Walnut Grove to vote on three library trustee appointments as council vets ordinance aligning city with regional system

Walnut Grove City Council heard an update on the city’s library advisory board and a draft ordinance to align city code with the regional library system at Thursday’s meeting. Staff said three city residents — Dominic Negrono, Donald Tucker and Margaret Black — have been nominated and will be placed on the agenda for formal appointment at the council’s next meeting.

The change stems from Walnut Grove’s membership in the regional library system. Staff said the draft ordinance recognizes the library’s status within that system and gives the library board greater autonomy over bylaws while retaining the city’s appointment authority and its ability to receive reports. “This allows us to track where they are in their term and mechanisms,” staff said, noting the city will adopt an appointment letter to document terms and residency requirements.

Councilors pressed staff on several points of clarity. The draft and the regional bylaws both describe six‑year trustee terms and allow two consecutive terms, but the bylaws contain language that may cap effective service in some circumstances at seven years and that treats vacancy appointments differently. A council member summarized the concern: if someone is appointed to fill an unexpired vacancy, how does that remainder count toward the six‑year term and any stated caps? Staff said they would consult with the regional system (Stacy Brown) and return clarified language before the ordinance is presented for adoption.

Councilors also sought clearer mechanics for attendance, removal and reporting. Staff said the local library board meets twice yearly and that the regional board meets twice yearly plus a training day; the council asked that the ordinance include scheduled meeting dates, timelines for trustee reporting to council, and an explicit mechanism for recommending removal to the council if a trustee misses consecutive meetings without acceptable excuse. Staff said the city’s appointment authority is the city’s primary oversight tool and that it would propose language making the reporting and removal process explicit.

The ordinance draft also notes a residency requirement: appointees must live within the city limits and must notify council if they move out of the city. Staff said an appointment/employment letter will be used to record residency, start and end dates and ethical standards expected of trustees.

Staff asked council for direction and said the three nominees will be placed on the agenda for a vote at the next meeting. No final appointments or ordinance adoptions were made at Thursday’s meeting.