Governing Board Scrutinizes Library Commission Policy, Discusses Dissolving Commission

With two seats vacant on the Dixon Public Library Commission, the library’s governing board discussed a policy at its Thursday meeting that prevents former library employees from serving on the commission until four years after their employment. It’s a rule that one board member took heavy exception to and called discriminatory.

“When I looked at the record, I could not believe it,” Library Trustee Irina Okhremtchouk said. “I almost had a heart attack. It was like I had traveled back in time to pre-1920, when women were denied the vote, or the Deep South, before public schools were desegregated.”

She commented from the dais in City Council Chambers on what she said was a policy of discrimination allegedly targeted against former Librarian Nancy Schrott. Okhremtchouk said the specific cause of shock occurred while she was reading the minutes of a January, 2010 Library Commission meeting.

Head Librarian Gregg Atkins stated at that meeting, “In light of a recent retirement...” he wanted a new policy to deal with applicants for Library Commission seats. At that meeting, the commission approved a four-year waiting, or “cooling off,” period before former library employees could apply for a commission seat.

Nancy Schrott, a former Dixon librarian, who had retired in December 2009, directly asked Atkins at the Library Board meeting Thursday, “To whom does that phrase refer?”

Atkins replied, “Of course it refers to you.”

Schrott stated, “It did not occur to anyone to have a cooling-off period until I retired.”

Okhremtchouk then stated she had thoroughly researched application policies for former employees to positions in which they'd have oversight over former employers.

“I researched at the federal, state and local levels and nowhere did I find such a lengthy waiting period,” she said. “Most waiting periods of 12 months or less were instituted to prevent a revolving door, where former government employees would profit by joining lobbying groups after they left government service. That was the issue, not cooling off. Clearly this is a discriminatory policy on the part of the Library Commission, and it is directly targeted against Nancy Schrott.”

Library patron Joe Dingler stated, “The right to hold office in this country is the same as the right to vote and is inviolable. Excluding someone who doesn't fit a particular agenda, is wrong.”

Dingler stated that the Library Board needed to have oversight over the Library Commission.

Seated with the audience at Thursday night's meeting, Dixon City Councilman Michael Ceremello questioned “the need for a cooling-off period to protect Head Librarian Atkins from criticism. If he can't take it, then he should leave his position.”

The Library Board debated whether, in light of the Library Commission's setting of this policy, whether it should dissolve the current Library Commission, which Okhremtchouk said it had the power to do under the California Education Code.

The Library Board decided to table that debate until its June 9 meeting.

Meanwhile, the Library Commission is now accepting applications for two open Commission seats until June 27. Application forms are available at the Library.

Applications will be filed by Atkins, who will issue receipts for them. Applicants will be interviewed by a subcommittee formed by Library Board members Herb Cross and John Gabby, before being voted on by the entire five-member Library Board.