{ title: 'The Times of Northport & East Northport. (Setauket, N.Y.) 2005-current, December 22, 2005, Page 6, Image 6', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-12-22/ed-1/seq-6/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-12-22/ed-1/seq-6.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-12-22/ed-1/seq-6/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-12-22/ed-1/seq-6/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
BY ELIZABETH W. SOBEL The Board of Education had unanimously approved a motion to accept an impartial fact-finder's November 30 recommendations concerning salary, benefits and other issues related to contract bargaining with the United Public Service Employees Union (UPSEU) Local #424. However, union President Kevin Boyle said his members voted to reject the recommendations, which are not legally binding and have decided to go back to the bargaining table with the school district. \The fact finder missed the boat on issues and infor- mation provided to him,\ Boyle said. \We the union, should be in a position of equality with other distncts and bargaining units within the school district. The result was anticipated and we will use the recommen- dations as a basis for discussion.\ On Wednesday morning. Assistant Superintendent for Business Barbara Salatto said Boyle had not con- tacted school officials about the umon's decision rejectung the fact finder's recommendations. \We thought the recommendations were fair and Contract compromise spurned Custodial union rejects fact-finder's opinion equitable and that is why the Board of Educationaccepted them.\ Salatto said. \It is a disap- pointment to hear. We have no direction from the board and must get direction before we move to the next step We will continue to negotiite.\ The UPSEU represents custodial. grounds. mainte- nance and transportation employees in 40 school dis- tricts and libraries across the state. Doyle said the local chapter's workers have been without a contract since June 30, 2004 and members are trying to find common ground within the district's budgetary constraints. Because the district and the umon were unable to move the negotiations forward, a fact-finder, Howard Edelman, was employed to help reach a resolution At Monday night's school board meeting. board President Arlene Munson read the motion outlining the district's views on Edelman's recommendations She said. \Whereas those recommendations were not entifely favorable to the custodial union and were not entirely favorable to the district. they represent. on Continued on page AS High hope: off to search they go Residents dish on the ideal superintendent BY ELIZABETH W. SOBEL Although the Northport-East Northport school board attracted only 23 residents to its December 13 communi- ty forum seeking input on the search for a new schools chief. 169 residents submitted input by responding to a wnitten questronnaire. according to the board's report on Monday. The board has hired School Leadership, LLC, to seek candidates to to replace Superintendent Wilham Brosnan. who has announced his plan to retire June 30, 2006. The board recently invited residents to discuss the qualities and charactenstics they believe would be most useful in a superintendent. \\We will summanze the top qualities at the January Y meeting.\ board President Arlene Munson sad on Monday night. \Based on. what we have read. the new superintendent will have to have the ability to walk on water\ Some residents who attended the board meeting were willing to express their views on a superintendent's ideal characteristics East Northport resident Patncr Gardner said the new superintendent will need a clear viston for the future, know ledge of the community and Contmued on puge A\ The Gift of Art is Everlasting L E- ha ased Audit committee no-brainer All applicants appointed BY ELIZABETH W. SOBEL The Northport-East Northport school board has fulfilled the state mandate requiring that an indepen- dent audit commuttee be formed to oversee the dis- tnict's annual audit. On Monday night, board President Arlene Munson announced the appointment of district res: dents Jim Weis. Robert Coghiat: and Judy Farabaugh as the appointed. nonschool board members of the audit commuttee Munson and fellow board mem bers Warren Arthur. Phil Fortuna, and Kay Hutchins Sato and Munson will serve on the audit committee as well. \We thank you tor the grand total of three applhi cations.\ Munson said. durning the public meeting \*We wish there had been more competition. hut we didn't have to study a lot of appliwations ~ Under the state law. the audht comnuttee must he in place by January 1. 2006 and include three or more unpaid members whose duties include recom mending and meeting with an external auditor. and making recommendations to the school hoard on the annual audit reports If the external auditor recom mends any cortective actions. the audit committec would work with the school board to implement a plan of action The comnuttee is also responsible far overseeing the district's internal audit function The commuttee may be comprised of outside experts. a subcomnuttee of the board, or the hoard as a whole District employees are profubited from sit ting on the commiltee Last month, the school board decided to create an audit commuttee comprised of seven members five residents and two board members However only three members of the community applied tor the pomition
