Loss of library director leads to heated meeting in Chesterfield

Sep. 21—CHESTERFIELD — Nearly 30 Chesterfield residents attended the town library's monthly board of trustees meeting Tuesday, in which several demanded to know why the library currently has no director, and one called for a vote of no confidence in Cathryn Harvey, the board's chair.

Kathleen Packard, former library director, told The Sentinel Tuesday that she was hired in August 2021 and that her contract was up for renewal last month. After she found out her contract would not be renewed, she said, she wrote a letter to trustees on Aug. 22 requesting a public hearing to renew her contract. She said she received a response from the board of trustees' legal counsel that her request was denied.

Packard declined to provide The Sentinel with more details regarding her contract and the circumstances of her departure; however, she said she was never "officially informed."

"I was wrongfully terminated," Packard, a Keene resident, said in a phone interview. "I did not leave willingly. I am still legally in my opinion the director, and I want a public hearing and want to be able to present all the information."

Although Packard didn't attend Tuesday's meeting, several people spoke on her behalf.

Resident Gregory Pratt asked a series of questions of Harvey about Packard's departure. Harvey declined to comment.

Harvey, who also serves as a state representative for Cheshire County House District 1, said the board cannot discuss details of the situation with the public.

"These are all questions that have been brought before our legal counsel," she said. "As you well know the board is not at liberty to discuss those questions. They've been referred to our counsel and it is an ongoing legal process. We cannot talk about that in public."

Per the library's website, trustees are elected by town residents and oversee the annual budget, hire and review the library director, and approve library policies, among other duties.

Pratt said that according to state law RSA 202-A:17, a public library employee may not be removed from the position except by the trustees for wrongdoing or an inability to perform their duties.

"She did not quit, her contract expired," he said. "Which means ... she simply needs a new contract unless she was discharged or dismissed."

Although Harvey limited each speaker to 90 seconds, when she informed Pratt his time for speaking was up, several attendees volunteered their time to allow him to continue.

In an email to The Sentinel on Wednesday, Harvey wrote that Packard was not removed due to malfeasance, misfeasance, or inefficiency in office, or incapacity or unfitness to perform the employee's duties as outlined in RSA 202-A:17, but rather the board "simply did not renew her contract when it expired."

"This was clearly outlined in her contract which she signed," she said in the email. "Since RSA 202-A:17 is not applicable, there is no basis for a hearing."

Per RSA 202-A:15, a librarian must be appointed by trustees and serve until a qualified replacement is found. According to the library's website, Packard's position remains vacant.

"On what grounds was she removed and why was she not granted a public hearing?" Pratt asked Harvey, to no response.

Later, Pratt asked Harvey to step down from her position.

"Will you resign from this library board of trustees?" he asked.

"Thank you for your input," Harvey responded.

In addition, Pratt asked the board to make a motion for a vote of no confidence in Harvey. He also asked for a motion for the board to poll those in attendance on their opinions of Harvey's performance to serve as a general consensus for the public.

While no motion was made for the former, Whitney Vonderhorst, treasurer, made a motion for the latter. Her motion was not seconded by any of the other trustees which would be required to move it forward for a vote.

Pratt urged the board to reach out to Packard and reinstate her as director.

"Under her direction this library expanded its community involvement, made real strides toward engaging our populace, and she performed her duties to the library with distinction," he said. "The members of the public would like her back."

But one resident came to the board's defense.

Janet Moore said board members are working for the benefit of the public, and the opposition expressed at the meeting upset her.

"[They] are doing this town a favor and it's a big favor," she said. "When I do somebody a favor, and I get beat up like this, I don't want to do that favor again."

Still, Alaria Clauss, 14, criticized the board's lack of response to the questions attendees asked.

"You're being called out right now and you have a position where you can answer and you're choosing to stay silent," she said. "I feel like the entire point of this is to not stay quiet and to feel like you have a voice, and these people feel like they don't have a voice."

Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8585, or hoberst@keenesentinel.com.