ISSUES

SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF MEASURE Z PROJECTS

In November of 2020, 73% of Altadena residents agreed that we should undertake a once-in-a-generation overhaul of our library facilities. Decades of deferred maintenance, major accessibility issues, safety hazards, and more meant that we needed to embark on a serious overhaul of both the Bob Lucas Memorial Branch Library and the Main Library.

Four years later, we are in the midst of that process, and since 2021, I have been the Chair of the Facilities Committee that is overseeing both projects. That has meant hundreds of hours of meetings with experts, consultants, architects, engineers, County planners, and contractors - and there are hundreds more to come. Ensuring that both library projects are delivered to Altadena in a timely way and with the wisest possible use of taxpayer dollars is a job I have been committed to from the beginning.

Along with our outstanding team of staff and expert consultants, I am committed to:

  • Truly accessible library facilities for all Altadena residents - ADA requirements are a floor, not a ceiling, and since the beginning of our building projects, I have pushed hard for principles of universal design at every level, from service desks to parking to signage.

  • Best possible use of taxpayer dollars for capital projects - At every stage of this project, stewarding the public funds entrusted to the library is my top priority.

  • Future-proof library design - This is a once-in-a-generation project, and it’s important to design library facilities that will work for the community now and in the decades to come.

  • Open and transparent communication - The closure of library facilities during construction will disrupt patrons and staff, and change can often be difficult. Frequent and open communication with our neighbors will help everyone.

  • Ongoing capital reserve and facilities plans - The Measure Z bond funds for capital construction must all be spent during the current project, and it would be foolish not to plan for the future. My goal is to ensure, alongside our support groups, that the Library District has both a facilities master plan for future maintenance, obsolescence, and improvements, as well as the funding to support the ongoing care of our District buildings.

HIGHEST FISCAL STANDARDS FOR LIBRARY FUNDING

In 2025, the Measure A parcel tax that has funded about 25% of the library budget since 2014 will expire. It will be replaced by funding authorized by voters in Measure Z, which will fund library services and programming. Functionally, little will change for Altadena residents; the current two lines on property tax bills will collapse into one, and the level of assessment for most residents will be similar.

Most of the work needed is on the District/Board side: as we move into this new system, it will be essential to create good systems, norms, and best practices to ensure that the special tax rate is set fairly and equitably from year to year. This is a task entrusted to the Board of Trustees, and one of my top priorities will be to ensure that we develop a responsible, transparent, and fair system that can ensure good governance and fiscal responsibility moving forward.

EQUITABLE INVESTMENT ACROSS ALTADENA

For too many years, investment in library facilities, programming, and resources has not been distributed fairly across the Altadena community. West Altadena and the Bob Lucas Memorial Library in particular were underfunded for decades. The current top-to-bottom renovation and expansion of the Bob Lucas branch is a good step in the right direction, but only one step. During my time on the Board, I have consistently advocated for equitable investment and engagement with all of our neighbors, and I feel strongly that there is much more to do on this front. Even though, under our new system, Trustees are elected by specific geographical areas, all of us have a committment to serve the entire District, and I look forward to make more progress on this issue.

Equity also means recruiting a diverse workforce and paying them fairly; delivering a diverse collection and programming; and ensuring that we are matching library services to the needs and wants of the community. Although (again) we have made strides in this issue, we still do not have a Library Board or staff that is truly representative of the community we serve. I look forward to working with the Director and staff to find ways to amplify, resource, and uplift the excellent work they are already doing around these issues.

TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY

The Altadena Library Board of Trustees are our town's only directly elected representatives empowered to spend your tax dollars. We have an obligation to be both transparent in our dealings and decision making, and accountable to the community. As a Special District, Altadena's library does not fall under any other jurisdiction; it is functionally independent, making Altadena voters the only group that oversees the Board's activity.

The Library Board is also a deliberative body, which means we discuss and problem solve publicly, rather than behind closed doors. The community has a right to know what's going on, why decisions are being made, what criteria are being considered, and how those choices will affect them and their lives.

During my time on the Board, I have worked to develop and promote a culture of good governance and high standards for the Board, and to actively and openly communicate with the community. We have made great strides in this direction during the past six years, implementing improvements like:

  • Livestreaming all Board and standing committee meetings via YouTube

  • Standardizing community membership on critical committees, like the Community Facilities District Committee

  • Direct mail campaigns to residents to reach those who are not necessarily seeing District emails or social media content

  • Improving monthly financial reporting to include more legible reports, and featuring a variance report that explains budgetary processes and trends, line item by line item.

However, there is room to improve, particularly as our building projects accelerate. We can take even more action by implementing initiatives like:

  • Standardized onboarding training for new Board members

  • More consistent public outreach from Board members to the community

  • Ensuring a successful full round of by-District elections (particularly focusing on District 4, the only area of Altadena to not currently have a representative on the board)

  • Creating a positive feedback loop system for ongoing input from citizens and community organizations to the District are all positive next steps we can take.