Agenda Item D.1
CPMS DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM
Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: JoAnne Plummer, Neighborhood Services Director PREPARED BY: Elizabeth Saucedo, City Librarian
SUBJECT: Goleta Valley Library Capital Campaign Update with Recognition and Naming Considerations
RECOMMENDATION:
A. Receive the presentation on the update of the Goleta Valley Library Capital Campaign, “Writing the Next Chapter”; and
B. Approve the proposed donor recognition design concept acknowledging the contributions towards the interior project and authorize staff to proceed with the final fabrication and installation location consistent with the approved concept and applicable City policies; and
C. Authorize staff to work with the Mithun Foundation on the naming of the Children’s portion of the Goleta Valley Library in recognition of the significant financial contribution from the John C. Mithun Foundation; and
D. Approve the revenue and expense budget appropriations and budget appropriation transfers in Fund 101 and Fund 236 of all donated funds received to date from Fiscal Year 2025 -2026 and Fiscal Year 2026 -2027 through the Library Capital Campaign to be used for contracts and services associated to the interior project as described in the Fiscal Impact section.
BACKGROUND:
City Council authorized staff to pursue the launch of the “Writing the Next Chapter” capital campaign to raise funds for upgraded interior furnishings at the Goleta Valley Library (Library) at its regular meeting on September 16, 2025. After evaluating several possible campaign structures, staff entered into a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Santa Barbara Foundation in January 2026.
1 Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
To ensure donors had convenient and accessible ways to contribute, three additional donation avenues were established: through the Friends of the Goleta Valley Library (Friends), through the City of Goleta, and in person at GVL Express.
These options were pre sented to the community with the official campaign launch on February 11, 2026. With major early commitments from the John C. Mithun Foundation ($550,000) secured in December 2025, the Friends ($175,000), and contributions from community donors, the campai gn launched with $764,105 , nearly 45 percent of the $1,700,000 campaign goal already secured.
DISCUSSION:
Capital Campaign Update
Contributions to the capital campaign have remained steady during the five months since its launch. As of the writing of this report, a total of $1,121,022.95 (65.94 %) has been committed toward the $1,700,000 campaign goal. Significant gifts have been committed from family foundations, businesses, and other partners, including a $50,000 pledge from Sara Miller McCune to support upgrades to the highly utilized Community Room & Gallery. Numerous additional donations from organizations, businesses, foundations, and individual community members have further advanced the campaign in meaningful ways.
This strong community support has positioned the campaign ahead of schedule. Although the February –December 2026 campaign timeline recently passed its midpoint, fiscal support has already reached nearly two-thirds of the total goal.
Staff are prepared for a strong second half of the capital campaign. Since the campaign was first discussed, there has been considerable community interest in the Donor Recognition Program associated with the interior design fundraising efforts. Staff are pleased to present the final concept from the artist team, offering library supporters an opportunity to become part of “writing the next chapter” at the Goleta Valley Library. Staff anticipate that this visually compelling composition, reflecting the heritage, natural beauty, and literary character of Goleta , will further energize donor engagement, particularly as the community plans its end-of-year giving around this unique and impactful opportunity to support the future of the neighborhood library.
Recognition opportunities are available for donors who have alr eady contributed to the campaign. Additional opportunities to make a gift at one of the tiers specified in the Donor Recognition Program will be available beginning Monday, August 10th.
Donor Recognition Wall
The donor recognition wall is proposed as part of the Library Interior Project to formally acknowledge the financial contributions that have supported the renovation. Donor 2 Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
recognition is a standard practice among libraries and public agencies and provides a transparent, visible way to honor community investment.
A unified recognition feature ensures consistent acknowledgment of donors and complements the updated interior. Integrating the recognition wall into the project at this stage allows it to be designed cohesively with the overall improvements and avoids future retrofits or standalone plaques that may conflict with the new design. A well -designed recognition feature also strengthens community engagement and encourages future giving by highlighting the impact of donor support.
The project team col laborated with a team of artists to develop a design concept that reflects these goals and aligns with the aesthetic vision of both the Interior Project and the broader Goleta community. Details of the proposed design are included in Attachment
1. This concept will be used publicly to support continued fundraising, though final colors, shapes, and tile configurations may be adjusted based on donor participation levels and total funds raised.
The wall is proposed to be approximately five feet tall and eight feet wide and composed of hand-painted eight-inch porcelain tiles installed on an exterior wall. The tiles will be glazed, double-fired, and professionally installed, providing durability and resistance to fading and vandalism.
Several locations were evaluated for the recognition wall, including interior and lobby spaces and exterior areas near the library entry doors. The project team selected the Fairview Avenue entrance ramp, near the sidewalk, to maximize visibility for both library patrons and those passing by and to prominently showcase the artwork.
The design incorporates elements that reflect Goleta’s identity and the Library’s mission, including eucalyptus leaves, monarch butterflies, and of course books. The books will represent larger donor tiers, while butterflies, leaves, and smaller tiles will denote lower tiers. Donations under $1,000 may not be reflected on the wall; however, all donors who provide their information will still be recognized in perpetuity through oth er campaign materials. While the total campaign goal is approximately $1.7 million, recognition and transparency for contributions of all sizes remain essential and important to the project team.
Typically, a project of this nature would be reviewed by the Public Art Review Board (PARB). However, due to the timing of PARB’s formation and the campaign’s initiation, this project did not have an opportunity to undergo PARB review.
Naming of the Children’s Section of the Library
In December 2025, the John C. Mithun Foundation (Foundation) approached the Neighborhood Services team to express interest in funding the interior design 3 Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
improvements planned for the children’s area of the Library. The remaining cost to complete the commu nity-supported improvements in this area totaled $550,000. The Foundation generously committed to funding the full amount, providing the resources necessary to implement the envisioned upgrades.
To recognize this milestone contribution, the Foundation has requested consideration of naming rights for the children’s portion of the Library with the exception of the Jake Boysel Reading Nook. Importantly, the Foundation has not made its donation contingent upon receiving naming rights. The proposal was presented to the Goleta Library Advisory Commission (Commission) at its June meeting, and the Commission expressed support for moving this consideration forward.
Staff recommends that the City Council consider naming the children’s area of the Library either “Doris Mithun’s Enchanted Words and Wonders Library” or “Doris Mithun’s Enchanted Pathways to Discovery” and authorize staff to work with the Mithun family on proper signage and other appropriate details. In addition to this significant contribution to the Interior Project, the Mithun family and Foundation provide substantial annual support to the Friends totaling tens of thousands of dollars, helping fund year-round children’s programming and related services.
The Library holds deep meaning for families through out the community, and the Foundation’s sustained generosity has helped ensure that the Library’s facilities and programs continue to serve Goleta families for years to come. The recommendation for naming acknowledges not only this transformational $550,00 0 contribution but also the Foundation’s long-standing and ongoing support for children’s literacy and programming.
Appropriation of Funds
All capital campaign revenues are being deposited into a project-specific revenue account designated for the Goleta V alley Library Interior Renovation Project. At this time, $695,913.80 has been raised in Fund 236 for Fiscal Year 2025 -2026, and $300.00 in Fiscal Year 2026 -2027, for a total of $696, 213.80 in campaign revenues and therefore must be appropriated to the Library’s Campaign Expense line item to allow staff to begin entering into contracts and procuring services, equipment, and materials necessary for the project.
GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN:
City-Wide Initiative: 2. Support Communit y Vitality and Enhanced Recreational Opportunities
Strategic Goal: 2.5 Support the Goleta Library as a robust community resource
4 Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There are no new funding requests associated with this staff report, except for recognizing the donations received to date related to the Library’s Capital Campaign . To properly account for the donations, staff recommend s the following FY 2025 -2026 budget amendments:
Staff is recommending appropriations of $695,913.80 to the Library’s Capital Campaign based on the receipted donations from Fiscal Year 2025 -2026. The appropriations will be used for contracts and services associated with the interior project.
Additionally, staff is recommending a transfer of General Fund budget appropriations to Fund 236 (Miscellaneous Library Grants) to consolidate the Capital Campaign budget to one fund , Fund 236 . The $175,000 was originally adopted in September 2025.
Table 1: Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Recommendations
General Ledger
Account Number
General
Ledger
Account
Name
Budget
Appropriation Reason
Revenue 101-90-9130-46003 Donations -$175,000.00 Consolidate Capital Campaign Budget
Appropriations to Fund 236 236-90-9130-46003 Donations $175,000.00 236-90-9130-46003 Donations $695,913.80
Appropriate funds received
in 2025-2026
Total
Revenues $695,913.80
Expense
101-90-9130-57040
Furniture
and
Fixtures
-$175,000.00 Consolidate Capital
Campaign Budget
Appropriations to Fund 236
236-90-9130-57040
Furniture
and
Fixtures
$175,000.00
236-90-9130-57040
Furniture
and
Fixtures
$695,913.80 Appropriate funds received
in 2025-2026
Total
Expenses $695,913.80
Staff recommends the following Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget amendments:
An additional revenue and expense appropriation for $300.00 will account for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 donation activity.
5 Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
Table 2: Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Recommendations
General Ledger
Account Number
General Ledger
Account Name
Budget
Appropriation Reason
Revenue 236-90-9130-46003 Donations $300.00 Appropriate funds received in 2026-
2027 through
7/15/2026 Expense 236-90-9130-57040 Furniture and Fixtures $300.00
Total campaign budget in Fund 236 after the adjustments will be $871,213.80
Staff also anticipates returning to the City Council as part of the FY 2025 -2026 fourth quarter financial review in September, to request consideration of appropriating and transferring available FY 2025 -2026 Goleta Valley Library operating budget savings to the Interior Project. Library operations are supported by the General Fund and two special revenue funds, County Per Capita and Measure L. Following completion of the fiscal year-end closing process, staff will determine the actual operating savings attributable to each funding source and confirm the amount available.
If approved, this additional appropriation would support auxiliary costs, above and beyond the interior furniture and fixtures, associated with interior renovation. Such costs could , include architectural fees, construction contract change orders, and unanticipated construction management support needs as the construction project and the interior renovation project overlap.
ALTERNATIVES:
Council could choose to support any or all of the recommendations. If Council chooses not to support the recognition donor wall or the naming of the children’s library, staff will develop an alternative method to demonstrate gratitude to those that contributed to the project.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Donor Recognition Design Concept and Proposed Location 6 ATTACHMENT 1
Donor Recognition Design Concept and Proposed Location
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