Library network to contract with ICRMP, Great American Insurance

POST FALLS — During a third special meeting this week, four Community Library Network trustees unanimously voted to contract with the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program and Great American Insurance Group rather than letting the network's insurance lapse.

Trustee Katie Blank was absent from the meeting.

At the start of the Friday meeting at the Post Falls Library, Community Library Network Director Alexa Eccles told trustees PayneWest (now Marsh and McLennan) had no further offerings than what was communicated earlier in the week. She said Redman Insurance communicated it did not anticipate having a full coverage policy quote to the board before its current insurance expires at midnight tonight.

Redman and Company Insurance Inc. is a Coeur d'Alene agency owned by Jordan Redman, a Republican legislator serving in the Idaho House of Representatives. Trustee Tim Plass has consistently pushed for the network to hold out for coverage quotes from Redman and Company.

"I read between the lines that he wouldn't have it by Oct. 1 but he's still working on it," Plass said to Eccles. "Did you ask him to quit working on it? Because if he comes in next week with something I'd still like the option of canceling or finding out what it would cost to cancel ICRMP if it's a good quote ... If it's just that he can't make today, I'd rather he keep looking at it for next week."

"I have not had any additional conversation, other than the message that the board received," Eccles said.

She said if there was additional time, more work could be done from both brokerages.

She said the board should proceed with the understanding that it will be spending about $51,000 for ICRMP.

"Doing a mid-year adjustment could raise the financial amount to the district, and again, we've only budgeted about $52,000," she said.

The board met for a two-hour special meeting Thursday to continue the insurance discussion from Wednesday's meeting, including whether to intentionally allow its insurance to lapse. The board agreed to have its counsel, Colton Boyles, appeal to ICRMP after Eccles had drafted a letter to commence the process. The appeal is necessary for a policy renewal and potential restoration of reductions after ICRMP issued a letter in August informing trustees of policy reductions due to increased risk. No decisions were made at the Thursday meeting.

During the Friday meeting, Plass suggested the board meet for another special meeting to discuss the appeal to ICRMP in the next week or two. Eccles said calling another special meeting to discuss a topic already on a special meeting's agenda seemed to be an unreasonable and unrealistic expectation.

The Community Library Network's board of trustees has had 20 board meetings in 15 weeks.

One and up to two board meetings every month is considered healthy, Eccles said to the board, reading from a written statement.

In June through August 2021 and 2022, the network held eight meetings which included budget, regular and special meetings. During the same period this year, the network held 14 meetings, for an increase of 75% more meetings than during the past two years.

"CLN's board and administrative staff have spent over 40 hours in scheduled board meetings," Eccles read from the statement. "With an estimated two hours of preparation for every hour in a meeting, this is 120 hours of board work in four months. The board has been spending 7.5 hours per week instead of five to 10 hours a month as described as healthy expectations in the library board's trustee job description."

"As has been recently discussed, the job description and the board's agreement with the director requires the director to attend all meetings of the board," she continued. "I believe if the board continues to meet on this demanding schedule, it is placing an unreasonable expectation on staff and trustees."

The next regular meeting of the board is set for 2 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane St.

Info: communitylibrary.net