GCHRL 03.11.2025 Meeting Notes
(Note: Conversations are not transcribed)
Present: Angela Stanley (Interim Director), Ben Carter (Interim Director), David Davis (Columbia County), Windy Beddingfield (Columbia County, Treasurer), Bill Tinley (Burke County, Chair), Richard Flakes (Burke County), Kim Kay (Warren County), Nicky Smith (Lincoln County)
Missing: 1 Vacant from Columbia County, Hillary Millar (Columbia County), Pat Goodwin (Columbia County)
Call To Order
Approval of Agenda: Yay 6, No 0
Approval of Minutes: Yay 5, No 1 (David Davis)
Davis: On the 2/26 Minutes it says the hiring committee will include Bill Tinley and that will give Burke County 2 Representatives on the hiring committee when the bylaws say there’s supposed to be equal representation [1 from each county].
Tinley: I’m on the committee as the chair
Angela Stanely: This is addressed in the proposed changes in the bylaws.
Davis: We should approve the bylaws before we vote on the minutes then.
Tinley: No - the minutes are what happened at that meeting. They don’t change because of what we do now.
Davis: Then we should amend the minutes.
Tinley: The minutes state what happened at that meeting.
Treasurer’s Report: (Will attach when I get it from Open Records)
Public Speakers:
Marlena Bergeron: criticized the guidelines and asked questions of the board about why some voted against and why some voted for.
Sandra Bowers: criticized guidelines and asked for them to be rescinded. Noted that one member of the board is actively lobbying GA legislature to criminalize librarians for doing their job and stated that they should step down from both boards.
Roy Bowers: criticized guidelines and asked for them to be rescinded.
Karen Phelps: criticized guidelines and asked for them to be rescinded.
Greta Newman: asked guidelines to be rescinded. Highlighted data and the costs involved with attorney/Court costs for litigation.
Karin Parham: Asked for guidelines to be rescinded. Stated they are unconstitutional and illegal.
Insurance: 4 applications were submitted to Columbia County for information for the insurance but Columbia County hasn’t provided info yet.
Updates to Bylaws/Constitutions (Will update with copies once I receive it from Open Records)
The main conversation was around the committee representation because it says there is one from each county.
Stanley: Usually the committees are open to the chair also and then 1 representative from each county.
Davis: If the chair is included though that gives 2 from 1 county on the committee.
Ben Carter: Usually the chair is included in all of the committees. There can be a statement added that ads the Chair to the committees.
Davis: Can we make the Chair a non-voting member unless there’s a tie?
Motion: Chairman of the board will be on committees as a non-voting member but can vote to break a tie. Approve: Yay 6, No 0
Davis: Article 12 says we can update every 3-5 years. We should pick 3 or 5 so it’s less ambiguous.
Motion: Bylaws and Constitution will be reviewed every 3 years. Approve: Yay 6, No 0
Bylaws Approve: Yay 6, No 0
Constitution Approve: Yay 6, No 0
Davis: Made an additional request to ask when the last review date was because the document says 2016 and they just voted to review every 3 years.
Tinley: The updated documents will have today’s date on it so it will need to be reviewed 3 years from today.
Interim Director: Darla Chambliss removed name from consideration
Executive Session
Board did not vote on any items during executive session
Motion to Adjourn: Yay 6, No 0