Council rejects reappointment of library trustee after weeks of dispute; public speakers and trustee respond

The Liberty Lake City Council on Jan. 7 voted 2–4 against confirming Mayor Kaminskas’s nomination of Kim Gerard to Position 2 on the Library Board of Trustees.

The vote came after a lengthy public-comment period in which multiple residents urged the council to confirm Gerard. In an address to the council, Gerard described her decades of experience in literacy and education and asked for reconsideration: “I am asking for your reconsideration to appoint me to the Liberty Lake Library Board of Trustees, because I believe that appointing me for a second term on the board would serve the best interest of this family-focused, literate community,” she said.

The rejection capped weeks of procedural dispute between the council and the library board that began during the ordinance debates in 2022 and resumed at meetings in December 2024. Several speakers during the public-comment period criticized the council for what they described as politicized treatment of library volunteers and urged restoration of trust. Abby Shuster told the council, “Libraries are where fear and ignorance are met with facts and empathy,” and urged confirmation of Gerard. Multiple other residents echoed that support; the city clerk read a list of written comments submitted for the record supporting Gerard.

The nomination was moved by Council Member Dunne and seconded by Council Member Ball. Council members voting in favor of the nomination were not recorded by name in the roll call at the time of the vote; the formal outcome was recorded as failed, 2–4. Council members who voiced concerns during agenda debate cited the need for “fresh voices” and process questions about appointments and said those process issues informed their votes.

During the same public-comment period, Trustee Shauna Dean announced her immediate resignation from the Library Board of Trustees. In a prepared statement she said she could no longer serve “given the current environment within the city council,” criticized what she called a “vindictive attitude” toward library trustees and said she would continue to support the library as a private citizen.

Other residents and speakers described the dispute as damaging to community trust. Craig Fobes, a retired attorney, said elected officials must provide a rational basis for appointments and questioned whether the council’s reasons had been applied consistently across nominees. Scott Gerard, Kim Gerard’s husband, and several other residents urged the council to reverse course and reappoint her.

Mayor Kaminskas and members of the council did not adopt any alternative motion to appoint Gerard after the defeat. No additional action to fill the position was taken at the meeting.

The council also received a list of written public comments submitted in advance supporting Gerard; the clerk read names into the record and staff said the council had received “at least 10 letters of support” on the day of the meeting. Several speakers asked the council for clearer, more transparent communication between the council and volunteer boards.

What happens next: The library board will continue to operate with its remaining trustees; the mayor may re-nominate candidates or leave the vacancy to be filled under established appointment procedures. The council did not direct staff to take other immediate action on the library board at the Jan. 7 meeting.

Votes at the meeting that related to the library were limited to the single confirmed motion rejecting the appointment (motion failed, 2–4). No ordinance or code change was adopted at this meeting regarding the library.