COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dawn Jackson, Library Director
DATE: February 18, 2025
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving an Agreement with the County of Santa Barbara and the Cities of Lompoc, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria for the Operation of a County-wide Free Library System for Fiscal Year 2024-2025
Description:
The City Council will consider approving an Agreement with the County of Santa Barbara to provide for the operation of a Countywide Free Library System for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution approving an Agreement with the County of Santa Barbara, the cities of Lompoc, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria to provide for the operation of a Countywide Free Library System for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
BACKGROUND:
Since 1962, the County of Santa Barbara (County) has contracted annually with the cities of Lompoc, Santa Barbara, and Santa Maria to provide free library service to the cities and unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County. The cities of Goleta and Carpinteria have contracted with the County since the formation of their city libraries in 2018 and 2022, respectively. Library funding is a discretionary matter decided each year by the Board of Supervisors.
Each city library is responsible for a separate "zone." Santa Maria is designated as Zone 3 which includes the cities and unincorporated areas located within or in close proximity to Cuyama, Guadalupe, Los Alamos, and Orcutt. With County funds, which have been allocated historically on a per-capita basis, the Santa Maria Public Library operates four branch libraries in Cuyama, Guadalupe , Los Alamos, and Orcutt. All County residents have free and equal access to all public libraries within the County.
Last year's Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 was brought to the City Council and approved on November 7, 2023.
2 DISCUSSION:
On December 17, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved the Countywide Free Library System contract for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The per capita base allocation for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 is $9.15 with additional funding allocated to County branches to mitigate a potential loss of open hours and programming reductions. The County contribution to library services in Zone 3 for 2024-2025 is based on a total population of 158,856. The Fiscal Year funding totals $ 1,709,234. This figure includes the additional allocation of $191,801 from cannabis funding, which provides an additiona l $21,045 for Cuyama , $30,249 for Guadalupe, $29,742 for Los Alamos, and $110,765 for Orcutt. In addition, Orcutt will receive $55,000 in other County funding to be used for rent, and the Main Library will receive $8,900 from the small branch library fund to expand Bookmobile services to unincorporated locations within Zone 3, such as school visits and occasional stops that will not impact service to Santa Maria residents.
The term of the County agreement commenced on July 1, 2024, and continues until June 30, 2025.
The payments are to be made by the County to cities in two installments: the first after execution of the Agreement by all parties, and no earlier than October 1, 202 4, but no later than February 1, 2025; and the second payment no earlier than March 1, 2025, but no later than April 1, 2025. Cities are to provide the County with an annual statement of receipts and disbursements no later than 60 days after the end of the fiscal year (Agreement Section 17, Reports of Receipts and Disbursements).
The County's Community Services Director is the designated representative for the County and the cities' Chief Librarians are the designated representatives for each of their citie s for the purpose of notices and correspondence (Agreement Section 1, Designated Representative and Section 22, Notices).
Alternative(s)
An alternative would be to decline the agreement and lose valuable funding to operate County branches.
Fiscal Considerations
Library Zone 3 (Santa Maria) will receive a total of $ 1,709,234. The City Main Library is allocated $1,062,898 or 62 percent of all County funds based on a population of 115,191 and small branch funding for the Bookmobile. The County branches will receive $646,336 calculated on a population estimate of 43,665 and cannabis funding allocated by the County Supervisors to cover projected deficits. County branch total budgets will be set as follows: Cuyama $29,289, Guadalupe $109,634, Los Alamos $51,309, and Orcutt $456,104.
Impact to the Community
The funds received under this Agreement are an important segment of the budget for the Main Library, as well as the County branches operated by the Santa Maria Public Library, located in Cuyama, Los Alamos, Guadalupe, and Orcutt. Renewal of this Agreement is 3 essential to maintain funding for library programs and to continue providing library services to all Zone 3 libraries and surrounding communities.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution Approving an Agreement with the County of Santa Barbara B. Agreement for Operation of a Free Countywide Library System Fiscal Year 202 4-2025 C. Santa Barbara County Library Zones Map