forward to address some of these concerns and you know, I'd like to Consider I do want to Support the warming center. I do think that I'm trying to address some of the concerns related to Use of the funds performance. I mean, I have no doubt that Having gone to the the program having talked with people who Volunteer and talked with people who have stayed At the you know warming center sites That this is money well spent I don't doubt that at all But I do understand that we have you know, some You know fiduciary responsibilities and we also have responsibilities for you know contracting with Responsible contractors, so I would like to find a way to to provide this funding. I think that Trying to find an intermediary. I mean the afc the associated faith communities has Is not willing to be an intermediary at this time, but they did send a letter of support for the program so I'm I'm just trying to think of a way that we might be able to find an intermediary find somebody who could work With the the city and with the warming center to bring us, uh, you know a set of You know Goals outcomes, you know performance metric, you know, and then metrics that can be used to Determine how you know the make sure that the funds are being used as they ought to be used So I'm trying to think about how we might do that. It's good to hear you have the liability insurance, but And so you mean you don't really need a fiscal sponsor, but some kind of intermediary who who could kind of work help us work through the challenge and Maybe that's, you know, the catch could take Responsibility if they're, you know, if we could direct them to kind of work through that and Provide, you know, recommend the funding with that caveat So I'm just you know, I'm just noodling around here trying to figure out a way to to make this work and Kind of address some of the concerns that have been raised, but also You know provide a critical service I'd just like to say that one of the things I'm Uncomfortable with now having reviewed The agenda and then just the way that we're bringing this forward. One of the things that I'm concerned with is that there's no Clear way to measure Accountability with these funds how they're going to be used what they're supposed to be allocated for and being someone who is Submitted numerous grant proposals There's generally an explanation as to how the money is going to be used and what we have right here and The value that's been increased that to a $15,000 is just to go to this program Without any actual stipulations for how the funding should be used And so that's something that i'm the first and foremost i'm concerned with I do agree that the warming center provides critical services that the The city isn't able to provide on a very low budget But I also understand the concerns that has been expressed around interactions that city staff Has had with mr. Adams and the way that Other folks in the community have had interactions. So there's this Positive and negative and and the trade-off is that we want to support Good programs in our community that are providing a good service But I think that at this moment what I feel needs to be clear Before we move forward is One there is this expression of need for there to be an intermediary And two just the fact that There isn't a clear explanation as to how these funds are going to be used So if we were to move forward with either 10,000 or 15,000 I would only feel comfortable after receiving some kind of Explanation as to and proposal for how the funding would be spent down and what would be the reporting like timeline for reporting and What will we expect and a report out in terms with regards to the use of these funds? And I think that's something that we require of a lot of the nonprofits within our community and that we need to hold Everyone to the same standard So if that's something that you know, I can't make a motion But if that's something that could go to the catch or if that is a friendly amendment That this could come back after we receive some kind of explanation and breakdown of Like how this money would be spent down what would be a reporting process I'd be much more comfortable with supporting this and and finding an intermediary for these funds And I have on deck vice mayor meyers and I'll put Councilmember Glover and then I have a comment to when the council is ready. Okay, so Well a couple things, um Mr. Adams, I Received your email. Um, obviously. I think it came in yesterday, but um, I will in all Uh openness say I have not visited your your services or your facilities or things and I and I certainly will follow up with you So, um, thank you for the invitation and I and I certainly will will set up a meeting with you um, I think similar to the mayor And Based on the feedback that we're getting from our staff I think making improvements With regards to how we're potentially going to put the the Funding together and the contracting together Is a really out is a is a is an appropriate step at this point in time And uh So I would Make a friendly amendment to the motion to add those Those stipulations so what I understood you were saying was um There would be a contract with appropriate language including indemnification and insurance That the services to be provided along with The budget for each service would be spelled out And um That um An intermediary Would be established As necessary To provide um That oversight as needed And I think those were the three things so I would make that as a friendly amendment and um You know we we need everyone we can in this community to help us solve this problem. Um But we also need to work together and we need to be cordial and Respectful of all the processes that we're trying to work through right now We don't have a clear policy on homelessness coming from the county. We don't have a clear policy on homelessness here in our own community so um These are hard conversations and cooler heads prevail and we need to be focused on service But we have to make sure that um all of that um rolls up into um professional professionalism and um There's going to be a lot of hard questions. We have to answer moving ahead and there may be some program services that You know we want to refocus in the future, but the ultimate goal is we need to really get serious about helping people who are homeless in our community. So um So I will make those as friendly amendments and those are my comments accepted Council member council member I can and then and then matthews um I think I mean I'll just say I appreciate the interest in having the accountability and transparency and expectations I just want to make sure i'm clear on the motion. I guess at this time it's to um Potentially move forward with $15,000 to the warming center given that they're able to meet these Criteria is that feel I would prefer to start at 10 as the original proposal was in the staff report personally and With evaluation based on everything we're here. We've heard I'd like to start with the original proposal as presented by the staff So is that a friendly amendment then that you'd like to make everything except for the the Quantity change and we can talk about the quantity as a group right now But as for right now not that aspect of the friendly amendment because that wasn't included in the original friendly amendment was the change of the quantity I mean just in the interest of moving the item. I definitely agree with the requirements I think that the set aside funding application probably would be a really helpful guide because it's really about Current at immediate need and how we can support the city I'll just sort of state it again We had a lot of requests And a very little amount of money So it's in the big picture that we want to kind of keep these things in mind recognizing that this is a critical need as well I do feel comfortable with the 10,000 at this time given that we're going to have to make cuts for all the others as well And definitely the regulations are the adopted amendments proposed by the vice mayor You could split the motion so yeah If we want we could split them or before that I'd like to hear councilmember crown I think this is just a drop in the bucket and I have been out and visited um brent's operation three times And you know this is so what he's doing is so true It takes us 15,000 dollars just to clean up A lot of stuff that's left around this town and the fact that he's storing so much so much stuff Just that's one aspect of the program that in itself is worth, you know, 15,000 dollars. Um, and I don't know I just want to put that word out there. I hope we can fund them 15,000. I appreciate this discussion a lot And um, I just wanted to ask for maybe a couple clarifying points. Um with regard to the friendly amendment my understanding was that the attempt to explore the um Uh, the use of a fiscal intermediary was was more or less exhausted by um city staff, uh And so I believe what The agreement that is being discussed would be with the warming center, which I heard Mr. Adams say is a registered 501c3 not-for-profit corporation And that there is also a million dollar comprehensive general liability insurance policy that that they're insured under And under which the city could be named as an additional insured Just to be clear, we're talking about a contract with the warming center and then looking to identify Uh an entity like the catch that might provide some further oversight. Is that a fair statement? I think it's I guess my amendment would not include the cash personally. I I don't know how you ask citizen Tears to oversee something I don't disagree with that at all. Um, I guess the other part the other piece was a a budget And a and a scope of work or a work plan that would be incorporated into the agreement Yes, that was the friendly uh friendly amendment included those items. Um, and to clarify Um, if an intermediary is not has not been identified then We would be uh, I would put put the amendment language to state that we would be entering into the contract with with the warming center And I think, um So I'll leave it at that Matthews and councilor Glover um This is going from, um Just a straight amount with no description To a higher amount and some thoughts. Um, I don't think anyone disagrees with with the need Councilmember Watkins mentioned just the process and certainly when we go through community programs and cdbg and all our grant programs Um, we do expect to have a scope of work You know that they're registered 501c3 who's their board etc. What's the outcome? So, um, I would expect something approaching that format for this. You mentioned the same thing. Um, I don't know what is meant by Intermediary, I mean, you know, there have yeah, I think I'm going to be honest There have been some issues raised and it's not a matter of a prickly personality because everyone's dealt with prickly personalities in their life But there have been some I think substantive issues raised and so I do want I am concerned about about that. Uh, I I see a clear direction going here. Um I think perhaps the motion is to and I think the burden of the, um Proposal and the uh oversight component doesn't rest with the city council to invent here It, um, it is direction to the warming center and supporters to put together a package that answers the issues that have been raised. So, um, I would prefer a 10,000 which was what was put on the table originally, uh, with, uh, expressing the, uh, council's receptivity to a, um, a proposal in the short term that that meets these, um That includes these components. That's just how I'm reading the Tenor here Thank you. So I'm a little confused. Uh, maybe some people can provide me with some clarity as to how we started The conversation of the community programs budget because I know that was mentioned by councilmember walkins But the fiscal impact listed in the agenda is that this would come from the general fund So this has nothing to do with community programs and it has nothing to do with the, uh cutting of other services as was implied by a statement. It looks like There's someone wants to say something Sure, I I can answer it. Sure. Go ahead. The general everything comes from the general fund essentially So the community programs budget is the general fund So the money that we fund any of the other safety net programs through the general fund of the community programs Is the same funding source that we'd be funding mr. McAden's program But there's other money in the general fund outside of the community programs budget That's not immediately allocated for things why it's in the general fund, correct We answer the question in terms of our budget. Well, that's not have to come from the fund balance Is normally when we, um, budget something that's not already been appropriated It comes from fund balance But I think the distinction here is really more process versus the funding source. The funding source is the same It's just the process would be different Right, but uh, we weren't talking about submitting it to the community programs budget for a review and every well That's what was that that's what some of the language was insinuating through What she was saying about needing to go through the process and then splitting up the money and taking money from other places You're shaking your head. No, but I'm happy to speak to that because it was me that said it But essentially we have a process in place that does community program funding when the community program funding has Generally gone in a way that's been annual Then we move to the core funding model and absent having that process ensue on a yearly basis What the council has done in the past and is doing this year is having an annual set aside funding process for emerging and urgent needs And that was the those are the applications that we saw recently in community programs and will be forthcoming in the coming If not in the next meeting the meeting after and this is a urgent or emerging need That's a social safety net service that fits many of the other applications So the alignment in terms of the process of how this need In fits with the other needs that were brought are brought to our attention through that process Is essentially the point that I was making Right and what I'm saying is I don't understand why there even needs to be that desertion When we are just going to could decide right now as a body to fund the program without going through the community programs process and in general but Regardless of all of that There was one more point that I was going to make Which is Escaping me at the moment so we can just move maybe I'll just respond the assertion is essentially to have transparency and expectation for dollars And we could fund anything we want at any moment But ultimately we are stewards of the taxpayer dollar and we want to have Outcomes and those identifiers as accepted by the friendly amendment, which is why I accepted the friendly amendment So we're on the same page. All right council member brown So what I'm understanding is that the the I think the the point that you were ultimately making was that The application that is used for the community program set aside could be a guide I think you said the word guide for so it's not putting it back into competition with that pot of money But using a some the same or similar process to get us to a contract It was just the the language that was used Was saying it's in that we would have to split it more and that's when it that's what caught my ear was like Well, no, we're not having to split the community programs budget for the other emerging needs, but we can move forward. It's clear Thank you. Thank you Nice man. Mars. Okay. So Um, currently my understanding is that there's a motion on the floor Uh by council member Glover seconded by council member crone to allocate 15 000 to the to the warming center There's a friendly amendment to add stipulations which would Have a scope of work and deminification insurance Um a budget for service Uh an intermediate media area that was stricken. Um, so In those two pieces, that's my understanding of the motion that's on the floor So council member brown council member clever. Sorry. I just want one additional point. I think I heard something about a reporting Some kind of system for reporting on yeah But not just the budget standard standard contract outcomes. Yeah would be tasks Budget and then some wrap-up report based on, you know, number of people served et cetera, et cetera I just want to make that clear for the record. Thank you Does this come back to us for action Personally, I would assume so but I'd like to defer to the maker of the motion Yes So we can review that application and make sure it's up to our Guidelines, I guess and then move forward on it. I'm not sure we can talk about it right now as to whether or not That's the direction that we want to go. It's the first time we've brought it up I think that the idea is that if you want this to come back to us for you and approval Then that is something that can be included in the motion I want for us to be able to fund the program so that we can have The services that are in place now Whether or not the process of the warming center creates the outline and then submits it to the city manager's office And they approve it if it hits the benchmarks that are set off by us tonight and Removes the need for it to come back to another agenda and through another one of these processes Then i'm totally down for that because I want to streamline the process so that we can get the money to the people That are in need right now But if we in a discussion right now say like, you know, maybe we should have it come back again Then sure we can add that to the thing, but I want to discuss it before I go like yeah, absolutely. Let's do it and I my previous thought had come back to me because I want to acknowledge the statements of some of the colleagues About the change in the amount feeling more comfortable with the 10 000 instead of the 15 000 I moved to the 15 000 because One this is sorely overdue two were almost through some of the harshest months And we want to want to make sure that we're getting them The funding they need and also when we need to find money for projects, we find money for projects I mean last year we allocated way too much money in my opinion to the redevelopment of a Lodge up at the golf course This is something that's far more deserving of the money and I think we should be prioritizing that in in my opinion Matthews and then vice mayor mires Those are apples and oranges But to this point we always approve contracts for services. We always approve the The core funding the cdbg the community program. So that's standard procedure It's a budget amendment. Yeah, I'm kind of trying to offer a little bit of a wrap up here So if we brought this back for action Is there a way that we could Am I hearing councilmember clever that you are you you want to get this done tonight? That's what I'm hearing No, I want to get it done as soon as possible It can't be done tonight because we need to have the Response from the warming center with some of the stipulations that we're putting in place But if we can streamline it and have it go through the city manager's office for approval as opposed to having it come back In front of us again Unless we want to prioritize it for the next city council agenda in which case if the mayor is feeling Open to making sure it's on the next city council agenda And the warming center is able to provide that documentation Within the next two weeks or a week Three days or something I guess for the for the agenda then I'm not I'm not Not because this isn't an urgent issue But I'm not comfortable with the fact that we need to have an agenda report done by Thursday for this And there's a very little uncertainty around, you know, we need to get the contract We need to actually have the contract written out We need to make sure that it's okay Then we need to send it out to the provider the provider needs to bring us the feedback I don't think that that's an appropriate timeline However, I do understand the urgency that you'd like to see this I mean because otherwise we're gonna we're looking at maybe first meeting in february But that's another month away And then that's going to impact the ability of the warming center and provide the services that we're all up here Saying are crucial and needed for the city. So I think that's partial reason why for example I would rather see the funding be less so that By the time that funding gets kicked in and gets allocated That it actually is going to reflect the amount of services that the warming center will still be providing During that point in time rather than allocating More than what might be needed because then we'll be giving money to a program And it won't be getting used towards the services that we need I'll push back a little bit on you there just because we're not just talking about offering a warming center for people to warm themselves We're talking about laundry storage and showers Which are going to be needed throughout the year regardless of the season Is that I think the problem is that the report is is is difficult because we we don't know what the services are going to be for And I don't know if In conversations with mr. Adams, I don't know if it was staff or council members or who But we basically got no information and so Um I mean we we got a price tag, but we didn't get anything else and so in the interest of Trying to move this forward I think I'm hearing that there's interest in making sure that this is done right And I think that the interest in doing that is reflective to both Our uh, I mean, you know our uh, responsibility, but also to Um, have our vendor have that piece of information for him to manage this budget towards So I I I think somehow we've got a basically bring it back. Um, I don't see getting getting um Currents on it tonight the earliest possible meeting. Let's put it that way. Yeah, that works. Okay. I can add that to the agenda earliest possible meeting or first meeting in february the earliest possible meeting So if it couldn't if it can't well, that's gonna be the first one But yeah, hopefully yes, and that'll all be dependent on saving the application and among Okay, the number of other factors i'll accept that Um, is there any further discussion on this item? so the motion made by a council member glover second of a council member crone is to potentially allocate 15 000 for warming center with added stipulation that there's indemnification insurance Um reporting on the process scope of work There's a budget for services and that it come back to the city council at the earliest possible meeting Correct Okay in the form of a contract for the city council's approval in the form of a contract for the city council's approval We'll play yes And we'll start by soliciting the the proposal from mr. Adams as well And if I could say Following the community programs application for general items to be included, I mean Verifying the 501c3 status, it's I mean it's there's just some standard items that are included as long as it doesn't put the 45,000 that we have for the other emergency programs in competition with the 15,000 insurance Just following that sure following that process. Mm-hmm behind as you catch that Okay Okay, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That passes unanimously We will take a break until 7 p.m. At which time we will have um oral communications. Good job everyone. Good job And welcome to our 7 p.m. Session January 14th 2020 meeting of the city council I'd like to ask the clerk to please call the roll Thank you, mayor council members Watkins Matthews here round here lover here throne here nice mayor mires here and mayor coming here Thank you, and we're about to begin oral communications oral communications is an opportunity Remembers of the community to speak To us on items that are not listed on today's agenda Are there any members of the public who would like to wish who would wish to address the city council? Okay, you can all line up to my left You will each have two minutes to speak and we request that you sign in to ensure correct spelling of your name in the meeting minutes However, it is not required Out of respect to other members of the public many of whom are not accustomed to speaking in public I'm going to ask members of the public to please refrain from clapping cheering booing hissing Or other similar types of behavior that might discourage all members of the public from stepping into the microphone to have their views heard Additionally I would like to remind the public that they should also be guided around the following principles when making comments We may disagree, but we will be respectful in one another The all meant all comments should be directed to the issue at hand Avoid personal attacks against staff and other council members and please do not hold up signs In a manner that obstruct the view of people behind them And I would like to invite our first speaker to please approach the podium. You'll have two minutes Gary Richard Arnold I'm afraid you've got your Two-minute Ryan Coonerty rule here who's Really anti-public? Here's a group of Your city council people right here meeting with Sivanomics. You're cutting a win a ribbon Creating a lobby. I think believe this is against the brown act We've got don lane right here who gave the city the key to the city to communist angela davis Who ran along with gust hall calling for the killing of christian children and one of his quotes? You'll find that on the circular you're receiving right now In addition, you're setting up a parallel government The real action isn't happening here in in front of the people the city manager really runs everything here In ambag is where the parallel government is being set up And I don't believe that the person that attends ambag meetings is telling the public All of the policies and the powerful people that sit there as stakeholders like driscoll and packard panetta They don't know where this authority or where this money is coming from again It's the foundations like california forward the most powerful lobby in the west Co, you know cope founded by leon panetta who gave military information to red chinese We've got two plaques on the courthouse steps dedicated to hu de lacey a communist Chinese spy We also have bruce mcpherson here who received tens of thousands of dollars from a triple Chinese communist agent on the front page of us news and world report Communism is not the people trying to overthrow the banking establishment Communism is a tool of the banking establishment used to control Centralize the people there's 15 seconds left. This is bruce mcpherson's Communications director. He used to work. He says right here for ickley It's a front for the united nations in world bank Which runs ickley the parallel government and they're pushing statewide through an outfit called cal-caw In using that lobby california forward Thank you next speaker Good evening council members This this is a very interesting follow-up For those of you who in the viewing audience are unaware and we've Had a number of sampling of the population. There's a recall going on But the recall is of the wrong people Mr. Cron has been recalled for a supposed laugh or snort Which could not be find found on forensic evidence examination of the audio Or video Examination of the council meeting, but he's being recalled But in fact on the september 24th youtube of the city council meeting at seven hours and five minutes We have council member mires Going ballistic Screaming about not being a racist because she's an out lesbian I have checked with a number of my gay friends and that is a non-secretar On the other hand we have mr. Glover Who's being recalled for ill behavior if I can generalize and yet we have Our former mayor who is in direct violation of the respectful workplace policy Where she vented her own personal perceptions So she didn't have to own up to anything When there is a specific procedure for her to follow So the people that should be recalled are donna mires and martin walkins And for those of you in the voting public, please vote no on the recall and vote no a second time Speaker Okay carrot philip this is kind of a boomer perspective a little different I believe any acceptance of the historically proven defective politic of the collectivists including communism socialism nihilism anarchy and leftism Will destroy this country with its more prosperous and stable western made up principles Their stale grievances are misplaced their solutions misguided But their sense of something is wrong is not unfounded at the core politic the apple is rotten We have a powerful platocracy of work with a corrupted special interest serving government co-conspirator engaged in Prophlegate money spending that we don't have a lot of things we don't need in their self-interest They have both corrupted a great many free markets and indebted us all even the unborn With unrepayable amounts of ever increasing asset inflating debt turning us all into debt slaves Increasingly unable to afford much The resulting debt driven asset inflation and housing in the stock market has fueled an obscene immoral Generational wealth inequality favoring but a few sociopathic percent at the top It's simple math an increase in overall debt that has never repaid stokes inflation If one owns one million assets a 10 percent inflation That's a hundred thousand dollars if you're lucky enough to get a 10 percent raise That's a tiny fraction of that which is probably not saved as an asset One study indicated what remains of the silent generation owns 25 trillion in assets boomers 61 trillion gen x 17 trillion and millennials just Three trillion adjusting for when each was 35 years old Boomers have two and a half times their share of wealth than gen x did and 6.8 times more than millennials You get the idea where this is going for gen z which has many years to go It's no wonder that 50 percent of millennials in gen z think the system is broken It is and mistakenly think socialism or communism is the answer It isn't no system is invulnerable to the forces of evil and capitalism is the best system at generating stability and wealth Such as it is instead of carbon zero carbon emissions You should be demanding zero increases in debt creation Throw the corrupt washington bombs out and demand your country spend on essentials Thank you very much black speaker Hello, i'm nick kennedy and i got this to say Drew is and chris are two of the most qualified members of the city council that have ever been And also what's this whole recall about?  Is that what we're recalling these guys for sure seems like it They'll come and be coming for justin next Um with all that said we need to get these meetings broadcast on radio on fm And uh the guy to do it the guy you need to talk to is mike olson who is m o at ksco.com So for anybody else here that wants to get these meetings on the radio, please contact mike I haven't done so myself, but i'm not a council member either um Also what we need is not only radio broadcast, but we need to have a low bandwidth mono Audio stream coming off the city's live audio stream coming off the city's website And when they're saved for in the archive forever They should be the ones that are already there should be crushed down So they're much lower bandwidth in their mono and that will get the file size way down um another thing that i think is a Good idea is we should take the uh non-emergency number 911 basically but the non-emergency number 471 1131 and get them to support google duo video calls Possibly even use skype or uvuh or there's a bunch of them But the the best one i found is google duo and then somebody calls them up calls up Of the emergency number or non-emergency number i should say to report something They could actually show live video of the house that's burning down Live video of the car wreck that just happened you name it But we should be able to give them video as well. Thank you Okay next speaker Happy new year city council. My name is james ewing whitman. I do a lot of research You can look up james ewing whitman on facebook and probably Learn about some stuff you're not aware of You know, I reached out to uh, I said hello to a city council member. He said, you know, I know you talk about poetry Okay, that was pretty succinct What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander Fiduciary trust a person artificial intelligence or corporate personhood Who has the power and obligation to act for another often called the beneficiary Under circumstances which require total trust good faith and honesty Those who have traditionary trust make them the channel of peace Where what that where there was hatred? They may bring love That where there was wrong They may bring spirit of forgiveness That where there was discord may they bring harmony That where there is error May they bring truth that where there is doubt They bring faith where there is despair They bring hope Where there is where there are shadows They bring light That where there is sadness they may bring joy Those who have judiciary trust Grant that they may seek to comfort Then to be comforted to understand then to be understood To love then be loved for it is by self forgetting that they find It is by forgiving that they are forgiven. It is by dying that they awaken to eternal life All those who have been given fiduciary trust have obligations to many future generations Speaker My name is Darian mostening and I like to call attention to the dimly lit crosswalks At the corner of washington laurel and also at the ocean street Right where the jack in the box is Now I find when it gets dark it gets extremely dangerous for pedestrians and drivers alike I propose adding flashing lights to alert drivers of pedestrians And I believe this can greatly cut down on like the dangerous situations that like me a driver I also find myself when I was driving over here. I was driving down washington and at laurel There's a darkly There's someone I couldn't see wearing all black and I almost hit them because I couldn't see At all because there were no flashing lights to alert me So I think the adding these flashing lights can greatly increase the safety of Everyone Thanks. Thank you Thanks speaker Who are you humans? You're not my mayor. I didn't vote for you Any citizen in Santa Cruz vote for you I'll say you humans any city in worldwide Everybody votes for they want to be in office of their mayors Why was that not here in Santa Cruz that right been taken away? I'm sure if we would vote for our mayor, which we have the right That guy right there Glover would be a mayor In our city One true leader That is here in this city um You are still there and it to me shows your character You got people lying on you pertaining to trying to get you to recall And you still here fighting for the citizens and fighting for Santa Cruz That's the true nature of a leader in your character Earlier today citizens of Santa Cruz. Look at these humans work earlier today in this meeting We got a person talking about why I need to see some evidence of this and of that I've seen you vote 400 thousand dollars for harvey west and you didn't ask for no kind of Well, what are they going to do with the money? But here this guy is working Already doing work. You had nothing to do with Out of his own pocket doing great work saving lives and you trying to not give him 15 thousand dollars We got another human over here talking about yeah, thanks for inviting me to your center I'm going to come while a real leader would have went already What's what's the delay a real leader would have went and got information. They said they need Citizens citizens of Santa Cruz look at these humans. They're not no leaders And Santa Cruz have been acting a certain way for years It will continue to be that way with the look at the work of these humans that are here We need to really get rid of them Keep keep lover Is that it that's it. Thank you Good evening council members. Um, I'm dan spells Choosing the vice mayor on the basis of an appeal to honor a strong and important Tradition of mayorships and vice mayorships being passed to council members receiving the most votes in city council elections Calls to mind several other strong and important traditions At the last city council meeting I mentioned the strong and important tradition of using recalls only to remove crooks from office Not to suppress expression of political views Another strong and important tradition vests in public hearings I appeal to each of you members of the Santa Cruz city council To conduct public hearings for the future of lot four The large municipally owned parking lot where the wednesday farmers market gathers A number of other uses have been contemplated for a lot four But there's never been a public hearing For the integrity of lot four and the desire of the community for its future The large municipally Owing to its size and location in the heart of Santa Cruz The lot is an exceptionally important common good whose future deserves a welcome consideration from the fullest breadth of the community In the 1970s public hearings played an essential role in sparing lighthouse field from squandering real estate developers architect Ken Wormhout met with residents of the beach flats area in the 1980s I believe it was on behalf of the city to plan a neighborhood park with the neighbors And county supervisor john leopold frequently gathers with constituents to listen to Preferences about prospective development of county owned parcels in his district Please then conduct public hearings To learn the broad community sentiment for the future of lot four. Thank you. Thank you Thanks speaker Good evening. I'm jane doile I've been watching much of today's council meeting on channel 25 Because I've been recently sick. I chose to stay home instead of coming to the meeting It was cold out and I was warm and dry and I could heat water for tea or do whatever I wanted Even sleep if I felt the need But I'm here now because I want to offer some public thank yous By the end of the day meeting I was full of all sorts of emotions and I realized that I need to say thank you to people Because first of all to the members of cash who spoke to rave to the sarage and especially to kandis For their clear cogent comments On things that are really difficult for all of us to be facing I want to thank scott graham for his as usual thoughtful words I want to thank brandt adams For what he does for the community on the shoestring Even when he sometimes Pisses people off I'm a little better than he is at keeping my anger and frustration in check But he balances it with so much concern and compassion That I honor him I want to thank drew glover for his clear cogent statement leading up to the motion given To give the warmings that are $15,000 Because he trusts that it will be used in a good way to meet needs no matter what You know without details But I also want to thank donna for laying out some ways for it to to meet the concerns of people who feel the need for those details I really appreciated that I'm having a little hard time with it. Sorry I want to thank all the members of the city council because I watched every one of you today in different ways Think about what you believe in Look at this issue and other issues go I don't really agree, but I'm going to make it work Okay And okay, I'm going to say one more sentence tonight. It's going to be 40 degrees We're all going home to warm places, but not everybody is so thank you for what you were working on today Thank you Next speaker Yeah, yeah as she pointed out it's very cold out there and and Every evening people come to me Very upset that the their blankets and sleeping bags and tents have been taken And we're spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year confiscating people's survival gear And then I spent us a couple hundred dollars today to replace the gear taken by the city And so we're proposing that an emergency temporary camp be reestablished As we had shown a perfect model of such a thing at camp phoenix And it's an emergency as the governor has said so it's about time to act And it's frightening that people are suffering so that That they need to um come to us the citizens are actually Replacing the items that the city is taking and throwing away had a huge expense to the taxpayers Who then have to discard it at the dump? And yet we have to buy the belongings to replace them. So we're in solidarity both the santa cruz homeless union food not bombs The students that are striking up a campus ask me all of us are united in ending the Inaffordability of living here and the low wages and the really Brutality that is occurring against our low-income people in this community Whether they be students whether they be teaching assistants Whether it be the hard workers that live in tents on the streets here in our community We need to have some solutions and we really hope you get behind our proposal to reopen Camp phoenix as soon as possible so that more lives are not lost. Thank you very much Four minutes, right? Are you speaking on behalf of huff? Yeah If we can give uh robert norris four minutes he okay, thank you Uh, there is a shameful sabotaging of brand adam's proposal Which means of course more death more cold maybe cold tonight, but it's predicted to be colder tomorrow night And raining the next night. That's what i've been told by someone watching the weather This is by a right-wing anti homeless city manager led cabal Nothing personal meant martin, but it seems to be what you do You can check out the city manager's speech which the public was not allowed to comment on Even it was an extensive presentation and an official agenda item hence the violation of the brown act earlier today The winter shelter hoax continues There's no armory opening for the general homeless population But rather it is simply the means of moving this group from 12 20 prematurely To this one spot for a month and a half While justin comings our mayor has agreed to arrange a meeting a long delayed for the last Two or three months at least it's felt longer to me. Um, I I'm concerned that the Mr. Cummings is the key vote here at least until A recall succeeds in driving away and destroying the progressive majority, which I hope doesn't happen But given the recall process, it's hard to predict I had heard that uh The mayor was sympathetic to actually maintaining 12 20 river that was the impression he gave to myself and two catch members On friday evening, but that apparently is not the case Instead we get false reassurances from susie o'hara Who has reappeared here as the the old tale teller and reassurer Over the year after year that there is homeless shelter that does not exist This is a disgrace and particularly so because the homeless death rate this last year has been 84 84 names are at the end of the homeless memorial. It says 45 or 48 in the in the text when you look at the count the names there 84 of them There's a lack of commitments. We have the governor has been said Offering to open vacant properties and buildings including the ross camp area specified This is something that we discussed with mayor cummings Eight months ago and tried to get him to agree to he said. Oh, no just trust susie o'hara trust the Cities and its staff. What have we got? We have got no significant winter shelter This year and we have freezing temperatures and a higher death rate We don't need this and we have people camping all over town Plus we have a right wing a vicious right wing Minority using the homeless issue as a wedge issue to destroy what is really a rent control majority or should be on this city council We have misleading media. Thank you, uh, jessica york who's in our audience Who does not really describe what the winter shelter crisis is And in other cities we have things like People standing up for these issues moms for housing in oakland. Where do we go in berkeley? These are people and why is this done? It's not done by bureaucrats sitting behind podiums with placards on their Right in front of them with their names on it getting salaries indoors warm and comfortable when they leave these chambers It's done by people in the community who are willing to come out Perhaps sleep outside tonight outside city council. I understand there may be a protest happening after this meeting or maybe In this very chamber here There are empty buildings And there is a need and what they have it we have an indifferent city council That thinks it's not indifferent. That's the irony. Thank you You'll have two minutes Thank you, um Happy new year. First of all Congratulations again on your position. I think the recall is um It's it's um, they they want to get rid of you too because you to have the um The the the cahones to stick up for poor people when the homeless And I think that's what that really is and it's maybe I could be wrong. I don't know. Um Justin You as the new mayor, I'm just I just came up here to say I hope that hopefully you can do something Um to change things around here to hopefully get get us into housing. There's a lot of us that need housing You know pretty seriously out here. It is very cold out there Um I really don't have much more to say I guess that's it. Thanks. Appreciate comments Next speaker Hello, everyone. Alicia cool president of the santa cruz chapter of the california homeless union I'd like to start by saying that I think that the recall Is basically a side effect of the war on the homeless It has a lot to do with drew and chris speaking up for the homeless population I'd also like to say that I would really like to urge you not to rewrite any camping ordinance While we have a severe lack of shelter um I would also like to Say that we're severely concerned about the shelter deficit that we're facing when we come to march Because that's when the armory will be slated to close And so we're kind of concerned at you know at that point. Then what do we have? With all that being said Welcome to 2020. We are in a new year and this is an opportunity. We have a new mayor, you know, welcome Mayor Cummings. I recognize you as our mayor I'm putting a lot of faith in you to do the right thing and make the right decisions Um, I don't agree with everything that happened last year But like I said, this is a new opportunity And so I'm really hoping that you will take this opportunity, especially in light of the executive order from our governor to really look at solutions and not criminalization and enforcement And so we provided you with an encampment proposal that we were really hoping Um, granted it's not in the best format, but all of the Basis and substance is there All the services that would be offered the whole plan is there So really really please pay attention to this proposal. We're ready to act as soon as possible And meanwhile while we don't have anything. I just want to let you know it is really cold outside We are working full-time. Basically. I have two full-time jobs I work in san jose now as a case manager serving the homeless population there and here I collect donations for people So it's a big job. Thank you How's it going everybody? I'm uh travis wheeler. I've been a citizen of santa cruz county for almost two decades now And I only have a few complaints I've noticed in the past five years. There's been a great decrease of benches downtown and Every time I catch someone removing a bench they tell me that they're Refurbishing the bench for later But the bench never returns and I've been waiting six months For the last two benches that have been removed To be returned because they were supposed to be refurbished and I guess they're never becoming refurbished again and uh another another thing that is uh becoming Kind of an issue is these solar big belly trash cans We can see that they're falling apart and we can see that they're solar powered But what are they solar powered for just to set off a light sensor to tell you that the garbage can is full They're a waste of money and you could probably put in a few more trash cans In an extra 25 feet to a 25 meter range From how much those trash cans cost and there would be a little less trash around the jump bikes probably So that's all I have to say More benches and uh more trash cans. Thank you very much The next speaker comes up, I just want to say that We usually hold public comment to 30 minutes We started a little late, which is why we're at 7 35 So if I could see the hands of people who would like to respond in public comment I'm actually going to stop with surge because public comment would be over a lease and you just walk down the door But if anybody in this line Oh, okay Well, then for the rest of the folks who are left We're going to end with a lease and I'm going to reduce the time to one minute so that we can get on with our Evening items, but I will allow you to speak so please step forward Good evening everyone. My name is Brianna bird. I'm a graduate student at UCSC Which is currently withholding grades in protest of a cost of living adjustment because santa cruz county is unlivable Um, just right now and you can introduce yourself. Okay My name is Arturo. I am an undergraduate at UC santa cruz as well I am part of an order called the worker student solidarity coalition Um, and we're here today to stand in solidarity with food non bombs with the homeless union With moms for housing with anyone really fighting for housing justice We really see the importance of graduate student positions our positions as students as a way to connect the dots And we're telling you that as workers as community members This whole town is unlivable for students and workers alike And it's ridiculous that folks are houseless when buildings are not occupied We have the ability in 2020 to do what we need to do with these resources And these folks are coming to you and asking for this to happen very calmly So, please please please make this happen once again We're with the graduate students who are striking on campus in protest of how unlivable the city is and we stand in solidarity With all of the folks fighting for housing justice. Thank you Oh, good evening, uh, greg banks and uh, santa cruz resident and uh, registered voter. Um, I'll make it quick I'm tired and cold. Um, I'm street level homeless and uh I'm gonna plan on trying to get out of that but um, I If I just adore my homeless brothers and sisters and and the amazing things I see Uh, just blossoming from different people and I think there's things that this year we can tap into that more and more. Um No, no division. Just let's work on stuff. I love this city. Um Four weeks sober because I want to improve myself but also be able to perform for To be of service like everybody I see here and it's it's that important and but it sucks to sit through a four hour cash meeting Sober no offense. No, actually it's it's important. It's important too. Thank you everybody. Thank you next speaker All right, I'm bc the black clown. I'm gonna say this really quickly There are solutions that we can all come together and figure it out The biggest problem is we don't know each other No matter what anybody says about anybody that's here You're all here for a reason so Let's all actually stop being so political And be community Thank you Nice job sitting all day. Um, I uh, we didn't get to talk at the City manager's report. I just want to talk to that. Um, I I think that Everybody is trying to solve homeless issues in different ways and It's not some people are trying to solve it and some people aren't I think people are just looking at it in different ways Um, I talked to the county and I work and I have some meetings with the city manager the CAO's office talking about different ideas and stuff like that and go to some of the county meetings Um, but I have to say I get more Back and forth and more brainstorming with county staff than I do with some Of the city manager the city manager's department even though i'm on a committee with city manager staff Um, I really appreciate, um that people are definitely trying to get the job done and trying to do it their own way Um, but more voices in there. I understand that you're a policy Decision you're policy makers, but they make policy decisions like the armory and stuff We weren't told about that or invited to that public engagement Thanks All right, at least you'll be our last speaker for public comment. You'll have thank you for letting me speak justin I wanted to talk about the um dev con development that's going in uh, or hopefully they're hoping they'll they'll go in They've gotten a number of their permits where the taco bell was at the end of pacific avenue and laurel the problem with this is that um Well, first of all, we have somebody like robert singleton who by the way is currently trying to start another smear campaign against Uh, the two candidates that they're attempting to recall and it's it's really egregious because it's completely false and uh It's it's just slanderous and so he was appointed to the planning commission Even though the guy has a pretty serious history in domestic violence and other things that I need to uh Reveal that but to get back the planning commission is Has approved this 205 unit development with zero affordable or low-income units going in that's egregious We need to change this policy Thank you very much that'll close public comment Next up on our agenda item number one general business Just had a comment for the one gentleman about the crosswalks. I was wondering if that's on our crosswalk thing Uh, he talked about two crosswalks one at washington and laurel and the other one at ocean street Is that because that crosswalk issue came to us previously? No, yeah, there's a list of uh projects I don't have the specific list in front of me. We'll look into it. Yeah, could you just get back to council? Thanks. Sure All right Next up uh general business the order will be a presentation Of the item by staff Or the council members who brought forward the item followed by questions from council We will then take public comment and then return to council for deliberation and action First item on our evening agenda is protecting renters free speech rights. This was brought forward by council members crone Sandy brown and myself and I'll uh turn this over to council member crone to introduce this item Thank you, mayor. This is just um bringing us in line with state law and actually putting some teeth into the state law It has to do with several occasions. I've heard from uh renters Who's really free speech was being affected. They were being um told to take down yard signs during Elections for whatever measure for whatever candidate and state law since 2012 says Landlords cannot do that that there's protection for political free speech For tenants and so now this would uh come in line or bring us in line with state law But actually have some teeth in it and be uh 50 penalty and um go up from there I just you know just putting people on I don't expect there to be uh many of these instances, but After we pass this because um I think the word will get out uh that Tenants do have rights of political free speech. So thank you, mayor. Someone pointed out in a letter to us I don't know city attorney. Um, we did we include the 90 days? And 15 90 days before and 15 days after which uh, also was part of the state law like for political yard signs Is that part of this? Ordinance, uh, I don't remember I don't think it was but they pointed out that it wasn't and maybe we could include that I don't know You have to take them down after 15 days um Hold on a second. I'll get back to you on that question. Sure. Thanks. Thank you, mayor On tomorrow, matthews Just to that point Your opening uh sentence about the purpose does say that it's in compliance with california civil code Etc which would then That was the number of days that was the language that I was looking for. Okay, so uh, so Uh, the land a landlord may not order the removal or remove a sign that's posted in compliance with The municipal code and civil code section 1940.4 and that's the provision that Contains the 90 days before and the and the 15 days after So I think it's covered. Are there any other questions from council members at this time? Seeing none, I'll open it up for public comment If anyone would like to comment on this item I'd like to ask if you please line up to the left and you will have up to two minutes to Speak on this item Hi, carrot philip Um, this is a somewhat poorly written ordinance clearly senate bill 337 intended local authorities to either Regulate reasonable time limits for the posting of political signs by some tenants Or specifies as a backup for the absence of specified local time limits to protect property rights of property owners by Reaffirming their property rights to set reasonable time limits for putting up and taking down political signs They defined reasonable as 90 days before and 15 days after the election Uh, if without a copy of sp337 in front of someone a reading of this ordinance implies There are no time limits and no authority of a landlord to request signs be removed ever Or on when they can be put up whatsoever and penalties apply after a warning Lacking a clear I assume written policy by the landlord Removal would become a crime and perpetuity Um, now the city infraction writing officer must potentially get into the business of understanding what policies the landlord has in place Regarding sign posting time limits if they are outside the state suggested 90 days or or 15 days after Uh, it's also likely landlords all over town will have to modify rental agreements to install such limits under their agreements I would suggest this will actually increase divisiveness in the community and you know, oh well, huh? Um, this is a matter of property rights versus free speech rights, but stale political signs are really just blight Uh, I would prefer and suggest if you must enforce this divisive ordinance To put the onus on the tenant to adhere to a specified time interval such as this 90 days before or 15 days after Or lacking that make the ordinance crystal clear The landlord has a right and obligation to set their own rules including or outside those time limits Were to affirm their right with or without specifying rules to demand or remove signs posted outside those suggested timelines As well as allowing them for longer if they wish there are times to do so So it's a little confusing Thank you very much Is there any other member of the public who would like to speak on this item? Seeing none. I'll return for action deliberation customer brown um, well Having experienced this myself as a tenant being told by a landlord that I needed to take my signs down. I have A particular personal connection to this, but I have also heard from others and believe that Taking this very small action Tonight to affirm that the that the city Believes that this is a free speech, right? Um, I'd like to move that we introduce republication and ordinance Acknowledging state law civil code relating to tenancy section 940 0.4 Concerning the rights and abilities of tenants to freely post political signs and setting the bail schedule for those violating this law second We have a motion by council member brown seconded by council member glover to Adopt the recommendation that's before us today. Is there any other Comments by city council members or discussion? I don't know if it just um Should be said mr. Mr. Phillips what his comments were addressed right before he spoke, but I don't know if he was There is time limits 90 days and 15 days Okay, I'll just say that um, I've also heard while I was campaigning of these similar actions occurring, which is why I'm supporting this today and um, if there is no further comment We can take the vote all those in favor. Please say aye. Hi. Any opposed? That passes unanimously Moving on to item number two Um remodels of the branch of 40 in garfield park branch libraries This is being brought forward by susan nimitz our library director and I will give her an opportunity to speak on this item Hi, my name is susan nimitz very grateful to be here this evening and really looking forward to this presentation As you know in 2013 the santa cruz public libraries Did a master plan study and looked at the deficiencies of all 10 of our buildings As a result measure s was created and passed by our public providing 67 million dollars Across the 10 libraries to improve their facilities As a result the city of santa cruz was allocated 31,250,000 To upgrade branch of 40 garfield and the downtown branch libraries In the spring of last year we hired bogard construction We've got kimmy owens from bogard construction as a project manager And abe jason architects we have abe jason and katie stewart from the architectural firm To do a pre-design process with the community We held community meetings in the spring and summer of 2019 and they put together a basic design For your approval like all the projects that we're working on and right now we're working on 11 projects We are having some cost problems and so i'd like to show you What the dream for the projects are what the consequences if we stay within budget And then have an opportunity to talk to you about financing Abe katie, would you like to begin? Are you guys able to see this? I I don't know Mayor comings vice mayor mires members of the council. Thank you for your tonight As uh susan said we're here to present our design options for the branch of 40 branch and the garfield park branch libraries And we're thrilled to be here. We're really excited about these two projects We think they are both inherently lovely buildings And we're presenting designs that we really think You know bring them back to their former glory And I think you'll be excited to see what we've prepared So just briefly. I want to introduce myself. My name is abe jason. I'm principal of jason architecture And we are a firm located in san francisco and we work on community and public buildings throughout the bay area And libraries are one of our specialties katie stewart the project manager for these projects will also be speaking tonight and she'll come up and Speak to some of the presentation These projects would not be possible without the community. So I first want to just Let the community know that they deserve, you know, great credit for measure s And it is what funds these projects So first we're gonna start with branch of 40 and katie is gonna walk you through Thank you.  Thank you all for coming tonight as well All right, so just i'm gonna jump right into branch of 40 library So this is a floor plan of your existing library Just to orient you. I know that It's a very popular library within the community. So just to get a sense of what it's how it's laid out currently So number one indicated with this red arrow is the current main entry to the building Um, the dark green area is the current staff area The sort of middle blue color to the north of that is the current children's library Number seven the dark blue color is the teen area And numbers five and two are the adult collections So this library although a very beautiful building has fantastic bones It has a number of both maintenance and accessibility issues The lighting and the electrical systems are badly out of date and in need of repair The plumbing fixtures are not accessible as well as out of date and not in compliance with current california water codes You have an excellent outdoor patio, but it's overgrown and hasn't been maintained properly And then you have finish issues throughout the building furniture that's beyond its usable life And circulation dust that are not working properly for your staff So jumping into the proposed design Before I get too much into the details of the proposed design I want to take a step back and talk a little bit about our inspiration for the look and feel of this building We're really inspired by the context of this building within Santa Cruz It's proximity to the harbor to iran and gulch and sort of the natural environment that's around it the beautiful stone and the beautiful colors of the Ocean the kind of branching of the of the tree branches and the roots in the local area And sort of these elements such as the the lighthouse And the trestle bridge that have kind of a quintessential Santa Cruz feel So we want to try and incorporate all these different elements into our design as much as possible So what you're looking at here is the material board for the proposed design So you can see right away We've got some of those blue colors that we're seeing in the water You've got the wood that kind of ties back to the forest and also to the existing structure Which has these very beautiful wood tresses You've got a board form concrete, which is also part of the existing structure And then you can see kind of that natural branching Shown in the etched glass patterns that we're proposing as well So here's the floor plan for the proposed building and you can see right off the bat that this is Basically essentially the same exact Footprint as the current building. So all of our proposed renovations take place within the existing building envelope We're not changing how the building is cited or how much square footage is inside of it But I will draw your attention to Number one, which is the current entrance is also going to be the new entrance So we're not really changing the front face of the building However, when you first go in the door instead of to your left instead of having that space given entirely over to the staff We're converting that into a new community meeting room And this community meeting room is really excellent because it can serve as an independently operated Out uh outside of normal operating hours space So it has its own um the code mandated required number of exits and entrances It also has a controlled access to the restrooms So if you close the building off kind of at the the wall that's between numbers one and three That space can operate without the rest of the building being supervised Which is really important for a community room space Oftentimes the most popular events take place late at night when you don't want to have library staff Operating the building as well So moving to the north of that you'll see the new children's area with a connection to a revitalized patio So really bringing some new life back into that outdoor patio Number seven is an enlarged teen space. However, we're thinking about this kind of differently We've decided to show the teen spaces two separate rooms Which could be used outside of kind of normal teen operating hours as group study spaces Something we've really heard from the public that this building lacks And then numbers five and two those continue to be the adult collections However, we've really centralized to the or we've really consolidated the collection into number five And we've provided a new lounge and computer space Number at number two. So really giving this area over to quiet reading to to sort of group talking Public access computers and having the collection centralized up at the north So jumping into visualizations. This is the approach to the building And as many of you know, this is very similar to how the building currently looks However, we've made a key intervention right at the entry here Showing a new picture window, which is really going to draw the focus to the to the entry of the building This this building has kind of a secretive entry. There's a board form concrete wall that is right on Between the sight line from the street to the entry. So this new window really Allows people as they walk down the street to kind of see where they're supposed to go in and make that access path A lot clearer. We're also proposing a really beautiful picture window just to the right of it This could be kind of a new focal point something that People kind of gravitate towards at the new library and also makes that street skip very vibrant You can see the activity within the building it makes what's currently kind of a dead corner Feel a lot more activated and a lot more a part of the the library space So right when you walk in the front door You can see to your left. This is the new kind of community room suite So there's actually public restrooms to the left and then there's the the larger community meeting room There's the staff desk right right when you walk in really easily supervise really easily supervises the entire library footprint And then you can see further back beyond there's the children's and teen areas We're proposing a new glass wall between the main library space and the children's area And this is really going to provide some much needed acoustic separation The children's area can get quite loud when compared to the rest of the library the kiddos get excited and kind of shriek And so this is going to make that space more closed off and kind of make the overall library more usable because of it This is that main beautiful large reading room space And as you can see we're being very faithful to the original design All of this wood ceiling those wood trusses the board form concrete columns all of that's existing And as architects we're really thrilled with this building. We like to say it has good bones Actually, both of these projects do so it's really exciting to be able to work on it And what this what this view is really showing you is that we're just kind of providing some new furniture And the new public computers within this space bringing it back to its former glory rather than proposing something new Here's the inside of that bay window that beautiful picture window I could see this really being kind of Like a touchstone for the building say something like oh, let's meet at the bay window It could be something that's really nice and vibrant and kind of a little new insert for the building something That's representative of the the 21st century Here's that teen area some room for teen collections, but also some very Multi-use furniture so something that could be used for a group study as well as for the teens Here's the children's area again, we're proposing kind of separating consolidating the collections on the right here younger kids books in the front older kids books in the back where the shelves are taller And also providing lots of nice soft seating in this area for kind of more casual reading and play Another view of this soft seating area Showing how these new seating looks kind of have a reference back to that bay window up at the front Continuous motif throughout the design of the building And here's the children's area. I'm looking from the entry to the patio back to the area Something to point out in this slide is there's a screen in the back And this is this kind of a visual Seperization between the teen space and the children's space So while a single librarian in the children's library can actually also supervise the teen space There's kind of a subtle separation between the two so the teens don't feel like they're in the children's library Which I think is very important psychologically And then here's the new outdoor patio revitalized pulling up all of that sort of dead Dead plants that are there currently thinking about a new way to do the trellis making this really a programmable space So while we're not adding any new square footage to the renovation This new programmable patio actually gives the library some a new space for them to use And then a inside view of this new community community room Really great space. I could see this being used for a wide variety You know presentations during tax season would sort of be on one end of the spectrum I could see maybe a wedding reception taking place here. So it's really a usable space really lovely And again this after hours functionality makes it a great asset to the library All right, and I'm going to pass it back to Abe to talk about Garfield park Thank you, Katie So as Katie said about Branson 40, we really love both of these buildings and I'm totally enamored with Garfield park It's a beautiful Carnegie library. It's one of those classic one room libraries It had a small addition done to it about 20 years ago But it really sort of maintains much of its original historic character On the exterior in particular particular excuse me Here's the existing floor plan and so I'm just going to quickly orient you to the building I many of you have probably spent some time in it Once again, the the main entrance is shown by the red arrow number one The light blue on the left is the adult area You have a circulation path through the center in the light green and number four And the number five and six is the in the darker blue is the children's area on the right You have a very large Frankly kind of oversized for the scale of the building circulation desk shown at number seven And a well used but undersized meeting room number eight And then on the left you upper left you have an existing Access ramp for the secondary entrance and then staff area in the back in number seven Like Brantza 40 although it is a beautiful building. There are some serious deficiencies deferred maintenance and You know infrastructure issues throughout the building You have older inefficient lighting You have furniture that is you know fraying and you know shows the abuse of and the use and abuse that Occurs in a public facility and really has started to deteriorate You have a fireplace that is currently unsafe for public use Given its proximity to the floor and its sort of lack of closure And you know one of the sort of more egregious elements of the building That I see as an architect is you have bookshelves in front of these beautiful historic wood windows In my opinion, you should never put a bookshelf directly in front of window. That feels like a travesty So we'd like to bring some daylight back into the building So what is this going to look like? Similar to Brantza 40 we we don't just jump right into designing the building We think about where do we take inspiration from? How do we connect this building to your community? We care very much about unique buildings that are designed for individual communities And so we looked at again some of the features of the ocean adjacent Natural bridges in the afternoon and has this warm glow And that sort of made us think of California poppies And then of course the monarch butterflies nearby natural bridges and then sort of also looking at you know, sort of the Rough rough ocean because the the ocean is not always calm and quiet here in Santa Cruz Transferring that to a material palette. We have a palette that is really thoughtful to the historic precedent of the building We've got Carpet that reflects the blue of the ocean and then some color accents that are in that line And then we're using dark walnut to really give a nod to the sort of era of historic Carnegie libraries where Built-in wood shelving was prevalent around the perimeter of the buildings And then a light colored oak wood floor You can see there's two fabrics one that is a blue fabric that's for the adult areas And then we have the pops of vibrant color in the orange echoing the monarch butterflies in the California poppies As well to really give it some vibrancy And then we have a couple fun little nods We have some brass accents, which will be used in signage and cabinetry poles and that's really a nod to the historical character of the building So the proposed floor plan Really doesn't modify the overall layout dramatically But there are dramatic impacts from the small interventions that we're doing We are not expanding the footprint of the building so it will remain the same size But we are really reclaiming programmatic space for functionality You'll see right off the bat that there were some Awkward walls in the center of the space that have been removed And it allows for a really clear corridor upon the main entry through to the circulation desk in the back And then a really well-defined adult area in number two and then children's area at number three We've reduced the size of the circulation desk to a more appropriate scale for a building that is very much the size of a small house It's about 2,000 square feet And we've done some very sort of modest but important improvements to the staff area and then importantly we've expanded the size of the meeting room, which is a real amenity for the community Lastly, you'll see that the ramp on the exterior has been replaced This is unfortunate. It's not something we would really Love to dedicate the budget to however it Unfortunately, no longer complies with current ADA code. And so for access compliance issues, it does need to be replaced So walking into the building Again, those of you who have been in this building You know that you walk in and there's just a wall of sort of obstruction ahead of you and you can see immediately same size space much clearer sort of entry and understanding Clear aisle through the center with new books immediately available things to entice you to come on in and You know sort of get to know the library. The circulation desk is directly ahead of you So staff is immediately available and obvious On the left is the adult area and on the right is the children area. Once again, it's a one-room library So there isn't too much to it Sort of moving back to the Circulation desk area you can see there'd be an area for new books or holds On the left and you can see the relationship of the addition that was done around the year 2000 With the the older historic Carnegie library This is really the definition and the transition And we're complying with historic guidelines where we do make it clear What was the original historic building versus the addition that was done and that there's a transition there in character But that they do mesh together and speak to each other And you can see the sort of bronze accents in the signage there and how the wood sort of relates between the two spaces The adult area You know very clear symmetry as is typical with a historic Carnegie library. We've brought in the Walnut shelving around the perimeter which really speaks to that era of building We've kept the curved crown molding at the soffit, which is again something very respectful of the original building And then we've got a carpet laid in the center with a wood perimeter So it appears to to look like an like an area rug But it's actually a modular carpet appropriate for public use And then another important improvement is we are putting in a modern gas fireplace that will be safe for public use and we are using a Engineered stone so it's not a real marble, but it looks like marble Which again is a really a nod to the sort of historic character Many of these older Carnegie libraries had this beautiful wood shelving matched with some some marble by the fireplace or at the floor Moving over to the children's area. You can see a very very similar approach But we've brought in the pops of the orange color a little bit more lively And then we've created a pin-up area for kids art around the top of the bookshelves On the left hand side is computers and technology and on the right hand side would be a homework area And then you know looking out towards the street I can't remember if that's Woodrow Delaware out there, but you we've cleared out all those Stacks that really obstruct the view we've brought daylight in we've brought greenery in And you can see those historic windows really start to shine in the space A little vignette here zooming in we've created these bench seats at each of the windows And this is the kind of space that I know will be occupied at every minute of every day that there's children in the space Kids are going to gravitate right towards these little seats sit down and not want to leave They're going to grab a book and just be at home So we are coming to you with two scenarios The what we've just presented for Garfield Park and and Branson 40 are the primary scenarios They sort of meet the the full aspirations of the community of the library And these are what we presented in two separate community presentations They are however over the budget So we are coming with a secondary option what we're calling scenario b And you can see the distinction between the scenario a and scenario b And sort of we'll talk about the cost at the end of this presentation. So Katie's going to walk you through scenario b for Branson 40 So I think for Branson 40 the simplest way to talk about the differences between the two scenarios is just to Give you the same visuals you saw again and take things away So this is the children's reading room And what we're going to be losing in the scenario b is these beautiful new windows that we're proposing Above the entry to the patio and at sort of at the right here above the collections These really serve an important purpose. They bring light daylight into this building They provide some connection to that indoor outdoor space make that program space really useful So I think the loss of them in this in this area is is not insignificant Another thing that we would lose in scenario b is the entire children's patio We would not have the funds to do the new renovation for it That patio that I showed at the beginning with the sort of overgrown bushes and the decaying Decaying trellis would have to remain At the exterior of the building Currently there is a gate that separates the parking lot at the rear of the building from sort of the main right of way However, that gate is located past the main entrance of the library So part of the new design is proposing moving that gate out to the property line Which would allow the library to secure their entire property after hours This scenario b does not have the funds to move that gate So the gate would exist at this location meaning that the building entry would not be secured after hours And then at the community room Something that we felt was really important was that this community space feel multifunctional That it doesn't just feel like kind of another conference room We wanted it to be something that could be really usable by the community And this beautiful wood vaulted ceiling and the wood wall here sort of brings it up to feel like something that's appropriate for more special event But the scenario b funding does not include money for that wood ceiling or for the wood wall Similarly for garfield park We're going to kind of walk you through a same sequence of images and then we're going to show you the elements that Have been removed from the budget to Adjust the the budget down So once again, I want to show you the proposed floor plan Take a close look at areas number two four three and seven kind of at the center of the building And then take a look at the scenario b floor plan What you can see is that at number six There are these walls that really occupy the sort of center of the one room original karnagy library And are really directly impact programmatic function functionality Essentially, they take away from the space available to the public So in scenario b those walls would remain We've lost that really clear definition through the center of the building that clear sort of aisle between the children's area And the adult area and then you can see Number seven we wouldn't be doing any renovations to the staff area and we would not be expanding the size of the meeting room Unfortunately, we do still need to replace the ramp. So that is a quite expensive feature It's a lot of concrete work and it is a code compliance issue So we it is a non-negotiable and that will eat up a bunch of the budget in scenario b So here was the adult reading area in the proposed design In scenario b we remove all of the Walnut shelving it becomes just sort of paint grade white shelving We remove all the paneling up above we remove the window seats and importantly you can see this Corner of these walls poking out and they'll become clear on the other images That's the walls in the center of the space that really restrict programmatic functionality And you can immediately see a lot of the charm and the character that we were working really hard to bring to this building Is lost with these reductions Once again walking immediately into the front door you can see the sort of clarity of the space The respectfulness to the original Carnegie library And you can see if we leave those walls in the center of the space essentially There's an object that is obstruction obstructing functionality and To sort of put a fine point on this This has a direct impact on the ability of the library to provide programming For the community it really reduces the usability of the spaces So I want to just quickly summarize the reduced scope takeaways So under brands of 40 you're losing the children's patio You're losing the windows at the children's area So that the that would bring a lot of extra light into that space There is no wood paneling at the community room and we cannot relocate the gate to secure the perimeter Garfield park sees more significant reductions There is actually a reduction in collections because we need to Bring the facility into ADA compliance. It means that all those cramped spaces They're not navigable by someone in a wheelchair We actually need to remove shelving and we are not able to put it back So there's a reduction in collections The staff area remains oversized proportional to this building which is about 2000 square foot building The accessible ramp is still is still required to be replaced. So that that portion of the budget has to remain in There's a loss of historical character, which I think was obvious from the images The drop ceiling that acoustic ceiling tile remains all the existing walls remain the existing fireplace remains, which is A safety hazard if it's used by public by the public and staff currently And there's no expanded beating room and there's less seating So This is what this means from a budgetary standpoint under scenario a The target budget for these two branches combined was 4.25 million The total project cost of scenario a is 6.26 million. So it's approximately two million dollars over budget Under scenario b Even after we stripped out all of these Programmatic aesthetic and functional issues out of the project scope We were able to get closer to the budget, but they are still combined over budget by about 581 thousand dollars Um, and happy to sort of answer any questions you might have about about budget. So, uh, again in summary The total budget for scenario a is 6.26 million. The total budget for scenario b is 4.83 Brief, uh, sort of note on timeline here You guys have been working hard as a community on this the master plan was completed back in 2012 And you know coming out of the master plan you had to organize for a bond measure You passed measure s you had to then evaluate options about how you're going to approach your entire system There was a conceptual design phase And then a schematic design prepared And then as the library is experiencing on many other projects there was the dilemma about funding So many of these projects are coming in if not all of them are coming in over budget, which is Representative of the current construction market we're seeing in the Bay Area So that brings us to where we are now Next phases would be design development construction documents and permitting construction And then uh, that puts garfield park completing a little bit ahead of branch of 40 garfield park would complete approximately third quarter of 2021 and then branch of 40 would uh, complete approximately First quarter of 2022 Um, I'm going to hand it over to susan and she's going to speak a little bit to these projects and then we can Transition over to qa Thank you for bearing with us Um, as you can see, there's some really exciting ideas that could really transform these two libraries into 21st century modern buildings Um, I'm recommending that, uh, you spend more money um Our original, uh Planning assumption was that these two projects would Get about 4.25 Of the measure s funds I'm asking for a million and a half additional of those measure s funds I've talked to the friends of the library Martín Gomez who's the current president of the friends of the library About having them make a commitment to raise the additional 500 thousand dollars By december of this year So that we could move forward with the full scope I know he's willing to come up and talk the board hasn't voted on it. They will talk about it on friday But looking at what they have already raised And that they have two committees one for branch of 40 and garfield park already started I really believe that this is within their power to achieve With that i'll stand for questions Thank you. I'd like to return to council for questions regarding this item I'm just wondering where the, uh Is the money coming from the bond itself or is there another source besides the 500 000 that friends will, um raise My recommendation is that 1.5 million come from the bond itself the measure s bond For the city of santa cruz projects And a 500 000 be raised by the friends of the library So just to be clear like so that's coming from what's available for the downtown library. That is correct So so somewhere we're going to have to um make that up. I guess it is my belief that um The downtown library project is underfunded and will need more resources with this or without this I had a question for the city attorney on two separate occasions. You had said that Money from the parking fund could be used to supplement the cost of the library. Is that still the case? As I understood it is general fund money or is that not the case I believe what I said is that money That was determined by the city council Not to be needed for the parking fund could be Uh What in the general fund And then how the city council allocates general fund revenues really a discretionary determination for the city council Thanks, and my last question was for the architect. Mr. Jason um, could you show the um Brent's 40 library the entrance one more time? Yeah, if you don't mind me taking the moment to flip back. Yeah This guy right here Or the interior. Sorry. No, where's the where's the doorway? Where do you go into the library? Right where it says library This is this is immediately upon entrance. I don't know if we uh have a view From the exterior. You're looking directly at that door. Was there anything going on with uh, because I know Somebody coined it as um homeless defense architecture, and I'm just wondering it. Was there any thought going in when you were going through all this with how to um Uh Confront the the problem we have with homelessness and that homeless people use the library a lot Um council member crone if if you'll let me I think when we had the community meeting We also had a strategic planning meeting at the branch of 40 library And that the patrons who showed up that day's single biggest issue was security and safety And if we look at our incident reports, um the branch of 40 library has um Less incidents than the downtown library but more than any of the other libraries in the library system in particular The the areas that seem to aggravate the community the most is the entrance to the library It is a spot for camping But I also think because it has sort of this covered cement component to it people come upon people camping And both are surprised which has created some interactions that haven't been very positive I would say though that another issue and we've worked with the city on it Is the bike path on the side of the library has been a continuous issue for the neighbors Thank you. Thank you mayor I just wanted to just provide additional clarification on the question regarding the uh parking funds Just because the library subcommittee has been working on that and they've been working with john barisoni And I wanted to see if Amanda could come up and just provide a little bit more clarity on that question Um Amanda or tell i'm a principal management analyst in economic development And I've been working with our downtown library subcommittee And the question of the parking funds has has come up a couple of times So i'm just going to read the language that I got With john that what I worked on with john barisoni. So The parking district was created for a particular purpose to address the needs of the Of parking in the downtown and it's important to distinguish between Parking district funds in general and parking parking district funds surplus. So really only the parking District funds surplus could be expended for non parking uses, but that would be only once all the needs of the parking district had been fulfilled and In the past the district has operated at cost and has not run a surplus and any future surpluses related Um That would come to the parking district Would first need to look at the needs of the parking district which would be deferred maintenance. Some of the long term planning And any of the surplus funds that have been raised from the increased rates that we've seen We need to look at sort of the terms under which those rates were increased and then look at whether it's appropriate to Expend them for other uses since they were By council created for a surplus project. So those are some of the intricacies to kind of consider in the future And I think that's it. I mean Thanks But ultimately, um The council created it and the council can make a decision to use the parking funds. Um, I'll defer to the city attorney on that but um I I think amanda accurately stated what the purpose of the parking fund is um, I think there's also a concern about the The the decision to increase parking rates was Was made by the city council in the anticipation that that that was going to be used to alleviate parking issues in the downtown area So I guess that's a policy decision that the council would have to grapple with Thank you for the presentation. It's um, it's just really wonderful to see the possibilities here and I really appreciate your your enthusiasm your commitment to Reflecting the historical character and kind of in the landscape of Santa Cruz and what makes our community unique So thank you for that. I have a question which is Somewhat it's so miss Nemitz and to you mention the bike path. I have a question that came from Our chair of the transportation and public works commission did send us correspondence about The potential to use this This process to do Improvements to the bike path there between galt and hanover and so I'm wondering if that's been discussed at all And if there is a possibility What council member brown it did not come up at any of the community meetings that I just received that letter today from the city We'd be happy to go and talk to the group I would say that to take a five feet path to 10 feet I'm sure it's not without cost and as you can see we're already struggling with the budget But I'd be happy to work with the community on that because you know, we share in the advantages of that bike path as well And I think just a really quick follow-up I think that the request did say ideally 10 feet because that is kind of the standard the federal standard But that it had been six feet and so if there's a possibility to even get that extra foot back that that was something they'd be interested in Happy to work with them. Thank you. That's great I just want to make a few comments. This is the first time I've seen these all blown up and beautiful And they're they're gorgeous. Um, I do want to make a couple of for lack of a better term historic comments when the Facilities master plan was first done Looking at all the needs of the different branches The possibilities for improvements Were projected over a range from Extremely basic to quite ambitious and we kind of struck a middle path on the bond measure The bond measure amount was set Partly in response to the the needs that were identified But also just what what the voters would accept frankly And so it was understood even at the time that additional fundraising would be Anticipated and that's proven true. I don't know if the Other council members have gotten a report on the progress at all the other branches But they're they're all moving ahead Some of them are going to open pretty soon And there has been significant fundraising being done at all of these so And construction costs as we all know have gone up dramatically, which is reflected in all the work. So I think this Is Not a an issue that's unique to us it's There's several years of Getting to this point So we will hear from the public But I am impressed to Hear that The friends are committed to fundraising and so we'll hear from the public take it from there I had a few questions actually regarding just some observations that It's some of which have come up as we've been considering the downtown library But then I saw a couple issues that came up for me with this With regards to the branch of 40 library one question I had was there was um In one of the slides that showed that the staff the staff area became Reduced in size and it seemed like to a pretty big extent I just wanted to I know that with regards to the downtown library There's been a concern about the reduction in the staff space having an impact on staff and they're you know The space that they have to work And so I was just wondering if you could comment on that and as how it relates to You know whether this is going to have an impact on staff in the branch 40 branch Um Mayor I think it's a very good question and it sort of depends upon who you ask But I would say that overall I think Staff spaces nationally are getting smaller in part because we are not Processing as many physical objects as we have in the past. I actually Um believe that this Is a very functional workspace for a smaller library And uh, I don't know Jessica who's our regional manager. Do you have anything you want to add to that do you think? So well, I would add that number Just as Jessica's our operations manager Um, so number eight, which is where we want to put in the community room right now It is a staff space, but it is primarily a storage space So we do have like our toddlers go in there to have the toddler time because it keeps them corralled But it's it's not a space that's very well used right now for the staff either Then the other question I had um was just Whether or not it sounded like in the presentation that There's anticipated reduction in collections At the branch of 40 branch in particular maybe not at both But could you speak to whether or not the renovations would then also lead to a reduction in collections? Whether or not we should expect that so In in both options, there is a modest reduction in collections However, this is typical with what we are seeing in modern library trends And it really speaks to a desire to bring the height of shelving down Technically actually the older taller stacks that you see in older libraries are not ADA compliant And they require an exception to the code Why are someone a staff member to be present at all times to be able to reach the top shelves? So the modern trend in libraries is keeping shelves generally under five feet And that alone often even if you keep the same stack layout, you know sort of imparts a small reduction in collection sizes Um in the option b for garfield park There is a more substantial reduction in collections because there's a two-fold impact one We're not able to reclaim the space from the sort of awkward walls in the center of the space and then two For access compliance, uh, we are forced to remove all of the cluttered shelves in the center of the space And really we have only one spot to put it Which is around the perimeter in between the windows and so the option b under garfield park does see a more dramatic reduction in collections Uh scenario a for both branches is more in line with what we would see typical, which is a modest reduction due to a sort of reduced heights And is there any number in terms of By what magnitude the collections would be reduced? I didn't bring those tonight, but I can get them to you I think it was not our intent in either of these branch remodels to greatly reduce the size of the collection Um, we are trying to get rid of the very tall shelves. I would say for another reason seismic requirements that if it goes over 60 inches You have to um, uh, fix it to the ground Which really creates less flexible space in the branch as well And so we'll get you those numbers. Thank you. And then I'd like some air mires and then council member matthews I just have one question Abe you mentioned a couple of times that the the ADA compliance that needed at garfield is Can you give me the Right what you said that's one of the most expensive elements. I'm just curious Yeah, particularly the ramp. Um, so it's actually it's unfortunate that the ramp was constructed around 2000 give or take a couple years and technically should have been compliant Uh, it's it's it's not uncommon that there's some You know construction deficiencies or settlement, especially when there's outdoor ramps, but unfortunately it is it is no longer in compliance and uh when Applying for a building permit under the california building code You are mandated to bring several things up to code. The first is the primary entrance to the building So it's a path of travel from accessible parking spaces to uh, the the door of the building in the case of Garfield park because it's a historic building They actually give an exception that it doesn't need to be the front door Typically it would need to be the front door But it's because it's a historic building. There is a special carve out in the california building building code for historic structures um And the ramp is uh, it's it's not insignificant in proportion to the scale of the job If this was a much bigger project Proportional to the budget it actually would have a much smaller impact But it actually takes up alone the ramp about 10 of the project budget At the full size and at the smaller smaller scope scenario b It takes up almost a third of the budget and that upgrade according to the code has to happen Concurrent with any we will not be able to get a building permit without doing that. That's what I thought. Thank you I'll somewhere with matthews I just wanted to um point out I can put it in the form of a question maybe for you to confirm But although the collections might be reduced slightly The way libraries function has changed so much over time. It's no longer a place where Whole way of operating is go in get book check it out and leave but as shown here Lots more space to um computers to informal gatherings to study space, etc. So it's It's just a different animal than traditionally so To trim the collections a little bit to achieve A really in the end much more active library by a lot more different populations is is a real net gain. I think That's a question I'll speak to that architecturally first and then susan can speak to that from a program at a standpoint That is absolutely the trend that we're seeing in contemporary libraries To be really clear. We love books. We believe in books. We care about books greatly And books are never leaving libraries that being said Computers are coming into I mean computers are coming into libraries computers have been in libraries for 30 years You know sort of flexible meeting rooms become important sort of Program rooms that serve for story time space that serve for after hours functions that serve for community meetings are becoming Important parts of libraries. So the library has really taken on a sort of whole variety Of community services that it never once did and that's kind of reflected in what you see in the sort of design and layout of a contemporary library And i'm going to try to be brief, but I need to say this because it will come up again except The way you design a library system can vary You could create so in santa cruz 3 25,000 square foot libraries around the county what this county has done is A wheel with small libraries and a central library that serves as a storage warehouse And so I think we will have a different conversation as we talk about the downtown library Because these buildings have been designed for holds where Where we get things from our master collection and bring them to these smaller branches If we were going to start all over and not have that central area for holding books These might look really different And so that's my caveat in this discussion for the future Well, thank you for the presentation. That's you know, really amazing to see what What potential there is for these two libraries moving forward It could be really cool. Yeah All right, so at this time I'd like to uh open the floor To public comment. And so if you would like to um make a comment on this for members of the public Please stand in line to my left. You'll have two minutes and we'll go ahead and start Hello again, uh I just wanted to uh Acknowledge the great job that the architects put together on those presentations. They're uh, really beautiful spaces and um particularly for the uh, the garfield park library, I hope that we're able to to Meet the full vision of that that space because I think that would be really wonderful. Um That said I I I have the privilege of of seeing um A similar presentation of this uh back in the fall and um The the tenor of that um that presentation around the uh the brands of 40 library Delved much more into the the problems of of the Current space and its uh interaction with the uh the homeless population that congregates around it and um, you know, I I feel like like we're trying to essentially do weaponized architecture. Um And uh, if there are elements that we can cut from that to save Money like for example the perimeter fence that was discussed. I don't see what the security is for that space other than than a way to keep homeless people out and uh I recognize that the we're not doing a good job of of adequately housing people and people are having to make hard choices about where to be and and um When uh when a public library space is one of the only spaces that they can be and then we're we're shoving them out from that space with our intentional architectural design I think that's that's troubling and I I hope that we can do better. Thank you Uh next speaker Good evening. Mr. Mayor and members of the council. My name is martin gomez I'm president of the friends of the santa cruz public libraries The friends, you know, uh have been recognized by the library as the official fundraising body for the library And I'm here to tell you that We're committed to raise as much of it funding as possible To supplement the funds for the renovation and expansion expansion of each neighborhood library receiving measure funds We exist to advocate on behalf of the library and also to raise funds for the library Uh, we've been working in partnership with our affiliated chapters and key volunteers throughout the county and We're well on our way now to raising significant dollars for each library in the system The recent success of our fundraising efforts for the capitol and felton libraries And by the way felton is going to be opening very soon in just a few weeks Demonstrates that we are well prepared and capable of meeting the financial goal goals outlined For the garfield park and ranch 40 branch libraries As a matter of fact, we've already have some commitments going on and development of leadership Of from citizens in those two communities. So we would like to commit ourselves to uh being um Good stewards, but also to raise the funds necessary to supplement the request. Thank you. Yeah Speaker Hi, my name is reena dubin. I'm on the friends of the santa cruz public library board and I Wanted to just say that uh voters overwhelmingly support the library. They voted for measure s And unfortunately the construction costs have gone up so dramatically in the last 18 months But neighborhoods throughout the county are recognizing that this is a once in a generation Opportunity and I'm really hoping that you see that this is a once in a generation Opportunity to create a modern library that the community wants and deserves The um We have such a tight time frame to use the measure s funds And so I'm really hoping that Y'all can really think about using these funds now And just taking the downtown piece off the table because I'm just a little concerned that we're not going to get The maximum benefits of the bonds because there's so many bond restrictions Um, we really want to fully fund branch of 40 and garfield park The proposed improvements, they're not aesthetic and they're not optional the measure s Money will bring the libraries to a modern standard and will positively directly affect thousands of city residents Um, the branch of 40 and garfield park They really do serve an important function for our neighborhoods an entire cross section of our community depends on these small branches Families kids teens the unsheltered homeless and seniors Libraries exist to serve the public and the full proposal that the architects presented help the staff maximize What the libraries can give our community? So this is the time to invest for the future of santa crews and we need to get it right So thank you for your support for our library system Hi, my name is meredith cook. I'm just a community member I've been raising my three kids here and we spent a lot of time in the libraries over the years almost all the branches And um, I specifically remember when scott's valley opened a new library And what a huge difference it made to spending time there and um, I want to shout out that I recognize My librarian who used to make a lot of book recommendations to the kids And just how important creating a welcoming and beautiful space It is so thank you All right next speaker I'm matt ferrell. I actually live in the sea bright neighborhood So use that pathway and while it is narrow it does actually Encourage interaction between users in the pathway and I haven't really had any conflicts there. So while it would be an amenity There's some interesting interactions that happen under its current design Secondly, I'd like to really encourage the council to Fully commit the measure as funds recommended by the library director And uh as rena said my concern is that we're running into Situations where the longer it takes us to program those funds We start to hit boundaries that limit how much debt how much of the bonds we can access So I think deferring that decision down the road And I think the members of the library subcommittee can confirm this I think it it could end up costing us. So I would encourage you to Follow susan's recommendation and I want to really congratulate you. I want a great job you did in hiring her Next speaker The presentation was absolutely beautiful. Um, and It's strange to me. Maybe this is the way it's normally done But writing a budget beyond the budget that you were given for something I don't know how that works But then when they started taking away the extra things like it felt like someone took my shiny little toy out of my hand or something Like it was so pretty But all of that stuff that's separate for me on just moving the fence like that The safety of people walking up to the door absolutely People wouldn't be camping if they were walking in during business hours because everybody would be cleared But there is a book drop-off in that little doorway You could make like at the curb kind of thing like a pull in the drop the book thing Be a whole lot cheaper than doing that fence thing. Um, I really hear that modern library thing But let's not make modern also equal anti homeless Thanks Thanks speaker Good evening merecomings. Um city council. My name is Gina Cole. I'm the director at bike santa cruz county um, I Use that pathway um on my bike Occasionally when I'm going home if I have to swing by staff of life Um to pick up something and then I'll use that pathway as I'm writing to either meet my carpool or Head home to watsonville. It's narrow that today. I wrote it to check it out Um, and as I was on my bike A runner was coming through and and it was tight. It's not undoable But I slowed my bike and put a foot down so that that runner could pass I see that as a really Intergal place for kids to get from galt school To the library and when I was at the library today It was after school hours. It's about four o'clock this afternoon. The parking lot was full There were a ton of people inside the library There were a lot of kids in the library And I think that it's really important to one have that pathway remain To possibly light it if if that's anywhere near A part of it According to the letter that that mr. Battelle wrote He is been in contact with the folks that have purchased the The property that's adjacent to that pathway. There's a really cool old house there and it's a giant lot So I can imagine that there's going to be multiple homes there And in that case most of that pathway falls on that Property line and so maybe that is something that they can work into As as Phil suggested that is something that they could work into a negotiation with the homeowner as part of the development To increase the the width of that Of that pathway, but as far as you know kids Walking possibly to galt or from galt to that library Using those back ways. I I feel like it's really important to maintain that. Thank you Thank you And alise before we come forward. Is there any other member of the public who would like to speak to us on this item? Seeing none, alise you'll be our last speaker and you can come to the mic and you'll have two minutes I have a lot to say so i'm gonna have to kind of talk fast Um So I am just going to move really quickly. I would like to see more views. I would like to see the views of the actual entrance way I'm brent seforte It's beautiful and I appreciate the Wonderful presentations. I do think that we have to ask ourselves where cost comparisons made how much Did we how many architects did we really explore in the bidding for this for these projects? And other things that i'm concerned about is i've been to the presentations about the downtown library The last one was so pessimistic. Just the whole thing was presented as unfortunately We don't have the money for this and this is not going to be like that and if we go with the upgraded Design, well, we'll have to get more money. It was just really negative And I think it's very political and we really need to look at how political this really is through and through So i'm sorry to always be this person that has to be the like the The downer because I think it's a beautiful Uh design that we're seeing really functional and wonderful, but we need to see more I just had a construction go in next door to where we're living and our views are totally taken away at the planning commission They didn't show us neighbors next door. We need to see more views of certain things Um, I think the council needs to know that there has been a grand jury investigation of surveillance of users At the downtown library that was brought forward by library staff And I did not go back and read a miss nimitz response to that which was Due on september 21st of last year this huge push to get everything into computers And technology of course there's a modern need for that But I have to say that we have to consider 5g and the toxicity of the environment We're also getting rid of thousands upon thousands of books It's a big secret in santa cruz except for f friends of the library Because they're dumps during hundreds and hundreds of books most of this is cultural and intellectual history And we should have a place for this storage of this wonderful cultural history. Remember alexander the great They always burn the books. That's the first thing they do to get rid of the culture. Thank you Thank you. All right. We'll return for action deliberation councilman mires and councilman macron Um, I just want to I even just answered a donna. That's probably easiest. Um, I just want to thank um, susan and her staff For rebuilding our library system not just our libraries in the city of santa cruz, but um for working incredibly hard for an entire system of libraries to To upgrade these buildings i've um I've really tracked the progress and other in a lot of the other cities Um, and we're talking about um, you know, all of the communities raising anywhere from hundreds of thousands to two millions of dollars to To provide the best library that they can for their community. And so that's been very inspirational I mean little felton has raised over two and a half million dollars for their library Um, and that's a town of you know, 3000 people. So, um I think it's very telling by the numbers that passed measure s I think the number was an incredible thing like 72 of the voters or something like that past measure s Which is a statement by our community by our by our users of our libraries that they want new um 21st century libraries and um, I think these two are a special gem that we are lucky to be the stewards of as As the city council and as city residents um And um, I think about um The university when they did their fundraising work for the science library and McHenry library I happened to be working on the development team that was Starting to do that work and they raised tens of millions of dollars and those two libraries are beautiful and so um I grew up my my mom was a librarian so I have a a bit of a of a personal investment in this but I think this is one of the most important decisions we're going to make for our community this year and into the future and We're the stewards of the children and the youth of our community and if they don't have A place to go and read and be quiet and discover the world Through a free library book then we're not really serving The people that i'm here to do my my time for so I'm excited, but what i've seen I'm not at all overwhelmed by the fact that we may need to raise a couple million dollars. It's going to be a lot of hard work But that's what leadership is and we need to deliver for our community And I also just want to really express Thanks to susan that you know our system serves everyone No one has denied access to our libraries. In fact, they provide critical daytime Facilities for people who are unhoused in our community people who Need to Get in touch with their families people who need to look for jobs people who may be looking at housing listings so our libraries actually serve as in as kind of Navigation centers in many ways and in fact the downtown library branch actually provides services for exactly that so We're not talking about downtown tonight But I just want to really make sure that people are really aware that our libraries are all inclusive And that they just provide a critical critical piece to What everyone in our community needs which is access to information and the ability to Utilize these spaces in a way that serves them So i'm excited about what i'm seeing and i will i'm excited about to make the motion tonight But I will defer to my council colleagues here for some more discussion, but I do intend to make the motion tonight If I can i'll do it right now. People do it. Let's do it. I won't go ahead. So i'm going to go ahead and make a motion to To approve the recommendation for the remodels of branch of 40 and garfield park branch libraries And that will be to approve number one the approve this schematic design and the budget of 6.25 million and the financing To authorize the development of construction documents to authorize city staff to advertise for construction bids And lastly to authorize the city manager to execute the contract in a form approved by the city attorney And execute change orders within the approved budget By vice mayor meyer seconded by council member crone Further discussion. I just wanted to say that I was going to do the same thing And I agree with everything you said about the existence of libraries and what they mean in this community and what they have meant I think you have a very supportive council up here. I love the projects. They look really really beautiful I am concerned about that what I said about the homeless issue and sort of the defensive architecture And I hope that um, there's an inclusiveness that goes along with this but um And I am worried about where the money's coming from But I guess we'll have to do dialogue and debate about that as time moves on but um, thank you very much for all your work Council member Matthews council member Watkins, and then I have a question. I am so excited to be at this point Finally our ship is coming in The whole issue of possibly Expanding the bike path came up and it occurs to me that that if that were in the realm of possibility Perhaps some active transportation plan money or something could be allocated to that. I do know in felton that mark stone was able to get some state grant money to develop the The garden adjacent to the library So if it's not the library remodel per se, then maybe there's other funding that we can look forward to make that part of it happen I am just so struck in in all of these libraries how many different populations they serve and as the conversation went on everything from the The toddler reading groups raise a reader places for teens to hang out for community groups to meet For people to access computers Housed unhoused of any age and you know another Exhibit that many of us saw recently was it the maw about senior isolation and and what libraries mean to seniors so they really serve the entire spectrum in age and Demographics of our community. So this to me will be a wonderful generational investment and so wonderful that these two are Taking advantage of buildings that each has its own really distinctive and wonderful architecture that can be brought Into our our century. It's great Walkings I don't know if I can say it any better than my colleagues have already said it but I'll go ahead and just add that my two sensors would just also appreciation not only for The different versions that you presented. I think it's important for us to know What we could have What we May not be able to have if we chose to not go in that direction And I just really want to highlight that you know We really are in a unique time and it's a real privilege to be able to Make this decision to really ensure that we're thinking about the libraries for 50 years from now and The next generation and and and also meeting the needs of those our current residents And and and access and thinking about access and just you know as somebody briefly who lives on the other side of the path I really do relate because that's how I would get to the library in terms of going through that narrow path So we want to be mindful of that in terms of access But this is a this is a real step in something that I think Santa Cruz can be really proud of and And I'm grateful to have the opportunity to vote on this this evening as well Just a quick comment. I'll say here here to everything that's been said and also just add that this is You know the additional funds that we are I believe about to approve Really are it's not just about aesthetics and and I think that the you know the programmatic functionality improvements are so important and I really appreciate the Seriousness with which you undertook that task to bring us something that would really Meet those needs. So, you know, it is the pretty shiny things that That I you know seeing those go away was you know disconcerting But it's really making this commitment is about program and and how the space is used and not just observed Thank you That's whoever Glover. Thanks. Yeah, big supporter of the libraries and thanks for the presentation It was really nice to see I had a chance to talk with Susan Previously about it and kind of knew what to expect with some of the takeaways. So I was like, oh, here we go one question since the The Motions on the floor and it's seconded and sounds like there's a lot of support which is great Is the gate though? So we heard from a couple people especially people that are involved in the World of advocacy for people that are experiencing homelessness and I want to acknowledge what you were saying about general safety and or people coming up There was the recommendation of the book drop relocation instead of the moving of the fence I'm not sure exactly how much money the fence removal and replacement would cost But what's the likelihood of being able to Not do that and then reallocate that money into the other designs So and then saving that much money of not moving the fence I mean, that's not something we've talked about before the motion was made But I'd love to get your feel on it. Is it like a deal breaker? Is it something that you'd be open to? one to avoid the perception of weaponizing architecture as well as limiting Potential shelter space for someone if they're in the middle of the rain and need some place to be in the echo There's a library, but it's totally locked down like a fortress. So You know, I'm just interested in exploring that with you It's a very good question councilman clever, um I think it's what we're trying to do is reflect community interests It's hard when our Target group that we serve is everyone All right, we have traditionally tried to say that the library is incredibly committed To serving people experiencing homelessness in our community But we try to do it as a library and not as a camping space absolutely and so We just have received so much feedback from the brands of 40 community And I just have to say there are people who want the path gone as well Especially people who live on it But about the level of camping that's going on In that space and it was really an attempt To create a library that serves as a library and we we have no problems being a day shelter I mean we do that for everyone Um, I think the difficulty was the after hours camping and some of the things that were occurring on site Again, all of this is is subject to community interest and need And i'm willing to go and talk to groups about it I think the word that I keep hearing is defensive architecture And I think um, I've seen it In cruel ways, but I've also seen architecture that So madison public library is a great example of a library system Committed to serving people experiencing homelessness But it's through zoning and creating circulation and entrances So that everyone feels comfortable in this space And and I just want to say i'm committed to