Library director decision put on hold

Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998 | 10:10 a.m.

A special meeting of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees to hire a consulting firm as interim director was postponed Wednesday after questions arose about whether the meeting had been properly posted.

A number of employees said notice of the meeting, the purpose of which was to approve the selection of Fair Anderson & Langerman as interim director, was not posted three working days before the scheduled session as required by law.

Notice was given late Friday that the meeting would be held at noon Wednesday, which may have fallen short of the necessary time frame.

District spokeswoman Karen Bramwell said an attorney general's opinion was being sought on the issue.

"Saturday is a working day for the district," Bramwell noted.

If Saturday is included, the time frame of the notice may fall within the statutory guidelines.

She said the meeting probably would be re-scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, to coincide with the release of a report by another business consulting firm, Coopers & Lybrand, hired in December to investigate complaints by district employees against some board members and upper management personnel.

Employees of the firm have been interviewing library staff members for the past month and are expected to have their final report available next week.

Discontent among the more than 260 full-time staff members became so intense over a four-year period following the resignation of popular longtime executive director Charles Hunsberger that in November there was a near-unanimous decision to join the Teamsters Union.

Last month Executive Director Darrell Batson, who replaced Hunsberger, resigned under fire.

Former Las Vegas Housing Authority Executive Director Carl Rowe, who resigned from that position under fire in 1994, will be the project manager for Fair Anderson & Langerman if a contract is approved with the library district.