By Susan Salyer
The Lawrence County Public Library had a regularly scheduled Board Meeting on May 9, 2022 at 5PM. Board of Trustees Present, Director Carlie Pelfrey, Chairman John Osborne, Scott Osborn, Susie Chambers and Kim Burchett present.
In a last minute effort by 8 yr Lawrence County Library Director Carlie Pelfrey, and the board to protect themselves from the new law, SB 167, which allows the local fiscal court to choose board members, the board gave raises to the staff and agreed to produce a ‘contract’ for all staff including Ms. Pelfrey, which they have never had, she said.
Possibly fearing the July 1, 2022 changes of the library board’s makeup and their ability to spend the taxpayers money when SB 167 goes into effect, Ms. Pelfrey and the board on motion of Marc Lester and second by Scott Osborne with all voting yes gave Ms. Pelfrey and all Library employees an 8% raise in pay plus $2,000 for a health plan.
The board also voted to come up with “contracts” for the employees but did not specify how long the contracts will be for.
Pelfrey again on Facebook Live , which she says she set up after Lazer stories from past weeks, but she and the board still refused to give the bank or banks, addresses, and whatever the balance of the library reserve monies is and where they are are kept.
AGENDA ITEMS
1. April 2022 Minutes- Motion by Scott Osborn, 2nd by Kim Burchett. None Opposed.
2. March 2022 Financials- Motion by Marc Lester, 2nd by Susie Chambers. None Opposed.
3. 2008 Bond Resolution- Pay-off of Bond from 2021 for $1,243,692.00 for a 2008 renovation project, refinanced in 2021 saving taxpayers $250,000. Motion by Susie Chambers, 2nd by Marc Lester. None Opposed
4. Staff Discussion – Board Members discussed 8% cost of living raise for library employees, Pelfrey said It has been 4 yrs since library employees have received a raise but only she and her assistant have even been working for four years. Motion by Marc Lester, 2nd by Scott Osborn. Then Pelfrey said “I have been looking at Contract drafts for employees at the library and it protects our jobs. There is also an At-Will Clause for Part-time.” Motion by Kim Burchett, 2nd by Scott Osborn. Then discussion over Full-time employee’s of library so they can be contracted also. Motion by Marc Lester, 2nd by Susie Chambers.
5. 2023 Health Insurance- Discussion over health insurance increase in premiums of $2,000 for all employees combined. Motion by Susie Chambers, 2nd by Marc Lester. None Opposed.
6. 2022-2023 Budget- Draft-Discussion of budget, must be approved by July 1, 2022. Balance $1,055,552.00, Reserve is 1,150,000.00 which will change before June projects by June 30, 2022. Motion by Susie Chambers, 2nd by Scott Osborn. None Opposed.
7. Board Update- Chairman John Osborne asked if this reporter had everything I needed on the Open Document Records, I told him, No, I need #4 answered. But Carlie said for me to respond to her email, Salyer sent another email asking for Pelfrey to give the names of bank or banks and address after the library board meeting.
8. Public Comment- Pelfrey said “We are working on a big project in Genealogy, 1880’s project for the Big Sandy News to digitize there microfiche.
Also Denna Farris discussed the breakfast and lunch program this summer at the library and said last year we had 8,000 attend the lunch program. “Dee’s Restaurant owner, David Gauze makes all food prepared for this occasion. This is a special event and it’s very close to my heart,” Burke said. Bidding packages were sent to Food City, Walmart, Hillbilly Hibache and Dees. Dees was the only business to respond.
Pelfrey also discussed removing small magnets on the two resource vehicles and replacing them with ‘all body wrap’ so they will be recognizable to the public. No price was discussed.
Alexa Adams-Robertson attended the meeting on behalf the the state dept. of Libraries and ArchivesKDLA for the first time. She is the regional consultant to 30 libraries in eastern Ky. This was her first visit to Lawrence County.
Library Chairman John Osborne adjourned the meeting.
LIBRARY SALARIES BEFORE 8% RAISE; PELFREY WILL MAKE $72,900 AFTER LAST NIGHT’S VOTE…
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(Editor’s note: If you have any reason to question the facts in this story, please watch Ms. Pelfrey’s Lawrence County Library Facebook Live)
Wow I know it’s important to have a great library but when they renovated they had just completed one renovation. And the salary’s is just crazy considering cops don’t make close too what she is making. Get a clue people.
How do they justify paying people who HAVE to have a Master’s degree so little? My job only requires a bachelor’s and I make $20/hr. For all the work they do in this community they all deserve a higher wage.
I can’t get over the massive
b o n e r
this online’zine has for the public library. Please take a basic 5th grade civics class and and add a heap of journalism classes to that as well. You should be ashamed. This library is a BLESSING to the community. The programs there help so many people and children. I think we should get The Levisa Lazer investigated for fraud. The employees should honestly get paid way more. Don’t like it? Go get a degree.
Actually, I taught high school civics for several years and have a degree from EKU in Political Science. I received an honorary doctorate from EKU in 2005 for my work in education and the environment. So, call me anything u want but don’t forget my 35 years in journalism and the truth hurts!
Running the Levisa Lazer is not journalism….. this is a BLOG that you try to pass off as a newspaper….
Call me anything you want, just keep reading and commenting.
Great reply! 😂
Thank you for what you do sir!
Or ma’am…. ☺
Buddy I tried reading this news paper to a blind kid and after I was done he jammed a number two pencil into his ears. He did himself a favor and I blame myself for putting him through that misery. Even Dale Earnhardt read this news paper and it shocked him that this news paper was so god awful that he decided to take a right turn that last day he was on the track. Even Epstein read you’re news paper and it made him into a pedophile. How do you people sleep at night?
Mark…my daughter was a student at UK in 2008 and she emailed you a question and you belittled her with a response about something. I can’t remember exactly what but I do know her journalism professor said don’t bother if he’s gonna act like that. She really thought she was emailing a real newspaper but I guess she got what she thought was real, Nothing but an angry response. Makes me wonder if you will even have the audacity to post this response ? We will see
Thanks for reading The Lazer, Debbi.
That is pure BS. I have never done anything like that in my life and you don’t even remember what it was? WOW, you guys are rabid…
Not me. Never been fired from anything.
We don’t believe a damn word you say. Haha! Post a blog about it and show us your degrees and proof of journalism that isn’t like an ancient Xanga/geocities post from a 14 year old homeschooled child from 1996.
Thanks for reading and commenting Jason Small.
Believe with the 8 percent raise it will up her salary to right around $73,445 not counting any overtime. Pretty good salary!
Taxes going up this year spread the wealth.
WOW, rip off to taxpayers! What a joke. I hope the County appoints all new library board members. Just “go-along” I can’t believe it. I had a lot of respect for many on the board, but now it is clear that it is a last minute “grab-and-take”. Close the library, it’s not necessary.
The actual book catalog is bleak now. There were more books before the reno and I still can’t understand why the reno was prioritized. The design of the new library is cold, not at all cozy and not an imaginative place to read. Wish they’d spend some time and money putting books on the shelves instead of directing every card member to the Libby app (e-books) and DVD check-outs. Can books be the business of this library instead of all this nonsense please? I’ve never left a library empty handed until visiting this one.
I can’t wait till taxes get so high that the working people say enough is enough, quit working and sign up on government assistance. Wouldn’t that put a cramp in the government’s lifestyle!!!???
It doesn’t matter what happens you people will still be bitter, you can polish a {vulgar deleted} but it’s still a piece of (deleted). They should all make minimum of $20 an hour, it’s not much money, hell I get $20 an hour just for my pension
You got an honorary PhD, that’s an award. Not a real PhD. Yet you call yourself Dr. Mark Grayson. Reading this news paper is the equivalent to the torture someone Goes through in Guantanamo. Jesus Christ super star is this news paper bad.
Looks like the American ISIS going to start burning books it’s already starting in some of the old confederate states. Coming to a town near you
Most of the attacks are probably from the folks that are being looked into.. I like the new law, because they will have to show where the money goes…
Keep holding their feet to the fire Lazer..👍👍
Mark, I also want to know where the money is. The library board is acting shady and if anyone can’t see that, they are blind. Why not just give an answer and put this to rest?
Maybe Preston ask them to try holding off until after the election???
Heck, Preston is involved as well. He’s just laying low.
Hey folks, I found the money!!! If you want to know where the money is all you have to do is go the lcplky.org website and look! Its all there. The audit and financial statements. I didn’t take anyone’s word for this I became a ” journalist ” and simply looked.
We checked what they have filed with the Dept. of Local Government and the library has not submitted a financial report since 2019.
Good thing Mark knows what he’s talking about because there is a lot of false information being left in these comments.
Simply not true. –Editor
In reply to your comment of B.S. on the email reply to the student; sorry but it’s true. She still has your email reply. She kept it since she was so shocked by your reply!!!
Send it to me and I’ll post it.