Library Board
County delays appointments amid disagreement over representation
Students from Lake City Elementary School attend an Arbor Day program in the Rocky Top Public Library. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
It will not meet again until after the County Commission’s November meeting.
Discussion over Library Board appointments and which level of government should be responsible for them continued late into the night at the County Commission’s Oct. 19 meeting.
Commissioners voted 14-1 to defer consideration of six appointees until their Nov. 16 meeting at 6 p.m., and to issue a public notice inviting county residents to apply for the positions.
The issue centered on which governing body has the authority to appoint Library Board members and whether Norris and Rocky Top should have a say in those appointments or whether the County Commission can select from any county residents who apply.
The decision to open the application process beyond the cities’ nominees gives other county residents an opportunity to apply before the November meeting.
Without a quorum, the Library Board cannot vote on decisions, Anderson County Law Director James Brooks said.
The board oversees the Briceville, Clinton, Norris and Rocky Top public libraries, but not the Oak Ridge Public Library.
County Mayor Terry Frank said the County Commission’s Budget Committee could make funding decisions for the library system if necessary.
However, Commissioner Shain Vowell, who also serves on the Library Board, said the board has decisions it needs to make, including appointing a director for the Rocky Top library.
Miria Webb, director of the Clinton library, told The Courier News that operations and hours will continue as usual at her library.
However, the lack of a functioning board could delay orders for new books and hiring there and at other libraries in the system.
Appointing board members
Tommy Mariner, a Library Board member and Norris resident, said the county’s appointment of board members would violate the cities of Clinton, Norris and Rocky Top’s authority to make appointments under Tennessee law, as they have in the past.
He said the County Commission has only three legitimate trustee appointments it can make, while the municipalities make their own appointments.
“This action also violates the spirit of independence of a free library,” he said of having the commission appoint members. “This system was set up not to have the board under the thumb of any one organization or any one individual.”
Brooks explained that he could not find any contract, memorandum of understanding, or interlocal agreement governing how the cities and county appoint board members.
However, he said the current statute provides for two representatives from Clinton and the remaining five from the county, regardless of how the county and cities handled appointments in the past. He said the commission’s appointment of members is appropriate.
Frank similarly said she had asked city governments to look for agreements regarding board appointments, but none had been found.
She said the libraries are owned by the cities, except for Briceville’s, but spoke in favor of the county continuing to contribute to the libraries and establishing a clear agreement.
“It’s kind of that fences make good neighbors,” she said. “Everybody will know.”
Commissioner Aaron Wells made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Tracy Wandell, to defer the appointments until Nov. 16 and issue a public notice allowing other residents to apply.
The measure passed in a voice vote, with Vowell casting the only vote against it.
Vowell later said he was concerned about delaying the board’s ability to vote on important matters.
Wells, however, said he wanted other county residents to have an opportunity to apply because the commission could now choose any qualified candidate rather than simply confirm those nominated by the cities.
In another vote, commissioners directed Frank to work with the cities to establish formal agreements regarding board appointments before bringing those agreements to the Anderson County Operations Committee for approval.
Wandell made the motion, and Commissioner Michael Foster seconded it. The measure passed without opposition.
The original board nominees, as listed on the October commission agenda, were Susan Michele and Mariner for Norris, Vickie Underwood and Jason Chandler for Clinton, and Tina Daniels and Christy Hibbler for Rocky Top.
Despite initially supporting the deferral, Commissioner Denise Palmer later made a motion to reconsider the decision after learning about the quorum issues.
The reconsideration would have allowed the commission to revisit the appointments so the Library Board could conduct business before Nov. 16.
Foster seconded the motion, but it failed 10-5.
Commissioners Pack, Vowell, Tim Isbel, Foster and Palmer voted for reconsideration.
Commissioners Wandell, Steven Verran, Jawrell Cook, Shelly Vandagriff, Robert McKamey, Ebony Capshaw, Sharon Bourgeois Capshaw, Wells and Shannon Gray voted against it.
Palmer said she ultimately supports giving more local control to the cities where the libraries are located.