MEEKER | The Meeker Public Library Board of Trustees held its regular meeting last week in the library’s community room. Board President John Moffitt, Secretary/Treasurer Toby Leavitt, and members Dan Olson and Michael Cobb were present. Vice President Keri Grieser was absent.
Before approving the agenda for that meeting, the board made several adjustments, removing discussion items related to the Collection Development Policy, the Children and Parents Policy, and a scheduled executive session. Those items were postponed due to the board not being ready to discuss them.
Following the agenda adjustments, the board opened the floor for public comment. Community member Jeni Morlan was first to speak. She began by thanking member Dan Olson for his respectful responses during the previous meeting, though she disagreed with some of his points. Morlan expressed concern about Moffitt’s conduct at that meeting, describing his 20-minute explanation and back-and-forth discussion with the public as “bizarre” and not aligned with proper meeting etiquette.
Morlan also urged the board to remain fair and unbiased in its decision-making, stating, “State law and specifically library law should direct every decision this board makes. By making a concerted effort to eliminate personal bias and beliefs, this board will serve the public in the best way possible.”
Kris Casey also addressed the board, raising concerns about the originally scheduled executive session, which had included policy discussions. “Why are you now going into executive session to talk about these policies when we have been talking about them during public meetings? Will it be available to the public to look at before or is it after it is approved?” she asked.
Attorney Glory Schmidt, attending virtually, clarified that the document could be made public at the board’s discretion. “It is a complete board decision to make it available. Obviously, it’s a public document, so at this point, the document is protected. If the board would like to make it available to the public they can do that, and as a reminder no formal action can be taken in an executive session,” Schmidt said.
In old business, the board continued its discussion with Ingrid Skrehart of Employers Council. Skrehart recommended continuing sick leave accrual while exploring ways to reduce the library’s financial liability for sick leave payouts. She also suggested policies allowing employees to convert unused sick leave to vacation time at a reduced ratio, or limiting payouts to cases of retirement or death.
Skrehart also reviewed the library’s current retirement contributions, noting that the 1% employer match falls short of the more common 3–5% among peer organizations. She recommended keeping benefits consistent across full- and part-time employees, given the small size of the staff. Also under old business, the board formally approved its updated bylaws.
In new business, Library Director Kristina Selby reported that the building’s HVAC system is approaching the end of its recommended 16–20-year lifecycle. She cited recent malfunctions, including a power surge that damaged components and an incident involving a burning plastic odor. While immediate replacement is not necessary, the board agreed to pursue a professional assessment to prepare for future budgeting.
Toward the end of the meeting, the board discussed the upcoming appointment process for new board members. They agreed to streamline the process by having applications collected at the Meeker Public Library and distributed to both Rio Blanco County and the Town of Meeker, regardless of the appointing authority. The board aims to begin advertising later this year, conduct interviews in December, and have appointments ready by early January so new members can attend the first meeting of 2026.
The meeting adjourned with the next regular board meeting scheduled for July 30, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the community room at the Meeker Public Library.
