Pahrump Community Library
Minutes of the June 9, 2025 Meeting
1. Call to Order
Meeting called to order at 10:05 am.
2. Members Roll Call
In Attendance: Secretary Kelly Green (acted as Chair due to John Shewalter attending via Zoom), Trustee Matthew Morris, Trustee Dee Mounts, Chair John Shewalter via Zoom, Michelle Nelson, Director Kimberly Thomas, Barbara Ferido, Assistant Director Shanna Gibbons. Vice-Chair Michael Runion was absent.
3. Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Trustee Morris.
4. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT: (*Action will NOT be taken on matters considered during this period until specifically included on an agenda as an action item.)
Helen Schneider – She stated that Dr. Hayden, the Library of Congress Librarian was dismissed due to her views even though the library is only open to the government. She stated that when opening a book, it led to her wanting to be a librarian because she could be the person in the book one day, and thought it was important for everyone to have something to read.
5. Trustee/Director/Liaison Comments – This item is limited to announcements, brief discussions of public comments, correction of factual inaccuracies, direction to staff, or topics proposed for future board meetings. (Lengthy deliberation of topics not on the agenda is prohibited by the Nevada Open Meeting Law.)
Trustee Morris – No comment.
Trustee Mounts – No comment.
Chair Shewalter – No comment.
Director Thomas – She thanked everyone for attending and she is looking forward to reopening on the 16th.
6. Approval of June 9, 2025 Agenda (Non-action item)
Item 7 is struck as there are no emergency items.
Without objection, the June 9, 2025 agenda is approved.
7. For Possible Action: Emergency Items
There are no emergency items.
8. For Possible Action: Discussion and deliberation to approve or amend and approve the meeting minutes for May 12, 2025 and May 19, 2025.
Trustee Mounts made a motion to approve the meeting minutes for May 12, 2025 and May 19, 2025.
Trustee Morris seconds.
There is no public comment.
Trustee Green calls the question to approve the meeting minutes for May 12, 2025 and May 19, 2025.
The measure passes 4-0 with one absent.
9. Presentation: Treasurer’s Report by Kim Thomas for discussion of monthly expenditures and revenue for May 2025 through June 2025.
Director Thomas went over the monthly expenditures for May 2025, as well as the additional backup for the credit card breakdown. She went over the reimbursements that will come out of the Petty Cash including the partial reimbursement for her classes that she took through the ALA. She stated that she was advised by Holly Kuhlmann at the State Library on how to calculate the amount of the reimbursements for her classes.
Trustee Morris – No comment.
Trustee Mounts – No comment.
Chair Shewalter – No comment.
Trustee Green – No comment.
Trustee Green calls for Public Comment.
Public Comment - None
10. Discussion and deliberation to approve or amend and approve payment vouchers for May 2025 through June 2025.
Trustee Mounts made a motion to approve the payment vouchers for May 2025 through June 2025.
Trustee Morris seconds.
Trustee Green opens public comment.
There are no public Comments.
Trustee Green asks if there are additional comments from the board.
There are no comments.
Trustee Green calls the question.
The measure passes 4-0 with one absent.
11. Presentation: Librarian’s Report by Kim Thomas for discussion on library activity for May 2025 through June 2025. Report activities include patron traffic, books checked out, books returned, fees collected, online story time, STEAM, internet use, website usage and materials added.
Director Thomas read her librarian's report listed below.
Computers -The staff has been learning the new Windows patron computers and management software, and our IT person Chris has been working on getting the native print function to work from the print dialog.
Staff - The staff has been working on getting everything ready for reopening, and getting everything put back in its place. Our Circulation Department Head moved into her own office, and to accommodate that, we moved the materials from the archive room into a different area, and the staff are working on going through the fiction 22s (extra copies of books we have that can replace lost or damaged books) and putting many of them up for sale in the book sale room to free up storage space.
Website - We had our first design meeting with EBSCO to go over what the library is looking for with the website refresh. They asked for a logo and colors and will get to work on a wireframe, which is a basic idea of what the layout of the website will be. This is the first step before they work on the actual design. They’re also going to help streamline the navigation and see about fixing the Room Bookings function and configuring what level of permissions staff will need to see who has booked which room without having full admin rights to the website.
Training - I completed the Building Planning and Management class and I am currently working on the Politics and Partnerships class.
Director Thomas presented the Librarian’s Report Statistics for May 2025.
Trustee Green – Asked the board if they had comments.
Trustee Mounts – No comment.
Trustee Morris – No comment.
Chair Shewalter – No comment.
Trustee Green – No comment.
12. Discussion and deliberation on whether to approve, amend and approve or reject the Library’s background check policy including whether the Library will pay for the background checks.
Trustee Mounts – She asks where are we now in regards to background checks?
Director Thomas – She states that she believes that it should be for the finalist and that the library should pay.
Trustee Morris – He askes if there a reason that the library should not pay?
Chair Shewalter – He states that he is in favor of anyone at the library who is going to be around children should have a background check and that the library should pay for them. Also, that it be for the finalist after the interview list is narrowed down.
Trustee Green – She states that the library should pay for the volunteers as well.
Chair Shewalter – He asks about the point of order and that is there an agenda item for volunteers as well?
Michelle Nelson – She clarifies that the volunteers are included on this item and that this item covers both employees and volunteers. The question is whether or not the library is going to pay for the background checks.
Trustee Green calls for public comment.
Dave Ochenreider – He states that he agrees with Chair Shewalter and Director Thomas and that it should be paid by the library.
Public comment is closed.
Director Thomas – She asks for clarification that it would be just for the finalist.
Trustee Morris made a motion to approve the Library’s background check policy and also approve the library paying for the background checks for both employees and volunteers once they are selected by the library director.
Trustee Green seconds.
Trustee Green asks for board comments.
Trustee Mounts – She states per the policy that it states all finalist, volunteer and employees.
Trustee Morris – No comment.
Chair Shewalter – No comment.
Trustee Green calls the question and the measure passes 4-0 with one absent.
There is a break from 10:41a.m. and the meeting resumes at 10:51a.m.
13. Discussion and deliberation to create a policy that (1) only licensed contractors be utilized to perform work at the library and (2) the contractor that performed services for the library shall be called to resolve any issues with the contractor’s work.
Chair Shewalter states that the lighting retrofitting project and that there were many problems found and that a handyman was allowed to work on the system. He states that a lot of money is being put into the library and to make sure that work is maintained in an appropriate fashion. The lighting contract was voided due to another contractor coming out and doing wiring.
Trustee Mounts – She this it’s a good idea and how do we put it in the contract?
Trustee Morris – In regards to the ongoing HVAC issues he states that we might have to go to Clark County due to failure to comply with their own contract. He believes that they should be contracted to come do the ongoing repairs.
Trustee Green - She states that she agrees with what has already been said.
Trustee Mounts - She asks do we put it in the library contract or does the contractor put that in the contract?
Michelle Nelson – She clarifies each contractor is held to a standard of care and that it is already written in the NRS statutes. She states that it is already written into the agreement and that they would be held to the standard if there was to be a problem. She states that only a licensed contractor is allowed to work on a government agency and that it is already a given.
Chair Shewalter – He states that this is an easy item and we are not talking about contracts and this is a matter of making a policy to use a licensed contractor, if there is a problem to call that contractor back to resolve it first. Only call out someone else out if the original contractor cannot resolve the issue.
Trustee asks if there is further discussion from the board.
There are no more board comments.
Trustee green opens public comment.
There are no public comments.
Chair Shewalter makes a motion to create a policy that only licensed contractors be utilized to perform work at the library and that the contractor that performed the services for the library shall be called to resolve any issues with the original contractor’s work.
Trustee Mounts seconds.
Trustee Green calls the question.
The measure passes 4-0 with one absent.
14. Discussion and deliberation to approve, amend and approve or reject (1) estimate submitted by Wulfenstein Construction, referenced as bid number 25-06727 item number 002, to crack seal, seal coat and restripe the library parking lot in the amount of $19,439.00; (2) Execute the agreement; and (3) Pahrump Library Board of Trustees to determine funding.
Michelle Nelson – She states to clarify this agenda item, even though it’s written with a bid number that it did not go out to bid and it was not required to go out to bid and that it’s just how the contractor has referenced it in the estimate.
Chair Shewalter – He states that we are redoing a lot of things at the library and that it needs to be redone in its current condition and for curb appeal and he is in favor of this.
Trustee Mounts – She states that she is in favor and wants to know if the contractor doesn’t finish when they say they are going to finish, will they be charged or can we add that?
Trustee Morris - He concern is that the county has stated that the whole area needs to be done regarding drainage and will this just be a patch job?
Chair Shewalter – He states that he doesn’t see that happening and that relying on the county is a bad idea and that the grant does not have a date.
Trustee Mounts – She states her concern is on the exclusions on the drainage problems.
Trustee Morris – He agrees that the exclusions could be a problem and that it could affect the price.
Trustee Green opens public comment.
Dave Ochenreider – He suggests having a good contract with that company and maybe have a civil engineer look at it.
Trustee Green closes public comment.
Michelle Nelson - She states that this proposal has a provision that the pricing, special conditions, general conditions, and the exclusions, will be included if the board approves and the cost would be the same.
Trustee Mounts – She suggests to table the item because the exclusions bother her.
Michelle Nelson – She recommends that if we want to get other quotes from other companies that the items dies due to lack of motion and that if the item is tabled that the motion has to come back as it is written and that there can be no other quotes from other companies.
Trustee Mounts – States she wants the item to die.
Trustee Green calls for a motion.
The item dies due to lack of motion.
15. This item is limited to announcements, brief discussions of
public comments, correction of factual inaccuracies, direction to staff, or topics proposed for future board meetings. (Lengthy deliberation of topics not on the agenda is prohibited by the Nevada Open Meeting Law).
Director Thomas – No comment.
Trustee Mounts – She thanks everyone for coming and suggests we put out an aggressive ad with our services.
Trustee Morris – He thank everybody and says we are doing our best and that we have a great infrastructure for learning for everyone.
Chair Shewalter – He states that Zoom stinks and it’s frustrating and hard to hear anything.
Trustee Green – She states that funding on the federal level for libraries and museums is under threat of being cut and this funding in Nevada affects all rural libraries for things like databases, online encyclopedias, and broadband in tiny libraries. She encourages contacting a rep if it is concerning.
16. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 11:21 a.m.