Santa Cruz County Grand Jury
• 2022-2023
How a Community Center Became a “Library” The Transformational Power of Measure S Funds
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 6 findings
F1
The plain language of Measure S required use of Measure S funds for the modernization, upgrade, and repair of the existing local library branches—not community centers.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
By December 31, 2022, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors should reassess its decision to use Measure S funds to improve the Live Oak Community Center and either reimburse the Library Facilities Financing Authority or commit additional funds to establish the Annex as a library resource consistent with other SCPL branches. (F1, F4, F5, F6)
F2
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries website states that Measure S funds would be used to address the “most urgent needs” identified in the Facilities Master Plan, which stated no new library branches were needed and focused only on the needs of the existing ten library branches—likely misleading voters.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
In the case of any future ballot measures, the SantaCruz Public Libraries should inform voters of prior commitments of ballot funds, such as the County Board of Supervisors’ commitment of Measure S funds to Live Oak. (F2, F3, F5)
F3
Voter materials disclosed how Measure S funds would be divided among the Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ Member Agencies, but did not disclose the allocation of $5 million to a Live Oak Library Annex within the Live Oak Community Center—likely misleading voters. The Annex Is Not a Library
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
In the case of any future ballot measures, the SantaCruz Public Libraries should inform voters of prior commitments of ballot funds, such as the County Board of Supervisors’ commitment of Measure S funds to Live Oak. (F2, F3, F5)
F4
Following the dissolution of redevelopment agencies in California, County Parks was left without a ready source of capital funds needed to fulfill the vision of the Live Oak Community Center as the heart of Live Oak, and Measure S filled the void.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
By December 31, 2022, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors should reassess its decision to use Measure S funds to improve the Live Oak Community Center and either reimburse the Library Facilities Financing Authority or commit additional funds to establish the Annex as a library resource consistent with other SCPL branches. (F1, F4, F5, F6)
F5
The Annex is an expansion of the Live Oak Community Center and not an expansion of the Live Oak Branch Library.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
By December 31, 2022, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors should reassess its decision to use Measure S funds to improve the Live Oak Community Center and either reimburse the Library Facilities Financing Authority or commit additional funds to establish the Annex as a library resource consistent with other SCPL branches. (F1, F4, F5, F6)
R2
In the case of any future ballot measures, the SantaCruz Public Libraries should inform voters of prior commitments of ballot funds, such as the County Board of Supervisors’ commitment of Measure S funds to Live Oak. (F2, F3, F5)
F6
The County’s decision to use Measure S funds for the Live Oak Library Annex in the Live Oak Community Center will impact the Santa Cruz Public Libraries operating budget.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
By December 31, 2022, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors should reassess its decision to use Measure S funds to improve the Live Oak Community Center and either reimburse the Library Facilities Financing Authority or commit additional funds to establish the Annex as a library resource consistent with other SCPL branches. (F1, F4, F5, F6)
R3
In the case of any future ballot measures, the SantaCruz Public Libraries should inform voters of the impact of facility expansion on its future operating budgets. (F6)
Conclusions 2
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CL1 Page 12The Grand Jury acknowledges that the Live Oak Community Center is ideally located to serve the Live Oak community. The resources that the Annex will offer seniors, adults, children, and teens will fulfill the promise of the former Redevelopment Agency in creating the Live Oak Community Center by offering space and resources for after-school study and adult education. That being said, the Annex has little in common with the SCPL’s ten existing library branches. The Annex is also likely to become a concern for Santa Cruz County Parks staff that will soon have a new responsibility: keeping the learning spaces, internet, and computer resources in the Annex operational and available for the people who need them. Similarly, SCPL now has a new fiscal responsibility to pay for an eleventh “library” branch.
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CL2 Page 13The Board of Supervisors’ use of Measure S funds for the Annex contradicts one of the conclusions of the Master Plan—that all patrons use all libraries—and focuses only on the neighborhood branch and voters. Could this $5.75 million have been used elsewhere in the system for improvement of an already existing library branch? Probably so, but we may never know. The SCPL could have offered more transparency on its website and in its voting materials as to how the Measure S $67 million total was estimated and how it would be spent among the library branches. The SCPL’s lack of transparency could mean that the next call for a special tax may be rejected for lack of trust. This would be an unfortunate outcome given the unique and special role that libraries, parks, and community centers provide. These public facilities improve our quality of life, and if left to compete for general revenue contributions, they may lose again.
No Responses Found 2
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Santa Cruz County
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Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors
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