AgdaPkt 2004-04-26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. �� 1 ' ■ ■ 9 ■ 1 1� S.A-� REPORnT . � _ ..:R �I � v 1 ::,.:} To the Honorable Mayoraan City,�Council - 'Y° F � Ye]lbr� � � SSi-„` .. � ` ` , � From�he C�fy�nager . A ri126 2004 P � Subject Agreement with California State Library for $10.1 million grant for construction of Redwood Shores Branch Library. Recommendation Approve and authorize execution of the agreement with the Califomia State Library providing $10.1 million State Library Bond grant funding. Background On September 23, 2002, Council authorized Anderson Brui� Architects and City staff to move forward and develop a Library Bond Act grant application for construction of a branch library in Redwood Shores. From September 2002 through March 2003, staff engaged the Redwood City community and in particular, the Redwood Shores neighborhood, in an extended dialogue and needs assessment process. Staff heard from the community that there is a real need for a branch library, and also heard that there is a need for community gathering spaces for library programs and other communiry activities. Based on these comments, the architect developed a design for a 22,500 square feet library building, " including spaces that can be used flexibly by the library and the community. The grant application was completed and submitted to the State on March 28, 2003, as part of the second cycle of funding requests. The application process was highly competitive, as the state received sixty-six (66) applications, totaling $547 million in requests, and aliocated only $110 million in this cycle of the total $350 million available. On October 28, 2003, the California Public Library Construction and Renovation Board approved Redwood City's grant application in the amount of $10,103,707. The Redwood City Library Foundation has made a commitment to raise funds over the next three years for the entire opening day collection of the new Redwood Shores Branch Library, at an estimated cost of $750,000. The Redwood Shores Community Library will be open for operation no sooner than fiscal year 2007/08. In spite of the current financial situation facing the City, staff is committed to bringing this resource to the community. The State does not mandate operational or programmatic levels, but only assumes the library will be open and available to the public. Staff will look at doing business different:y at all of the libraries, and will reach out to the community to help in making this project a success. Staff also expects that a large portion of the operating costs will come from the Library's existing budget as most, if not all of the staff for the new Redwood Shores Branch Library will be redeployed from current library operations. Staff understands, that redeployment will impact existing library operations, -- and feels strongly that we will be improving library and community services across the entire City.