March 4, 2025
Library and Community Services
DATE: March 4, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager – Community
Services
Kate Eppler, Deputy Director of Community Services –
Library
Ranjana Maharaj, Deputy Director of Community
Services – Recreation
Subject:
Transfer Management of Point Richmond Community
Center from Recreation to the Richmond Public Library
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Room rental fees will decrease from $104/hr to $12.50/hr (current room rental rate for library spaces); based on recent rentals of the space, this will result in between $1,000-$2,000 less rental income per year.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Library and Recreation divisions within the
Community Services Department propose transferring
management of the Point Richmond Community Center
(PRCC) from the Recreation Division to the Library
Division. Transfer of PRCC management to the Library
will increase community access to the space via
additional Library programming and lower rental rates for community use.
AGENDA
REPORT
March 4, 2025
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving the transfer of control of the Point Richmond Community Center from the
Recreation Division to Richmond Public Library effective April 1, 2025; and AMEND the Master Fee Schedule to
reflect the transfer to the Richmond Public Library and a reservation rate of $12.50/hr for community use of the
Point Richmond Community Center – Community
Services (Kate Eppler 510-620-5452/Ranjana Maharaj
510-620-6972/LaShonda White 510-620-6828)
DISCUSSION:
The Point Richmond Community Center (PRCC) at 139 Washington Avenue is primarily a single multi-purpose room, equipped with a kitchen, a closet, and a small office. The land on which the building sits was deeded to the City of Richmond by W.E. Smith in May 1960. Richmond’s Recreation Division operates the PRCC, which shares its building with the West Side Branch Library. Space constraints and Recreation staffing levels do not allow for regular Recreation programming in the PRCC, but it is available for rent by members of the public and community groups.
The Library Division operates the West Side Branch Library (Branch Library) at 135 Washington Avenue, housed in the same building adjacent to the PRCC and connected to it by a hallway and a set of bathrooms. The Branch Library houses 8,558 volumes in a 1,754 square foot space. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024, 6,614 users visited the Branch Library and borrowed 7,578 physical items. During the same period, about 1,000 people attended events hosted by the Branch Library. To host many of these library events, the branch library reserves the PRCC, free of charge.
In FYs 2021-2022 through 2023-2024, the PRCC was reserved 20 times by neighborhood associations, local organizations, and members of the public, generating fees of $5,850 over the three years. During those same years, the Branch Library made ten times as many reservations for the space (208 reservations) to facilitate free library programming such as author talks, children’s reading programs and reading help, writers’ groups, book or comic making workshops, and story theaters.
In acknowledgment that the Branch Library is the PRCC’s most frequent customer, and to facilitate additional City-sponsored events in the PRCC space to support reading, writing and literacy, the Library and Recreation Divisions propose to transfer management of the PRCC to the Library (Attachment 1).
Richmond Public Library’s proposed management of the PRCC would facilitate increased activation of the space for library services and programming, while still accommodating many of the community uses that currently take place. During FYs 2021-2022 through 2023-2024, renters of the PRCC who paid a rental fee paid an average of $487. If the Library assumes management of the PRCC, those costs to
March 4, 2025
community users will decrease dramatically, reflecting the Library’s community room rental rate of $12.50/hour.
Under the Library’s proposed management of the PRCC, rentals would need to fall under the Library’s Community Room Booking policy, which supports rentals by community groups, nonprofits, and government agencies but which does not allow for private rentals of Library spaces.
During FYs 2021-2022 through 2023-2024, five of the 20 total non-library rentals of the PRCC were by the Arts of Point Richmond organization; an additional five of the 20 non-library rentals were from local clubs, Richmond City departments, or other entities; and three rentals were by the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council. Rentals of this type would continue to have access to the space after the transfer of management, at the Library's lower rental rate or with cost waived, where applicable.
Of the 20 non-library rentals during FYs 2021-2022 through 2023-2024, just five were for personal use by members of the community or general public, which would be outside the scope of the Community Room Booking Policy under Library management.
In future, those renters would be encouraged to contact the Recreation Division about other community center locations and provided with referrals to additional resources and options.
Due to the limited staffing capacity of both the Library and Department of Public Works - Maintenance, as well as the Library principles and practices, some features of access and types of rentals would be more limited under Library management. Rentals would be limited to Library operating hours, and food and drink, as well as access to the PRCC kitchen, would not be permitted. The Deputy Director of Community Services – Library would approve any special accommodations outside of the stated policy on a case-by-case basis. The table below details current rental options for the Point Richmond Community Center, as compared to future access if managed by the Library.
Rentals at Point Richmond Community Center
Under
Recreation management
Under
Library management
Rental Fees $104 (multipurpose room)/$83
(conference room) per hour
$12.50 per hour
Rental Application Fee Yes, $50 fee n/a (free)
‘Short Notice’ Fee Yes, $50 fee n/a (free)
Kitchen access allowed Yes, $51 fee n/a (disallowed)
Rental Hours All Library operating hours only
Food and drink allowed Yes No
‘General Public’ or
business rentals allowed
Yes No (only community-based
groups/nonprofits allowed)
March 4, 2025
If the transfer is approved, the new rental rate, which would take effect April 1, 2025, will be updated in the City of Richmond’s Master Fee Schedule.
To accommodate more of the existing community rentals of the PRCC, which include occasional art and craft fairs from local nonprofit organizations, the Library proposes to change its Community Room Booking Policy to allow Richmond-based community groups and nonprofit organizations to conduct special sales events (Attachment 2). The Richmond Public Library Commission voted to approve this policy change at its January 2025 meeting.
Although the Recreation and Parks Commission does not currently have a quorum to meet and vote on the transfer of the PRCC from Community Services-Recreation to Community Services-Library, this information was shared with the current members of the Recreation and Parks Commission for their information. Information was also shared with members of the Library Commission.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
This effort is aligned with Strategic Goal Area No. 3: Improve the Quality of Life and Community Health/Improve Social Determinants of Health. Transfer of management of the Point Richmond Recreation Center to the Library will increase activation of the space by improving its usability for Library programs and events. The management transfer will also support Strategic Goal 3.2.b, ‘Build or upgrade Main Library,’ by providing additional space to support library operations during the renovation period when the Main Library building is closed.
City Staff is seeking Council approval of the proposed management of PRCC from Community Services-Recreation to Community Services-Library.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Library Community Rooms Booking Policy