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LossofFortSmithlibrarystaffsparksconcern12POLITICSMUNICIPALTuesdayFebruary102015SPECIESATRISKCONFERENCEOFMANAGEMENAUTHORITIETheNWTSpeciesatRiskStewardshipProgramhasundingavailabletoincreasepublicawarenessandimprovethewell-beingospecies.Visitwww.nwtspeciesatrisk.caorcalltollree1-855-783-4301orvisityourlocalENRofceormoreinormation.ApplicationsmustbereceivedbyMarch12015.ApplytodayProtectOurNWTSpeciesGoldSponsorsSilverSponsorsBronzeSponsorsByDALICARMICHAELOfcialsfromtheGNWTsayFortSmithcitizensdonthavetoworryabouttheimme-diatefutureoftheirlibraryoritsstaffamidrumoursofapowerstrugglebetweenthemunicipalandterritorialgovernmentoverpositionfunding.TheassertionwaspromptedwhenresidentandlibraryuserJamesDouglasbroughtforthconcernsaboutshrinkingstaffmembersattheinstitutioninanopenlettertolocalmediaandgovernmentofcialslastweek.FromanoutsidersviewpointitappearsthatthereisafundingresponsibilitydisputegoingonbetweentheTownofFortSmithmu-nicipalgovernmentandtheGNWTlibraryserviceDouglaswrote.Oneoftwofull-timestaffmembersisex-pectedtoleavetheirpositiononFeb.13whiletheotheristakinganextendedleaveleavingthreecasualworkersincharge.Neithercouldbereachedforcommentbeforepublicationtime.AfterhavingdiscussionswiththepresentlibrarystaffthereisnostrategyforcoveringthisdramaticlossofstafngfromeithertheTownofFortSmithortheGNWTDouglassaid.Withthisinmindtheonlylogicalout-comeonecoulddrawisaclosingoflibraryservicesinFortSmith.TerritoriallibrarianAlisonHopkinsquicklyrepliedtotheletterandstatedtheGNWTsshort-termplanfortheinstitution.IandKeithMorrisonactingSAOattheFortSmithlibraryhavebeenincommunica-tionregardingthelibrarystafngandarenotinfactinanydisputeHopkinswrote.IamactivelyhiringtollthetwoGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriespositionsattheli-braryandexpectstafftobeinplacebyFeb.16.Bothgovernmentscoverpaymentforahodgepodgeofstaffhours.Full-timestaffarehiredbytheGNWTbutreceivepaymentsfromboththetownandtheterritorydependingonwhichhourstheyhaveworked.LibraryconcernsongoingThisisthesecondtimeinrecenthistorythatcitizenshavespokenoutaboutcon-cernsregardingthelibraryanditsstaff.InDecemberoflastyearworkersandresidentsalikejoinedforcestorequestatotalof175000inlibraryfundingfromthemunicipalbudgettopayformoreca-sualstaffmembersandthereforemoreprogramming.Despiteprovidingevidencedemonstrat-ingtheinstitutionsever-increasingusageratestherequestwasdenied.Hopkinswillbetrainingthenewemploy-eesfromFeb.16to20andinvitesanyonewithconcernsorinquiriestostopbythelibraryandaskquestionsduringitshoursofoperation.Ialwaysappreciatehearingfromlibrarycustomersshesaid.DuringthattimesheandMorrisonwillhammeroutthedetailsoftheinstitutionsfuturestafngplan.Iftheyrechangingstaffinthelibrarywewanttositandtalkaboutitandconrmhoursandjusttouchbasewiththelibraryopera-tionsMorrisonsaid.Ifshesre-stafngtwopositionsatthesamehoursaspreviouslywewouldtouchbasetoreconrmthat.MorrisonsaidthehiringisstatusquoandisbeingheadedbytheGNWT.PhotoDaliCarmichaelForthesecondtimesinceDecembercitizensarevoicingtheirconcernsoverstaffingissuesatFortSmithsMaryKaeserLibrary.