LIBRARY SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

 

Recommendation:

That the City Council engage a consultant to evaluate the financial feasibility of operating the Hermosa Beach Library as a City library.

 

Background:

The Library Subcommittee met with the Friends of the Library and discussed the present hours of operation provided through the County system, the request for additional hours, and the concept of operating the library as a City library. The outcome of the meeting was to request that City Council consider engaging a consultant to evaluate the financial feasibility of the City operating the library as a City department. The consultant's assignment would be to review the existing operation and compare it to the available funding that the County now receives from property taxes collected in Hermosa Beach. the property tax received by the County for the library is $420,000 per year. These funds are restricted to library operations and would be used by the City to cover the operating costs.

The task that the consultant would have would be to determine how much it would cost to provide at least the same level of service and secondly to describe additional service options available and the costs associated with each one. This would provide the City Council and the community with an opportunity to review information and make a decision on the future of the library.

If a decision is made to withdraw from the Los Angeles County system, then the following steps have to be followed. As you will see, this is a very tight schedule in order to meet a July 1, 2001 start date for a City library operation.

9/12/00	City Council considers a proposal to engage library consultant
9/13/00 - 10/31/00	Consultant performs study - draft and final report (only 6 weeks available)
11/14/00	City Council holds public hearing
11/28/00	City Council must decide and transmit notice to L.A. County by 12/1/00
7/1/01	City assumes operation of the library

The above schedule probably does not provide enough time to do a complete study of the existing operation and any desired options. The one proposal that has been received from a library consultant suggests a 12 week study to complete a final report. This probably makes it necessary to move back a City library operation for one year. It may be possible to review the proposed tasks and reduce the time frame, however, we run the risk of not having enough time for review of the report and receiving any input from our residents. Therefore, I would suggest that we proceed with the retention of a consultant with the understanding that the time frame for review and consideration of a final report extend beyond the notice deadline for providing notice by December 1, 2000. This will allow a reasonable time for review, input and full consideration of any options. It would also allow for the Council subcommittee, Friends of the Library and interested residents to more fully participate in the study. This would mean that the soonest that the City could assume responsibility for the operation would be July 1, 2002 should that be the direction approved by the City Council.

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