{"id":15312,"date":"2025-12-10T15:13:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T22:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/budget-passes-but-conflict-continues-at-dolores-library-board-meeting\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:46:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:46:39","slug":"budget-passes-but-conflict-continues-at-dolores-library-board-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/budget-passes-but-conflict-continues-at-dolores-library-board-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Budget passes, but conflict continues at Dolores Library Board meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
The Montezuma County League of Women Voters will sponsor a forum about the 2020 Census at 10 a.m. Feb. 8 at Dolores Public Library.<\/span>The Journal file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The Dolores Public Library District board passed its 2026 budget Tuesday during a three-hour session dominated by simmering tensions over how trustees communicate and govern.<\/p>\n

Executive Director Sean Gantt said the district had been refining the budget since October, incorporating final assessed values and recommendations from the finance committee. The board unanimously approved the proposed budget, mill levies and appropriations for next year with little discussion.<\/p>\n

Gantt described November as \u201cpretty active\u201d for the library, citing a $15,000 computer overhaul and several adult and child programs. He thanked partners such as the Dolores Rotary Club and noted that adult-program attendance nearly doubled from November 2024, reaching 283 visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dare other libraries with this budget and this staff to get those numbers,\u201d Gantt said at the Monday meeting.<\/p>\n

While the library was busy, its seven-member board faced equally eventful weeks. November began with a tense, nearly four-hour meeting that included an executive session to discuss Gantt\u2019s annual contract renewal.<\/p>\n

A special meeting later that month ended with a 4-2 vote to censure board member Hassan Hourmanesh. Supporters of the motion accused Hourmanesh of violating Colorado\u2019s Open Meetings Law and acting without board authorization by emailing agencies about alleged misconduct and speaking to the Dolores Town Board during its regular meeting.<\/p>\n

Hourmanesh denied the allegations, saying he was fulfilling his fiduciary duty and raising transparency concerns. Debate intensified over a 2023 staff document that Hourmanesh said reflected unresolved employee issues. Board President Sandy Jumper and Gantt countered that the document was merely a request for a third-party witness during evaluations. Gantt said the matter was resolved in 2023 and warned that circulating \u201cunverified\u201d information could harm his and the library\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n

After that meeting, the board unanimously authorized Jumper to retain legal counsel for advice on policy, defamation concerns and ongoing disputes.<\/p>\n

Board discusses future goals, evaluates self-performance<\/div>\n

Tuesday\u2019s meeting included routine business such as approving holiday closures, but much of the discussion focused on governance.<\/p>\n

Board member Emily Wisner requested adding several topics to the agenda: a cash-donations policy review, executive session rules, examples of effective board practices and clearer guidelines for trustee roles, including \u201cwho we can and can\u2019t email.\u201d<\/p>\n

A brief misunderstanding between Wisner and Jumper over whether those topics had been submitted underscored recurring procedural disputes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou asked me in the meeting and then I told you all of that,\u201d Wisner said, explaining she believed the items were proposed in November.<\/p>\n

Jumper replied: \u201cNot in the form of the motion to be added.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou asked me and I told you and now you are telling me there is an additional step that needs to be added?\u201d Wisner asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, well, I misunderstood,\u201d Jumper said.<\/p>\n

The board agreed to add the topics and later voted to schedule two work sessions next year, in August and late October, to review board performance, set goals and begin the director\u2019s annual evaluation process.<\/p>\n

Several trustees called for clearer procedures during a discussion on evaluating board performance. Member Jeanne Becker suggested creating a password-protected folder for board documents, drafting conduct rules and hiring a neutral HR consultant to interview staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everyone is saying, for one, we need to come together as a board in a respected manner,\u201d Becker said.<\/p>\n

Wisner emphasized better communication pathways, noting, \u201cI am a regular patron here, my children have grown up here. Most of what I brought up has been my own observations. \u2026 I listen meticulously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Member Tamara Woodbury repeatedly urged securing legal counsel, citing liability and slander concerns.<\/p>\n

\"Statements
Statements from library board members are anonymized in the self-performance evaluation and state each member\u2019s ideas and aims for the board\u2019s long-term objections. A PDF of the self-evaluation is attached below. \u201cThere are six areas below a three (satisfactory) and they need improvement, so we need to get together and discuss how to improve those. It\u2019s just something for the board to think about and work on,\u201d Board President Sandy Jumper said about the ratings scale. (Dolores Library District Board of Trustees\u2019 Packet Materials)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>