Another Management Shift at Port Jervis Library
A crowd previously resisted Curran Koehler's ouster.
By David Ofshinsky
In a move that seemed to take many by surprise, at a Special Meeting held on March 4, the Port Jervis Library Board unanimously voted to accept an Agreement, Waiver, and Release from Library Director Curran Koehler to tender his resignation as of March 6.
According to the minutes of the eight minute long meeting, Board President Carl Hendrick said, “After helping the library achieve numerous strategic goals, Curran Koehler is leaving the Port Jervis Library as director. Mr. Koehler is taking time to be with family while he seeks out a new opportunity with fresh challenges. After several notable initiatives, as directed by the Board and achieved by Mr. Koehler, we agreed it was time for a transition. We have appreciated Curran’s commitment, energy, and service to our community. The innovations and services he took the lead on will be helping our community for many years to come.”
While the minutes noted that one person spoke during the Public Comment section, those comments were not included in the minutes. This is in sharp contrast to the standing room only meetings last May of people supporting Koehler when it first came to light his job was on the line. Last July, it was noted that the Board had called off its search for a new director. Koehler had been in the position since September 2024. He was the third director within the past four years.
At the same meeting, the Board voted to approve an offer to Edward Falcone for the position of temporary/interim Library Director.
On the agenda for the March 17 Board meeting to be held at 5:00 p.m. at the library, there is an Engagement Letter dated March 9 with Bradbury Miller Associates of Caton Ohio slated to conduct a search for a new director at the cost of $31,000.
As this is a personnel matter, comment from either party is not forthcoming.
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Ok, that's a good report about this particular meeting, but what is the backstory here?? To my uninformed eye, there is some "Deep State"-tier skullduggery at work here that is behind the firing of this man. Something is rotten at the PJ library. There seems to be an element that operates behind the scenes to undermine and destroy anyone who upsets them. Very very weird.