The Guthrie Center City Council held a discussion on employee time cards and use of the Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library’s funds at their recent meeting.

Mayor Mike Herbert informed the Council of a possible “predicament” of Library Director Pat Sleister’s work attendance last year. City Administrator Laura Wolfe mentioned that due to illness Sleister was absent from the library for a considerable amount of time last year, when the library’s policy allowed for 100 sick leave days. Wolfe said that Library Board President Becky Carico came to her with this issue, and the Board subsequently changed their sick leave policy to allowing 60 hours. Sleister is a salaried employee and Wolfe has been informed by the Board that the library staff’s time cards have not shown the exact number of hours worked. The Council directed Wolfe to send the Board recommendations including providing exact documentation of employees clocking in and out, and comments on why leave time is being used.

Herbert said this situation does not reflect on the Council being good stewards of the City budget, “Each one of us took an oath to do what’s right, you know follow our conscience, lead the City, that’s what we need to do. You guys didn’t run for City Council to win a popularity contest, it was that you guys wanted to do what’s right by the City.”

Council member Chuck Cleveland posed whether the Board has any documentation showing they control the library’s functions, and if the issue doesn’t get resolved that they “dissolve the Board and start anew.” The Council requested that the Board respond in person or in writing by June 22nd.