The Lockport Township Board unanimously voted Monday, August 12 to stand by and put into writing the offer it’s made for funding the Three Rivers Public Library. The vote came after discussion including, among other things, members of both sides accusing the other of bullying.

“I’m going to make a lot of assumptions, like everybody else here in the crowd,” Trustee Rick Daniels said to the audience of just over 20 people.

Lockport is offering $20,822.18 per year, plus 2% each year for three years, along with a 90-day termination clause and the option to renegotiate after three years. The library’s counteroffer was $20,822.18 for the first year, followed by a 3% increase each year for three years and the option of terminating the contract six months before the library fiscal year concludes in June.

If the library rejects the township’s offer, the board determined, then both parties will go their separate ways.

“I just don’t understand what the bitching about our offer is,” Daniels said. “It’s pretty damn fair. In fact, I think it’s more (than) fair.”

Interim Library Director Erin Zabonick disagreed, resulting in back and forth dialogue between herself and Daniels.

“I have two questions for you, since you want to talk,” Daniels said. “How much is in your savings and how much do citizens take in?”

“You can get that from the financial statement,” Zabonick said.

“Well, no, I can’t, because it’s already taken us 30 days and we haven’t gotten that,” Daniels said.

“Well, I’m waiting on a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request as well, so it is what it is. But unfortunately, you’re telling your residents wrong information,” Zabonick said.

Lockport Township’s previous board meeting included what Daniels called bullying from supporters of the Three Rivers Public Library.

“After this last meeting, which this board was called out for being unfair, we FOIAed to get the financial (records) from 2021-2024 of the Three Rivers library to review. As of today, we have not received them. They haven’t given them to us. (We requested them) the day after,” Daniels said.

Watershed Voice previously reported that as of July, Park Township is the only St. Joseph County township that chose not to continue providing Three Rivers Public Library services for its residents. Daniels said Monday that the township has received only five complaints about this.

“We’ve had people come in here and complain,” Daniels said. “Not everybody from Lockport Township is complaining. Truthfully, their opinion is offer this, we’re concerned about Lockport residents, not somebody that lives in Three Rivers and wants us to stay in the Three Rivers library.”

Zabonick said she understands the township board has a job to be responsible to its people.

“But when you tell me you want to negotiate and then you say it’s this or we walk …” Zabonick began.

“It is. Why? Because we offered the library the same. We see the library in Nottawa and the library in Three Rivers as the same. We’re giving, in 10 years, almost a half a million dollars. If you can’t live off that, and we get no vote, then I guess it’s time for you to go,” Daniels said.

The next library board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 27.

Frank Stanko is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.