HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Cover letter for proposed ordinance City Attorney's Office
515 Clark Avenue, P. O. Box 811
Ames, IA 50010
OuariiyPnxya Phone: 515-239-5146•Fax: 515-239-5142
Excepuonat Service
August 20, 2010
The Honorable Ann Campbell, Mayor,
and Members of the City Council
of the City of Ames, Iowa
Re: Ordinance Clarifying Role of Board of Library Trustees Regarding Library Employees
Dear Mayor Campbell and Members of the City Council:
The Library Board of Trustees last month brought to my attention an inconsistency in the Ames
Municipal Code provision regarding the removal of Library employees. The attached ordinance
makes a technical correction so that the Municipal Code will be consistent with the ballot
provision passed by the voters at the last City election.
Currently, Ames Municipal Code §15.7(4)places the authority to remove employees with the
Board of Trustees. At the last City election, however, the voters slightly modified that authority.
According to the ballot language approved by the voters, the Board of Trustees' role is to
establish procedures for removal of employees. The authority to remove employees is placed
with the Library Director.
I recommend passage of the ordinance.
Yours truly,
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Douglas R. Marek
City Attorney
Cc: Dudley Luckett
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July 28, 2010
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Mr. Douglas Marek
City Attorney JUL 2 9
City of Ames
515 CIark Avenue
Ames, IA 50010 _
RE: Chapter 15, Library Ordinance
Dear Mr. Marek:
The Library Board of Trustees, at its meeting on July 15,reviewed Chapter 15 of the Municipal
Code, which applies to the governance of the public library.
We reviewed the ordinance to make sure changes enacted by the City Council at the meeting on
March 2, 2010, coincided with the changes passed by the voters of Ames at the city-wide
election this past November. We noted an oversight in amending Section 15.7(4),conceming the
conditions for the removal of the librarian, assistants, and employees. The intent was to maintain
the library board's authority to remove the librarian(library director) under the specified
conditions, but to delegate to the library director the authority to remove"assistants and
employees" under guidelines set by the board. The proposition passed by the voters read:
". . .to remove such librarian by a vote of two-thirds (213) ofsuch Board, and provide
procedures for the removal of such assistants, or employees. . . ."
The Library Board hereby requests that this provision be re-examined by the City Attorney and
brought before the City Council for amendment in order to fulfill the wishes of the voters of the
past general election.
Sincerely,
Dudley Luckett
Board President
cc: Mayor Ann Campbell
Steve Schainker,City Manager
Sheila Lundt, Assistant City Manager
Ames Public Library 515 Douglas Avenue Phone: (515) 239-5630
www.amespubliclibrary.org Ames, [A 50010-6215 Fax: (515) 232-4571