Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com
The Fontana Regional Library Board kicked off the new year addressing topics ranging from the 2024-25 audit to an interlocal agreement proposed by Jackson County.
Jackson County proposed three amendments to the agreement. The first stated that each county will be equally represented on the FRL Board of Trustees by three members, one of whom will be a sitting member of the county’s board of commissioners upon appointment and throughout the trustee’s term. Multiple board members voiced concerns over county commissioner attendance.
“Most of them have full-time jobs,” said Deborah Smith. “They are on multiple boards as it is that take a tremendous amount of time and they have regular meetings and work sessions.”
Monnat countered that Jackson and Swain counties have already moved forward with the interlocal agreement and commissioners are finally offering to show up.
The motion to amend failed, with four members voting against, one voting in favor and one abstaining. [Macon County commissioners also failed to adopt the amendment in a 4-1 vote on Jan. 13.]
The second amendment stated that the FRL Board of Trustees is authorized to select, appoint and remove, determine salary and other conditions of employment for a regional director, along with authorizing executive powers. The executive director must devote full effort towards the FRL and may not simultaneously hold a comparable director position or executive role with another participating library in the region.
“I appreciate the current executive directors’ willingness to do both jobs for a long time,” said Deborah Smith. “But I think it’s unreasonable to expect that of anybody. It takes a toll.”
The motion to amend passed unanimously. [Macon County Commissioners approved this motion at their Jan. 13 meeting.]
Due to a lack of clarity in the original wording of the third amendment of the interlocal agreement, Jackson County Representative Lori Richards moved to revise the amendment as follows:
“Any funds remaining in excess of 25% or lower fund balance required by budget and financial policy must be reimbursed to the counties. This reimbursement shall occur within 15 days after the board approves the final amended financial report for June 30, but no later than Sept. 30. The amount reimbursed to each county shall be based on its actual net surplus as documented in the aforementioned financial report.”
The motion passed, with five members voting in favor and Monnat abstaining.
[Macon County Board of Commissioners approved this proposal at their Jan. 13 meeting.]
Cashiers librarian resigns
Albert-Carlton Cashiers Community Library head librarian Serenity Richards announced her resignation during the public comment period. She said her decision comes amidst unethical conduct by members of governing and advisory boards and an overall lack of communication from Jackson County regarding the system’s future.
“The conduct of sitting board members, whether through direct participation in vitriolic slander and name calling, or through their failure to publicly condemn such behavior, has been unacceptable and deeply damaging,” said Richards.
She said governing and advisory board members, along with sitting county commissioners, are using soft censorship and restricted collection development to work around First Amendment protections, while refusing to acknowledge the desires of the majority of their constituents.
Director’s report
FRL Director Tracy Fitzmaurice discussed plans for the Albert-Carlton Cashiers Community Library following Richards’ resignation. She noted that the head librarian position cannot be posted until Jackson County’s decision to leave the FRL is finalized. Fitzmaurice said she will collaborate with the NC Cardinal community to ensure that items are not delayed in reaching the shelves.
“The current branch librarian is the only fully trained cataloger in the whole FRL system,” said Fitzmaurice. “We will have trouble with our book cataloging until we either hire someone specifically trained in that or we send someone back to school to have that training.”
The three open full-time positions at the Jackson County Public Library also cannot be filled until the county’s decision is finalized.
Fitzmaurice added that Jackson County library staff have not yet received job offer contracts from the county government, which had previously been promised to them.
Audit
Nancy Fulmer, the senior audit manager at Carter, P.C., completed the 2024-25 audit for the FRL and presented her findings at the meeting. She reported that there were no material weaknesses, significant deficiencies or internal control concerns.
In a letter to the board, Fulmer noted there were no difficulties or disagreements encountered during the audit. She also highlighted two key accounting changes: the cumulative effect of GASB Statement 101, which dealt with adopted compensated absences, was reflected in the board’s government-wide financial statements, while GASB Statement 102, related to risk disclosure, had no major impact.
In the main report, Fulmer said the FRL had strong liquidity and a healthy fund balance. She found that the debt increased due to technology investment and the increased appropriation in grants led to revenue growth.
“The audit was completed successfully with clean communication and no material issues,” said Fulmer. “We found that the financial statements were presented fairly in all material respects.”
The motion to approve the audit passed, with four members voting in favor and Marva Jennings and Lori Richards abstaining.
Committee Reports
Collection Development Committee Chair Kathy Smith reported the committee met on Dec. 10 to continue revising the collection development policy. They worked to diversify book application sources to better reflect a diverse community and reviewed age-appropriate guidelines for juvenile and teen sections to adhere to FRL policy.
Kathy Smith said the NC Cardinal Library allows for flexibility in determining shelving locations, as they vary from library to library. She also said the FRL needs to formulate a plan to comply with N.C. General Statute 143C-6-5.6, which limits the use of state funds for gender transition procedures for minors. Twenty-nine other states have passed similar legislation.
“As long as our libraries are going to get state funding, we need to keep that in mind as we’re selecting books to find that line between covering gender transition and avoiding anything that puts us in violation of that part of the law,” Kathy Smith said.
Personnel Committee Chair Deborah Smith outlined the committee’s recent meetings, noting she conferred with human resources professionals to produce a Reduction of Force policy to reflect best practices and federal compliance standards, and establish roles for various board and library positions. She also discussed the budget implications of Jackson County leaving the FRL, including the need to determine the salary of the FRL director in the context of a three- versus two-county system.
“The budgeting will also include looking at sources of funding for the position of executive director because if the amendments to the interlocal agreement pass, we will need a full-time director and a full-time librarian,” said Deborah Smith. “These positions have to be fully funded.”
Additionally, human resources policies, staffing and procedures will need to be reviewed if Jackson County decides to leave the FRL.
Finance Committee Chair Bill McGaha discussed the financial impacts of Jackson County leaving on unemployment compensation, as well as potential large payouts for account reimbursement. He estimated that Jackson County provides $140,000-$150,000 to FRL headquarters, and they will need to determine how to address the potential loss. The committee will review and revise the FRL budget and finance policy in the upcoming weeks.
Deborah Smith clarified that in the Nov. 12 FRL board meeting, she withdrew her motion to no longer affiliate with non-governmental organizations, instead moving to develop a policy on neutrality.
Old business
Swain County representative Tony Monnat provided updates on the renovations at the Marianna Black Library, stating that a retaining wall collapsed but no one was hurt. He added that library programs continue to move forward alongside construction.
The Hudson Library outdoor space project is now in full swing, according to Fitzmaurice. While fundraising is still ongoing, exterior work has already begun and the back parking lot has been blocked off.
Fitzmaurice also reported she received an email from Teague Campbell Dennis and Gorham, the board’s legal counsel, stating that an anonymous FRL board member called to ask questions and voice concerns. After the call, the attorney voided the retainer and contract and recommended that the board seek advice from Brandon Freeman of ASK Law instead.
“Whatever happened, I have no idea what that conversation entailed,” said Fitzmaurice. “They have now withdrawn service, and I can call this next company, but if the same thing happens, then it’s going to be a long time before we get an attorney.”
Request to review book
The board received a request to review “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson on Nov. 19. The director’s recommendation was to keep the book in the young adult section.
Kathy Smith’s motion for the board to overrule the director’s recommendation passed six to one, with Monnat casting the lone vote against.
Her second motion to move the book to the adult non-fiction section also passed six to one, with Monnat again voting against it.
Motion on budget items
Taylor made a motion to eliminate funding for budget line item 6022-1 and any other defunded line items. The motion specified that no funds from any source — including budget transfers or donations, whether designated or not — may be credited to those defunded line items.
The motion passed with five votes in favor and Monnat abstaining.
The board then approved separate motions to return $400 donated for line item 20-6022-1 from the Jackson County Friends of the Library and $125 for line item 60-6022-1 from the Cashiers Friends of the Library. In the regional budget line item 6022 is for professional association dues.
Upcoming meetings
The next Fontana Regional Library board meeting is Tuesday, March 10, at Hudson Library in Highlands. Meetings are held at 4 p.m.