Library board faces sudden lack of quorum

The Bess Sheller room at the Rawlins Public Library was full as the Carbon County Library Board convened at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 for a special meeting.

After calling the meeting to order and performing the pledge of allegiance, board chair Joyce Menke immediately called the board, along with Carbon County attorney Ashley Davis, into executive session.

It was expected the board would be discussing the decision made at their earlier regular January meeting. That decision was to have demoted Carbon County Library Director Jake Mickelsen to Rawlins Library Branch Manager.

Three board members, including chairman Joyce Menke, vice-chair Cindy Blomquist and treasurer Anne-Terri Ezell, went into executive session at around 9:05 a.m. but 43 minutes later only two board members returned. At that time board chair Joyce Menke said, “We just have a statement to make. At 9:48 we’re out here in front of you guys saying that we no longer have a quorum. A board member resigned and we can do absolutely nothing.”

Minke then said all further statements would be made by County Attorney Ashley Davis.

Several questions were then raised from the audience, the first of which, directed to director Mickelsen, was “ Is it correct that you are going to remain as director at this time?” to which Mickelsen replied, “That is correct.”

It was then pointed out that the Carbon County Commissioners would be looking to fill the three board vacancies at a special Carbon County Commissioners meeting to be held at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 at the Rawlins Courthouse in the commissioners meeting room downstairs.

The three seats were opened up when one seat was vacated at Wednesday’s meeting by Treasurer Anne-Terri Ezell, another vacancy was created by the resignation of Secretary Ellie Berman at the previous Carbon County Commissioners regular meeting and the third vacancy was created in December when Tom Callison resigned his position.

It was then noted that any person interested in becoming a Carbon County Library Board member could get an application online at carbonwy.com by going to the “Boards” tab and choosing “Board Vacancies and Application” from the dropdown menu, then clicking the .pdf link at the bottom of that page. Interested applicants may also contact Lisa Smith by email at [email protected], or by contacting the county clerk’s office at either 307-328-2668 or 800-250-9812.

Applications are due back by 5 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2018.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Carbon County Library Board is set for 11:30 a.m. Feb. 12 at the Encampment library.