Mo. Rev. Stat. § 182.640 — MO Code / Chapter 182 / Section 182.640
182.640 Board of trustees — how appointed, grounds for removal, vacancies how ...
Status: in_force

182.640. Board of trustees — how appointed, grounds for removal, vacancies how filled — librarian to be appointed. — 1. A consolidated public library district created under the provisions of sections 182.610 to 182.670 shall be governed by a board of trustees which shall consist of not less than eight trustees to be appointed by the county commission or county executive officers of the counties participating in the consolidated public library district. Upon the creation of a consolidated district under section 182.620 , the county commission or county executive officers of each participating county shall appoint four trustees who are residents of that county and who reside in the district, as representatives of its county. If an existing consolidated public library district is enlarged by incorporating into it any county public library district under section 182.660 , then the county commission or county executive of the petitioning county district shall appoint four trustees who are residents of that county as representatives of the county. If an existing consolidated public library district is enlarged by incorporating into it any city, municipal, school, or other public library district that does not include an entire county, that includes territory outside of the consolidated district's existing boundaries, and that petitions to join the consolidated district under section 182.660 , then the county commission or county executive of each county within the petitioning district that is outside of the consolidated district's existing boundaries shall appoint one trustee who resides in their county and also within the petitioning district as a representative of the consolidated district. No appointed trustee shall be an elected official.

2. The trustees of the existing boards of a county public district shall remain as the representatives of their respective county and shall serve the remainder of their respective term as the governing board of a consolidated public library district. Upon expiration of their term the county commission or county executive officer shall appoint a resident of the respective county and district for a four-year term beginning the first day of July or until a successor shall be appointed. Trustees in office as of August 28, 2005, who reside outside the district shall be deemed to have vacated their trusteeships and successors shall be appointed under subsection 4 of this section.

3. Whenever any member of the board of trustees shall, without good cause, fail to attend six consecutive board meetings of the consolidated public library district or whenever any member of the board of trustees is deemed by the majority of the board of trustees to be guilty of conduct prejudicial to the good order and effective operation of the consolidated public library district, or whenever any member is deemed to be guilty of neglect of duty, then such member may be removed by resolution of the board of trustees duly acted upon, after specification of charge and hearing.

4. Vacancies in the board occasioned by removals, resignations, or otherwise shall be reported to the county commission or county executive officers and shall be filled in like manner as original appointments; except that, if the vacancy occurs during an unexpired term, the appointment shall be for only the unexpired portion of that term.

5. No person shall be employed by the board of library trustees or by the librarian who is related within the third degree by blood or by marriage to any trustee of the board.

6. Except as in sections 182.610 to 182.670 otherwise expressly provided, no trustee of a consolidated public library district shall receive any fee, salary, gratuity or other compensation or remuneration for acting as such; except that, the board of trustees may reimburse its members for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

7. The board of trustees shall have a president, secretary and a treasurer and such other officers as the board may select. All officers of the board shall be selected by the board. All officers of the board of trustees shall serve at the pleasure of the board, and shall not receive any salary, gratuity or other compensation or reimbursement for acting as such, except the treasurer, who may also serve as secretary.

8. The board shall provide for regularly scheduled meetings of the board to be held monthly; except that, the board shall not be required to meet more than ten times in any calendar year. The board shall make and adopt bylaws, rules and regulations governing the proceedings of the board, including bylaws prescribing the duties of each officer of the board of trustees. No bylaws, rules or regulations shall be contrary to, or inconsistent with, any provision of law.

9. A majority of the full board of trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of the majority of the trustees present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the board of trustees, except as hereinafter provided. The affirmative vote of a majority of the full board of trustees shall be required to enter into any contract, employ or dismiss the chief administrative officer of the district, effect a merger or consolidation or approve a budget.

10. The board of trustees of a consolidated public library district shall adopt policies for the government of the consolidated public library district that will carry out the spirit and intent of sections 182.610 to 182.670 , and the board shall employ a duly qualified graduate librarian as the chief executive and administrative officer of the consolidated public library district charged with the duty of carrying out the policies adopted by the board. The librarian shall serve at the pleasure of the board. The librarian shall have the authority to employ professional library assistants and other employees to fill the positions that are created by the board. The assistants and employees may be dismissed by the librarian.

(L. 1972 H.B. 1114, A.L. 2005 H.B. 47, A.L. 2017 S.B. 112)