NEWS

Brown Co. sues Outagamie over $68K in library fees

Doug Schneider
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
A woman checks out her book selections at the downtown branch of the Brown County Library in Green Bay on Thursday.
  • Communications between counties were sometimes contentious as issue remained unresolved
  • Brown billed five neighboring counties for services from 2011%3B all but Outagamie paid their bills
  • Outagamie lawmakers voted 31-3 this fall to reject a settlement offer from Brown
  • Brown stopped issuing bills in 2013 after a change in state law leveled playing field

In an effort to collect nearly $68,000 in overdue library fees, Brown County has taken the unusual step of filing a lawsuit against one of its neighbors.

An attorney for Brown County filed a lawsuit against Outagamie County earlier this week, saying that Outagamie had failed to pay library-usage fees to Brown for 2011 and 2012. The suit seeks $67,933 plus interest and attorney's fees, for materials checked out of Brown's nine libraries by Outagamie residents.

"It's their obligation under the law, and all we're asking is that they meet that obligation," said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. "We've been working for over a year to try and come up with a solution."

Outagamie has 20 days to respond to the suit, said Kristen Hooker, Brown's deputy corporation counsel.

Legal papers show that officials from the counties and their library systems had face-to-face, telephone and email conversations through 2013 and 2014 in an effort to settle the matter. But communications sometimes became contentious,

"We are not interested in continuing to discuss the 2011 invoice because there is nothing more to discuss," Brown County Library Board president Kathy Pletcher wrote to Outagamie officials in August 2013. "... Outagamie County has been given ample time to argue its position."

Emmanuel Ubi walks through the stacks at the downtown branch of the Brown County Library in Green Bay on Thursday.

In response, Outagamie-Waupaca Library System director Rick Krumwiede canceled the meeting, e-mailing that Outagamie Corporation Counsel Joe Guidote "is disappointed with your decision" and "had hoped to reach an equitable compromise."

Outagamie supervisors voted 31-3 in October to reject a settlement offer from Brown. Guidote could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In 2013, Outagamie County libraries briefly barred Brown County residents from borrowing materials from Appleton and elsewhere, said Appleton Public Library director Colleen Rortvedt.

A 2006 amendment to a state law allowed counties with 500,000 or fewer residents to bill adjacent counties for library use — provided those counties don't have consolidated public libraries and residents don't pay a county tax to maintain a library. That means Brown could bill Calumet, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Oconto and Outagamie counties, and those counties couldn't bill Brown.

Brown began billing in 2011, sending invoices totaling $251,258 that year to five counties including Outagamie. The other four — Calumet, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Oconto — paid up.

The payments relieved some of the financial burden on Brown County residents, whose property taxes help support the library

Until the law was changed in 2013, the other counties weren't allowed to bill Brown. Outagamie officials repeatedly insisted that was unfair, though other counties did not balk at being billed. Kewaunee County, for example, asked its residents to reduce their usage of Brown County libraries after incurring a $68,000 charge for 2011.

Bills were based on books, CDs and DVDs checked out by residents of individual counties. Each loan costs Brown County about $2.95. The county was not allowed to bill for e-books and other electronic materials.

It is not uncommon for county governments to charge other counties for services. For example, Brown County would charge another county if the other county had arranged to have one of its prisoners housed in Brown's jail. Manitowoc County billed Kewaunee County for about $4,000 for library usage in a recent year.

But counties also work in partnership on some issues. Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago share a landfill operation.

— dschneid@greenbaypressgazette.com and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider

Director named

The Brown County Library Board of Trustees has hired Green Bay native Brian Simons as library director. He starts work on March 2.

"The board is extremely impressed with Brian's experience, knowledge and commitment," said Board President Kathy Pletcher, "His results-driven leadership style, record of innovation, fiscal management, team building, and community involvement makes him the leader that the board was seeking."

Simons started his library career in 2001 at the Manitowoc Public Library as head of young adult services. he directed the Aram Public Library in Delavan from 2006 to 2008.

Since 2008, Simons has been director of the Verona Public Library, which was named Wisconsin Library of the Year in 2013. He has experience in strategic planning, fund raising, risk analysis, LEAN Six Sigma processes, staff development and grant writing. Brian has also been active in state and national organizations, advocating for library legislation and financial support for public libraries.

He succeeds Lynn Stainbrook, who was director from February 2008 until leaving for a post in Rockford, Ill., in October 2014.

At a glance

The amounts that Brown County has charged neighboring counties for 2011 library use.

Calumet County: $1,597

Kewaunee County: $68,404

Manitowoc County: $22,063

Oconto County: $125,913

Outagamie County: $33,281

Correction

Outagamie County supervisors voted 31-3 in October to reject a settlement offer from Brown County. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the offer had been accepted.