County ‘had nothing to do’ with librarian ordinance

The county does not have the authority to make librarians who provide children with unsuitable material criminally liable and never held any meetings regarding such an ordinance, according to the county’s corporation counsel and supervisors.

“We had nothing to do with it,” said county board chair John Aasen. He said the proposal was initiated by the Republican Party and county Supervisor David Orsch but was never considered by any county committee.

The ordinance discussion was in response to comments from Jessica Schoonover, director of the Trempealeau library, and a letter from Ettrick resident Cindy George. Schoonover was critical of the ordinance at a recent Trempealeau village meeting.

In her letter to the county, George said that had county officials reached out to librarians they would have learned it is already possible for parents to ask librarians to restrict the reading material of their children. She said the proposal was a Republican-driven idea, and “the board is nonpartisan.”

“We never had a meeting on this ordinance,” said Supervisor Stacey Klein.

“An ordinance with criminal consequences,” said Supervisor Jeanne Nutter, “is not within our purview.”

County Corporation Counsel Susan Fischer told the board that the county has no authority to take the type of action considered by the proposal. Orsch previously declined to comment on the proposal.

In other action, County Administrator Rebecca Glewen told the board she wants to tour Pietrek Park before supervisors consider a proposal to create a committee to oversee park improvements.

The Parks, Tourism and Economic Development Committee had proposed the new study group following a board decision in January to delay allocating to the park a $162,150 transmission-line mitigation payment to the county. Among the projects being considered are a recreational pond, new playground equipment and the possible construction of a bridge to connect the park with county-owned land on the other side of the Trempealeau River.

The board also:

• Heard the annual and quarterly reports from Sheriff Brett Semingson. Among the items discussed by Semingson was the assignment of a deputy to full-time investigation of online child exploitation. He said the county has the second highest incidence of such activity in the state.

• Heard about constituent services from Mary Carney, a spokesperson for Third District Congressman Derrick Van Orden, (R-La Crosse).

• Added the county administrator to the audit committee.