Bylaws
Tremonton City Library Bylaws
Revised: 14 January 1999
Article I - Board of Directors - Trustees
Section 1: Under the provisions of Utah Code Title 9 (Community and Economic Development), Chapter 7 (Library Development), especially Part 4 (City Libraries) issued May 1993, a Library Board of Directors (or Trustees) will be selected by the Tremonton City Council of Tremonton, Utah.
Section 2: The Library Board shall consist of five (5) to nine (9) persons chosed from the citizens at large of Tremonton, Utah, with reference to their fitness for such office.
Section 3: One member of the board shall be a member of the Tremonton City Council. The other members of the Library Board shall be appointed by the board, subject to approval by the Tremonton City Council.
3.1 Each director shall be appointed for a three-year term, or until their successors are appointed.
3.2 Directors shall not serve more than two (2) consecutive full terms.
3.3 The Tremonton City Council shall, before 1 July of each year, appoint three-year term directors to take the place of retiring directors.
3.4 In the event of a vacancy on the Library Board, replacement candidates will be recommended by the board and approved by the Tremonton City Council.
3.4.1 Vacancies in the Library Board shall be filled for an unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments.
Section 4: Each director shall serve without compensation; however, actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties may be paid from library funds.
Section 5: The Tremonton City Council may, at any time, remove any director for misconduct or neglect of duty.
Section 6: The directors shall annually select a chairman and other officers.
Section 7: The Library Board shall develop and approve policies for operation of the Tremonton City Library. Upon approval of policies and/or policy changes by the Library Board, the Chairman and the representative of the Tremonton City Council will sign such documents before their implementation.
Section 8: The Library Board shall make appropriate reports to the Tremonton City Council and to the State Library Board as specified in Title 9, Section 7, Part 406 of the Utah Public Library Laws.
Article II - Officers’ Section
Section 1: Officers of the Library Board shall be Chairman and Secretary. They shall be elected by the Library Board at their regular meeting in July; their terms shall be for one-year commencing with their election.
Section 2: The Librarian shall act as the executive officer for the Library Board.
2.1 The Librarian will be appointed by the Library Board upon concurrence of the Tremonton City Council.
Section 3: The Library Board will appoint, upon recommendation of the Librarian and concurrence of the Tremonton City Council, other library employees as needed. Library staffing, hiring and releasing of employees, will be contingent upon needs of the library.
Section 4: The Librarian and other library employees will participate, at the discretion of the Library Board, in pension, retirement, sickness, disability, and death benefit programs as per Utah Library Laws, Title 10, Chapter 3, Part 11.
Section 5: The Librarian and other library employees can be dismissed for cause upon recommendation of the Library Board and approval of the Tremonton City Council.
Article III - Officers’ Duties
Section 1: The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings, authorize calls for any special meetings, and generally perform the duties of a presiding officer.
Section 2: The Secretary endorses claims, audited and approved by the board, with the Chairman; keeps minutes; notifies Board members of meetings; prepares and provides agendas for said meetings. The Secretary presides in the Chairman’s absence and performs such other duties as requested by the Chairman.
Article IV - Meetings
Section 1: Regular meetings shall be held on the second Wednesday of every month in the library and shall be open to the public.
1.1 Meetings shall be established and conducted in accordance with Utah Library Laws, Title 52, Chapter 4 (Open and Public Meetings).
Section 2: Special meetings may be called at any time by the Chairman and Library Director; written or oral notice shall be given to all board members at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance.
Section 3: A quorum at any meeting shall consist of a majority of the board members.
3.1 In no case shall votes on motions for Library Board consideration be made with less than five (5) members of the Library Board present.
3.2 The Chairman of the Library Board will vote only in case of tie voting.
Section 4: Citizens at large or groups wishing placement on the agenda for regular board meetings shall give notice to Librarian or Chairman five (5) days in advance to the meetings. Groups shall have a spokesperson.
Section 5: Robert’s Rules of Order will apply to meeting conduct.
Article V - Committees
Section 1: Administrative responsibilities shall be delegated to the Librarian; no standing committees shall be appointed which are devoted to such activities.
Section 2: The entire board shall act as a “Committee of the Whole” when considering budget requests, personnel, financial reports, etc.
Section 3: Ad Hoc committees for study and investigation of temporary problems may be appointed by the Chairman to serve until the completion of the work for which they were assigned. The participation of the public shall be sought for such study and investigation.
Article VI - Basic Duties and Responsibilities of Library Board Members
Section 1: Attend board meetings regularly. Irregular meeting attendance may be cause for dismissal from the Library Board. Board action and approval of the Tremonton City Council is required for any such dismissals.
Section 2: Establish and revise library operation policies in cooperation with the Librarian. See Article I, Section 7 and Article VIII, Section 3 of these bylaws.
Section 3: Secure funds for library operation and maintenance; be responsible for their disbursement. Library funds will be controlled and disbursed as per Title 9, Chapter 7. Part 404 of the Utah Public Library Laws.
Section 4: Budget considerations should be prepared early in the calendar year for presentation to the Tremonton City Council before 1 March. Budget submittal will be presented to the Tremonton City Council by the Chairman of the Library Board and the Librarian.
4.1 Budget submittal will be approved by motion of the Library Board.
Section 5: Approve hiring or releasing of Librarian or other library employees. See Article II, Sections 2.1, 3, 4, and 5 of these bylaws.
Section 6: Work to implement Tremonton City Library objectives.
Section 7: Receive gifts to the library in accordance with Utah Public Library Laws, Title 9, Section 7. part 408.
Section 8: See Public Trustee Handbook for more definitive explanation of Library Board members’ responsibilities.
Article VII - Friends of the Library
Section 1: Shall consist of two (2) or more committee members as appointed by the Library Board and approved by the Tremonton City Council.
Section 2: Duties will consist of public relations and fundraising responsibility for Friends of Library funds.
Article VIII - Basic Duties and Responsibilities of the Librarian
Section 1: Serve as a member of the Library Board (Executive Director).
Section 2: Be responsible for the administration of library operation under the policies adopted by the board.
Section 3: Recommend such policy changes and library operating procedures that will promote the efficiency of the library and improve services to its patrons.
Section 4: Within a realm of reasonableness, be responsible to the board for all properties belonging to the library.
Section 5: Submit appropriate reports to the Library Board and to the Tremonton City Council on the progress, activities, and finances of the library program. Assist the Library Board in preparing and submitting reports to the State Library Board. See Article I, Section 8.
Article IX - Miscellaneous
Section 1: References:
1.1 Utah Public Library Laws, published and distributed by the Utah State Library Division, Department of Community and Economic Development
1.2 Public Library Trustee Handbook, published and distributed by the Utah State Library Division, Department of Community and Economic Development.
1.3 ”Directions for Utah Libraries”, a pamphlet published ten times per year by the Utah State Library Division, Department of Community and Economic Development.
1.4 Robert’s Rules of Order, a discussion of parliamentary law/procedures to be utilized by the Tremonton City Public Library Board of Directors in its conduct of regular and special meetings.
1.5 Library Policy Manual, Tremonton City Public Library