After months of internal conflict, the Dolores Library District Board has hired an attorney on an as-needed basis at $385 an hour to help revise the district’s bylaws and navigate ongoing board disputes.
“As you recall,” board president Sandy Jumper said at Tuesday’s meeting, “back in December, the board authorized me to retain an attorney, and I went through the process. This firm Seter, Vander, Wall & Mielke came highly recommended, and I did sign the letter of engagement.”
Board member Emily Wisner disagreed that they voted to give her that authority, saying the hourly price was too high for government work and that they were supposed to draft a statement of work together.
“This is another example of a lack of transparency. That is not okay, there is no statement of work, and you went ahead without a plan and letting us know,” Wisner told the president and other members Tuesday.
Jumper said she misunderstood but felt there was a pressing need for legal advisement.
Much of the board’s two-hour meeting focused on issues tied to recent conflicts, including the attorney’s role, overall board goals and next steps for recommending three new members for approval by the Dolores town and school boards.
The board voted 4-2 in late November to censure another member, Hassan Hourmanesh, alleging misconduct and a violation of the Colorado Open Meetings Law. Hourmanesh defended himself, saying it was his duty to raise transparency and staff concerns that had gone unaddressed.
The formal reprimand followed an hourlong special meeting where members argued and interrupted each other but ultimately voted to retain the attorney to address the issues that arose. One bullet point listed under this year’s board goals: “Retain legal counsel to investigate and determine any issues of liability relating to recent events and advise the board regarding remedies and next steps.”
The board’s regular meetings a year ago were routine governance. Now, lasting three to four hours, meetings often draw residents and town officials and include public comments about cash donations and the library’s work environment.
“We are at a point where a letter of agreement needs to be ratified,” said member Jeanne Becker during a motion to approve the attorney contract.
Wisner voiced her concern over the price, saying other governments she spoke with quoted fees at $150 per hour.
Emphasizing the lawyer’s expertise not just in libraries but in special district law, Becker added: “I can understand Emily’s concerns; we can’t backtrack and start again. I do think we have someone that is competent.”
Hourmanesh suggested voting on an amount to cap attorney’s fees, but instead the board approved establishing a subcommittee made up of Hourmanesh, Jumper and Wisner to draft a list of work priorities.
Board President Sandy Jumper reported receiving a letter from the Dolores Town Board stating it had withdrawn from a 2024 intergovernmental agreement, citing concerns that portions of the agreement did not comply with state law.
Board members questioned how the withdrawal would affect appointing new members, as the library district is preparing to replace three on its seven-person board. Jumper said the library board’s attorney and the town’s attorney would need to clarify how appointments will proceed without the agreement in place.
The intergovernmental agreement outlined a detailed interview and recommendation process for library trustees. Under Colorado state law, the Dolores Town Board and the Dolores RE-4A School District jointly oversee the library district through CRS 24-90-107, with CRS 24-90-108 explaining how trustees are appointed and removed.
The town raised concerns about a provision in the agreement stating that library trustees could be removed by the library board itself “for good cause.” State law, however, specifies that a library trustee may be removed only by a majority vote from appointing bodies – the school and town boards. Town Manager Leigh Reeves said rescinding the agreement restores the state law process, which means the town and school boards retain approval over any appointments and removals.
Reeves said at Monday’s town board meeting that if they wanted to rework the IGA in the future, that was an option.
Both the town and library board held a joint meeting Dec. 22 where board president Jumper gave updates on the library’s end-of-year finances, open board positions and some of the board’s upcoming goals and objectives.
Further discussion on appointing new members was tabled for a special meeting Jan. 27.
Despite ongoing board discussions over governance and appointments, the Dolores Public Library continues to see strong attendance and active participation across programs.
Director Sean Gantt reported another month of high daily use, including a story-time pizza party where more than 70 people participated. The library hosted 832 visitors at December events, up from 544 in 2024, and fully installed upgrades to the computer lab with Windows 11.
The board decided to host a half-day training retreat later this month for members, which will be led by a Colorado State Library consultant.
