hartford.

Anonymous said...

8:55 am: Let's ask ALL board members who voted for hiring Bridget Quinn-Carey. Each and every one of them.