May 28, 2015 By Suzanne Elliott 3 min read

Longtime Peters Township Public Library Director Pier Lee may be retiring, but she will still be at the library.

Lee, who has been with the library for nearly 40 years, will serve as a part-time transition consultant when Myra Oleynik comes on board as her successor July 13. Oleynik is currently the librarian at Bower Hill Elementary School. She will retire from that post at the end of the year after more than 30 years with the Peters Township School District.

“Myra and I will determine how long I stay on as a consultant,” Lee said. “We have a good relationship.”

In April, the Peters library board asked the township to assume administrative operation, essentially bringing it under the municipal umbrella. The goal is to have the transition completed by July 1.

“The librarian was hired by the library board,” said Michael Silvestri, the township manager.

Paul Lauer, assistant township manager, told council at its May 26 meeting that the transition is going smoothly. First, however, he said council needs to approve a library board ordinance that redefines its role, change the administrative code for the purpose of creating a “library department,” and adopt job descriptions for the five full-time employees and the permanent part-time employees.

Lauer said the library follows the township’s lead on vacation day accrual and has the same insurance benefits and sick leave policy. He also recommended the township continue to pay all part-time and full-time employees at their current rate of compensation.

“For the purpose of pension, all existing employees’ hire date will be July 1, 2015,” Lauer said in his report. But, library employees will have to wait five years before they are vested.

Lauer said these recommendations will be ready for council for approval at its June 8 meeting.

In other matters, council rejected all bids for the library renovation project that included the replacement of the floor in the multi-purpose room, lobby and stairwell, modernization of the existing computer lab, new circulation desk and café. Silvestri told council that the township had split the bid into two parts, one for flooring and one for general construction. No bids were received on the floor project, he said.

“We are going to have to rebid,” he said.

Council also adopted a policy requiring clearances for any township employee or volunteer. This includes a fingerprint-based federal crime history by the state police or FBI, as well as criminal history from the state police and a child abuse clearance from the Department of Human Services. These clearances must be updated every three years. This regulation goes into effect July 1.

On a separate matter, Silvestri said he has had discussions with officials from North Strabane Township about having that municipality share the Peters Tennis Center.

“We are looking at options to maintain adequate revenue,” said Silvestri, adding North Strabane officials seem interested in the proposal.

“I would hate to become dependent on that revenue,” said councilman Frank Acuri.

If the agreement with North Strabane becomes a reality, then it would be year-to-year, Silvestri said.