Library Board Holding Bourbon Forum Nov. 9

The Crawford County Library Board will be holding a public forum Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. for residents to discuss the transition from the Ozark Regional system to an independently-run, standalone system.

Forums also will be held at Cuba City Hall on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. and Steelville Community Center on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.

Board member Annalee Williams told Crawford County commissioners Thursday the board is "working diligently" and "progressing nicely" on the transition.

The board has a standing meeting the first and third Fridays of each month at 8:30 a.m. at Cuba City Hall.

Williams submitted a strategic plan for the rest of 2017 and 2018 to commissioners.

The library board announced Aug. 8 it had submitted a letter to the Ozark Regional Board of Directors that Crawford County was dropping out.

Board members voted unanimously on July 24 to leave.

Once the exit is complete, Crawford County will keep around $500,000 to support its own system. The regional system, Williams told the Independent News in August, was no longer needed.

Only Iron and Madison counties and their four branches -- Fredericktown, Ironton, Annapolis and Viburnum -- will remain from a system that has existed since the 1940s.

Ste. Genevieve County left after 2016, which took a big chunk of funding from the Ozark system.

Crawford County members were frustrated with how the system was being operated, including never allowing them to hire a full-time employee.

"We've never had a full-time employee," Williams said in August. Instead, the county was offered two part-time positions.

Crawford County provided the second largest amount of tax money, yet was the only county not allowed to hire a full-time employee.