LIVERMORE FALLS – Selectmen spent another fruitless session Monday with members of the Livermore Falls Library Association, who spoke about the spirit of friendship and cooperation but steadfastly refused to relinquish their control of the library.

“We’re the governing board, we set the policies,” said association President Roger Ouellette as he explained his concept of the chain of command. His concept showed the library association as a separate entity, governed by a board of trustees that is responsible for hiring library personnel.

Town government does not control the library association as it does the police, fire, highway and sewer departments, although all are responsible to the citizens of Livermore Falls, according to Ouellette’s diagram.

“We’re obliged to pay salaries, but we don’t set the wages,” Selectman Bernal Lake said in amazement. “We have no accountability for our money.”

Ouellette agreed as Lake again raised the major issue – the position of librarian, which is paid a full-time salary of more than $21,000, although the library is open only 25 hours a week.

“For 25 hours a week, I can’t justify that kind of pay,” said Selectman Flagg. There are three other employees, two of whom receive minimum wage, Ouellette admitted.

“She’s not a full-time worker,” Lake said of the librarian, but Ouellette disagreed. “In our eyes, she’s full-time,” he said. She is scheduled to be at the library 22 hours a week. She spends the balance of her time working at home and doing the professional duties of a library director, trustees explained.

Since the others are paid so much less, the board suggested the librarian take care of her professional duties when she’s at the library and allow the lower-paid help to tend the desk.

“She should be doing a lot of that when she had help,” Lake said. “It would be a way better setup with a $6-an-hour person.”

Selectman Bill Demaray explained that much of the problem between the board and library association had been caused by a lack of communication. “We couldn’t get any information, we got frustrated and said, Cut $10,000.'”

In other business, the board agreed to hire an attorney to draw up a moratorium ordinance on adult-oriented businesses if a Wednesday vote passes.

There will be no public hearing on the adult bookstore proposal at the selectmen’s Aug. 2 session, chairman Ken Jacques said, unless an application is filed for a special amusement permit.

Petitions regarding adult books and entertainment may be delivered to him at the town office by July 29, said Town Manager Alan Gove.

“This is a wake-up call for the people of Livermore Falls, who have not wanted anything to do with zoning,” Jacques said.

Also, Gove has asked that Record Road be designated as a 35 mph zone. Since the Maine Department of Transportation had no record of the speed designation there, it is presumed to be 45 mph.

The board will continue its decision on the pawn shop fee to the Aug. 2 meeting, to determine the hours needed by the Police Department to oversee the operation.

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