Whitefish library deadline extended

The Flathead County Library Board on Thursday agreed to give the city of Whitefish more time to decide if it wants to terminate the interlocal agreement that binds the county and city together in operating the Whitefish Public Library.

At the end of a four-hour meeting, both the board and Whitefish Mayor Mike Jenson expressed a willingness to try to resolve the differences that led to a study group’s recommendation for the Whitefish library to break away from the county system.

Whitefish had until June 30 to give the Library Board notice to terminate the interlocal agreement; otherwise the city wouldn’t legally be able to withdraw from the agreement for another two years.

The board OK’d Whitefish’s request for a 120-day extension, which will put the day of reckoning on Oct. 28.

A key reason for the extension is a pending Montana attorney general opinion on whether Whitefish property taxes allocated to the county library system can be transferred instead to a Whitefish city library.

In a forthcoming letter to the Whitefish City Council, the board noted there’s a good chance the attorney general’s opinion will be unable to “answer unequivocally the question of whether Whitefish is legally authorized to withdraw from the levy now assessed to fund countywide library services.

“A judicial decision may be required to finally resolve that issue,” the board concurred.

Board members spent the lion’s share of the lengthy meeting poring over a draft of their responses to a number of issues cited by the study group known as the Whitefish Ad Hoc Library Committee.

In a 175-page report delivered to the City Council last month, the study group, with staff assistance from the city, laid out a long list of concerns, from heavy-handed administration to inequities in resources and unacceptable treatment of Whitefish branch library employees.

The study group’s report also unveiled a detailed proposal for an independent Whitefish library, including a budget and plan to divvy up the library’s 44,603 items.

Mayor Jenson, in turn, asked the Library Board for an explanation of the biggest issues between the Whitefish branch and the county library system.

In other words: “How did we get to this point?”

The board’s written response addresses in detail nine issues cited by the study group: quality of service, dictating to the Whitefish community, micromanagement, growing differences in philosophy, inequities in library services, excessive discarding of materials, top-heavy management structure, lack of transparency to the Whitefish community and unacceptable treatment of employees.

The report also analyzes the study group’s proposed budget for a stand-alone library, questioning in particular the group’s proposed $2,000 budget for materials. The library system has budgeted $207,000 for materials for the coming year, $40,000 of which goes to the Whitefish branch.

Although the city owns the Whitefish library building, the county owns most of the materials and equipment. If the Whitefish library divorces itself from the county, splitting up the belongings could get tricky.

The study group noted that the Whitefish library collection had 15,000 items when it joined the county system in 1976, and an unknown number of books and other items, including some furnishings, have been donated by Whitefish residents. There also was a “pro rata” provision in a 1982 amended interlocal agreement.

Still, the study group acknowledged that at an estimated cost of $20 per item, it could cost Whitefish more than $800,000 if the county took everything in the collection.

The board took the opportunity to tell its side of the story in the report that will go to the Whitefish City Council, noting a continued “us versus them” mentality that doesn’t lend itself to resolving issues.

“A general atmosphere of disrespect and hostility is created by certain volunteers and members of the Whitefish study when FCLS (Flathead County Library System) members attempt to do their jobs at the Whitefish branch library,” the report states. “... the Whitefish branch manager is encouraged to disregard management requests or decisions and be uncooperative especially in the areas of teen programming, children’s programing and comporting with FCLS policies and goals of making all its facilities welcoming and positive to all users no matter where they reside.”

The board also maintained that there appears to be a general dislike among study group members “for any type of modern library trend that goes beyond traditional library services.”

Can the fences be mended?

Both sides hold out hope. But it’s possible Whitefish could end up with two libraries — the independent, break-away library in the current city facility and a branch library in a separate facility.

During a meeting with the county commissioners earlier this week, Library Director Kim Crowley said that since the county owns the materials and equipment, “theoretically we could pick it all up and put it in another building.”

That idea also is broached in the board’s letter to the council.

“The creation of a stand-alone Whitefish city library will not automatically answer the question of whether a Flathead County Library System branch library is needed for the northwestern area of Flathead County,” the letter noted.

“It is possible that a separation will be inevitable, leaving each to do what they think is in the best interest of its respective constituencies,” the board contended in its response to the City Council.

JENSON thanked the board for addressing the issues “thoroughly and diligently” and suggested a delegation from the Library Board meet with a committee of City Council members to walk through the issues.

Though details weren’t nailed down, board chairwoman Jane Lopp said she feels both sides want the same thing: to provide the best services for their constituents.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com