Fulton Supports Library Board Review:
Unanimous Resolution Goes to Fulton [Legislative] Delegation
Alpharetta-Roswell Revue & News, December 20, 1999
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners agreed the composition and role
of the Atlanta-Fulton County Board of Trustees should be reviewed.
The board passed unanimously Dec. 15 a resolution asking the Fulton
delegation to the General Assembly to create a joint taskforce of the
delegation and county commissioners to make recommendations. Any change in
the Library board will require action by the General Assembly, but as a
matter of local legislation, the assembly will follow the lead of the
county’s legislative delegation.
The resolution is a watered-down version of the one co-sponsored by
commissioners Bob Fulton and Karen Webster. The original resolution asked
for a reorganization of the board to nine members.
In an amendment to the resolution, the language asks the Fulton delegation
to consider the size and composition of the library board. The resolution
also asks that the library director come under the authority of the county
manager and who would have the sole authority to appoint or remove the
director.
Fulton said he wanted to send the resolution with a "plan” that included a
fixed number for the library board.
"It’s not what I wanted, but it was as much as I could get,” Fulton said.
"What this does say is, the commission is not satisfied with the current
composition of the library board and major changes are needed. I couldn’t
get four votes for a specific recommendation.”
Webster said she was encouraged that the compromise resolution passed
unanimously.
"Everyone agrees some change is needed. Now do you hold [the resolution]
up waiting on a particular number? I think we are much better going to the
Fulton delegation with a consensus,” Webster said. "I think this is a step
in the right direction.”
Some members of the commission have stoutly defended the role and the make
up of the Board of Trustees, and are especially sensitive to what they see
as an attempt to shift control of the library board from Atlanta to the
suburbs. Conversely, critics of the present makeup of the board — which
dictates at least nine of 17 members be from Atlanta — doesn’t give enough
representation to the growing suburbs.
For years, North Fulton residents have said the area does not get its
share of resources in a system where most libraries are inside the Atlanta
city limits. But Commissioner Emma Darnell said she would not be a party
to improving services in predominately white suburbs at the cost of
services to city libraries with predominately black patrons.
However, the recently completed management audit by DMG-Maximus has
recommended the library board be pared down. It notes in the study the
makeup of the board has been changed some eight times in 14 years to
accommodate changing population realities in Fulton County. At the present
size, it is unwieldy, ineffective and inefficient, the report states.
Commissioner Tom Lowe said he has had talks with members of the Fulton
delegation and he said he sees agreement there that "something” has to be
done to address the growing criticism of the present situation.
The board has openly squabbled with its past director and interim director,
and a petition of library staff has supported charges that the library
board is too involved with trying to manage the system rather than set
policy for the professional staff to implement.
The commissioners’ resolution calls for a joint taskforce and a meeting
with the Board of Trustees, although no dates have yet been set.
Library Board's Days Numbered?
Commission May Ask Legislators to Disband Trustees
Alpharetta-Roswell News & Revue, December 9, 1999
With a damning management audit recommending the reduction of the
17-member Atlanta-Fulton County Library System Board of Trustees, the
Board of Commissioners are toying with the idea of dropping the board of
trustees altogether.
The issue came to a head at the Dec. 1 meeting when a resolution calling
for a reduction of the library board to nine members — sponsored by
commissioners Bob Fulton and Karen Webster — was introduced. The
resolution further called for the role of the trustees to become that of
an advisory board. The resolution was held in a unanimous vote, but only
after the commissioners voiced their opinions.
Commissioner Emma Darnell characterized the move to reduce the board as a
veiled attempt by whites in North Fulton to wrest control of the library
system from blacks in Atlanta. She dismissed the DMG audit as a
"hodge-podge of surveys and opinions.”
But Commissioner Bob Fulton said the present system with nine board
members from Atlanta who in turn can influence the trustees’ appointment
of five more members, means there is not fair representation but
domination of the library board by Atlanta.
The management audit done at the Board of Commissioners’ behest by
DMG-Maximus, a management consulting company, bore out many of the claims
long made by North Fulton. It said the 17-member board was unwieldy, and
often could not get enough members for the board and committees to meet.
A survey of library staff showed they ranked the library board’s
"meddling” in operations as the top problem for the new library director
to solve. The previous library director and the interim director were both
let go for saying the library board was too meddlesome.
But when Commissioner Webster asked if there was a need for a board of
trustees at all, it struck a responsive chord among many of the
commissioners.
"We have dealt with this issue for over a year. I am trying to bring it up
in a procedural way,” Webster said. "I’m not sure if [the problem] is the
size of the board, the people who make it up or whether we need a board at
all.”
Commissioner Michael Hightower said he liked the idea of the library
director reporting directly to the county manager.
"I would like that to be an option,” he said.
But Hightower also cautioned that any change of library board would have
to be done through the state legislature and therefore would have to have
the blessing of the Fulton County legislative delegation.
"We don’t want to send a bill to the delegation that’s going nowhere and
would be dead on arrival,” Hightower said.
The commissioners agreed to give the issue more thought and will hear it
again in two weeks.
Audit Recommends Smaller Library Board:
17-Member Board Meddles Too Much
Alpharetta-Roswell News & Revue, November 30, 1999
An independent study of the Atlanta-Fulton County Library System (AFLS)
has reported the present 17-member Board of Trustees should be reduced to
seven members to make it more efficient and more representative of the
county’s residents.
Supporters of a smaller board welcomed the report from DMG-Maximus as
vindication that the present board is too Atlanta-centric and meddles too
much in the day-to-day operations of the library system.
The library management audit made many recommendations, with the most
controversial one keyed to a smaller, more efficient board of directors.
But board members including Fulton Commissioner Emma Darnell hotly
defended the board as it is configured now.
The audit stated the board should be reduced because as it is it is "too
large to discharge its substantial powers effectively” and "is not
efficient.” The audits findings further stated the appointment process to
the board is "complex and has been a source of conflict for a number of
years” leading to a board that is not geographically balanced.
The audit recommended a smaller board of seven members matching the
districts of the Board of Commissioners would be more efficient and
geographically representative.
The DMG management audit was done at the request of the Board of
Commissioners, and may be used as a springboard to renew efforts to reduce
the size of the board. The audit provided plenty of ammunition. The report
was critical of the numerous committees which keep the board mired in
inaction and noted numerous times the board is preoccupied with managing
day-to-day affairs rather than setting policy.
The board has 10 committees that are "not effective,” the audit stated,
and regularly can’t conduct business because members don’t attend. Fully
42 percent of scheduled committee meetings had no quorum and could not
act, the report found.
The Board of Trustees Chairman William McClure defended the board in both
its makeup and its actions.
"I feel the board as presently constituted has diversity and provides a
level of service. I would hate to be talking about services, and exclude a
section of the community because it is not represented,” McClure said.
"The board as it is presently established has geographical balance. Every
aspect is represented. A particular municipality may not be [represented],
but its area is.”
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood is one of those who disagrees. He noted 11 current
board members have Atlanta addresses and not one from Roswell.
"I would not call that fair representation,” Wood said.
Many of the changes recommended by DMG have been sought for a long time by
supporters of local libraries in North Fulton. Friends Spruill Oaks
Northeast Library President Susan Ducker said she was not surprised by
much of the audit’s findings.
"The only people who don’t want the size of the board changed are people
on the board,” Ducker said. "This is not an issue of race. It’s about
making the library system better and run in a more professional manner.”
Joanne Urvan, president of the Friends of the Roswell Library said she
thought the audit was "right on target.”
"This is not a black-white issue or a north versus south issue, but one of
fairness. And DMG is right, it would be hard to get 17 dedicated people to
meet regularly for any board,” Urvan said. "But this board has not been
knowledgeable, it has ignored the need for technology. That has hurt the
disadvantaged population more than the more affluent communities, because
they don’t have the alternatives to turn to.”
But several defenders of the current board have hurled the charge of
racism as the motive behind reducing the board.
"Geographic balance, that’s an interesting new code word,” Commissioner
Darnell said. "I cannot support any composition of the board that removes
all representation by the city of Atlanta.”
Friends of the Alpharetta Library President Pam Caird said no one has
suggested Atlanta not be represented, and said such statements are just
attempts to cloud the issue. They also say charges of racism are used to
defend smaller, inefficient libraries in Atlanta. Of the 34 branches, 21
libraries have less than 10,000 square feet. Of those 21, 15 libraries are
less than 5,000 square feet.
Supporters of a smaller board point out that when the Board of Trustees
was created 17 years ago, it reflected the population that lived mostly in
Atlanta. Since then it has had the board appointment process amended 10
times.
Eleven members are appointed, then it elects five members of its own. This
ensures the board is always controlled by Atlanta members.
Supporters of the smaller board say the real problem is the current board
does not allow the professional staff to do its job, but insists on
getting involved in management. This was born out by a confidential
opinion survey of library staff which found the most often mentioned
criticism was the Board of Trustees continuing influence over daily
operations and hiring. Staff said that was the No. 1 challenge facing the
new library director.
That was charge that brought about a public rift with both the former
director, Julie Hunter, and her interim replacement, Ella Yates. Both
Yates and Hunter are black, dispelling the charge of racism. In addition,
a blue ribbon commission comprised of former trustee board chairmen had
recommended the board be reconfigured smaller and more representative.
But defenders of a larger board say any change in the configuration would
not come from the Board of Commissioners.
"That’s an issue for the General Assembly,” McClure said. "You have to
look beyond where one lives as a standard of representation. You have to
look at what the legislature is trying to do.”
In its audit, the consultants interviewed past and present board members,
library staff, library patrons and examined its policies and procedures.
DMG made many recommendations:
- Upgrade security for materials. The currrent security system is not
compatible with new technology and is rapidly becoming obsolete. Cost of
the fix would be $750,000.
- Replace the computer cabling infrastructure. Again, the library system
is falling behind in technology. The fix here is $2.3 million.
- Introduce staff develoment and training. The audit criticized the lack
of staff development and training. Library skills training was deemed
"non-existent.” The training budget of $134,000 represents 0.5 percent of
the $30 million library budget.
Cut Size of Atlanta-Fulton Board
[Staff Editorial], Atlanta Constitution, November 18, 1999,
p. A20
Consultants Propose Smaller Library Board
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 17, 1999, p. C1
Library Board Too Big?
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 7, 1999, p. JN8
Library Boss Had Rocky Time in Last Job;
...Jousted with Mayor, Staff and Even Some Patrons
By Alfred Charles, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 29, 1999, p. C10
When Mary Kaye Hooker was chosen to manage the public libraries in this West Texas town,
she began the job with sizable support. But that good will evaporated during a rocky four-year
tenure in which she was banned from her office by her boss, the mayor; was criticized by
library patrons who took issue with the way she ran the system; and was feared by workers
who said she was a stern taskmaster.
"I'm happy she's in Atlanta and not here, for the sake of our employees," said El Paso City
Councilman Larry Medina, who led a council committee that investigated library workers'
complaints. "Hopefully, she will do a better job there than she did for us."
Of her tumultuous experience in El Paso, Hooker said, "That library system demands so much
of its director. You become well qualified to take on any challenge. It's a wonderful training
ground."
It will be a challenge presiding over the Atlanta-Fulton library system. Hooker, who will earn
$100,000 a year, has been hired for a job that two previous directors abruptly abandoned,
citing conflicts with the 17-member governing board, which has been criticized as being too
involved in the system's day-to-day affairs.
Hooker said she is looking forward to the task of running the largest library system in Georgia,
with 35 branches and an annual budget of nearly $30 million. It is a big step up from El Paso,
which has roughly 700,000 residents but only nine library branches and an annual budget of
nearly $6 million.
"I think the nation will look to us as the leader for what a library of tomorrow is," Hooker said
from her downtown Atlanta office on the main library's sixth floor.
Hooker was among a handful of applicants recommended by Gossage Regan Associates, a
New York-based national recruiting firm paid $34,000 to find a library director. The library
board interviewed seven candidates, narrowing the field to Hooker and another applicant
before making its choice.
Interviews in El Paso with city officials, library supporters and workers indicate an enormous
amount of animosity toward Hooker.
The ill will ran both ways. In a move the El Paso city attorney said was unprecedented,
Hooker, who is white, filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, alleging that the largely Hispanic city administration discriminated against her
because of her ethnicity.
She contends that Mayor Carlos Ramirez and other top administrators did not intervene on her
behalf in a dispute with a subordinate. The subordinate, Ivonne Jimenez, who was the library
system's highest-ranking Hispanic administrator, has filed her own EEOC complaint and a
lawsuit in state District Court against the city, charging that El Paso officials did nothing to stop
ethnic harassment by Hooker. Both complaints and the lawsuit are pending.
The city is also disputing a claim for worker compensation benefits Hooker filed while on
medical leave after falling down a flight of stairs in March. Hooker contends she was pushed,
but there has been no definitive ruling by investigators.
Hooker testified in a deposition given during the Jimenez court case that while she was on
medical leave, the mayor prohibited her from entering her office.
Mayor Ramirez declined to speak with a reporter about Hooker or the city's library system,
citing the pending complaints and litigation.
Hooker was appointed by Ramirez's predecessor. She blames the current mayor for many of
the system's woes, arguing that the library ranked low on his list of concerns. She said Ramirez
targeted the library system repeatedly for budget cuts, reductions that hamstrung her
decision-making.
Expenditures for many city agencies are in question as Ramirez tries to hold the line on
expenses. El Paso has allocated $5.4 million for its libraries for the 2000 fiscal year, compared
with $6.1 million for 1999.
Before being named head of the El Paso libraries, Hooker was coordinator of the Texas
Trans-Pecos Library System. She reported to El Paso's library director and was charged with
managing activities with libraries in other West Texas towns. When Salazar left for the Dallas
job, Hooker applied for and got his position in 1994.
Performance evaluations show that she got off to a good start. In her first-year review, she
earned a 4 on a 5-point scale. Her personnel department reviewers said she responded to
challenges quickly and encouraged her staff to act independently. But toward the end of her
tenure , reviewers noted conflicts between Hooker and her employees.
Hooker lists her successes in El Paso as the opening of four new branches, enhancement of
automated services, remodeling of the main library and the receipt of several national grants.
But her critics take issue with many of her accomplishments, saying the new branches were
already in the works when she was hired, and they insist she dragged her feet on applying for
$388,760 in grants in 1998. Hooker admits some grants were lost, and she places the figure
at nearly $1 million. But she said they were forfeited because the Ramirez administration did
not sign off on grant applications that required matching funds.
Some of the harshest complaints about Hooker come from El Paso library workers, who said
morale sank under her watch. Nearly 50 workers formed a library chapter of the Association
of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees to represent their interests.
"Something had to be done," said Mary Bowles Grijalra, business manager for AFSCME
Local 59. "We had too many complaints, and when you have that many complaints, something
is happening."
Library patrons also criticized Hooker. She was not welcome at meetings of the El Paso Public
Library Association.
Other support groups also grew frustrated with Hooker's management. They cited her
decisions to change operating hours, a missed opportunity to receive $500,000 in bond money
that would have been available this year to purchase new books and the loss of six librarians in
three weeks who left for other jobs rather than continue working for Hooker.
"It was due to her management that we lost those people," said Carol Ginty, a member of the
Friends of Irving Schwartz Library. "I was not sorry to see Ms. Hooker go."
Hooker said she was surprised by the criticism from the friends group. "I always respected
their approach," she said.
But she prefers not to dwell on her El Paso experience. "I can't talk about the past. I'm for the
future."
Atlanta Board to Choose Director in Open Session
American Libraries, online posting of August 23, 1999
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Board will take another vote this
week for its choice of library director, this time in open session. The
board’s July 28 action naming Mary Kaye Donahue-Hooker as director was
criticized
by the Georgia First Amendment Foundation for occurring behind closed
doors in violation of Georgia state law. Donahue-Hooker started in her
position August 18.
Chairperson William H. McClure responded to the GFAF on August 6,
stating that the trustees “have initiated curative steps to be in full
compliance with Georgia law, as it applies to our effort to select
someone for the position of Director of Atlanta-Fulton Public Library.” He told the August 18 Atlanta Constitution that the board decided to vote again on the advice of the county attorney to quell complaints that the selection process was illegal.
Board's Pick for Library Chief Will Be Reconsidered:
Members' Vote May Have Violated Laws
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 18, 1999, p. B3
Atlanta Library Trustees' Hiring Process Questioned
American Libraries web site, August 9, 1999
Controversial Texan [Mary Kaye Hooker] to Lead Fulton Library
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 21, 1999, p. C1.
People Have Lost Trust in Atlanta-Fulton Library System
Alpharetta-Roswell Revue & News, May 13, 1999.
Roswell Library Branch Fined: Trustees' $20K [Budget Cut]
Brings Storm of Protest from Local Officials
Alpharetta-Roswell Revue & News, May 6, 1999
North Fulton officials are livid upon hearing the Atlanta-Fulton County
Library System Board of Trustees deducted $20,000 from the Roswell Branch
Library to in effect "take away” a $20,000 state Local Assistance Grant
awarded in 1998 — a grant the trustees had tried to refuse.
When the Board of Trustees adopted April 28 its materials budget for 1999,
$20,000 was deleted from the Roswell Branch’s budget and divided equally
among the Sandy Springs, South Fulton and Southwest Fulton regional
branches with Roswell getting none of it.
"It’s outrageous. This is a slap in the face to the Fulton County Board of
Commissioners who accepted this grant and a slap in the face to the state
Legislature which gave the grant,” said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood. "This is
pure hubris on the part of the Board of Trustees when they overrule the
decision of the state Legislature.
"The good news is, it just gives all the more reason to restructure the
representation on the Board [of Trustees]. This is so outrageous, they can
no longer hide their actions. The people aren’t going to sit still for
this. I hope this gives people the political will to take action.”
Wood has sponsored a resolution among the 10 mayors of the cities of
Fulton County to restructure the Board of Trustees so that it more
accurately reflects the population of the county. As enacted by the state
Legislature when the Atlanta and Fulton library systems were joined, the
bulk of representation on the 17-member board is from Atlanta.
County Commissioner Bob Fulton had nearly the same reaction. He called the
Board of Trustees actions "a slap in the face” to the city of Roswell and
the state Legislature. Fulton also called for the Board of Trustees to be
redrawn to represent the population of the county more evenly.
It was Fulton who stepped in to get the grant accepted for Roswell. The
AFPLS Trustees were not even going to accept the grant because it was
specific to one branch. On the last day the state would accept grant
applications, Fulton got a resolution passed in 1998 to accept it.
"To take a state grant and then put the money elsewhere in the system for
uses other than those specified in the grant is probably illegal, and
certainly unethical,” Fulton said.
State Rep. Dorothy Felton (R-Sandy Springs), who helped get the grant for
the library, said she was angry at the action.
"This board is inept with obvious special interests at work here,” Felton
said. "One of the reasons we got [Roswell] the grant was because the
library is not getting its per capita fair share of resources.”
The Roswell Branch has the highest circulation of any library in the
entire system, 17.9 percent, with the Sandy Springs Regional Library
second at 11.8 percent and Alpharetta at 10 percent.
"I am going to talk with the Speaker [ of the House, Tom Murphy] and the
Appropriations chairman. This could jeopardize all of the state money
allocated to the library system.”
Library Board Trustee Nancy Puckett demanded to know why the $20,000 was
taken from the Roswell budget.
"This punishes Roswell for gaining an enhancement that was given to it
because of its high use,” Puckett said.
After the meeting, Puckett said she was not surprised but disappointed
that the board took the action. Now she fears it will have a chilling
effect on others who might try to raise funds for an individual library.
"Instead of encouraging people to bring in alternate sources of funds,
this board has slapped their wrists instead. This a real disservice to the
entire system,” Puckett said.
But several trustees defended the action.
Library Board Trustee Michael Hart, who chaired the materials committee,
insisted Roswell was not singled out because of its grant. He said the
distribution of the materials budget was "staff driven.”
"What I looked at was upgrading all the regional libraries. None are at
[materials] capacity. We took a bold action to try to upgrade the
materials at all of the regional libraries,” Hart said.
Hart insisted the materials allocation was based on a formula used by the
library’s Assistant Director of Finance and Administration Robert Pound.
But Pound directly refuted Hart’s contention, reminding him at the April
28 meeting that Hart had directed that he, Pound, delete $20,000 from
Roswell and distribute that money equally among all of the other regional
libraries except Spruill Oaks.
The trustees had taken 20 percent of the materials allocation, about
$518,000, to try to bring up all of the regional branches’ materials to
100 percent shelf capacity plus 30,000 — the 30,000 being the amount of
materials in circulation at any one time.
Trustee Becky Fern argued that taking $20,000 from Roswell’s materials
budget was irrelevant since the board was bringing all of the regional
branches up to 100 percent plus 30,000, so it would be redundant to give
Roswell money for more materials than it had capacity.
But that argument doesn’t hold water because there is not enough money in
the materials budget to bring all of the branches up to full capacity plus
30,000 items. That is why a formula was used to allocate the materials
budget. And it was from the materials budget the money was taken from
Roswell.
It even stated as much in the Board of Trustees agenda package — "The
replacement allocation for Roswell has been reduced $20,000 (the amount of
the State Grant to the Roswell Branch) and this amount has been
distributed equally to Sandy Springs, South Fulton and Southwest
Regional.”
Trustee Clinton Johnson blamed the way the library system is put together,
saying there are no city libraries, but only one library system. So any
money raised for the system should go into "one pot” to improve the entire
system and not just one library.
"I’m on both sides. I can see where we might get more corporate donations
if they could see it going into a library that serves them. But if we’re
going to run it as a system, then it needs to be as one system,” Johnson
said.
Commissioner Fulton pointed out numerous grants are given to individual
schools for their enhancement, but they don’t have their budgets reduced.
But Johnson held to his position. He did say he thought the board should
act consistently in handling grants and donations.
If so, he and the board will get the opportunity to exercise that
consistency when the Auburn Avenue Research Library (AARL) presents its
proposal to arrange for a donation of $50,000 to endow a fellowship in
art, architecture and black creativity at AARL. The endowment would be
"matched through additional fund-raising at AARL,” according to a memo
from AARL Administrator Joseph F. Jordan.
Library Changes Called Overdue:
Roswell's Mayor Says Suburbs Are Shortchanged,
Wants the Board Restructured
Atlanta Constitution, April 15, 1999, p. JD7
Does Your Library Check Out?
Letter from fomer Library Trustee Dave Henry to the editor
of the Alpharetta-Roswell Revue & News, March 3, 1999
Yates Resigns from Atlanta [Library] Calling Situation Mean, Ugly
Library Hotline, January 11, 1999, p. 1
Interim Library Director Steps Down,
Cites Lack of Control, Cuts in Employees
Alpharetta News & Revue, January 7, 1999
The Atlanta-Fulton County Library System`s internal strife shows little
sign of ending with the resignation of interim Library Director Ella
Gaines Yates and controversy among the 17-member Library Board of Trustees
over how to achieve $1.7 million in budget cuts to meet the county`s
budget crisis.
Yates informed the Board of Trustees in a Dec. 21 memo she would not serve
beyond the end of the month. The trustees had also informed Yates she
would not be retained beyond Dec. 31 as interim director, pointing to an
obvious disagreement over Yates` role as director. This is just the latest
chapter in a running feud with a majority of the Board of Trustees and the
director, whoever fills the post.
Julie V. Hunter resigned last May over repeated "micro-managing" by the
trustees and their insistence on having a say in running day-to-day
affairs of the library system. Yates`s resignation was for many of the
same reasons and leaves the library system again without a professional
head and at a time when critical decisions must be made regarding staff
reorganization and budget cuts mandated by the county. Yates said since
the new board leadership took over, three months ago her job has become
"too stressful and convoluted, she wrote in her letter of resignation.
"Lately, it seems as if everything has been going downhill in a struggle
for power or something," Yates wrote.
Board of Trustees Chairman William McClure said Yates was hired for a
six-month period and her contract simply was not extended beyond December.
Meanwhile, the board will appoint a new interim director within 30 days
and probably much sooner, he said.
McClure took issue with the charge of "micro-management" saying the board
does have the tasks of ensuring accountability and fiduciary
responsibility.
Meanwhile, Yates clashed with the board over how to cut the budget of the
library system. Yates said she was against any wholesale elimination of
top administrative jobs to fund more entry-level librarian positions. The
board is recommending eliminating 15 or 16 top staff position. More than
90 library employees have salaries ranging from $55,000 to $77,000.
"We need to cut some fat, there`s no question," Yates said. "When we have
80 percent of our budget tied up in salaries and benefits, we must look
there. But we cannot afford to give up that many people."
In a report to the Personnel and Executive committees of the Board of
Trustees, Yates recommended reassigning personnel to vacant but funded
positions in the branches and closing the Boatrock an Capitol Area
branches and redeploying those personnel. Leaving 17 funded but unfilled
positions vacant would save $860,000 with another $512,000 saved if vacant
part-time positions are left unfilled and filled part-time positions
limited to authorized hours only.
However, McClure said as far as he knew this proposal had never been
presented to the board or to any committee. That was disputed by other
trustees who said the Yates proposal and one created by the library
finance officer was distributed not once but twice to the Board of
Trustees.
"But this is a complicated issue. The board must look at its mandate for
service delivery as well as staffing," McClure said. "And I want to make
it clear that budget cuts and reorganization of the library system are two
distinct operations."
The plan put forth by the trustees would eliminate 16 of the highest paid
positions in the system.
McClure also said the Board of Commissioners will have to approve any cuts
in personnel, and all personnel would be offered the opportunity to change
to lower paying positions.
Trustee Dave Henry said losing Yates was a blow to the library system as
it tries to carry out its duties while the search goes on for a permanent
director. He also opposed the elimination of jobs.
"I`m not against cutting the fat, but it doesn`t serve the library system
to get rid of all of our most experienced people," Henry said. "It`s not
wise to make cuts just to make cuts. We want to look at areas where we are
duplicating efforts. But if we take off all the top positions, we really
have a problem with our day-to-day operations."
Meanwhile, the search for the new director is in the hands of the firm of
Gossage and Associates, a company specializing in employee searches in the
library field. McClure said the board wants a thorough search made to get
a talent pool which will provide good candidates, but the choice should be
made within the next six months.
Click here to read headlines of news stories about the library system that were published in 1998.
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