Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 1
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $50,000, to the Peninsula Library System to be distributed among the County’s eight public library jurisdictions, with a maximum of $5,000 per library outlet, to encourage community-building in which library programs will bring people together in trusted environments where participants can explore and learn together, finding common ground and connection, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and approved funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for one-time district-discretionary needs and projects. District 1 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds on a countywide basis as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 1 (Supervisor Jackie Speier) - Peninsula Library System: Distribute funds among the County’s eight public library jurisdictions, with a maximum of $5,000 per library outlet, to encourage community-building in which library programs will bring people together in trusted environments where participants can explore and learn together, finding common ground and connection. |
$50,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018. District 1 indicates that this organization is either a public agency operating within the County or a nonprofit organization registered and in good standing with the California Attorney General. District 1 indicates that the sponsoring Board member, member’s family, and member’s supervisorial staff do not serve as an officer, director, or play a policy role for the grantee organization.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to the Peninsula Library System, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $50,000, to be distributed among the County’s eight public library jurisdictions, with a maximum of $5,000 per library outlet, to encourage community-building in which library programs will bring people together in trusted environments where participants can explore and learn together, finding common ground and connection. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
District 1 indicates that this organization has not previously received Measure K district-discretionary funding.
The Peninsula Library System (PLS) is a consortium of 8 public library jurisdictions and 3 community college libraries, with a total of 35 libraries in each of the cities and in the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. The library jurisdictions include Burlingame Public Library, Daly City Public Library, Menlo Park Public Library, Redwood City Public Library, San Bruno Public Library, San Mateo County Libraries (including Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos and Woodside), San Mateo Public Library, South San Francisco Public Library, and the three community college libraries of Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College. PLS’s mission is to strengthen local libraries through collaboration, enabling them to provide better services to their diverse communities. The member PLS libraries collectively have over 450 diverse staff reflecting the communities they serve. Of the approximately 720,000 residents in the county, over 555,000 have library cards.
This district-discretionary grant will be used to fund the following project or services:
Public libraries are trusted spaces which already serve as community hubs and gathering places. The focus of the project will be to create community-building and social engagement opportunities and encourage residents who don’t commonly come to the library to participate, which will bring people together in trusted environments where participants can explore and learn together, finding common ground and connection. PLS libraries naturally strive to facilitate these interactions and have a strong track record of developing innovative library programming to bring the county’s diverse community together. The programs will underscore the principle at the heart of our library systems: that everyone is welcome at a library.
These activities can appeal to various segments of the population, spanning different age groups and lifestyles. Priority will be given to programs which draw people who may feel disconnected from the larger community due to age, isolation, language barriers, economic disparity, disability or other aspects that can create a sense of othering. This grant will provide residents with meaningful opportunities for connection and inclusion in the community, with the libraries serving as the entry point, and ultimately strengthening civic and social engagement through various modalities.
Funding will be available for each of the 30 library outlets within the 8 library jurisdictions. A combination of community events, with facilitated speakers which will draw larger crowds, will be complemented with smaller programs, to reflect various modalities of community connections. Libraries can leverage their makerspace activities to include highly popular “fix-it clinics” that promote sustainability and intergenerational skill sharing. Libraries could choose to hold swap meets for clothing, school supplies, puzzles, or many other things. And as always, libraries may choose to explore broadly educational topics around art and culture, music, fashion, and history, in a setting that encourages group interaction. Other examples of the use of funds may include developing new books clubs which span multiple libraries and focus on current events.
In addition, the libraries will create space for public dialogue regarding current or important issues. A facilitator or speaker will introduce the topic and create an environment for respectful dialogue among participants. Participants will feel more connected to their communities through meaningful conversations held during these events, where participants can explore and learn together.
Existing infrastructure can support these opportunities for public engagement. This project will be sustainable, as libraries will share material resources purchased through these funds with other libraries utilizing the already well-established Peninsula Library System delivery services. Each library will be able to cross promote events to ensure there is countywide exposure to grant related activities. PLS’s consortia model provides a flexible library experiencee where county residents can utilize the library not just in their own city, but in other neighboring cities. Additionally, libraries can duplicate programs to ensure there are equitable opportunities for participation throughout the county for those without the ability to travel to other locations. Some programs which are offered now (such as game nights for seniors, “after-hours” social gatherings, or drop-in makerspaces for sewing) can be expanded to new locations. In addition, a group of library staff will work with stakeholders to identify new programming that will be available throughout the county that will appeal to different age groups and segments, closing the gap on ‘othering’ of marginalized communities, and supporting socialization and community building.
Promotion can be done in traditional avenues, such as at the library and on social media, as well as throughout the community, such as on bulletin boards in grocery stores, coffee shops, laundromats, farmers’ markets etc.
This district-discretionary grant will enable the organization to meet the following currently unmet need or service gap within the County:
• Provide residents with meaningful opportunities for connection and inclusion into the wider community
• Strengthen civic and social engagement
• Delivery of library services to diverse communities
• Reduce isolation and loneliness in population
• Development of knowledge of community needs and interests
District 1 has informed the grantee organization that this grant is one-time only, and that the grantee organization will need to find other sources of funding going forward. The grantee organization will use the Measure K grant as follows:
|
Item |
Total Cost |
Notes |
|
Community Events |
$19,000 |
Approximately 6 community events throughout the county will focus on current and trending events, or events that touch people’s lives. |
|
Smaller Programs Throughout Community |
$30,000 |
Funds will be available for each library to hold a smaller program, where participants can explore and learn together. Funds will support purchasing supplies, which could be shared across all eight jurisdictions |
|
Administrative Activities |
$1,000 |
Costs associated with processing invoices, reimbursements, and other facilitation of grant fiscal activities. |
|
Total |
$50,000 |
|
• $7,500 of in-kind funds for programming planning and staffing will be provided by the local library jurisdictions.
The project or services funded by this district-discretionary grant will be implemented or provided between July 2025 and June 2026 with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2026.
The following County department is involved in this project: San Mateo County Libraries
The following other community organizations are involved in or contributing funds to this project/services, as follows: City of South San Francisco, City of San Bruno, City of Redwood City, City of Menlo Park, City of Daly City, City of San Mateo, City of Burlingame
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $50,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Justin Wasterlain - Peninsula Library System, Assistant Director
Peninsula Library System
32 West 25th Avenue, Suite 201
San Mateo, CA 94403
wasterlain@plpinfo.org
650-349-5538
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Develop a working group of library staff to fully define programs and locations by August 2025 |
Complete |
|
Commence booking speakers/facilitators and locations for community events in at least six locations by August 2025, with at least 2 topics being repeated 3 times throughout the county at public libraries by May 2026 |
Complete |
|
Purchase supplies and commence holding at least 15 programs and events throughout the county by May 2026 |
Complete |
|
Survey participants after the six larger community events on their experience and the impact it has on them personally and on their community. Feedback will help inform future events. |
Complete |
The Peninsula Library System will report to the Board on project activities and insights that the programing generated through the year.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2024-25 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2024-25.