Residents urge transparent Pikes Peak Library District trustee appointments amid Rockrimmon Library closure

Speakers at the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 18 asked commissioners to require a transparent application process for appointments to the Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees and raised concerns about the recent closure of the Rockrimmon Library.

The appeals came during the public comment period. Brooke Graves told commissioners, “I am here once again to speak about the closure of the Rockrimmon Library,” and asked the board to help “find a way to change some minds of the existing commissioners” and to require an application process that is transparent and available to the public.

Carla Powers, director of Save Rockrimmon Library, said libraries “protect freedom of speech” and urged commissioners to appoint trustees who will safeguard that mission. “We want good people on the board of trustees that will protect freedom of speech for everyone,” Powers said. She also asked the county to provide clearer public updates on the trustees’ appointment process; speakers said they expected decisions earlier in the year and described the process as “dragging on.”

The public commenters asked the Board of County Commissioners to ensure that candidates for the library board are vetted for qualifications relevant to trusteeship, including financial oversight, and to guard against perceived cronyism or politically motivated appointments. Graves said the board is “dealing with a lot of public money” and asked for an application process to make trustees’ backgrounds and qualifications visible to the public.

Commissioners did not take formal action on the library board appointments during the meeting; the comments were made in the public-comment portion of the agenda. Commissioners noted they are aware of the issue and said attorney review of bylaws and the appointment process is underway, but no timeline or changes to appointment procedures were announced at the meeting.

Speakers who raised the library appointments and Rockrimmon Library closure emphasized the role of trustees in protecting broad access to materials and requested more frequent public updates on the status of appointments and any legal or bylaw reviews tied to trustee selection.