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Community Corner

Kisker Branch Manager Resigns, Library Board Discusses Public Participation

Kisker Road Library Branch Manager Keri Cascio resigns. The board discusses more specific guidelines on public comments during meetings.

At Monday night’s St. Charles County Library Board meeting, the board announced Kisker Road Library Branch Manager Keri Cascio’s resignation.

Cascio has accepted a job as a Director of Innovative Technologies and Library Resource Management at Linda Hall Library in Kansas City, MO. The library specializes in media on science, engineering, and technology. 

Cascio has been the branch manager at Kisker for the last seven years. She is also serving a two-year term on the executive board for the Missouri Library Association. 

Before becoming the Kisker Road Library branch manager, Cascio worked as a librarian for St. Louis Public Library and as a library assistant for St. Louis County libraries. 

Director Jim Brown said Cascio has accomplished many things for St. Charles County libraries and she will be missed.

“I’m sorry to see Keri go, but I think this will be an excellent opportunity for her,” Brown said.

Cascio said her last day at the Kisker Road branch will be November 4th.

Board Considers Amending Policy On Audience Participation

The board discussed possible amendments on their audience participation policy at library board meetings. 

One of the suggested amendments would specify how the board should handle accepting individual comments after the formal public comments section has passed. The new policy might also include information to guide the board as they write responses to individual inquiries or complaints.

Director Jim Brown said the board does not get many comments. Brown said the proposed amendments would put a more specific policy in place to allow for more comments.

“We generally have not had a large number of public comments, but I wanted to make sure trustees had the ability to extend public comments should that situation arise,” Brown said.

Board Member Kathleen Todd suggested having customers who want to comment write down the general topic they wish to speak about. Board Vice President Jerry Cook said he thinks the proposed amendments would help bring the most vital issues to the table.

“I think this tightens it (the policy) considerably and, due to some of the prior meetings, I think it eliminates some things that probably are not pertinent to the trustees addressing,” Cook said.

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The board has tabled the issue until the November meeting.

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