LIBRARY - HISTORICAL
COMMISSION SIZE
Brian Simons, Library Director
SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE
• Council Meeting of May 3, 2021, Councilmember
Cox requested that Rules Committee consider
adding a Commissioner to the Library - Historical
Commission who has an historical or preservation
background.
• LHC would increase to 9 members with the Mayor
appointing another At-Large Commissioner.
• When historic preservation issues are put in front of the Library–Historical Commission, the Commission
lacks the expertise to evaluate them.
2 SIMPLE SOLUTION
Add another member to the Library – Historical
Commission with an historic or preservation background. … but is it the best solution?
3 SIMPLE SOLUTION
CONCERNS
1. Only twice in 15 years did the LHC need
to make a recommendation on historic
building/landmark preservation plans
to Planning Commission.
2. Only 2 Mills Act properties exist in
San Leandro, for which the LHC also
gets involved.
4 558 Joaquin Ave. San Leandro, CA 94577
857 Estudillo Ave. San Leandro, CA 94577
NEW EXECUTIVE TEAM
• Culture of collaboration has emerged within the
Executive Team.
• Got us asking, “Is the simple solution the right solution?” • Working together we discussed challenges with other
Commissions.
5 CHALLENGES
ATTENDANCE
Both the Arts Commission and LHC
have Commissioner attendance
issues
FINDING APPOINTMENTS
There is a difficulty to find community
members to serve full terms on LHC
and especially on Arts Commission
INEFFICIENCY OF WORK
Significant staff time is duplicated
when Library and CD staff meet
regarding preservation issues
MEETING CANCELLATIONS
Both Arts and LHC have had
cancelations due to lack of agenda
or quorum
EXPERTISE GAPS
Library staff and LHC members, even
with an extra member, lack the
architectural preservation background
6 0
2 4
6 8
10 12
14 Arts Meetings
with Absences
LHC Meetings
with Absences
Arts Cancelled
Quorum
LHC Cancelled
Quorum
Arts Cancelled
Agenda
LHC Cancelled
Agenda
Engagement Issues - Absences and Cancelled Meetings
2019 2020 2021 2022
CHALLENGES
ATTENDANCE & MEETING CANCELLATIONS
7 CHALLENGES
FINDING APPOINTMENTS
8 Arts Commission
At Large At Large At Large Dist. 1 Dist. 2 Dist.3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Dist. 6 Filled
Expiring 2022 2022 2024 2022 2022 2024
= Filled Seat
• Arts Commission has struggled to find people to fill
Commissioner seats.
• District 4 has been vacant 10 months.
• Recently the Mayor approved the elimination of 2 of the At-Large seats because it was causing quorum issues.
CHALLENGES
EXPERTISE GAP
9 • Library and Museum collect, preserve, tell, and
celebrate the historical and cultural stories.
• Community Development works with architecture,
buildings, developers, design, and the California
Environmental Quality Act.
• Community Development staff run the architecturalbuilding preservation portions of the LHC meeting.
CHALLENGES
INEFFICIENCY OF WORK
10 • The community contacts the Library regarding
questions about their properties if they think it’s
historic.
• We then contact Community Development staff to get
the answers.
• The Library is an unnecessary go-between.
TWO-PART SOLUTION
PART 1: COMBINE COMMISSIONS
11 PART 2: APPOINTMENT OF QUALIFIED HISTORICAL
PRESERVATIONIST
PART 1: COMBINE
COMMISSIONS
Create a new Library, Arts & Culture Commission
• Maximizes community engagement opportunities:
a joined commission provides more frequent,
meaningful, substantive agendas and action items.
• Promotes Commission meeting attendance.
• Reduces cause for meeting cancellations.
• Facilitates filling Commissioner seats.
• Creates more natural overlaps: Library hosts local
artists in its gallery space and already provides arts
programs with authors, actors, musicians, dancers,
sculptors, painters, chefs, etc. 12
Create a new Library, Arts & Culture Commission – Cont. • Aligns with the vision of the Library as the Soul of the Community: Provide equitable cultural and artistic
opportunities. Welcoming, open, and free to all.
• Many Arts Commission outputs involve the library:
• Mildred Howard’s Question Mark Sculpture
• Quincy Troupe Poem
• Brian Copeland’s Comedy on the Library Plaza
• Brody Q. Scotland (Arts Commissioner) Here is a
Sign Sesquicentennial photography exhibit
• Diana Prola (Library – Historical Commissioner)
paintings of former San Leandro buildings.
13 PART 1: COMBINE
COMMISSIONS
PART 2: APPOINTMENT OF
QUALIFIED HISTORICAL
PRESERVATIONIST
1. Mayor appoints an Ad Hoc Advisor to PC/BZA who
has professional historic preservation experience.
14 OR
2. Mayor appoints 1 member of PC/BZA to have
professional historic preservation experience.
RECOMMENDATION
STAFF RECOMMENDS THE COMMITTEE APPROVE
15 1. Combining the Arts Commission and LibraryHistorical Commission, creating a new Library, Arts & Culture Commission.
2. Mayor appoints an Ad Hoc Advisor to PC/BZA who
has professional historic preservation experience.
COMMISSION
TRANSITION
EXISTING COMMISSIONS COMBINE
• Existing commissioners remain. No one loses their seat. • As terms expire, we transition to a commission with 9 members. • With a lot of terms expiring in Dec. 2022, we will see a reduction quickly.
• For districts that have 1 representative during transition, for fairness, their vote is weighted to 2.
16 THANK YOU
Brian Simons, Library Director
Tom Liao, Community Development Director