Janet Eisenhauer wants to see the Coplay Library Board move forward in a positive manner.

Immediately after being elected president of the board at its July 11 meeting, Eisenhauer addressed the issue of negativity.

"In the last few weeks that I've been a member of this board I've seen a lot of negativity and noise which has caused an unhealthy environment," she said. "It's time to let everything go and let the past be the past."

With the first item on the agenda being public comment, however, the past was the major topic addressed.

Former library board President Natalie Reichl spoke about the amount of money to be raised by the referendum (see related stories in local news) and Councilman Charles Sodl's comment at the July 2 workshop meeting that persistent turnover on the library board was due to a "lack of courage."

Reichl said those who know her professionally would laugh at the suggestion that she resigned May 23 – two days after voters approved a dedicated .38-mill library tax – due to a lack of courage.

"I'm not afraid of hard work, of an opinion different from my own or difficult circumstances," she said. "What I cannot tolerate is innuendo and falsehood, none of which was said to me but about me."

Six taxpayers approached her asking why she turned down $24,000 in library funding from the school district and another person said she was negotiating with the Whiehall-Coplay School District behind closed doors, she said.

The school district budget initially had $24,000 in funding earmarked for the library. However, this amount was cut before the final budget was approved in June.

"The situation was affecting my home life. I was an emotional wreck. Every day my husband saw me worrying over what was next," she said.

Reichl said she was waking up every day with a "sick feeling" and realize she had two choices – resign form the board or "seek legal counsel to put a stop to the lies being spread about me."

Saying she did her best to get the referendum passed, she added, "I came here tonight to set my record straight."

Next to speak was Michele Gruber, who was elected president of the library board June 13. She resigned June 18.

Gruber said she was told being on the library board would require one meeting a month that would last about an hour. However, that was not the case.

"I realized that I entered the library board when it was [in] great turmoil, lack of funding, lack of borough support [and] to some degree great fear about where this library will be in a year's time," she said.

It required "great courage," she said, to ignore "each and every downfall and negative and unproductive behavior and action associated with the Coplay library."

She said she wanted to resign before the referendum but stayed because she believes in seeing a project to fruition.

However, the negativity continued, she said, and she did not want to remain associated with it.

"I do not lack courage in any aspect of my life. What I do lack is a high tolerance level. I chose not to tolerate the things said behind my back, the negative actions," she said. "It was a choice that I made to resign."'

Borough Council President Lou Bodish responded to Gruber's comments when it was his turn to speak.

"I'm disappointed that some people do say the borough did not ... help this library," he said. "I believe that is wrong."

Three members of borough council were able to get $48,000 as a "one-time wind down funding" for the 2012-13 school year and, without it, "this library would be closed by now."

The borough provided approximately $23,000 in additional funding to make up the difference between the $72,000 the school district had been providing and the $48,000 it paid during the 2012-13 school year, he said.

The borough also assisted the library with getting the referendum question on the ballot.

Despite all this, the board got "bashed," Bodish said.

"We stood up there and we took it," said Bodish, who attended the library board meeting along with six out of seven members of council. "I don't think council did anything ... but help this library and even today they're still getting bashed."

Sodl, who was appointed July 9 to the library board, said he appreciated Eisenhauer's comments about moving forward.

He also responded to comments made by Reichl and Gruber, who left the meeting.

Sodl said the word "courage" had been taken out of context. It had not been directed at anyone in particular.

"That's OK. I understand," he said. "People want to relieve their frustrations.

"I believe that is done now. So going back to [Eisenhauer's] original statement, today is a new day. We will continue on and make this library better, much better."