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AGENDA BILL Agenda Item No. 5(I) Date: April 16, 2013 To: El Cerrito City Council From: Karen Pinkos, Assistant City Manager Subject: Letter of support for Senate Constitutional Amendment 7 (Wolk) ACTION REQUESTED Approve a recommendation authorizing Mayor Lyman to sign a letter expressing the City Council’s support for Senate Constitutional Amendment 7, legislation that would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to lower the local vote threshold from the existing two- thirds vote to 55% for communities seeking to pass a library construction bond measure or a special tax measure for library operations; and direct the City Clerk to send the letter to the members of the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance. BACKGROUND & ANALYSIS Senate Constitutional Amendment 7 (SCA authored by State Senator Lois Wolk, would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to lower the local vote threshold from the existing two- thirds vote to 55% for communities seeking to pass a library construction bond measure or a special tax measure for library operations. This legislation seeks to help jurisdictions across the state that are faced with staff, service and hour reductions, closings, and inadequate facilities. Throughout California, the need for libraries is growing as children, students, families, and seniors depend on public libraries for a variety of services including homework help, literacy programs, computer access and other resources. SCA 7 would provide voters with an opportunity to support library services as well as make it easier for local governments to raise funds for public libraries. As the City Council is aware, the El Cerrito Library facility is not adequate for a community our size and is deficient in many service areas, including collection, space, and computer access. The City has identified the Library as a capital need for several years. However, in these difficult economic times—particularly with the loss of redevelopment funding—the City cannot afford to fund a new building or increase service hours without an additional funding source such as financing obtained through a ballot measure. SCA 7, if successful in passing the legislature, would likely be placed on the November 2014 ballot. The California Library Association has sponsored SCA 7 and is urging letters of support to members of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, where it will be heard on May 15, 2013. Staff is monitoring this bill closely, as a lowered vote threshold would be beneficial to the City should the Council decide to place a Library measure on the ballot in the future. ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(1) FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS There is no financial obligation associated with the requested action. Revi~ Scott Hanin, City Manager Attachments: 1. Letter in Support of SCA 7 2. SCA 7 Text Page 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- OFFICE OF THE MAYOR Gregory B. Lyman CITY HALL 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530 Telephone (510) 215-4305 Fax (510) 215-4319 http://www.el-cerrito.org May 8, 2013 The Honorable Lois Wolk Chair, Senate Committee on Governance and Finance State Capitol, Room 5114 Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SCA 7 (Wolk): Local Government Financing: Public Libraries: Voter Approval – SUPPORT Dear Senator Wolk: On behalf of the City Council of the City of El Cerrito, I am writing to express the City Council’s support for Senate Constitutional Amendment 7, that would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to lower the local vote threshold from the existing two-thirds vote to 55% for communities seeking to pass a library construction bond measure or a special tax measure for library operations. The City Council appreciates your introduction of this legislation. The El Cerrito Library, the Contra Costa Library system, and libraries throughout California are faced with staff, service and hour reductions and even closings in some communities. At the same time, the need for libraries is growing as children, students, families, and seniors depend on public libraries for a variety of services including homework help, literacy programs, computer access and other resources. In the City of El Cerrito, our 58-year-old, 6,500 square foot library is woefully inadequate for our community. According to a needs assessment commissioned in 2006, the size and age of the facility prevent it from providing the services the community needs and should expect to receive. The collection is too small and yet cannot be developed due to space constraints. Seating capacity and computer access are deficient. There isn’t space for children’s reading activities or for students to gather to do homework. The needs assessment recommends a building that will meet the needs of El Cerrito’s projected population through 2030, with space to accommodate patrons of all ages, updated technology, and an appropriately sized collection. However, in these difficult economic times, coupled with the loss of redevelopment funding, the City cannot afford to fund this important capital project without an additional funding source such as financing obtained through a ballot measure. SCA 7 would provide voters with an opportunity to support their local library’s services as well as make it easier for local governments to raise funds for public libraries. The ---PAGE BREAK--- OFFICE OF THE MAYOR Gregory B. Lyman CITY HALL 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530 Telephone (510) 215-4305 Fax (510) 215-4319 http://www.el-cerrito.org City believes that the current two-thirds threshold in California for voter approval of library ballot measures is unnecessarily burdensome to communities, creating an unintended and unfortunate funding shortfall for library services in certain jurisdictions, including El Cerrito. The City of El Cerrito is, therefore, supportive of SCA 7 and your efforts to put this question before the public to amend the state’s Constitution and bring the threshold for passage of library funding measures in closer alignment with the will of a simple majority of voters. We urge passage of SCA 7 by the State Senate and Assembly and look forward to a dialogue about the importance of libraries to Californians when it comes before voters as a Proposition. Sincerely, Gregory B. Lyman Mayor, City of El Cerrito cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance: Senator Steve Knight, Vice Chair Senator Jim Beall Senator Mark DeSaulnier Senator Bill Emmerson Senator Ed Hernandez Senator Carol Liu California Library Association ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(I) Attachment 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK---