Personnel committee recommends small pay adjustment for long-serving Franklin library clerk, discusses staffing mix

The Franklin Public Library Board of Trustees personnel committee agreed Feb. 23 to recommend a modest pay adjustment for a seven-year library clerk and spent the remainder of its meeting reviewing staffing roles, scheduling and an organizational chart.

Committee members discussed that Susan, the library clerk, has worked at the library for seven years and has received only the standard annual 2% increases; Speaker 4 reported that clerks and shelvers are not included on the city’s salary compensation chart and “actually make less than anybody else in Franklin in the city.” Committee members asked whether Susan had reached the top of her pay range; Speaker 4 confirmed she is at the range maximum but still received a 2% increase this year. Speakers discussed a bump that would move an $18.00 hourly rate toward approximately $18.78 per hour.

The committee agreed to recommend that staff implement the proposed adjustment. “So we will recommend that be adjusted,” Speaker 1 said, and the committee indicated consensus to pass the recommendation to library administration for action.

Members also reviewed the organizational chart to orient newer trustees and spoke at length about a second, nearly part-time clerk position (Kristen), which is budgeted for 20 hours per week but typically serves as a coverage buffer and works fewer hours. Trustees debated whether that position should be left as a part-time clerk, expanded or repurposed by adding duties to a library assistant position rather than requesting a new city-funded position. Speaker 4 said creating a new position through the city is unlikely and suggested using “other duties as assigned” to adjust responsibilities.

The committee discussed whether staffing shortfalls reflect head count or scheduling. Speaker 4 described circulation coverage practices and contingency plans for sick calls, and said the police department recommended having four people in the building during certain shifts based on the facility layout to improve safety.

Trustees also recounted an incident in which people had been living in a back area of the building for months, a detail raised during the staffing and safety discussion. To inform future decisions, Speaker 4 offered to gather staffing comparisons from libraries of similar size and to forward links to Wisconsin DPI resources and the Wisconsin Public Library Standards; the committee agreed staff should compile that information before setting another personnel meeting.

Procedural actions during the meeting included accepting the Dec. 8 minutes (motion by Speaker 1; seconded by Speaker 3; Speaker 2 abstained) and adjourning at 5:54 p.m. (motion by Speaker 1; seconded by Speaker 4; Speaker 2 abstained). The committee did not set a follow-up meeting date and directed staff to return with comparative data and standards.