New Library

As a frequent visitor to El Cerrito's Stockton Avenue public library, I know its many shortcomings. I also value its very important role in our community.

I absolutely support building a new library

I go to the El Cerrito Library regularly, but also visit libraries in nearby cities to see what’s possible. At least once a month I sit and read in the Albany Library on Marin Avenue, mostly because it's more comfortable than El Cerrito's. Last week I spent an afternoon in the Richmond Library. A few weeks ago I was in Walnut Creek for an evening event honoring Congresswoman Barbara Lee. I went a few hours early and spent the afternoon in the Walnut Creek Library. Last month I went to the Downtown Berkeley Library, which has a dedicated social services program providing assistance with citizenship, housing, employment, finances, medical care, energy bills, tutoring, computers, English language learning—and free toothbrushes. Next on my list is a visit to the San Pablo Library, which opened in 2017 and was designed by Group 4 Architecture Research + Planning, the same company working with the city of El Cerrito.

The El Cerrito Plaza BART proposal

The city has pushed very hard for a new library to be built within the El Cerrito Plaza BART development project. They're proposing a beautiful, new, fully equipped library that in many ways sounds absolutely wonderful. Most of the opposition has centered around concerns about cost, parking and a lack of community engagement and transparency in the planning process.

As proposals change and city staff carefully choreograph discussion, a lack of community engagement and transparency is clearly undermining trust. A new library will require that voters approve a tax increase. Support requires genuinely engaging the community, addressing concerns and building trust. Transparency is critical to achieving this.

Another concern is that the current proposal is based on a “needs assessment” conducted in 2014. Since then, the ways in which people interact with their libraries have changed dramatically. Readership of e-books has increased five-fold since then, while the number of people coming in to use computers has dropped by 80 percent, according to county library data. Is our current planning based on an obsolete model?

As I said, I absolutely support building a new library for El Cerrito. However, the process around the El Cerrito Plaza proposal has not been transparent enough for me to make an informed decision. I’d like to know the alternatives considered, and see the feasibility studies, financial projections and budget proposals supporting the El Cerrito Plaza BART site. Very importantly, I’d like to know the details of whatever tax increase the city will put before voters to pay for a new library.

I’ve attended carefully stage-managed community meetings ostentatiously arranged to discuss the proposed library. To the frustration of many, they've been little more than one-way marketing campaigns intended to convince people to trust the city’s decisions. There’ve been no meaningful opportunities for debate, questions, or discussion of alternatives.

The city’s plan for financing a new library is also murky. Different numbers have been tossed around. An original proposal was for a property tax increase averaging $175 per home (depending on the assessed value). Now it's up to $300. Originally, the tax increase would be rescinded once the construction bonds to fund the project were paid off. A more recent proposal is for a never-ending property tax increase with no "sunset date."

For a city that just a few years ago teetered on bankruptcy, maybe a big, beautiful, new $21 million library at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station nestled among 743 new apartments and reduced parking is the best option. Maybe the Plaza BART complex is destined to become the "heart" of El Cerrito, as some envision. Maybe a $300 per year permanent property tax increase is necessary and wise. Maybe the Plaza BART site is preferred by residents over renovating the current Stockton Avenue library or a new building at another site. Maybe the Plaza BART location is the least expensive option. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing without greater transparency and community input. 

While I support building a new library, I'm concerned that it's being jeopardized by a process lacking transparency and engagement. If elected, I will push to have meaningful discussions with the community, to carefully consider people’s ideas, and to honestly address their concerns.

Let's get this right!