Procedure for Filling a Vacancy on the Library Board of Trustees

Effective January 26, 2016. Policy #1.5.

1. PROCEDURE

Board of Trustees appoints a 2-person task force to recruit and interview potential applicants.

Task force determines whether they want to do a general recruitment or a targeted recruitment where they ask a specific individual with an area of expertise or who represents a geographic area of the city or is a particular gender, etc.

General recruitment: Notify the Mayor’s office that a vacancy has occurred so it can be posted to the City’s website. Advertise the vacancy in the library newsletter. The number of applications received and the quality of the applications will determine how long to leave the recruitment. Recruitment should begin a few months before the end of the term of the departing trustee.

Targeted recruitment: A balance of professional expertise is desirable so the task force may decide to ask specific individuals if they would be interested in serving on the
Board.

Applications can be found on the City’s web site https://my.spokanecity.org/ by clicking on the ’Engage ‘tab at the top and then on Boards and Commissions. All applications are to be mailed or hand delivered to:

Office of the Mayor
Attention: Boards and Commissions
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., 7th Floor
Spokane, WA 99201

All applications shall be forwarded to the Library Director by the Mayor’s office.

The task force will arrange to interview the candidates and will make a recommendation to the Mayor. The Director will send a memo to the Mayor’s office with the Board task force’s recommendation. 

The Mayor will forward his/her recommendation to City Council Members for confirmation of appointment.

The Council will schedule a meet and greet for the candidate prior to the official confirmation of the appointment. This will be the Thursday before the scheduled vote at their regularly scheduled City Council Study Session. The applicant will be notified by the Council office.

Upon Council appointment all applicants will be notified of appointment or nonappointment by the Mayor’s office and the official document of appointment will be forwarded to the Library Director.

All Library Trustee terms run from April 1 to March 31, regardless of when the appointment actually takes place.