>> ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING,
EVERYONE. THE MARCH 25th, 2026,
MEETING OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE
ON THE LIBRARY LEVY WILL COME TO
ORDER. IT'S 9:35 A.M. I'M M
MARIT DISPL RIVERA, THE CHAIR OF
THE COMMITTEE. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
>> COUNCIL MEMBER LIN?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER RINCK.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER SAKA.
>> HERE.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER STRAUSS.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER.
>> HERE.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER JUAREZ.
>> HERE.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE.
>> HERE.
>> VICE CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH.
CHAIR RIVERA.
>> PRESENT.
>> SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE
PRESENT.
>> THANK YOU, CLERK. TODAY WE'LL
BE HEARING A PRESENTATION FROM
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY ABOUT THE
MAYOR'S LEVY PROPOSAL, AND
WE'LL ALSO HAVE OUR CENTRAL
STAFF HERE TO PRESENT A PROPERTY
TAX OVERVIEW AND ISSUE I.D. ON
THE LIBRARY POSTAL. IF THERE IS
NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE
ADOPTED. HEARING NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED. WE WILL
NOW OPEN THE HYBRID PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD. PUBLIC COMMENTS
SHOULD RELATE TO ITEMS THAT ARE
ON THE AGENDA OR WITHIN THE
PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE.
CLERK, HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE
SIGNED UP TODAY?
>> CURRENTLY WE HAVE NINE
IN-PERSON SPEAKERS AND TWO
REMOTE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
>> ALL RIGHT. GIVEN THAT, WE'LL
HAVE EACH SPEAKER HAVE TWO
MINUTES. CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE
READ THE PUBLIC COMMENT
INSTRUCTIONS.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER. THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD IS UP TO 20
MINUTE, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE
TWO MINUTES. SPEAKERS WILL BE
CALLED IN THE IN ORDER IN WHICH
THEY REGISTERED. WE WILL START
WITH IN-PERSON SPEAKERS FIRST
AND THEN REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HAS
ENDED. SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A
CHIME WHEN 10 SECONDS ARE LEFT
OF THEIR TIME. THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW OPEN.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE FIRST
SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
>> ALL RIGHT. FIRST SPEAKER IS
JENNIFER LOWE, FOLLOWED BY KAREN
AND LORENA.
>> CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA
AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
JENNIFER LOWE. I LIVE IN
DISTRICT 3. I CURRENTLY SERVE AS
BOARD PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS
OF THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
OUR VISION IS VIBRANT AND
EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES CONNECTED
THROUGH A FLOURISHING LIBRARY.
FOR THAT REASON, I AM AM ONE OF
THE AUTHORS PUBLISHING AN OP-ED
IN THE SEATTLE TIMES ALONG WITH
COLLEAGUES FROM THE FOUNDATION.
WE ARGUE THAT AS PROPOSED, THE
2026 LEVY WOULD NOT PROVIDE
ENOUGH RESOURCES TO TRULY
ACHIEVE THE LIBRARY'S MISSION
TO BE THE HUB OF AN EQUITABLE
AND CONNECTED CITY. TO DO SO, WE
MUST INVEST MORE IN BOOKS,
PROGRAMS AND BUILDINGS. FOR
EXAMPLE, BECAUSE OF HIGH DEMAND
AND HIGH COSTS FOR DIGITAL
BOOKS, WAIT TIMES ARE NOW FAR
TOO LONG FOR POPULAR TITLES. BUT
TO PROVIDE ENOUGH BOOKS TO MEET
SEATTLE'S CHANGING NEEDS,
LIBRARY WOULD NEED AT LEAST $10
MILLION MORE THAN THE PROPOSED
LEVY PROVIDES FOR COLLECTIONS.
WITHOUT THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING,
SPL WON'T BE ABLE TO REDUCE FOR
E-BUCKS OR INTRODUCE DIGITAL
VERSION OF THE PEAK PICKS
PROGRAM. AS AN AVID READER I
KNOW HOW MUCH THIS INVESTMENT
WOULD MEAN TO SO MANY SEATTLE
READERS. PEEK PICKS IS ONE OF
THE MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS AT THE
LIBRARY. E-BOOKS READERSHIP HAS
SOARED SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD
APPRECIATE LOGGING IN TO THE
LIVEY APP AND SEEING UNLIMITED
COPIES OF THE LATEST BOOKS WITH
NO WAITS. THIS IS THE KIND OF
EXPANDED ACCESS THAT THE LIBRARY
SEEKS TO PROVIDE, AND THEY CAN
ONLY DO SO WITH MORE INVESTMENT
AT THIS CRITICAL MOMENT. PLEASE
APPROVE A LEVY THAT PROVIDES THE
RESOURCES TO ENSURE EVERYONE IN
OUR CITY CAN READ, GROW AND
BELONG. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HAVE A NICE DAY.
>> THANK YOU. KAREN CONIVER AND
LORENA AND KIANA SCOTT ARE NEXT.
WELCOME.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU,
COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M KAREN, I
LIVE IN DISTRICT 3. I SERVE ON
THE BOARD OF THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND WAS
DELIGHTED TO SEE SO MUCH
INTEREST IN THE LEVY AND
APPRECIATION FOR THE LIBRARY
HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMITMENT TO THIS PUBLIC
PROCESS. I'D LIKE TO TALK TO
YOU ABOUT THE VALUE OF LIBRARY
COLLECTIONS TO OUR CITY. YOU MAY
KNOW THAT ABOUT 1/3 OF ALL NEW
BOOKS AT THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY EACH YEAR ARE FUNDED BY
PRIVATE DONATIONS THROUGH THE
FOUNDATION. THE LIBRARY LEVY
PROVIDES FUNDING FOR NEARLY
HALF. THIS MEANS THAT THE GREAT
MAJORITY OF LIBRARY BOOKS IN
SEATTLE ARE NOT COVERED BY THE
REGULAR CITY BUDGET, AND IT
MEANS THAT EVERY SEVEN YEARS WE
HAVE A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO
SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST OUR
COLLECTION THROUGH THE LEVY. AS
AN AVID READER IN A CITY OF AVID
READERS, I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE
OF THE BEST INVESTMENTS OUR CITY
CAN MAKE. THE LIBRARY ESTIMATES
THAT EVERY DOLLAR PUT IN TO
COLLECTIONS RETURNS MORE THAN
$16 IN VALUE FOR RESIDENTS WHO
HAVE ACCESS TO AN INCREDIBLE
SELECTION OF BOOKS AND MATERIALS
ALL FOR FREE. IF THE 2026 LEVY
WAS APPROVED AT $500 MILLION,
THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER'S
PROPERTY VALUE -- THE PROPERTY
TAXES WOULD SUPPORT THE LIBRARY
WITH ABOUT $15 A BOOK, LESS THAN
THE COST OR THE PUBLIC VALUE OF
A SINGLE BOOK. WE BELIEVE IT'S
CRITICAL TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THIS OPPORTUNITY. ADDITIONAL
SUPPORT FOR COLLECTIONS WOULD
MEAN SHORTER HOLD TIMES, MORE
DIGITAL OPTIONS AND MORE ACCESS
TO THE INCREDIBLE VALUE THAT
BOOKS PROVIDE FOR ALL OF OUR
LIVES. FREE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE
IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CITY AND,
INDEED, EVEN TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
SO LET'S NOT MISS THIS CHANCE
TO PROVIDE EVEN MORE VALUABLE
READING EXPERIENCES FOR ALL OF
OUR NEIGHBORS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, KAREN. LORENA,
KIANA SCOTT AND THEN KOLENE.
>> GOOD MORNING. I LIKE
CHLOROPHYLL. THE DRAGON DANCERS.
THAT'S A -- GO, WILMA, GO. WHO
RUN THE WORLD? GIRLS. THESE ARE
SOME OF THE PHRASES THAT MY
ALMOST 2 AND A HALF-YEAR-OLD HAS
AS PART OF HIS VOCABULARY,
THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL
LIBRARIANS AT THE SEATTLE
LIBRARY. DEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS,
MY NAME IS LORENA, AND I LIVE IN
DISTRICT 3. AS SOMEONE WHO IS
RAISING A SON WITH NO FAMILY IN
TOWN, THE LIBRARY AND ITS
RESOURCES ARE NOT ONLY ONE OF
OUR THIRD SPACES, THEY'VE
BECOME A FAMILY MEMBER THAT WE
VISIT. WE RIDE THE ESCALATORS,
WE VISIT ALL THE FLOORS, WE TAKE
IN THE DIFFERENT ART WORK, WE
SAY HI TO OUR FRIENDS AT THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY STORE,
AND WE SAY HI TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
AS WEEKLY VISITORS OF THE
LIBRARY, WE LEARN HOW THE BOOKS
ARE ORGANIZED, THANKS TO THE
LIBRARIAN, AND USUALLY A MONTH
PRIOR TO HISTORY MONTH, CULTURAL
CELEBRATIONS OR EVEN SEASONAL
CELEBRATIONS, WE CHECK OUT BOOKS
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEM. THIS
HAS ALLOWED MY HIGHLY
IMPRESSIONABLE SON TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND HIM.
WE'RE TEACHING OUR SON TO
RESPECT DIFFERENT CULTURES.
WE'RE EVEN LEARNING AND
SPEAKING ENGLISH, FRANCE, ES
SPAN OL AS A FAMILY. THE
LIBRARY'S RESOURCES ARE
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. BESIDES
BEING A RESOURCE, I FEEL LIKE
I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS
MULTI-LINGUAL JOURNEY. THIS IS
BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT LIBRARY
BOOKS THE LIBRARY HAS TO OFFER.
WE CHECK OUT BOOKS IN JAPANESE
WHERE ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND
FRIENDS READS TO OUR SON. I'M
HERE TO ASK YOU TO HELP THE
LIBRARY INCREASE ITS COLLECTION
IN MANY FORMATS AND MANY
LANGUAGES. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT
WE KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND SO
THAT YOUNG LEARNERS LIKE MY SON
CAN ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING NEW TO
DISCOVER. TO ME, ONE OF THE MOST
VALUABLE INVESTMENTS WE CAN MAKE
AS A CITY IS TO CONTINUE TO GROW
A DEEP DIVERSE, FREELY
ACCESSIBLE BOOK COLLECTION FOR
ALL. [ BELL RINGING ] MAKE SURE
YOUR LEVY ACCOMPLISHES THAT FOR
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE
GENERATIONS. THANK YOU.
>> NEXT WE HAVE KIANA SCOTT,
COLLEEN AND MATT.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA AND
COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
KIANA SCOTT. I'M A PROUD
DISTRICT 6 RESIDENT, COUNCIL
MEMBER STRAUSS, AND I'M A BIG
LIBRARY SUPERFAN. AS A STRONG
LIBRARY USER, A SMALL BUSINESS
OWNER AND PARENT OF A TODDLER,
I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO
WHATEVER YOU CAN TO IMPROVE AND
EXPAND THE LIBRARY SERVICES,
PROGRAMS AND BOOKS MADE
AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS LIBRARY
LEVY. I USE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT
WAYS. I CHECK OUT BOOKS FOR
MYSELF, IN PERSON AND AT THE
GREENWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY WHICH
IS MY LOCAL BRANCH, CHECK OUT
BOOKS DIGITALLY, CHECK OUT BOOKS
FOR MY KIDS. WE STREAM MOVIES ON
CANOPY. WE LISTEN TO A LOT OF
AUDIO BOOKS ON LIBBY, FROG AND
TOAD, VERY, VERY GOOD. AS A
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I'VE USED
MEETING SPACES FOR PROFESSIONAL
MEETINGS. I TOOK A CALL IN ONE
OF YOUR STUDY ROOMS RECENTLY
WHEN MY INTERNET AT HOME WENT
DOWN. I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO DO THAT ANYWHERE OTHER THAN
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. I USE THE
PUBLIC SPACES FOR CIVIC EVENTS
THAT I GO TO. WE ATTEND A LOT OF
BOOK TIME STORY HOURS AT THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY AS WELL.
WE ATTEND EVENTS FOR KIDS, WE
ATTEND EVENTS FOR ADULTS, AND
PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME,
I'M A BOOK BINGO COMPLETIST.
IT'S THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY SUMMER
EVERY YEAR. I SEE SOME NODS.
THIS IS A CHANCE TO EXPAND THE
PROGRAMS THAT SERVE LITTLE ONES
BUT ALSO THE AUTHOR TALK, THE
SKILLS CLASSES I RELY ON AS A
NEW SMALL BUSINESS OWNER,
FIGURING OUT WHAT THE HECK I'M
DO, THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND
OTHER PROGRAMS WE RELY ON AS A
COMMUNITY. IT'S A CHANCE TO
IMPROVE ON THE AMAZING WELCOMING
SPACES IN LIBRARIES ACROSS
SEATTLE. I'M ESPECIALLY EXCITED
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF
INVESTING AND IMPROVES SPACES
FOR CHILDREN AND FOR TEENS TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE MEETING AND
EXCEEDING THEIR SPECIAL NEEDS.
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY ADDS
IMMENSE RICHNESS TO MY LIFE, TO
MY FAMILY'S LIFE AND TO THE
FABRIC OF MY COMMUNITY. WATCHING
MY CHILD LEARN TO LOVE BOOKS IS
MY DREAM, AND SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY IS A HUGE PART OF THAT.
[ BELL RINGING ]
>> WHAT ALLOWS TO TO HAPPEN.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THESE
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS AND
IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THIS LEVY,
OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM AND OUR CITY
SO MUCH STRONGER. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> COLLEEN, MATT AND DONNA.
SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT.
GO AHEAD, COLLEEN.
>> GOOD MORNING, CITY COUNCIL
AND CHAIR RIVERA. COLLEEN
McALER, NORTHEAST SEATTLE. WE
ARE ONE OF THE HEAVY USERS UP
HERE IN NORTHEAST SEATTLE FOR
BOTH TODDLERS THROUGH SENIORS.
IT'S THE GO-TO PLACE, THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY. TODDLERS ALL
AROUND THE CITY HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPOSURE TO A
VARIETY OF BOOKS AND THE LIBRARY
COLLECTION OFFERS DIVERSE
ADVENTURES FOR CHILDREN. THEY
LEARN ABOUT ALL KINDS OF
CULTURES. STORY TIME AND BOOK
GROUPS FOR ALL AGES ARE BUILDING
BLOCKS OF THE MIND AND
ESPECIALLY ADULT EDUCATION. AND
THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN
BEING BURIED IN A GOOD BOOK. THE
HOT-OFF-THE-PRESS NON-FICTION
BOOKS ALSO KEEP US UP ON
SCIENCE, NEW LITERATURE AND
BREAKTHROUGHS AND A VERIFICATION
OF A.I. WHICH WILL BE MUCH
NEEDED IN THE FUTURE. THE PRICE
TAG OF THE CUMULATIVE SEATTLE
LEVIES, THOUGH, IS ANOTHER
BURDEN. WE DON'T OPPOSE THE WAY
IT IS RIGHT NOW, BUT ASKING FOR
MORE MONEY IS NOT LIVING WITHIN
OUR BUDGET. THERE'S PLENTY OF
MONEY AVAILABLE TO REALLOCATE,
REDESIGN AND PROBABLY REDEPLOY
$419 MILLION. THE LIBRARY
WITHOUT A DOUBT, THOUGH, IS THE
MOST EQUITABLE THING THAT THIS
CITY COUNCIL CAN PASS. OUR
PUBLIC LIBRARY'S REACHES
CONSTITUENTS WITH QUALITY BOOKS,
EXPERIENCES, RESOURCES AND
TECHNOLOGY. IT SERVES AS A
PUBLIC PLACE TO MEET, AND IT'S
ALSO A SAFE PLACE FOR STUDENTS
AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. WE
URGE YOU TO PASS THIS LEVY AS
IS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON
THIS.
>> THANK YOU. MATT BAUM, DONNA
AND GRACE.
>> HI. I'M MATT BAUM, I'M A
WRITER BASED ON CAPITOL HILL. MY
WORK FOCUSES ON POP CULTURE AND
QUEER HISTORY. A COUPLE OF YEARS
AGO, I GOT AN IDEA FOR A BOOK
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF QUEER
CHARACTERS ON AMERICAN SIT-CS
AND HOW HIDDEN BEHIND THEIR
STORIES IS THE REAL-LIFE STORY
FOR THE FIGHT FOR QUEER EQUALITY
IN THE COUNTRY. THIS IS A WEIRD
IDEA, BUT I FOUND A PUBLISHER
WHO WAS WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE
ON IT IF I COULD GET THEM A
DRAFT IN FIVE MONTHS WHICH IS A
CRAZY TIGHT DEADLINE FOR A BOOK.
AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SAY YES
TO THAT BECAUSE OF THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY. RIGHT IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD, I HAD ACCESS TO
BOOKS AND VIDEOS, MAGAZINES, OLD
JOURNAL ARTICLES, A REFERENCE
DESK THAT COULD GIVE ME
ONE-ON-ONE HELP. THE LIBRARY WAS
LIKE MY RESEARCH PARTNER FOR
THIS BOOK, HELPED ME HIT A
SEEMINGILY IMPOSSIBLE DEADLINE.
THAT BOOK CAME OUT A FEW YEARS
AGO. IT'S CALLED "HI HONEY,
I'M HOMIEST," IT'S BEEN
AWARDED SEVERAL AWARDS BY THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASSOCIATION AND THE PUBLIC
LIBRARY INVITED ME TO DO A TALK
ON IT, ONE OF THE MANY THEY DO
WITH AUTHORS. SO I'M URGING YOU
TO SUPPORT A ROBUST LIBRARY
LEVY. IT'S THE BEST KIND OF
INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY COULD
ASK FOR. EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES
IN COMES BACK TO US IN MANY,
MANY WAYS. FOR EXAMPLE, I URGE
MY FOLLOWERS ONLINE TO BUY BOOKS
FROM LOCAL BOOK STORES BECAUSE I
CAN GO AND SIGN THEM IN PERSON.
I HAVE ABOUT A HALF MILLION
FOLLOWERS, SO HOPEFULLY THAT IS
HELPFUL. THE LEVY WILL ENABLE US
TO HAVE MORE INSPIRING EVENTS,
MORE LIBRARY WORKERS, CLEAN,
SAFE BUILDINGS, HELPING PEOPLE
CREATE NEW CULTURE THAT IS GOING
TO LIVE ON AND INSPIRE MORE
PEOPLE. SO THIS IS NOT JUST A
GOOD IDEA, A STRONG LEVY IS A
BRILLIANT INVESTMENT IN OUR
FUTURE. SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE
LIBRARY.
>> THANK YOU, MATT.
>> DONNA SRETHA AND GRACE
NORDHOFF. I'M SORRY IF I
MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA AND
COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M A RESIDENT
OF DISTRICT 7. I'M A SECOND
YEAR PhD STUDENT IN PATHO
BIOLOGY, WORKING AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. I USE
THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO
FIND NEW BOOKS EVERY MONTH AND
ALSO AS A SPACE TO READ AND GET
WORK DONE. I'M ALSO AN
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FROM
NEPAL, AND NEPAL IS KNOWN FOR A
LOT OF THINGS BUT NOT OUR
LIBRARY SERVICES. SO IT STILL
AMAZES ME HOW ACCESSIBLE HOW
THERE'S SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE HERE,
IT IS IN SEATTLE. I'M DOING MY
PhD IN A VERY SCIENTIFIC BENCH
LAB-HEAVY FIELD, BUT I'VE
ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO THE ARTS
AND HUMANITIES. SINCE I MOVED TO
SEATTLE, THE LIBRARY SERVICES
HAVE HELPED ME REDISCOVER MY
LOVE FOR LITERATURE. AS A PhD
STUDENT, I ALSO SPEND A LOT OF
TIME READING REALLY COMPLEX
PAPERS ONLINE AND THEREFORE
SPEND A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT
SCREENS. SO THE PHYSICAL BOOKS I
GET FROM THE LIBRARY ALLOWS ME
TO BE PRESENT AND OFF OF SCREENS
AND GIVES ME A LOT OF MENTAL
CLARITY AND FOCUS WHICH HELPS ME
IN MY OWN RESEARCH BACK IN THE
LAB. IT'S ALSO ALLOWED ME TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
SCHOLAR AND TO READ MORE
BROADLY. SINCE I WAS A KID,
BOOKS HAVE ALLOWED ME -- ALWAYS
BEEN A WAY FOR ME TO STAY
CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD, AND
I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE LIBRARY
HERE STILL HAS CURIOSITY AS AN
ADULT WHICH IS ESPECIALLY
ESSENTIAL FOR AN IMMIGRANT LIKE
ME WHERE IT PROVIDES COMFORT IN
THE ABSENCE OF FAMILY. THANK YOU
FOR OPENING UP THIS PROCESS AND
DISCUSSING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE
LIBRARY LEVY. IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT TO ME THAT OUR LIBRARY
HAS THE FUNDING IT NEEDS TO
OFFER KNOWLEDGE TO EVERYONE WITH
NO BARRIERS. I HOPE YOU CAN
INCREASE SUPPORT FOR MORE BOOKS
AND MATERIALS AT THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND I HOPE YOU
CONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
WELCOMING SPACES AND PROGRAMS
THAT THE LIBRARY PROVIDES TO
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. PLEASE
INVEST TO EXPAND THESES OF ISES.
WE ARE LUCKY TO LIVE IN THIS
CITY WITH ALL OF ITS RESOURCES,
INCLUDING WORLD CLASS LIBRARY
SYSTEM. I'M EAGER TO SEE HOW
OUR LIBRARY CAN GET EVEN BETTER
AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
PEOPLE'S LIVES WITH A STRONGER
LEVY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE
>> THE LAST IN-PERSON SPEAKER IS
GRACE NORDHOFF, THEN WE'LL GO 0
ONLINE. AND I DO WANT THE RECORD
TO REFLECT THAT COUNCIL
PRESIDENT JOY HOLLINGSWORTH
JOINED US EARLIER IN PUBLIC
COMMENT. APOLOGIES FOR NOT
RECOGNIZING YOU EARLIER, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT. GRACE, YOU CAN START.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA. AND
HELLO COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M
GRACE NORDHOFF AND A LONGTIME
RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 4. I'M AN
EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER AND PAST
PRESIDENT OF THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY FOUNDATION. I ALSO SERVE
ON THE BOARD OF THE URBAN
LIBRARIES COUNCIL WHICH IS AN
ORGANIZATION OF NORTH AMERICA'S
LARGEST PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS.
IN THAT ROLE, I HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE OF TRAVELING TO SEE
LIBRARIES ACROSS U.S. AND
CANADA. THESE VISITS REINFORCE
HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO HAVE THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY. THEY
ALSO DEMONSTRATE THE EXCITING
INNOVATIONS THAT ARE TAKING
PLACE ELSEWHERE, THANKS TO THE
INVESTMENTS THOSE LIBRARIES HAVE
MADE. FOR EXAMPLE, MANY URBAN
LIBRARIES NOW FEATURE AREAS
WHERE PATRONS CAN ACCESS
TECHNOLOGY LIKE 3-D PRINTERS,
LASER CUTTERS, VIDEO AND AUDIO
RECORDING EQUIPMENT AND MORE. IN
THESE SPACES, ESPECIALLY POPULAR
WITH TEENAGERS. THEY OFTEN
FEATURE EQUIPMENT FOR
COLLABORATIVE GAMING, STUDY PODS
AND OTHER INCENTIVES FOR TEAMS
TO GATHER, CONNECT AND SPEND
TIME TOGETHER AND LEARN. THE
LEVY IS THE WAY TO PROVIDE OUR
LIBRARY WITH A LEVEL OF
INVESTMENT NEEDED TO KEEP
INNOVATING AND REFRESHING OUR
SPACES HERE IN SEATTLE. THE
RENOVATION OF CHILDREN'S AND
TEENS AREAS OF THE CENTRAL
LIBRARY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A CLEAR
NEED, WITH MORE CAPITAL
RESOURCES IN THE LEVY, SPL CAN
IMAGINE THOSE SPACES TO ENGAGE
-- AMAZING LIBRARY IN SEATTLE,
BUT THE NEWEST ONES ARE 20 YEARS
OLD, AND WE ARE DUE FOR
INNOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO
KEEP PACE WITH OUR COLLEAGUE
LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
IN CANADA. THIS LEVY IS A CHANCE
TO DO THAT. PLEASE BOOST THE
CAPITAL INVESTMENTS TO ALLOW
S.P.L. TO REMAIN A NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL LEADER. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, GRACE. WE'LL NOW
MOVE ON TO ONLINE PUBLIC
COMMENT. CLERK.
>> ALL RIGHT. WE VA TWO REMOTE
SPEAKERS. OUR FIRST REMOTE
SPEAKER WILL BE BRIAN LAWRENCE.
BRIAN, PLEASE PRESS STAR 6 WHEN
YOU HEAR THE PROMPT YOU HAVE
BEEN UNMUTED. OKAY. IF WE'RE
HAVING SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES,
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT
REMOTE SPEAKER, CARRIE LIBBY.
CAN YOU PRESS STAR 6 WHEN YOU
HEAR THE PROMPT YOU HAVE BEEN
UNMUTED?
>> CALLER, CAN YOU PRESS -- I
HEAR SOMETHING.
>> HI. CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES, WE CAN.
>> THIS IS CARRIE.
>> PERFECT.
>> OKAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS CARRIE, AND I LIVE IN
DISTRICT 1. FOR THE PAST THREE
YEARS, I HAVE VOLUNTEERED WITH
THE LIBRARY PER WORK HELP
PROGRAM AT THE HIGH POINT
BRANCH. HALLMARK HELP OFFERS
FREE TUTORING FOR K-12 STUDENTS
WORKING ON SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS.
NO RESERVATIONS ARE NEEDED. YOU
JUST SHOW UP AT THE LIBRARY AND
TRAINED VOLUNTEERS CAN HELP. I
HAVE ABSOLUTELY TREASURED BEING
A VOLUNTEER. I HAVE WORKED WITH
MANY OF THE SAME FAMILIES FOR
YEARS NOW WHICH MEANS WE'VE
GOTTEN TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS
THAT I MIGHT NOT HAVE OTHERWISE
MET. PROGRAMS LIKE HOMEWORK
TRULY BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND
ENCOURAGE CONNECTIONS, LEARNING
AND, TRULY, SO MUCH LAUGHTER.
IT'S SUCH A SPECIAL PROGRAM,
ALWAYS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF
MY WEEK. IT'S PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT FOR IMMIGRANT
FAMILIES. ABOUT 80% OF
PARTICIPANTS HAVE PARENTS WHO
SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN
ENGLISH AT HOME. AT HIGH POINT,
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO
HOVER HOMEWORK HELP THREE DAYS A
WEEK. IT IS USUALLY A PACKED
HOUSE. THE PROGRAM IS,
UNFORTUNATELY, NOT OFFERED AS
OFTEN AS MANY OTHER BRANCHES. I
KNOW THAT LIBRARY STAFF WOULD
LIKE TO OFFER PROGRAMS ON MORE
DAYS AND AT MORE LOCATIONS, BUT
THEY ARE STRETCHED THIN. EVEN
PROGRAMS LIKE HOMEWORK HELP THAT
USE VOLUNTEERS REQUIRE A LOT OF
DEDICATED STAFF TIME. THE LEVY
IS AN IMPORTANT WAY TO EXPAND
PROGRAMS LIKE HOMEWORK HELP BY
INVESTING MORE IN STAFF
RESOURCES. I'M GLAD TO SEE
EXTENDED PROGRAMMING SUPPORT IN
THE PROPOSAL, AND I ASK THAT YOU
ALL CONTINUE TO ADD THAT. AS A
PROPERTY OWNER, I CANNOT IMAGINE
A BETTER USE OF MY TAX DOLLARS
THAT OFFERING FREE PROGRAMMING
THAT SUPPORTS YOUTH AND FAMILIES
AND CONNECTS NEIGHBORS. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT AND
SUPPORTING STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND
PATRONS OF OUR AMAZING LIBRARY.
>> THANK YOU. BRIAN LAWRENCE, IF
YOU'RE THERE, PRESS STAR 6,
PLEASE. I THINK WE GOT YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA.
>> PERFECT.
>> AM I ON? OKAY. THANK YOU,
CHAIR RIVERA AND COUNCIL
MEMBERS. I'M BRIAN LAWRENCE,
THE CEO OF THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY FOUNDATION. I AM A
RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 1, ALTHOUGH
TODAY I'M OUT OF STATE DUE TO
THE PASSING OF A LOVED ONE. I
APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK
REMOTELY. THANK YOU TO ALL THE
ADVOCATES AND SUPPORTERS IN THE
ROOM. YOUR PARTICIPATION SHOWS
HOW MUCH SEATTLE CARES ABOUT OUR
LIBRARY. COLLECTIVELY, WE WANT
THE 2026 LEVY TO BE AS STRONG AS
POSSIBLE TO ENSURE A VIBRANT
LIBRARY. ONE CRITICAL CONCERN
THAT I WANT TO FLAG IS THE LEVY
SUPPORT FOR PRIORITY AND DEERED
MAINTENANCE. THE PROPOSED LEVY
ONLY INCLUDES $10 MILLION IN
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SPREAD OUT
OVER SEVEN YEARS AND 27
LOCATIONS. THAT'S LESS THAN
$5,000 PER MONTH PER BRANCH FOR
HEAVILY USED PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS AT LEAST
20 YEARS OLD, AND IN MANY CASES,
MUCH OLDER. AND THIS IS DESPITE
THE LIBRARY IDENTIFYING AT LEAST
$75 MILLION MORE IN CAPITAL
MAINTENANCE CONCERNS OVER THE
COMING DECADES. TO KEEP LIBRARY
SPACES SAFE, CLEAN AND
WELCOMING, WE MUST INVEST MORE
IN THEIR UPKEEP. WE CAN'T ALLOW
THESE PUBLIC SPACES TO
DETERIORATE. AS AN INDEPENDENT
REVIEWER FOR A LIBRARY GRANTS
PROGRAM IN CALIFORNIA, I HAVE
SEEN WALLS COVERED IN MOLD,
FALLING CEILING TILES, SINKS
THAT ARE BROKEN OFF THE WALL AND
DISGUSTING CARPETS. AND THAT'S
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN POOR PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE IS NEGLECTED. AND
THAT CANNOT, IN MY MIND, BE
SEATTLE'S LIBRARY. THE AMAZING
PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES IN OUR
BUILDINGS ARE ONLY POSSIBLE IF
PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND
COMFORTABLE. AND AS YOU KNOW
WELL FROM ROADS AND BRIDGES,
PROJECTS DON'T GET CHEAPER WHEN
THEY ARE DELAYED OR IN CRISIS.
THE TIME TO INVEST RIGHT NOW
WITH THE LEVY IN FRONT OF YOU.
OUR FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO
HELPING YOU TO GROW OUR
FUNDRAISING TO SUPPORT OUR
LIBRARY, AND I ASK THAT THE CITY
MAKE A SIMILAR COMMITMENT TO
MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE ITS CORE
PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE PART OF A
CHARTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR HARD WORK.
>> THANK YOU, BRIAN. CHAIR, IS
THAT --
>> THAT WAS OUR LAST SPEAKER.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THERE
ARE NO ADDITIONAL REGISTERED
SPEAKERS. THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED. SO WE'LL
PROCEED TO OUR ITEMS OF
BUSINESS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
READ ITEM ONE INTO THE RECORD?
>> AGENDA ITEM 1, COUNCIL BILL
121181, AN ORDERRANCE RELATED TO
REGULAR PROPERTY TAXES,
PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION OF
THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE
CITY AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD
ON AUGUST 4th, 2026, OF A
PROPOSITION AUTHORIZING THE CITY
TO LEVY REGULAR PROPERTY TAXES
FOR UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN EXCESS
OF THE LIMITATIONS ON LEVIES IN
CHAPTER 8455RCW FOR THE PURPOSE
OF SUSTAINING INVESTMENTS IN
LIBRARY OPERATING HOURS,
COLLECTIONS, TECHNOLOGY,
PROGRAMMING AND MAINTENANCE
WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITY THROUGH LIBRARY
MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY AND
UNDERTAKING A SEISMIC RETROFIT
OF ONE LIBRARY FACILITY AND
RATIFYING AND CONFIRMING CERTAIN
PRIOR ACTS. BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU, CLERK. COLLEAGUES
AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO
ARE HERE IN PERSON OR WATCHING
ON THE SEATTLE CHANNEL, THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR
ATTENTION TO THIS REALLY
IMPORTANT LEVY PROPOSAL. AS A
PUBLIC COMMENTER SAID EARLIER,
AND YOU STOLE PART OF MY LINE,
WE'RE A CITY OF AVID, AND I
WILL INCLUDE CURIOUS READERS WHO
RELY ON OUR SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARIES FOR INFORMATION AND
ENGAGEMENT. THIS $410 MILLION
LEVY RENEWAL PROPOSAL BY MAYOR
WILSON REAFFIRMS THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY'S REPUTATION AS
A WORLD CLASS LIBRARY SYSTEM.
FOR YEARS TAXPAYERS HAVE
GENEROUSLY SHOWN THEIR SUPPORT
FOR THE LIBRARY BY TAXING
THEMSELVES THROUGH LEVIES. THEY
WANT TO MAINTAIN OPEN HOUR, THE
VAST COLLECTION OF BOOKS AND
E-BOOKS, PROGRAMS AND EVENTS,
ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND THE
INTERNET AND THE CLEAN AND
WELCOMING BRANCHES AND SPACES AT
THE LIBRARY. AS PART OF THIS
LEVY RENEWAL PROCESS, I WORKED
WITH YOU, COLLEAGUES, AND THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT
NOT ONLY EXISTING SERVICES BUT
ALSO ADDITIONAL SERVICES WOULD
BE INCLUDED WHICH YOU WILL HEAR
ABOUT IN THE EXECUTIVE'S
PRESENTATION TODAY. I WANT TO
THANK MAYOR WILSON, DEPUTY MAYOR
SURRATT, ALLEY FOR THEIR
PARTNERSHIP AND ALSO CHIEF
LIBRARIAN TOM FAY AND HIS TEAM
WHO ARE HERE TODAY AND THE
LIBRARY BOARD. OUR LOVE FOR THE
LIBRARIES, THAT'S THE EASY
PART. DECIDING THE AMOUNT OF THE
LEVY, THAT'S HARD. WHY? BECAUSE
WE WANT TO GIVE SO MUCH, AND THE
REALITY IS THAT I AND, AS MANY
OF YOU HAVE SAID FROM THIS DAIS,
COLLEAGUES, SEATTLE HAS A REAL
AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM. WE'VE
BECOME ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE
CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
THEREFORE, COLLEAGUES, I DO NOT
TAKE IT LIGHTLY WHEN WE GO TO
VOTERS AND ASK THEM TO INCREASE
THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AGAIN.
WE'RE ALSO FACING A VERY REAL
LEVY LID CAPACITY PROBLEM. WE
WILL HEAR FROM COUNCILCOUNSEL'S
CENTRAL STAFF ON THIS POINT
ABOUT HOW PROPERTY TAXES ARE
CALCULATED, WHAT THE CITY'S
LEVY CAPACITY IS AND WHAT IMPACT
BOTH THIS LEVY AND OTHER
EXISTING LEVIES HAVE ON THE
CITY'S TAXPAYER. TAXPAYERS. ALL
OF THIS SAID, I BELIEVE THAT
THIS LEVY PROPOSAL IS ONE THAT
WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF WITH AN
EYE TOWARD ACCOUNTABILITY, AS
YOU SAW FROM THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY'S PRESENTATIONS THAT I
REQUESTED THROUGH COMMITTEE,
MINDFUL OF OUR LIBRARY'S
PATRONS' NEEDS AND OF TAXPAYER
AND LEVY CAPACITY ABILITY. I
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT
TODAY'S PROPOSAL, ESPECIALLY A
CONTINUATION OF THE LIBRARY
HOURS THAT PATRONS WANT MOST OF
ALL, IN ADDITION TO EXPANSION OF
THE E-BOOKS THAT PATRONS RELY
ON. LET'S HEAR DIRECTLY FROM
THE MAYOR'S TEAM ON THE
PROPOSAL. I LOOK FORWARD TO
PLACING THIS LEVY ON THE BALLOT
SO THAT OUR TAXPAYERS HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR
DECISION. I'D LIKE TO INVITE
DEPUTY MAYOR SURRATT, CHIEF
LIBRARIAN TOM FAY AND ROB GANNON
FROM SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO
JOIN US AT THE TABLE. WHILE
THEY'RE COMING UP TO THE TABLE,
COLLEAGUES, I DO WANT TO TAKE A
MINUTE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OP-ED
PENNED BY THE SEATTLE LIBRARY'S
FOUNDATION THAT WAS IN THE PAPER
THIS MORNING. WE'RE ALL ALIGNED
IN OUR LOVE FOR THE LIBRARIES.
THE MAYOR, THIS COUNCIL, THE
PATRONS AND THE FOLKS THAT
SHOWED UP TODAY TO GIVE PUBLIC
COMMENT, AND I THANK YOU FOR
THAT. LIBRARIES ENJOY STRONG
SUPPORT IN THIS CITY AND FOR
VERY GOOD REASON. I WOULD EXPECT
THE FOUNDATION TO ADVOCATE FOR
ADDITIONAL FUNDING. I'M
THEREFORE NOT SURPRISED BY THEIR
OP-ED. THAT IS THEIR JOB. OUR
JOB IS TO BALANCE ALL THE NEEDS
ACROSS THE CITY, STRONGLY
SUPPORTING LIBRARIES WHICH THIS
PROPOSAL DOES, WHILE MANAGING
FOR THE CITY'S LOOMING FISCAL
CRISIS. I RESPECT THE
FOUNDATION'S STRONG ADVOCACY. I
ALSO DO NOT WANT IT UNSAID THAT
THE MAYOR WITH THE COUNCIL'S
INPUT DELIVERED A PACKAGE THAT
WE CAN ALL STAND BEHIND. WHEN WE
WORK TOGETHER, THE CITY HAS
BETTER OUTCOMES. THAT IS WHAT WE
HAVE DONE IN THIS INSTANCE, AND,
COLLEAGUES, WHAT WE WILL
CONTINUE TO DO AS THIS PROCESS
MOVES FORWARD. THANK YOU, DEPUTY
MEMBER SURRATT, TOM FAY FOR
COMING UP TO THE TABLE FOR THE
STAFF. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAMES
FOR THE FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU
CAN BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION. WE
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING.
>> GOOD MORNING. DEPUTY MAYOR
BRAD SURRATT.
>> TOM FAY, CHIEF LIBRARIAN.
>> GOOD MORNING, I'M ROB
GANNON, THE DIRECTOR OF
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR THE
LIBRARY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU
ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. WE
WILL GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION
THAT WILL SHOW THE MAYOR -- SHOW
MAYOR WILSON'S VISION, TALK
ABOUT THE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS AND THEN THE 2026
LIBRARY LEVY PROPOSAL. AND AT
THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO HAND
THIS OVER TO DEPUTY MAYOR
SURRATT TO TALK ABOUT THE
MAYOR'S VISION.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU, TOM. AND
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S AN HONOR AND PLEASURE TO
BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME. BEFORE I GO OVER THE HIGH
LEVEL VISION FOR THIS LEVY AND
HAND IT OVER TO TOM AND ROB AND
TEAM, LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC
COMMENTS ALWAYS INSPIRING AND,
FRANKLY, FOR ME, YOU KNOW, BEING
HERE AT CITY HALL, A BIT OF A
BUBBLE, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO
HEAR FROM FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY
ON HOW ISSUES TOUCH THEM, WHAT
TRUE PUBLIC SERVICES AND ASSETS
LIKE THE LIBRARY MEAN TO FOLKS.
AND SO IF YOU SPARE A MOMENT, I
THINK ABOUT MY DAUGHTER. I HAVE
ONE DAUGHTER. FOR THOSE OF YOU
WHO KNOW ME REALLY WELL, SHE IS
EVERYTHING TO ME, AND SHE'S A
FIRST YEAR AT U DUB. AND I THINK
ABOUT HOW SHE GREW UP WITH
LIBRARIES IN HER COMMUNITY. FOR
A TIME WE LIVED OFF OF RANIER IN
SOUTHEAST, THE COLUMBIA CITY
BRANCH WAS WHERE SHE STARTED TO
EXPLORE. THEN WE MOVED TO WEST
SEATTLE AND THE WEST SEATTLE
BRANCH IS WHERE SHE REALLY,
REALLY GOT TO FULLY APPRECIATE
ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT
THE LIBRARY SYSTEM COULD HAVE.
AND THEN I THINK ABOUT HER TIME
AT UDUB, AND SHE FELL IN LOVE
WITH SUSAN LOWE LIBRARY. AND SO
SHE HAS TOUCHED SO MANY
DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF EXPLORATION
AND LEARNING AND CURIOSITY
THROUGH OUR LIBRARIES. AND ALL
OF YOU, ALL OF US HAVE BEEN
TOUCHED BY LIBRARIES IN OUR
TIME, AND TO GO BACK INTO THE
WAY BACK MACHINE A LITTLE BIT
FURTHER, I'M OF THE GENERATION
-- I'M A LATCHKEY KID, AND THE
LIBRARY WAS DAYCARE IN SO MANY
WAYS. AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A
PHONE, WE COULDN'T EXPLORE, SO
WE HAD OUR BOOKS, AND THAT'S
WHERE WE EXPLORED, THAT'S WHERE
MY FRIENDS AND I EXPLORED. AND
SO THE LIBRARY SOMETIMES WE
THINK AS AN AFTER THOUGHT
BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE. THEY'RE
PRESENT ALL THE TIME. BUT WHEN
YOU REALLY, REALLY SIT WITH IT,
YOU START REFLECTING ON HOW MUCH
IT'S IMPACTED AND SHAPED ALL OF
OUR LIVES. ANYWAY, SO THANK YOU
FOR ALLOWING ME TO GO BACK ON
THAT PERSONAL NOTE BECAUSE AS WE
START TALKING NUMBERS AND
PRIORITIES AND WHATNOT, LET'S
NOT LOSE ALL OF THAT. SO BACK TO
MY PRESENTATION. I'M EXCITED TO
TALK ABOUT THE MAYOR'S LIBRARY
LEVY PROPOSAL. IT IS A $410
MILLION PROPOSAL THAT INVESTS IN
BOOKS FOR ALL AGES IN A CITY OF
READERS AND A CITY OF
LITERATURE. IT INVESTS IN PUBLIC
SPACES THAT ARE FREE AND OPEN TO
ALL, A TRUE DEMOCRATIC SPACE
WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS. WE
INVEST IN ACCESS TO FREE EARLY
LEARNING AND LITERACY PROGRAMS
FOR CHILDREN'S FAMILIES AND
CAREGIVERS. WE ARE PROVIDING
ACCESS TO FREE AND RICH AUTHOR
EVENTS, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND
MORE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO LIFELONG
LEARNING, ENTERTAINMENT AND JOY.
WE'RE PROVIDING ACCESS TO FREE
AND EMPOWERING CLASSES AND
RESOURCES THAT HELP SEATTLE
RESIDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR
EDUCATION AND LIFE GOALS SUCH AS
HOMEWORK HELP, TECHNOLOGY
CLASSES, CITIZENSHIP AND ENGLISH
LEARNING CLASSES, TAX HELP,
RESUME WORKSHOPS, SMALL BUSINESS
LEGAL CONSULTANTS AND SO MUCH
MORE. JUST, AGAIN, THE WAY BACK
MACHINE ON THE RESUME WORKSHOP,
WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO SEATTLE IN
1998, I DIDN'T HAVE A COMPUTER.
I WENT TO THE LIBRARY TO PUNCH
OUT MY FIRST LITTLE RESUME TO
GET MY FIRST LITTLE JOB HERE IN
SEATTLE. SO, AGAIN, THOSE ARE
THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE
PROVIDING THROUGH OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE
HERE. AS WE CONSIDER THIS
PROPOSAL, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS
SEE THE LIBRARY AS A CRITICAL
AND WORTHY INVESTMENT. YOU HEARD
FROM FOLKS HERE WHO ARE
TESTIFYING, BUT WHEN YOU REALLY
SCALE THAT AND TRY TO GET A
SENSE OF WHERE THE ELECTORATE IS
AND WHERE SEATTLEITES ARE, YOU
SEE THAT 96% OF OVER 1,000
SURVEYED, THE LIBRARY IS A
CRITICAL EDUCATION RESOURCE FOR
OUR COMMUNITY, AND 90% SAY THE
LIBRARY IS WORTH THE MONEY THAT
WE INVEST IN IT. SEATTLE READERS
KNOW FIRSTHAND THE VALUE OF
LIBRARY COLLECTIONS, HOW MUCH
MONEY THEY SAVE FOR THE BOOKS
THAT THEY PURCHASE EACH YEAR.
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN
LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S LIBRARY
VALUE CALCULATOR, SPL'S
COLLECTION HAS A $16 RETURN FOR
EVERY DOLLAR SPENT. AND THE
LIBRARY PROVIDES VALUE TO OUR
SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS AS
WELL. THE URBAN LIBRARY'S
COUNCIL ESTIMATES THAT SPL'S
RESOURCES SUCH AS MARKET
RESEARCH MATERIALS AND FREE
MEETING ROOM ACCESS PROVIDES
SMALL BUSINESSES A VALUE OF
NEARLY $8.4 MILLION IN 2025. THE
MAYOR RECOGNIZED THAT
AFFORDABILITY IS TOP OF MIND FOR
SEATTLE RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW. AND
WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE LIBRARY
TO PUT FORTH A PROPOSAL THAT
INVESTS IN COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
AND COMMUNITY VALUES. WE LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH COUNCIL
THROUGH YOUR DELIBERATIONS SO
THAT WE CAN PUT FORWARD A
PACKAGE THAT SEATTLE VOTERS CAN
BE PROUD OF. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR
TO WORK WITH THE TEAM FROM THE
SEATTLE LIBRARIES. I CAN'T SAY
MORE HOW IMPRESSED I AM THE
THOUGHTFULNESS AND HOW THIS
PACKAGE WAS TAILORED FROM
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THINKING
ABOUT THE LIBRARY THAT MEETS OUR
NEEDS AND A LIBRARY THAT REALLY
IS PROJECTING AT AND THINKING
ABOUT THE FUTURE. SO I WANT TO
COMMEND TOM AND TEAM TO DO THAT.
I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO TOM TO
WALK US THROUGH SOME MORE
DETAIL.
>> THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR
SURRATT. AS THE DEPUTY MAYOR
ELOQUENTLY POINTED OUT, THAT
COMMUNITY VOICE IS VERY
IMPORTANT IN EVERYTHING THAT THE
LIBRARY DOES, AND I WANT TO
START OUT OUR PRESENTATION BY
SHARING THE COMMUNITY-FOCUSED
PROCESS THAT HELPED INFORM THE
PROPOSAL. SO THE COMMUNITY
CONVERSATIONS WE ACTUALLY HELD
FOUR IN 2022 TO HEAR DIRECTLY
FROM PATRONS WHAT WAS WORKING
FOR THEM IN THE 2019 LEVY AND
WHERE THEY SAW AREAS FOR
IMPROVEMENT. WE ALSO HAD A
LEVY-FUNDED FUTURE OF THE
LIBRARY STUDY THAT LED TO THE
DEVELOP OF OUR NEW 10-YEAR
STRATEGIC PLAN WHICH WAS
INFORMED BY DOZENS OF COMMUNITY
STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE
STRATEGIC PLAN LAUNCHED IN 2024
AND FOCUSES THE LIBRARY ON
COMMUNITY IMPACT THROUGH
INCREASED COMMUNITY BELONGING BY
EMPHASIZING COMMUNITY LITERACY,
EMPOWERMENT AND ENRICHMENT AND
INCREASED ORGANIZATIONAL
RESILIENCE THROUGH FUNDING,
CAPACITY, BUILDINGS, TECHNOLOGY
AND SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES. IN
2025, WE EMPLOYED SEVERAL
ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, INCLUDING
THE SURVEY THAT D.M. SURRATT
CITED IN AN EARLIER SLIDE. THAT
WENT OVER TO 1,000 RANDOMIZED
SEATTLE HOUSEHOLDS, AS WELL AS
HAVING WORKSHOPS WITH ABOUT 40
COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT INCLUDED
LIBRARY PARTNERS AND MEETING
ROOM MEUZERS. SOME OF THOSE
INCLUDED LITERACY SOURCE,
SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE
RANIER BEACH ACTION COALITION,
SEATTLE INDIAN HEALTH BOARD,
SEATTLE BOOK CLUB, FRIENDS OF
LITTLE SAIGON AND MANY MORE. WE
ALSO HELD LISTENING SESSIONS AND
FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS WITH
LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY,
INCLUDING WITH SEATTLE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, THE CARE TEAM,
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS,
PARKS, SEATTLE CENTER AND THE
SEATTLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND, AGAIN, WE ENGAGED OUR
PATRONS CONDUCTING PASSIVE
ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AT 14
LOCATIONS WHICH PROVIDED
VISITORS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PROVIDE US FEEDBACK THROUGH
OPEN-ENDED PROMPTS TO QUESTIONS
SUCH AS HOW COULD THE LIBRARY
HELP BUILD COMMUNITY AND WHAT
SURPRISED YOU DURING YOUR
LIBRARY VISIT TODAY. NOW AS WE
LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL ITSELF, I
WANT TO ORIENT YOU -- I'M
SORRY, ORIENT YOU TO HOW THE
FUNDING CATEGORIES ARE
DESCRIBED. SO YOU WILL SEE HOURS
AND ACCESS, AND THAT INCLUDES
OPEN HOURS AT 27 LIBRARIES,
EARLY LEARNING SUPPORT THROUGH
OUR KA LIEDOSCOPY LEARN PROGRAM
IN SEVEN PROGRAMS AND ALL AGES
PROGRAMS AT MANY LOCATIONS SUCH
AS THE PROGRAMS DEPUTY MAYOR
SURRATT MENTIONED. COLLECTIONS
ARE OUR PHYSICAL BOOKS AND
MATERIALS. E-BOOKS, E-AUDIO
BOOKS, DIGITAL STREAMING
SERVICES, THE SEATTLE ROOM
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND MORE,
OUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE WHICH
INCLUDES CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
AND ROUTINE AND RESPONSIVE
MAINTENANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
ONLINE SERVICES WHICH INCLUDES
PUBLIC AND STAFF COMPUTERS,
PRINTERS, COPIERS, ACCESS TO
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, DIGITAL
EQUITY INITIATIVES SUCH AS OUR
WI-FI HOT SPOTS AND THEN
ADMINISTRATION WHICH INCLUDES
ADMINISTRATION OF THE LEVY
ITSELF, AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY
OF SEATTLE'S CENTRALIZED
SERVICES. FOR THE NEXT TWO
SLIDES I'LL HAND OVER THE
PRESENTATION TO ROB GANNON, OUR
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES.
>> THANK YOU, TOM. AND GOOD
MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE'LL START WITH JUST A VERY
HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS
-- WHAT THE LEVY IS STRUCTURED
TO DO AND WHAT IT WILL PROVIDE
FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARY IN THE
FUTURE. SO THE CHART YOU SEE
HERE DEPICTS THE BREAKDOWN OF
THE 2026 LIBRARY PROPOSAL BY THE
ELEMENTS THAT ARE BEING
SUSTAINED AND SHOWS ALSO IN
RELATIVE TERMS WHAT IS NEWLY
FUNDED WITH THIS $410 MILLION
INVESTMENT. THE SUSTAINED
CATEGORY, AS WE'LL DESCRIBE IN
THE PRESENTATION THAT FOLLOWS,
BUT HAVE ALSO DESCRIBED IN PRIOR
PRESENTATIONS TO THIS COMMITTEE,
SHOWS WHAT CURRENT LIBRARY
OPERATIONS ARE AND HOW BY LEVY
CATEGORY WE ARE PROVIDING
CRITICAL SERVICES WITH THESE
RESOURCES. TOM JUST DISCUSSED
THESE CATEGORIES. WE'LL BE
GOING INTO ADDITIONAL DETAIL,
BUT SUSTAINED CAN REALLY BE
THOUGHT OF AS OUR BASELINE.
IT'S BROKEN UP INTO TWO
CATEGORIES HERE, $278 MILLION IS
THE ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS OF THE
LIBRARY. THAT INCLUDES THINGS
THAT WERE IN THE PRIOR LEVY, THE
2019 LEVY THAT HAVE BEEN
EXTENDED INTO THIS PROJECTED
LEVY PERIOD AND ALSO INCLUDES AN
INFLATIONARY ADJUSTMENT. THE
SECOND CATEGORY OF SUSTAINED
ACCOUNTS FOR OFFSETS THAT THE
LEVY HAS ABSORBED WHEN THE
GENERAL FUND COULD NO LONGER
SUSTAIN THOSE EXPENSES, SO YOU
SEE THOSE TOTALED THERE. AND
THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE
PROPOSED $70 MILLION IN EXPANDED
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LIBRARY TO
GROW AND ENRICH ITS SERVICES AND
TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE RELEVANT
AND MEANINGFUL BUILDINGS, BOOKS
AND OVERALL EXPERIENCES TO
LIBRARY PATRONS. THIS SLIDE
DEPICTS THE IMPACT TO SEATTLE
TAXPAYERS, AND I SUSPECT THAT
THE PRESENTATION BY COUNSEL
CENTRAL STAFF WILL GO INTO THIS
IN MUCH GREATER DETAIL, BUT WE
WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF
THE EXISTING LEVY, THE 2019 LEVY
WHICH IS FUNDED AT $219.1
MILLION, AND THIS LEVY WHICH
PRESENTS A FIGURE OF $410
MILLION FOR CONSIDERATION. THE
NEW LEVY, IF IT IS REPLACED,
WOULD HAVE A 19 CENT PER $1,000
OF ASSESSED VALUE, AND AS OTHERS
HAVE MENTIONED, THAT WOULD
EQUATE TO ABOUT $163 A YEAR FOR
THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER BASED ON
THE MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUE OF
PROPERTY IN SEATTLE. SO AT THIS
POINT I'LL HAND IT BACK TO TOM,
AND WE'LL BEGIN AN OVERVIEW OF
EACH OF THE LEVY CATEGORIES.
>> THANK YOU, ROB. WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT THE HOURS AND ACCESS, WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT, AGAIN,
PROVIDING OPEN HOURS AND ACCESS
TO 27 SAFE AND WELCOMING PUBLIC
SPACES WHICH OFTEN OPERATE AS
COOLING, WARMING AND CLEAN AIR
CENTERS AT VARIOUS TIMES
THROUGHOUT OUR YEAR. WE HAVE
OVER 1.8 MILLION PHYSICAL BOOKS
AND OTHER ITEMS. OF COURSE OUR
LIBRARY STAFF, OFTEN MANY OF YOU
SEE OUR FRIENDLY INFORMATION
SERVICES STAFF WHO GUIDE YOU
THROUGH YOUR REFERENCE QUESTIONS
OR OUR READER ADVISORY STAFF WHO
CAN GET THAT NEXT BEST READ FOR
YOU. WE ALSO HAVE FREE PUBLIC
MEETING ROOMS AT 22 LOCATIONS,
FREE PRIVATE STUDY ROOMS AT 17
LOCATIONS AND, OF COURSE,
THOUSANDS OF FREE PROGRAMS EACH
YEAR. AND WE HAVE FREE WI-FI,
COMPUTERS, DEVICE CHARGING,
ASSISTIVE 10 AND MUCH MORE. THE
2026 LIBRARY LEVY INVESTMENT OF
$218.4 MILLION WOULD CONTINUE
FUNDING FOR OUR CURRENT OPEN
HOURS, STAFFING AND DELIVERY OF
THE MULTI-LINGUAL KALEIDOSCOPE
PLAN LEARN, EARLY LITERACY --
WHICH IS AN EARLY LITERACY
PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN ZERO TO 5
AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. IT'S HELD
AT SEVEN LOCATIONS, BEACON HILL,
COLUMBIA, DELL RIDGE, LAKE CITY,
NORTHGATE, NEW HOLLY, RANIER
BEACH AND SOUTH PARK. THESE
PARTICULAR PROGRAMS ARE
AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, MANDARIN,
SMALY AND SPANISH. SOCIAL
SERVICE REFERRALS ARE ALSO
AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY
RESOURCE SPECIALIST. ONE
POSITION IS LEVY FUNDED AND
YOUTH FOCUSED. THIS TEAM
PROVIDES INFORMATION ON REFERRAL
SERVICES FOR PEOPLE IN NEED OF
SUPPORT. IT WORKS CLOSELY WITH
OUR PARTNERS AT SEATTLE FIRE,
CARE, HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
AT THE CITY AND MANY OTHERS.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING,
INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO THE
REST OF THE LIBRARY STAFF TO
BETTER SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS SYSTEM WIDE. ALSO THIS
FUNDING SUPPORTS SECURITY
STAFFING, IT CURRENTLY FUNDS
NINE OF THE LIBRARY'S 24
SECURITY PERSONNEL. IN TERMS OF
NEW INVESTMENTS IN HOURS AND
ACCESS, THE PROPOSAL ADDS $12.6
MILLION FOR MORE ALL AGES
PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING STORY
TIMES AND OTHER LITERACY
PROGRAMS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
TO HELP PEOPLE ACHIEVE LIFE
GOALS SUCH AS RESUME AND JOB
SKILLS, CITIZENSHIP AND LANGUAGE
LEARNING. EVENTS THAT BRING JOY
AND CONNECTION TO PEOPLE'S
LIVES SUCH AS AUTHOR VISITS,
RESOURCES, GARDENING, MUSICAL
PURCHASE PERFORMANCES AND MUCH
MORE. THESE ARE POPULAR
OFFERINGS BUT CURRENTLY LIMITED
IN SCOPE AND AVAILABILITY. THIS
INVEST WOULD ALLOW THE LIBRARY
TO EXPAND TO MORE LOCATIONS AND
MORE TYPES OF PROGRAMS. THERE'S
ADDITIONALLY $7.7 MILLION FOR
INCREASED SECURITY AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, INCLUDING SIX
SECURITY OFFICERS AND UPGRADES
TO OUR BUILDING SECURITY
SYSTEMS, $2.4 MILLION IS ADDED
TO OFFICIALLY ESTABLISH OUR
OFFICE OF INCLUSION AND
BELONGING WHICH WORKS TO HELP
THE LIBRARY IMPROVE LANGUAGE
ACCESS, EQUITY TRAINING FOR
LEADERSHIP, POLICY UPDATES AND
EQUITABLE DECISION MAKING
THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. TAIS
CURRENTLY STAFFED WITH ONE
POSITION USING ONE-TIME FUNDS.
THIS WOULD ALLOW THE WORK OF
THIS OFFICE TO CONTINUE AND GROW
BY ONE ADDITIONAL POSITION. IN
EACH OF OUR LEVY CATEGORIES, WE
PROVIDE THIS CHART WHICH SHOWS
THE COST OF THIS WORK AS IT WAS
APPROVED IN 2019 TO YOUR LEFT,
BOTTOM LEFT AND THE COST TO
CONTINUE THIS WORK AS A BASELINE
WITH GENERAL FUND OFFSETS AND
ASSUMED INFLATION FACTORED INTO
THE NUMBERS. AND LASTLY, THE
TOTAL COST AS PROPOSED IN THIS
2026 LEVY PROPOSAL WITH THE NEW
INVESTMENT REFLECTED. OUR NEXT
CATEGORY IS COLLECTION OF BOOKS
AND MATERIALS. THIS CATEGORY
INCLUDES PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL
BOOKS, E-BOOKS AND THE AUDIOS
FOR ALL AGES, INTEREST IN
VIEWPOINTS, PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL
HISTORY ITEMS, PHOTOS, MAPS,
POSTCARDS, MENUS AND SO MUCH
MORE AND UNIQUE COLLECTIONS,
LGBTQ PLUS, AFRICAN AMERICAN,
AVIATION, GLEENS AND OTHER
CURATED SPECIAL COLLECTIONS,
DVDs AND CDs, PHYSICAL AND
DIGITAL MAGAZINES AND
NEWSPAPERS, STREAMING MUSIC,
MOVIES AND TELEVISION. THE 2026
LIBRARY LEVY INVESTMENT OF $58.5
MILLION FOR COLLECTIONS WOULD
CONTINUE FUNDING FOR BOOKS AND
MATERIALS, AND IT CURRENTLY
PROVIDES ABOUT 55% OF THE
LIBRARY'S FUNDING FOR BOOKS AND
OTHER MATERIALS. THE LIBRARY
FACILITATED $12.8 MILLION
CHECKPOINTS OF PHYSICAL AND
DIGITAL ITEMS IN 2025. THIS ITEM
IS INCLUDED -- EXCUSE ME, AND
THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE
FINE-FREE BORROWING WHICH MANY
HERE KNOW ABOUT. THIS ITEM IS
INCLUDED IN THIS LEVY TO
CONTINUE FINE-FREE BORROWING AND
THE INVESTMENT HELPS OFFSET LOST
REVENUE FROM OUR DAYS OF
ACTUALLY CHARGING DAILY OVERDUE
FINES. THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM
OF FINE FREE HAS RESTORED ACCESS
FOR OVER 18,000 PATRONS WHO HAD
PREVIOUSLY BEEN SUSPENDED. IT
DID NOT IMPACT RETURN RATES, AND
JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OFTEN
CURIOUS, PATRONS RETURN ITEMS ON
AVERAGE FIVE DAYS BEFORE THEY
ARE DUE. SO OFTEN WE HEAR THE
LOST BOOK STORIES OR THE LATE
FEES, BUT IN REALITY, MOST
PEOPLE GET THEIR BOOKS BACK ON
TIME AND THEN SOME. COLLECTIONS,
THIS ALSO WILL -- COLLECTIONS
AND SHELFING STAFF THAT
CURRENTLY PROVIDES FUNDING FOR
10.8FTE IN SHELFING,
ACQUISITIONS, PROCESSING AND
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS. FOR THE NEW
INVESTMENTS IN COLLECTIONS, THE
LEVY IS PROPOSING $2.2 MILLION
FOR MORE PHYSICAL BOOKS TO HELP
US CONTINUE BUILDING A BROAD AND
DEEP COLLECTION. WE HAVE ABOUT 2
MILLION PHYSICAL ITEMS IN OUR
COLLECTION, AND THEY WERE
CHECKED OUT ABOUT 5.5 MILLION
TIMES IN 2025. IT ALSO INCLUDES
A NEW INVESTMENT OF $2.4 MILLION
FOR MORE E-BOOKS AND E-AUDIO
BOOKS. WE HAVE ABOUT 1 MILLION
DIGITAL ITEMS, AND THOSE ITEMS
WERE CHECKED OUT ABOUT 7.2
MILLION TIMES IN 2025. ONCE
AGAIN, WE HAVE THIS CHART WHICH
SHOWS THE COST OF THIS WORK AS
IT WAS APPROVED IN 2019 AT THE
BOTTOM LEFT AND THE COST TO
CONTINUE THIS WORK AS A BASELINE
WITH GENERAL FUND OFFSETS AND
ASSUMED INFLATION. LASTLY, THE
TOTAL COST AS PROPOSED IN THE
2026 LEVY PROPOSAL WITH THE NEW
INVESTMENT ADDED. I'LL TURN
THIS BACK OVER TO ROB TO GO OVER
INFORMATION FOR OUR BUILDINGS
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY AND
ADMINISTRATION CATEGORIES.
>> THANK YOU, TOM. THE BUILDING
MAINTENANCE CATEGORY INCLUDES
THREE BROAD CATEGORIES. WITHIN
IT, WE HAVE CAPITAL MAINTENANCE
AND MAJOR -- EXCUSE ME. CAPITAL
AND MAJOR MAINTENANCE IN THIS
CATEGORY. WE GENERALLY INCLUDE
THINGS LIKE RENOVATIONS, SEISMIC
RETROFITS, SIGNIFICANT ACCESS
IMPROVEMENTS, LARGE SCALE
REPLACEMENTS OF CORE BUILDING
ELEMENTS, REROOFING, ET CETERA.
WE ALSO HAVE ROUTINE AND
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THIS IS
THE EVERYDAY WORK OF KEEPING OUR
LIBRARY FACILITIES IN GOOD
WORKING CONDITION, SUPPORTING 27
LOCATIONS AND A MAINTENANCE AND
OPERATIONS CENTER. THIS IS
EVERYTHING FROM LANDSCAPE,
JANITORIAL AND CUSTODIAL AND
SYSTEM CONTROLS. AND WE ALSO
HAVE REPAIRS WHICH INCLUDE
UNPLANNED MAINTENANCE,
EVERYTHING FROM BROKEN DOORS,
GRAFFITI, WINDOW REPLACEMENT, ET
CETERA. SO AS WE CONTEMPLATE THE
FUTURE LEVY, WE HAVE PROPOSED
$85.9 MILLION TO COVER ALL OF
OUR MAINTENANCE NEEDS. AGAIN,
THIS WOULD COVER OUR ROUTINE AND
MAJOR MAINTENANCE, SEVERAL HVAC
REPLACEMENTS, THE EVERYDAY WORK
OF KEEPING THE BUILDINGS IN TOP
CONDITION. IT ALSO INCLUDES
FACILITY SUPPORT TO DO THINGS
LIKE DEEP CLEANING, POWER
WASHING, WINDOW WASHING, THE
THINGS THAT KEEP OUR BUILDINGS
LOOKING INVITING TO THE PUBLIC.
IT ALSO INCLUDES THINGS LIKE
FURNITURE REPLACEMENT AND PAYS
FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT STAFFING
AND OVERALL ADMINISTRATION.
MAYOR WILSON HAS PROPOSED
ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THIS
CATEGORY WHICH INCLUDES $10
MILLION FOR PRIORITY AND
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. THIS WOULD
BE AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION TO
WHAT EXISTS IN THE LEVY
BASELINE. THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO
CONTINUE TO LOOK OUT INTO THE
FUTURE AND ADDRESS LIFE SAFETY
CONCERNS, REPLACING SYSTEMS THAT
ARE OUT OF DATE, THAT HAVE
REACHED THEIR END OF LIFE AND TO
DO EVEN MORE IMPROVEMENTS TO
A.D.A. ACCESSIBILITY ACROSS THE
SYSTEM. THIS FUND -- OR THIS
WOULD ALSO FUND ONE SEISMIC
RETROFIT OF THE HISTORIC
COLUMBIA BRANCH. THIS WOULD
FOLLOW ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF
SIMILAR SUCCESSFUL WORK AT THE
GREENLAKE BRANCH AND THE
RETROFIT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER
WAY AT THE UNIVERSITY BRANCH.
THERE WOULD ALSO BE
SUSTAINABILITY IMPROVEMENTS MADE
AT THE COLUMBIA BRANCH, AND IT
WOULD ALLOW US TO COMPLETE A
PROJECT THAT WAS MEANT FOR THE
2019 LEVY, BUT DUE TO FINANCIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES WAS DEFERRED AS
THE LIBRARY TOOK A $5 MILLION
CUT BECAUSE OF THE GENERAL
FUND'S CHALLENGES. THIS WOULD
ALSO GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL
RESOURCE, ABOUT $5.9 MILLION IN
INCREASED FACILITY AND CUSTODIAL
SUPPORT. THIS IS TO ACCOUNT FOR
THE INCREASE DRAW ON OUR
RESOURCES TO DO EVERYDAY
REPAIRS, TO BRING IN
CONTRACTORS, TO DO THINGS LIKE
PLUMBING AND HVAC REPAIRS,
MAINTAIN ELEVATORS AND
ESCALATORS. THOSE COSTS CONTINUE
TO INCREASE AND OUTPACE THE
EXISTING FUNDING. THIS CHART
AGAIN FOLLOWS IN THE FORMAT OF
THE PRIOR. THE 20 NEAB LEVY HAD
$50.6 MILLION CARVED OUT OF ITS
$219 TOTAL FOR BUILDING
MAINTENANCE. THE BASELINE AMOUNT
FOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE IN THIS
PROPOSED LEVY IS $57.1, AND THEN
IN THOSE TWO CATEGORIES THAT I
MENTIONED. THE SEISMIC RETROFIT
AND INCREASED RESOURCES FOR
BUILDING, LIFE SAFETY AND
DEFERRED AND SCHEDULED
MAINTENANCE WE SEE THE $13 AND
THE $10 MILLION ADDED
RESPECTIVELY. I'LL SWITCH OVER
TO TECHNOLOGY AND ONLINE
SERVICES. AS WAS MENTIONED IN
THE OVERVIEW BY TOM, THIS IS THE
BASIC NETWORK AND COMPUTER
INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE LIBRARY.
IT INCLUDES THOSE THINGS THAT
SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AS AN ENTITY
BUT ALSO PROVIDE NECESSARY AND
IMPORTANT PUBLIC TECHNOLOGY,
EVERYTHING FROM COMPUTERS,
PRINTERS, LAPTOPS, SELF-CHECKOUT
STATIONS AND MORE. IT CREATES
INTERNET ACCESS, THE S.P.L.
NETWORK INSIDE THE LIBRARY BUT
ALSO THE PUBLIC ACCESS AND THE
WI-FI HOT SPOTS. IT ALLOWS US TO
ASSURE THAT OUR DIGITAL
RESOURCES AND OVERALL NETWORK
ARE SECURE AND CAN RESIST THE
ONGOING THREAT OF CYBER EVENTS,
AND IT ALSO TAKES CARE OF
NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE WORK TO
KEEP OUR SYSTEM -- OUR
TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS AVAILABLE FOR
THE FUTURE. THIS LEVY AS
PROPOSED WOULD BRING $38.2
MILLION OF INVESTMENT FOR
TECHNOLOGY AND ONLINE SERVICES.
IT SEEKS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE
FUNDING FOR THE THINGS I JUST
MENTIONED, PUBLIC STAFF,
COMPUTERS WHICH ARE HEAVILY
USED, PRINTING AND COPYING
SERVICES WHICH NEVER SEEM TO GO
OUT OF DATE AND ARE VERY POPULAR
WITH OUR PATRONS, THE WI-FI HOT
SPOTS WHICH ARE REGULARLY USED.
WE HAVE MORE THAN 900 HOT SPOTS
IN THE LIBRARY COLLECTION THAT
ARE CHECKED OUT MORE THAN --
THEY WERE CHECKED OUT MORE THAN
6,500 TIMES IN 2025. AND THEN
THIS ALSO PROVIDES SOME FUNDING
FOR OUR I.T. STAFFING AND ALSO
OUR ONLINE SERVICES STAFF. THE
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES PROPOSED
WOULD ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO
DRK OR WORK TO KEEP PACE WITH
THE NEVER-ENDING UPGRADES AND
ADVANCES THAT ARE REQUIRED IN
I.T. INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS WOULD
HELP US ENSURE THAT WE HAVE
CONTINUED, STABLE AND SECURE
LIBRARY NETWORK THAT IS ALSO
RESISTANT TO CYBERSECURITY
THREATS. IT WOULD ALLOW US TO
INCREASE OUR MANAGEMENT CAPACITY
OVER CRITICAL DATA SYSTEMS. IT
WOULD IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO
KEEP TRACK OF MOBILE DEVICES
WHICH ARE EVER-GROWING FEATURE
OF LIBRARY SERVICES, AND IT
WOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO MODERNIZE
SOME END-OF-LIFE LEGACY SYSTEMS
THAT ARE APPROACHING FAILURE,
ALMOST LIT RALLY END OF LIFE. SO
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE THE
TECHNOLOGY AND ONLINE SERVICES
COMPONENT OF THE EXISTING LEVY
WAS ABOUT $23.7. THE BASELINE
AMOUNT FOR THIS PROPOSAL WOULD
BE $25.82, AND WITH EXPANSIONS
IN SOME OF THOSE CATEGORIES,
CYBERSECURITY, MOBILE DEVICE
MANAGEMENT, APPLICATION SUPPORT
AND CAPITAL I.T. INFRASTRUCTURE,
WE WOULD GROW THE TECHNOLOGY
COMPONENT TO $38.2 MILLION. AND
OUR LAST CATEGORY IS
ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS THE
SMALLEST OF THE LEVY FUNDING
CATEGORIES TOTALING ONLY $9
MILLION, BUT THE CATEGORY DOES
PROVIDE -- THIS FUNDING DOES
PROVIDE CRITICAL LEVY
ADMINISTRATION, AND IT ALSO
COVERS CITY CENTRAL COSTS THAT
HAVE BEEN MOVED ON TO THE LEVY.
THE LEVY ADMINISTRATION STAFFING
INCLUDES TWO FTEs SPREAD ACROSS
A NUMBER OF POSITIONS. THIS
ALLOWS US TO BOTH DO ACTIVE
ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING ON
THE LEVY AND HOW IT'S
ADMINISTERED YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT
ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE
BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCOUNTING AND
THE FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION TO
MAKE SURE ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS
ARE DISTRIBUTED AT THE RIGHT
TIME AND TO THE RIGHT UNITS.
THIS ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, HAS
THE PORTION OF THE LEVY'S
CENTRAL COSTS THAT ARE NOW
CONTINUING INTO THE NEXT LEVY
PERIOD, AND THEN WE ARE
PROPOSING TO ADD TWO FTE TO OUR
HUMAN RESOURCES STAFFING OVER
THE SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD THAT.
WOULD AMOUNT TO ABOUT $2.3
MILLION. AGAIN, THIS IS A
SUMMARY SLIDE AND THE EXISTING
LEVY -- EXCUSE ME, THE EXISTING
LEVY. IT IS 3.3 OUT OF $119
MILLION, THE BASELINE AMOUNT
HERE IS $6.66, AND IF APPROVED,
WE WOULD GROW THIS TO JUST SHORT
OF $9 MILLION.
>> THANK YOU, ROB. AND THAT
LEADS US TO THE END OF OUR
PRESENTATION. HAPPY TO TAKE ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT
HAVE.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU DEPUTY
MAYOR SURRATT, YOU ARE NOT
ALONE, AND THANK YOU FOR
SHARING, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST YOUR
DAUGHTER'S EXPERIENCE BUT YOUR
OWN. AND I'VE SAID MANY TIMES
UP HERE THAT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD,
IN MY INNER CITY, LOW INCOME
NEIGHBORHOOD, VERY UNSAFE
NEIGHBORHOOD, THE ONLY PLACE MY
MOM WOULD LET ME GO TO IS THE
LIBRARY. THAT'S WHAT TURNED ME
INTO AN AVID READER. IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO KNOW THAT
LIBRARIES HAVE AN IMPORTANT
PLACE IN ALL OF OUR HEARTS,
GROWNUPS, IN OUR CHILDREN AND
FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE GRANDKIDS OR
ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE
GRANDKIDS. I HOPE I WILL BE
LUCKY ENOUGH ONE DAY. I HAVE TWO
DAUGHTERS. YOU KNOW, IT IS --
THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE.
AND SO I AM NOT SURPRISED BY THE
OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FOR OUR
LIBRARIES, AND I -- YOU KNOW, I
AM LOOKING FORWARD TO PLACING
THIS ON THE BALLOT SO THAT WE
CAN CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK THAT
THE LIBRARY DOES BECAUSE THE
FACT IS IF THIS BALLOT MEASURE
DOESN'T PASS, THE LIBRARY
CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO ALL ITS
IMPORTANT WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR
SHARING. THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE. THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING
THIS, CHIEF FAY, THANK YOU AND
YOUR TEAM FOR BEING HERE AND
PRESENTING THIS. COLLEAGUES, I
SEE THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS. SO,
COUNCIL MEMBER RINCK, YOU ARE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA. AND
THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE,
TO THE LIBRARY, TO THE LIBRARY
FOUNDATION, FRIENDS OF THE
LIBRARY, EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT
TODAY TO PROVIDE COMMENT AND
VOICE THEIR SUPPORT FOR OUR
LIBRARIES. YOUR TIME AND WORK ON
THIS IS THOROUGHLY APPRECIATED.
AND, COLLEAGUES, I MENTIONED IT
BEFORE, BUT I'LL SAY IT AGAIN,
I AM A PROUD LIBRARY KID. MY WAS
A LIBRARIAN. SHE WAS ALSO MY
CARETAKER GROWING UP. SO SOME OF
MY EARLIEST MEMORIES WERE
SCOURING THE SHELVES FOR THAT
NEXT BOOK ON ANCIENT EGYPT AND
TRYING TO DECIPHER WHETHER THE
DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM REALLY
MEANT. I WAS RAISED BY MY
GRANDPARENTS WHO WORKED LONG
HOURS TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE
BASICS, BUT THAT MEANS WE
DIDN'T HAVE MUCH MORE THAN
THAT, BUT HAVING THE LOCAL
LIBRARY BY ME OPENED UP MY WHOLE
WORLD, AND IN MORE PRACTICAL
TERMS, IT WAS THE PLACE WHERE I
DID MY HOMEWORK EVERYDAY AFTER
SCHOOL. SO I LITERALLY WOULD NOT
BE HERE TODAY IF IT WEREN'T FOR
MY COMMUNITY INVESTING IN SAFE,
WELCOMING THIRD PLACES WHERE
HELPFUL AND CARING ADULTS COULD
UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE WORLD
FOR KIDS LIKE ME. SO WE KNOW
THIS, BUT OUR LIBRARIES ARE
ESSENTIAL FOR CONNECTING OUR
NEIGHBORS, OPENING UP
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKING
PEOPLE, FOLKS STARTING SMALL
BUSINESSES AND GIVING THE NEXT
GENERATION THE TOOLS THAT THEY
NEED TO THRIVE. AND OUR WORK IN
THIS COMMITTEE IS MORE THAN JUST
COMING UP WITH THE FUNDS TO KEEP
THE LIGHTS ON AT OUR LIBRARIES,
IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT OUR
RESOURCES ARE INVESTED IN WAYS
THAT PAY BACK IN MASSIVE
DIVIDENDS IN THE NEAR TERM AND
IN THE LONG TERM ACROSS OUR
WHOLE CITY. AND AS WE DELIBERATE
THIS LEVY PROPOSAL, I'M
THINKING ABOUT KIDS LIKE ME WHO
THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
SERVES TODAY, THE GIRL WHO WILL
BREAK MY RECORD AS THE YOUNGEST
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER EVER ELECTED
IS PROBABLY GOING TO HER LOCAL
LIBRARY BRANCH AFTER SCHOOL
TODAY. SO IT'S OUR PART, AND WE
NEED TO DO OUR PART TO ENSURE
THAT BRIE OBAMACARE BRANCHES
REMAIN OPEN, FULLY STAFFED AND
STOCKED WITH ALL THE RESOURCES
SHE AND OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO
FOR THE YEARS TO GROW AND THRIVE
TO COME. TO MY MIND, OUR
INVESTMENTS MUST GO BEYOND JUST
MAINTAINING THE LAST LEVY. OUR
POPULATION HAS GROWN
SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE LAST
LEVY, AS HAS DEMANDS AND THE
COST ON THE LIBRARY'S PHYSICAL
SPACES AND CLEBSES. WE'RE NOT
KEEPING UP WITH OUR GROWTH, AND
WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT KEEPING UP
WITH BOOK-FLATION. SO I LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF
YOU TO IDENTIFY THE SMARTEST
INVESTMENT,S IN SPL'S CAPITAL
COLLECTIONS AND STAFFING TO
ENSURE THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO
ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET
SOME GOOD JOBS IN OUR UNION WORK
FORCE TO TEND TO THE CAPITAL
PROJECTS AHEAD OF US AND TO GIVE
OUR NEIGHBORS, THE NEIGHBORS
THAT WE SERVE, THE LIBRARIES
THAT THEY DESERVE. AND --
SHUCKS. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THANK
YOU FOR INDULGING ON THOSE
OPENING REMARKS. I DO HAVE A
COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE
PANEL TODAY JUST TO KICK US OFF.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CRAFTING A
LEVY PROPOSAL THAT MAINTAINS
CURRENT OPEN HOURS AT OUR
BRANCHES AND REALLY LEANS IN TO
FILLING THOSE HOURS TO MAXIMUM
BENEFIT TO ALL OF OUR PATRONS.
CAN YOU HIGHLIGHT FOR US SOME OF
THE PROPOSED INVESTMENTS IN
PROGRAMMING THAT ARE ADDRESSING
GAPS FROM YEARS PAST OR
OTHERWISE EXPANDING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PATRONS?
>> SURE. THANK YOU FOR THE
QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER RINCK.
SO AS WE LOOK AT OUR
PROGRAMMING, WE HIGHLIGHTED
SEVERAL OF THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS
THAT WE HAVE. AND, YOU KNOW, FOR
MANY THEY THINK OF STORY TIMES.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY ONE THAT MANY
PEOPLE HAVE THEIR FIRST MEMORY
OF, AND THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE
WOULD HOPE TO EXPAND AGAIN, BE
ABLE TO HAVE MORE STORY TIMES
BUT ALSO LOOK AT THOSE PROGRAMS
LIKE KALEIDOSCOPE, PLAY AND
LEARN, THOSE ONES THAT ARE
REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT EARLY
LITERACY, BRINGING IN FAMILIES
WHERE ENGLISH ISN'T THE FIRST
LANGUAGE, OFTEN ISN'T THE
LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME AND
REALLY TRYING TO BRING THOSE
FAMILIES TOGETHER AS WELL. THAT
TYPE OF PROGRAMMING, AS YOU
MIGHT IMAGINE, IS INTENSIVE. IT
TAKES A LOT OF TIME. IT TAKES A
LOT OF WORK WITH PARTNERS TO
DEVELOP THOSE RESOURCES TO HAVE
MULTI-LINGUAL PROGRAMS BUT ALSO
AS WE LOOK AT OUR POPULATION, WE
KNOW OUR POPULATION IS ALSO
AGING AS WELL, WE DON'T HAVE AS
MANY PROGRAMS AS WE SHOULD FOR
OUR OLDER ADULT PATRONS. THAT'S
AN AREA WHERE WE BELIEVE WE CAN
ALSO DO A LOT OF WORK. WHEN WE
THINK OF SOME OF THE PARTNERS
THAT WE WORK WITH IN THE CITY,
SOME OF THE HOUSING FOR SENIORS,
THOSE ARE THE AREAS WHERE,
AGAIN, THE PROGRAMMING DOESN'T
ALWAYS HAVE TO JUST BE IN THE
LIBRARY, IT COULD BE OUT WITH
OUR PARTNER GROUPS AND BEING
ABLE TO DO THAT DOES REQUIRE
THAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCE. AS I
OFTEN SAY, WE'RE PEOPLE SERVING
PEOPLE, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO
DO THE WORK WITHOUT THE PEOPLE.
WE HAVE A GREAT STAFF. THEY ARE
STRETCHED THIN, AND, REALLY,
THIS RESOURCE WOULD ALLOW US TO
DO MORE OF THAT PROGRAMMING.
ANOTHER AREA THAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT THE LIBRARY FOCUS
ON IS TEENS. WE DON'T HAVE
ENOUGH PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS.
AND AS WE, YOU KNOW, LOOK EVERY
TIME IN THE SUMMER MONTH, WE
KNOW THAT THERE REALLY NEEDS TO
BE THAT INVESTMENT IN OUR TEENS
WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE THINGS
TO DO. AND WE WANT IT TO BE
THOSE POSITIVES, RIGHT, TO HAVE
THAT EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD
THAT CHAIR RIVERA MENTIONED AS
WELL, THAT POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LIBRARY.
PART OF THAT IS THROUGH
PROGRAMMING. HOW DO YOU BRING
THEM IN? THERE HAS TO BE
SOMETHING THAT PIQUES THEIR
CURIOSITY. IS IT GOING TO BE
THAT PROGRAM, IS IT GOING TO BE
MAYBE THAT D.I.Y. TYPE OF
PROGRAM, HOW DO I MAKE THESE
THINGS, SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY
PIQUES A TEEN'S INTEREST. SO
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF PROGRAM
AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
INVESTING MORE IN.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
UNPACKING THAT. AND NOW TURNING
A LITTLE BIT TO COLLECTIONS,
CHIEF LIBRARIAN FAY, WHERE IS
S.P.L. SEEING THE BIGGEST
INCREASES IN UNMET DEMAND IN
RELATION TO OUR COLLECTIONS?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE ON
OUR E-MATERIALS, SO E-BOOKS,
E-AUDIO BOOKS. THE DEMAND
CONTINUES TO GO UP. AND AS WE'VE
SAID HERE A FEW TIMES, I KNOW
THAT THE CHAIR RIVERA HAS HAD US
TALK ABOUT THIS AT A COUPLE
SESSIONS, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE
ON THE E-BOOK SIDE. WE ARE
BASICALLY SUBSCRIBING TO THOSE.
WHAT HAPPENS AND HAS BEEN
HAPPENING IS THAT WE'VE HAD TO
INCREASE WAIT TIMES BECAUSE WE
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP
WITH BOTH THE DEMAND BUT ALSO
THE COST OF THE E-MATERIALS. OUR
PHYSICAL MATERIALS, THOUGH, ARE
ALSO STILL IN DEMAND AS THE
POPULATION INCREASES, PEOPLE
WILL SAY, WELL, I'LL TAKE THE
BOOK IN WHATEVER FORM I GET IT,
RIGHT? AND SO THEY WILL GET THAT
PHYSICAL BOOK AS WELL. SO FOR
MANY YEARS YOU SAW, YOU KNOW, A
DECLINE, A STEEP DECLINE IN
PHASE CAL, BUT THAT HAS
PLATEAUED BECAUSE, AGAIN, THE
POPULATION HAS INCREASED AND
PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW,
THAT READING INTEREST MET
EARLIER THAN LATER. SO THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR US IN
RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN KEEPING UP
WITH THAT DEMAND. THE
FULFILLMENT ISSUE IS THE ONE
THAT WE WOULD WANT TO RESOLVE.
>> UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU FOR
THAT. AND LASTLY ON CAPITAL
PROJECTS, HOW FAR ARE WE FROM
ENSURING ALL OF OUR BRANCHES ARE
EARTHQUAKE READY AND CAN MEET
THE HEAT AND COLD EXTREMES FROM
OUR CHANGING CLIMATE?
>> SO FROM THE EARTHQUAKE SIDE
OF THINGS, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE
MULTIPLE PROJECTS. WE DISCUSSED
HERE AT COLUMBIA, THAT'S IN
THIS PACKAGE. THE NEXT ONE THE
CITY A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO DID A
STUDY OF ALL OF ITS UNREINFORCED
MACERY BUILDINGS, SO WE HAVE
THEM IN ORDER OF PRIORITY. THE
NEXT ONE IN THAT ORDER WOULD BE
WEST SEATTLE WHICH IS ANOTHER
CARNEGIE. IT WOULD THEN BE QUEEN
ANNE, A CARNEGIE, AND THEN THE
FREMONT LIBRARY WHICH IS ANOTHER
CARNEGIE. THOSE ARE OUR OLDEST
BUILDINGS IN THE INVENTORY SO TO
SPEAK. AND, AGAIN, THOSE
PROJECTS GENERALLY ARE GOING TO
RANGE FROM $13 MILLION UPWARDS
OF $17 OR $18 MILLION, DEPENDING
ON WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO GET
DONE. AND AS I THINK WAS POINTED
OUT, THE LONGER WE WAIT ON SOME
OF THOSE, JUST THE MORE
EXPENSIVE THEY BECOME TO DO. AND
IN THIS CASE WE FEEL THAT THE
INVESTMENT IN THESE BUILDINGS
HAS BEEN WORTH IT. THESE
BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN WITH THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR OVER
100 YEARS. THEY'RE STILL
SERVICEABLE, AND WHAT WE WANT TO
DO IS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE THE
SAFEST THEY CAN BE IN ALMOST ANY
CONDITION. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
AIR CONDITIONING, I'M HAPPY TO
SAY THAT BY NEXT YEAR WE SHOULD
HAVE ALL OF OUR AIR CONDITIONING
DONE IN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS.
THAT'S A GREAT THANKS TO
COUNCIL. A FEW YEARS AGO
ACTUALLY APPROVED ABOUT $1.2
MILLION TO HELP KICK US OFF IN
NORTHEAST AND THE SOUTHWEST
BRANCH, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO
SECURE FUNDING FROM FEMA TO GET
MUCH -- TO GET THE REST OF THE
BUILDINGS DONE. AS YOU KNOW OR
MIGHT KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST
PUTTING IN AIR CONDITIONING. WE
HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO IN AND RIP
OUT ALL THE FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS
WHICH IS A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT BUT ALSO ADDS A COST
TO THOSE PROJECTS. SO WE WILL
ACTUALLY HAVE THAT COMPLETE BY
NEXT YEAR AND HAS BEEN SOMETHING
I WORKED ON SINCE I CAME INTO
THIS ROLE AND WILL BE HAPPY TO
SAY THAT WE WILL HAVE AIR
CONDITIONING IN EVERY BUILDING.
>> THAT'S FANTASTIC TO HEAR.
AND WE'LL BE EXCITED TO
CELEBRATE THAT. THANK YOU ALL
FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. LOOKING
FORWARD TO THIS PROCESS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
RINCK. I DO WANT TO RAISE
BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP THE
IMPORTANT POINT, CHIEF FAY,
ABOUT THE TEEN PROGRAMMING THAT
WE ALSO -- THE LIBRARY
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT THE ONLY
INVESTMENTS WE MAKE AT THE CITY
RELATED TO KIDS AND TEENS, AND
WE HAVE THE FAMILIES EDUCATION
PRESCHOOL PROMISE LEVY THAT WE
JUST PASSED LAST YEAR, VOTERS
APPROVED, AND THAT HAS FUNDS IN
IT FOR K-12 INVESTMENTS. A LOT
OF THAT IS TEEN FOCUSED IN TERMS
OF PROGRAMMING. SO I SAY THAT TO
SAY THERE ARE OTHER AREAS -- AND
ALSO PARKS, I SHOULD SAY ALSO
HAS TEEN PROGRAMMING. IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO KNOW ALL
THE AREAS IN THE CITY, THE OTHER
SISTER DEPARTMENTS THAT ALSO
FUND PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS AND
CHILDREN BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE'VE REALLY PRIORITIZED
AS A CITY ARE TO TAKE CARE OF
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND I DON'T
WANT IT LEFT UNSAID THAT WE'RE
NOT MAKING SOME OTHER
INVESTMENTS IN OTHER AREAS
TOWARD THAT AND AS WELL. COUNCIL
MEMBER KETTLE, YOU ARE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. FIRST I
WANTED TO START WITH A THANK YOU
FOR ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS
AND ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR SIGNS.
THE CURSIVE WRITING WAS
BEAUTIFUL, PENMANSHIP WAS
FANTASTIC. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> YES. THERE IT IS. [ LAUGHTER
]
>> I PARTICULARLY LIKE THE
CURSIVE.
>> THEY DON'T TEACH THAT
ANYMORE.
>> LIKE THE DEPUTY MAYOR, I HAVE
A DAUGHTER, YOUNGER, FIFTH
GRADER, AND SHE HAS LEARNED SOME
CURSIVE WRITING, BUT WE NEED TO
KEEP IT GOING. SO I REALLY
APPRECIATE THE PENMANSHIP AND
THE CURSIVE. I ALSO -- AND I
DON'T SEE HER ANYMORE, BUT I
REALLY APPRECIATE THE POINT
REGARDING FOREIGN LANGUAGES. I
THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT, AND
AS A FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN,
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT ISSUE
SINCE MY PARENTS ARE FROM
ENGLAND, BUT IN REVERSE, DOI
HAVE A LOVE OF FOREIGN
LANGUAGES, EVEN IF I DON'T
SPEAK THEM PARTICULARLY WELL. SO
THANK YOU. AND I REALLY
APPRECIATE THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S
REMARKS BECAUSE I HAVE MY
COUNTERPARTS OF THAT. FOR THOSE
THAT DON'T KNOW, I WAS A
STAY-AT-HOME DAD BEFORE I TOOK
ON THIS JOB AND A REGULAR TO THE
QUEEN ANNE LIBRARY TO STORY TIME
AND ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES
THAT WERE THAT. AND FANTASTIC
EXPERIENCE. AND SPEAKING OF
DEPUTY MAYORS, IN 2023, I GOT TO
KNOW A GENTLEMAN NAMED BILL
STAFFORD WHO'S A FORMER DEPUTY
MAYOR BUT ALSO STRONG WITH THE
LIBRARIES. AND SITTING DOWN WITH
BILL -- YES, HE CAN DO THAT.
SITTING DOWN WITH BILL FOR
COFFEE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, GOING
TO A GRAD SCHOOL CLASS. AND THAT
WAS LIKE A TUTORIAL, ALMOST LIKE
I'M IN OXFORD OR SOMETHING AND
GOING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT
PIECES AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT
THE CITY CHARTER SAYS IN THE
SENSE THAT THE FIVE PIECES,
PARKS, FIRE, POLICE,
TRANSPORTATION AND THE LIBRARY
SYSTEM. SO IT IS A CHARTER
REQUIREMENT. AND THEN HE WOULD
TALK ABOUT PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S
GREAT SOCIETY AND THESE
DIFFERENT PIECES AND THE EBB AND
FLOW IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT IN A
CIVIC SPACE. IT WAS GREAT TO
TALK TO HIM ABOUT THAT. AND
THROUGH THAT I GOT TO MEET
DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH THE
FOUNDATION AND SO FORTH. SO I
JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE A
SHOUTOUT TO MR. STAFFORD BECAUSE
HE HAS BEEN A TREASURE FOR THE
CITY, WAS A TREASURE TO OUR CITY
AND A GREAT PERSON, MULTIPLE
MAYORS AND FANTASTIC. I JUST
WANTED TO NOTE -- WELL, FIRST, I
WANT TO ALSO SAY THANKS TO MAYOR
WILSON AND TO OUR CHAIR FOR --
AND TO MR. FAY AND THE
FOUNDATION, ALL THE DIFFERENT
ELEMENTS FOR A VERY STRONG
PACKAGE. I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT
OF WORK. I KNOW CHAIR HAS BEEN
WORKING HARD. I'VE HAD MEETINGS
WITH HER. OUR CONVERSATIONS TEND
TO BE DOMINATED IN PUBLIC SAFETY
AND SOME OTHER AREAS, BUT I
RECOGNIZE TOO ON THE MAYOR'S
SIDE THE HARD WORK THAT GOES
INTO THIS AND TO ENSURE THAT,
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A
ONE-FOR-ONE REPLACEMENT PLUS
C.P.I. THAT WE'RE DOING,
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS ON TOP OF
THAT, AND THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.
I NOTE TOO, LIKE A LOT OF THE
FOCUS IS ON HOURS, THE E-BOOKS,
ALTHOUGH I MUST HAVE TO NOTE
THAT MY MOM, NEARLY 84, MY
HOMETOWN, AGAIN, STRONG
SUPPORTER AND BENEFIT FACTOR,
BENEFICIARY OF THE LIBRARY
SYSTEM IN MY HOMETOWN NEEDS
LARGE PRINT BOOKS. SO MOM WAY
BACK IN MY HOMETOWN, WANTED TO
SAY HEY, I'M REMEMBERING YOUR
NEEDS TOO, AND I THINK THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT IS VERY
IMPORTANT. AND THEN THE MAINTAIN
ABS PIECE. SO I WAS GOING TO
HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. ONE IS ON
THE MAINTENANCE PIECE, BUT MY
COLLEAGUES PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED
THAT. AND SO THE QUEEN ANNE IS
LIKE THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF
THIS. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK
THAT'S BEEN DONE, LIKE, ON THE
ROOF BUT ALSO A TUCK POINT OF
THE U.R.M. PIECE OF THIS IS
SUPER IMPORTANT, AND I'M GLAD
TO HEAR THAT THAT'S THERE.
OBVIOUSLY COLUMBIA CITY IS
CENTRAL TO THIS. BUT, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT -- AND I
THINK YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION,
BUT I'LL ASK IT AGAIN, YOU
KNOW, THE HVAC PIECE. SO BASES
ARE COVERED IN THAT AREA BECAUSE
WE'VE GOTTEN INQUIRIES, AND
MAINTENANCE AS AN OLD NAVY GUY,
IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. IN
TERMS OF THE HVAC PIECE,
COLUMBIA CITY BEING ONE, BUT THE
OTHER LIBRARIES WE'RE WELL
COVERED WITH THIS PROPOSAL,
CORRECT?
>> AS FAR AS HVAC? , HVAC, YES.
WE'VE ACTUALLY SECURED THE
FUNDING FOR HVAC WITH OTHER
MEANS, BUT, YES.
>> THE COMBINATION.
>> CORRECT.
>> VERY GOOD. AND, BY THE WAY,
AS SOMEBODY WHO DOES WORK PUBLIC
SAFETY, WHEN I MEET WITH SMALL
BUSINESSES ALL THE TIME, IF THEY
HAVE PRIVATE SECURITY, I SAY
THANK YOU BECAUSE IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT. AS WE MOVE FROM WHERE
WE WERE AND WHERE WE'RE GETTING
TO, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS ON
THAT FRONT, I ALWAYS SAY THANK
YOU. ALSO TO NONPROFITS AND SOME
OTHERS THAT GO DO THAT KIND OF
SUPPORT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO ADD
-- AND I RECOGNIZE IT'S AN
ADDITIONAL COST, IT TAKES AWAY
FROM OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, BUT
IT'S ALSO NEEDED IN ORDER TO --
IT'S KIND OF LIKE MAINTENANCE
OF THE BUILDINGS. YOU KNOW,
IT'S A COMBINATION THAT'S
HARD. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT
LIBRARIES DO AS IT RELATES TO
CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR OUR
KIDS AND EVERYBODY, ACTUALLY, TO
BE IN THAT LIBRARY BECAUSE
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. AND TO BE
THERE WITHOUT DISTRACTION IS SO
IMPORTANT FOR THOSE YOUNG KIDS,
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S -- YOU
KNOW, THE STORY TIME PIECE. BY
THE WAY, I'M HAVING MEMORIES
RIGHT NOW OF BEING AT STORY TIME
BECAUSE I'D GO EVERY TIME. AND
THERE WAS ONE, AND IT WAS
RELATED TO -- IT WAS THE NEW
YEAR, ASIAN NEW YEAR, AND IT WAS
A BOOK CALLED "THE EMPTY POT."
IT'S IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW. SUCH
GREAT LESSONS IN THAT BOOK THAT,
YOU KNOW, NOT JUST FOR KIDS TO
LEARN BUT EVERY KID. SORRY FOR
THAT ASIDE, BUT I'M JUST
REMEMBERING THAT STORY TIME. BUT
TWO THINGS. SO MY QUESTION IS --
AND YOU KIND OF HINTED -- WELL,
THAT WAS ONE QUESTION RELATED TO
THE MAINTENANCE, AND A LOT OF IT
WAS COVERED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER
RINCK, BUT YOU KIND OF HINTED AT
ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE YOU TALKED
ABOUT QUEEN ANNE AND WEST
SEATTLE AND I THINK FREMONT
BEING ANDREW CARNEGIE LIBRARIES,
AND THAT HIGHLIGHTS INCREDIBLE
EFFORT THAT ANDREW CARNEGIE DID,
LIKE, 100 YEARS AGO. INCREDIBLE.
BUT IT ALSO BEGS THE QUESTION IN
TERMS OF IS THERE AN ANDREW
CARNEGIE OUT THERE TODAY? AND,
SEPARATELY, WHAT IS THE WORK IN
TERMS OF PUBLIC/PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIP? I KNOW THIS IS --
FOUNDATION IS STRONG ON THIS,
BUT CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT
ON THAT AND IN TERMS OF THE
OUTREACH OF THAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH -- YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE
BOARD?
>> YEAH. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE
TO HAVE A GREAT PARTNER LIKE THE
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY AND THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
FOUNDATION WHO IS THAT PRIVATE
PARTNER, NONPROFIT THAT SEES SO
MUCH OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IN
PROGRAMMING, THEY FUND THAT,
THEY CEDE SOME OF THE INNOVATION
AS WELL. AND BACK WHEN WHAT THEY
CALLED LIBRARIES FOR ALL WHEN
THEY REMODELED AND BUILT SEVERAL
LIBRARIES AND BUILT THE CENTRAL
LIBRARY, THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL
IN THAT TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS
TO GO ALONG WITH THOSE CAPITAL
BONDS AND, OF COURSE, ARE STILL
A GREAT PARTNER IN THINKING HOW
WE MIGHT DO THAT IN THE FUTURE
BECAUSE AS WE POINT OUT A FEW
TIMES, THE CAPITAL MAINTENANCE
NEEDS ARE GOING TO BE BIGGER
THAN ANY LEVY COULD DO OR
PRODUCE REALISTICALLY. YOU COULD
PUT A LOT IN ONE, BUT IT MIGHT
BE A LITTLE TOO MUCH WHEN WE'RE
ALSO LOOKING AT THE BASICS OF
PROGRAMMING, HOURS AND BOOKS. SO
WE TRY TO BALANCE THAT OUT. BUT
OUR PARTNERS -- OUR PARTNER WITH
THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN GREAT
BECAUSE THEY ALSO WORK WITH ALL
OF OUR STAFF WHO ARE WORKING
WITH ALL THESE OTHER PARTNERS.
SO WE'RE ABLE THEN TO LEVERAGE
DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH
OTHER PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE
CITY. THAT IS ONE OF THE
EXTREMITIES OF HAVING SUCH A
GREAT FUNDING PARTNER LIKE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
FOUNDATION. THAT ALLOWS US ALSO
TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE
DONE WITH OUR COLLECTIONS. WE'RE
VERY FORTUNATE. THEY BUY ALMOST
ONE IN FOUR OF THE BOOKS THAT
PEOPLE ARE CHECKING OUT. THAT IS
SIGNIFICANT. THAT IS A GIFT THAT
MOST LIBRARIES DON'T -- PUBLIC
LIBRARIES DON'T GET, AND THAT
SHOWS THEIR COMMITMENT TO REALLY
WORKING IN THIS PUBLIC/PRIVATE
NATURE ALL THE TIME.
>> THANK YOU. AND I'LL JUST
ADD, SINCE I MENTIONED MY
MOTHER, I'LL MENTION MY FATHER
JUST TO CLOSE, THANK YOU, CHAIR,
IS THAT HE WOULD ALWAYS ASK ME
AS A KID AND AFTER LIKE THE
1,000th TIME, I WOULD SAY WHY
DID YOU COME TO AMERICA? I SAID,
YES, DAD, EDUCATION, EDUCATION,
EDUCATION. AND CENTRAL TO THAT
POINT ARE LIBRARIES. AND SO JUST
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND
OBVIOUSLY THE WORK OF EVERYBODY
HERE WHO I'M SURE IS CENTRAL TO
OUR LIBRARIES. SO THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
KETTLE. I HAVE A -- I WANT TO
PIGGYBACK ON THE CARNEGIE
BUILDINGS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT
THERE ARE SOME -- THERE'S SOME
FUNDING THROUGH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND OTHER SOURCES FOR
CARNEGIE BUILDINGS. HAVE YOU --
ARE YOU WORKING ON TRYING TO GET
SOME GRANTS? I THOUGHT YOU AND I
TALKED AT SOME POINT, THAT'S
WHY I'M RAISING IT, AND IT
HASN'T COME UP IN THE CONTEXT
OF THIS CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S
IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A
LOT OF CARNEGIE BUILDINGS. THEY
ARE VERY OLD. THEY'RE VERY
EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN, AND WE'RE
NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT
ALL, EVEN IF WE, YOU KNOW -- IT
WOULD BE AN ENDLESS LEVY IF WE
WERE JUST GOING TO DO THE
CAPITAL MAINTENANCE. SO CAN YOU
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT,
CHIEF?
>> SURE. THANK YOU FOR THE
QUESTION. AND, YES, WE ACTUALLY
-- WHEN I CAME INTO THIS
POSITION FIVE YEARS AGO NOW, ONE
OF THE AREAS I WAS LOOKING AT
WAS HOW CAN WE REALLY LEVERAGE
ALL TYPES OF FUNDING. SO THE
FEDERAL FUNDING, THE STATE
FUNDING NONE OF WHICH WE HAD
GOTTEN. AND, AGAIN, THAT'S
WORKING WITH OUR FUNDING PARTNER
THE FOUNDATION TO REALLY GO
AFTER A LOT OF THESE OTHER
GRANTS. THEY HELPED SUPPORT US
IN THAT. OUR STAFF DOES A GREAT
JOB WRITING THOSE AS WELL. BUT
WE'VE GONE AFTER SEVERAL
FEDERAL GRANTS, THAT'S WHAT'S
ALLOWED US TO DO THE HVAC. THE
STATE GRANTS COME FROM COMMERCE,
AND THOSE ARE DIRECTED AT OLDER
HISTORIC BUILDINGS. WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO SECURE ABOUT $3.8,
ALMOST $4 MILLION TO THOSE
GRANTS. THOSE GRANTS HAVE GONE
DIRECTLY INTO OTHER CARNEGIE
BUILDINGS. ROB RIGHT NOW WITH
HIS TEAM IS WRITING ANOTHER ONE
FOR COLUMBIA THAT WILL ALSO GO
NO TO MAKING SURE EVERYTHING CAN
BE DONE IN THAT BRANCH. WE'VE
ALSO BEEN FORTUNATE -- THIS IS A
SLIGHTLY ASIDE, BUT IT COMES
BACK TO IT IN A WAY WITH
CARNEGIE. CARNEGIE, ACTUALLY,
THE FOUNDATION HAD NOT BEEN
GIVING TO THE LIBRARIES FOR
QUITE SOME TIME. IT HAD PROBABLY
BEEN ALMOST 30 YEARS. WORKING
WITH OUR FOUNDATION PARTNERS,
CARNEGIE SAID, HEY, WE WANT TO
START WORKING WITH LIBRARIES
ONCE AGAIN. THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY WAS ONE OF 11 LIBRARIES
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY THAT
RECEIVED A LARGE GRANT OUT OF
1,400 APPLICANTS. SO THE NEED
DEFINITELY IS OUT THERE. BUT,
AGAIN, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER
TO SECURE THAT FUNDING. AND
WHILE THAT WASN'T FOR
BUILDINGS, IT WAS FOR
PROGRAMMING AND ENGLISH AS A
SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING THAT
WE DO, IT ALSO THEN HIGHLIGHTED
THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION THE
NEED. THEY ACTUALLY GAVE A
$10,000 PER CARNEGIE BRANCH IN
THIS COUNTRY TO EVERY SINGLE
LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.
EVEN IF YOUR CARNEGIE BRANCH
ISN'T HERE ANYMORE BECAUSE THE
CENTRAL LIBRARY ACTUALLY HAD A
CARNEGIE BRANCH AT ONE TIME.
BALLARD WAS ACTUALLY A CARNEGIE
BRANCH AT ONE TIME. SO WE
RECEIVED $80s IN FUNDING FROM
THE CARNEGIE FOCUS FOR THAT. SO,
AGAIN, THESE PARTNERSHIPS,
COMING BACK TO THAT, BUT ALSO
LEVERAGING EVERY TYPE OF FUND.
WE LEVERAGE OUR LEVY DOLLARS TO
SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO THE
COLUMBIA PROJECT. WELL, THAT
THEN GIVE US THE MATCHES FUNDS
FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS OR FOR STATE
DOLLARS IF REQUIRED. THOSE ARE
ALL VERY IMPORTANT PIECES. AND
THAT'S WHY I LOOK AT THIS AS AN
INVESTMENT TO ALSO LEVERAGE,
RIGHT, HOW CAN WE DO MORE WITH
THESE OTHER DOLLARS THAT WE CAN
ALSO GO AFTER.
>> FRISK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TERRIFIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
SHARING THAT BECAUSE IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR
WE'RE PULLING FROM ALL THE
RESOURCES TO DO THIS WORK.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER, YOU ARE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR. AND
THANK YOU FOR THIS FANTASTIC
PRESENTATION. AND I WILL ALSO
JUST TAKE A SECOND TO THANK OUR
PUBLIC COMMENTERS. I GOT GOOSE
BUMPS EARLIER TODAY LIMPING TO
FOLKS SHARE THOSE STORIES. SO
THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND
SPENDING THE TIME TO SHARE WHAT
THE LIBRARIES MEAN TO YOU. IT
REALLY MEANS A LOT. AND I'LL
SHARE BRIEFLY MY OWN LIBRARY
EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE
ALL BEEN CALLED TO DO SO TODAY.
BUT I'M A MOM OF A 13-YEAR-OLD
WHICH MEANS WE'RE STILL GOING
TO LIBRARIES LUCKILY. HOPEFULLY
WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE YEARS OF
THAT IN US, AND WE'VE HAD THE
EXPERIENCE OF GOING FROM HAVING
OUR FAVORITE LIBRARIAN IN
COLUMBIA CITY WHEN WE WENT TO
STORY TIME, AND IT WAS A PLACE
OF NOT ONLY CONNECTION BUT AS A
PARENT, SANITY. I'M SURE
THAT'S RELATABLE FOR A LOT OF
FOLKS WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT
THIS PLACE TO GO AND SEE YOUR
NEIGHBORS EVERY WEEK TO GOING
AND PICKING UP OUR BOOKS FROM
THE LIBRARY TO NOW HE GOES BY
HIMSELF, AND HE CAN GET THEM
FROM THE BOOK LOCKERS WHICH WE
LOVE TO HAVE BECAUSE IT GIVES US
ACCESS AFTER HOURS AND AT TIMES
THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE
CONVENIENT. WE'VE HAD TONS OF
FUN GOING TO THE DOWNTOWN
LIBRARY AND PUPPET TIME STORY
TIME WAS A THING FOR A LITTLE
WHILE AND GOING TO MEETINGS AND
PUBLIC SPEAKERS THERE AS WELL.
SO THE DIVERSITY OF WHAT
LIBRARIES BRINGS TO OUR
COMMUNITIES AND TO OUR
EXPERIENCES JUST CAN'T BE
OVERSTATED. AND THE IMPORTANCE
OF IT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE RAISING
THEIR FAMILIES IN SEATTLE I
THINK ALSO CANNOT BE OVERSTATED
AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE. AND I
LOVED GETTING TO HEAR THE
COLLEGE STUDENTS TALK ABOUT
ACCESSING OUR LIBRARIES, AND I
PROJECT THAT INTO THE FUTURE FOR
MY CHILD, WHATEVER HE CHOOSES TO
DO. SO THANK YOU BECAUSE IT'S
INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL. AND I
WANT TO TURN FROM THAT TO DIVE
INTO A LITTLE BIT AROUND CAPITAL
NEEDS. SO -- AND I REALLY
APPRECIATED THE COMMENTS THAT
HAVE ALREADY COME FROM MY
COLLEAGUES AND THE DISCUSSION
AROUND THE CARNEGIE LIBRARIES. I
WANT TO TURN TO -- QUICKLY, I
KNOW THAT THERE'S MONEY IN THIS
LEVY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO
MUCH NEEDED WORK AT THE COLUMBIA
CITY BRANCH, AND THEN THERE IS
ALSO I SEE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS
FOR MAINTENANCE. BUT I
SPECIFICALLY HEARD A PUBLIC
COMMENTER EARLIER TALK ABOUT THE
FACT THAT I THINK YOU SAID SORT
OF $5,000 A MONTH OVER THE
LIFETIME OF THE LEVY FOR
MAINTENANCE. SO WITH WHAT'S IN
THE LEVY NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING
IS YOU EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO DO
THIS ONE SIGNIFICANT MAINTENANCE
CHANGE AND THEN SORT OF JUST
UPKEEP, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YES, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT
IT WOULD DO. ROB CAN ALSO TOUCH
A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SOME OF THE
DETAILS OF IT. BUT, YES, IT
WOULD BASICALLY ALLOW US TO DO
THE BRAKE FIX TYPE OF WORK THAT
OFTEN HAPPENS, BUT IT WOULD ALSO
ALLOW US TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THE
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. AS I
PRESENTED HERE BEFORE, THERE'S
A LOT OF THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A
PORTFOLIO OF 27 LOCATIONS,
BUILDINGS RANGING FROM 20 TO 120
YEARS OLD WILL HAVE A VARIETY OF
CAPITAL NEEDS, EVERYTHING, AS
COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE TALKED
ABOUT, THE ROOF AT QUEEN ANNE,
SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE THING. IT'S
NOT THAT BIG OF A BUILDING.
IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS. IT'S A
LANDMARKED BUILDING. THE SAME
KIND OF SLATE HAS TO GO BACK ON
IT. THE SAME COPPER FITTINGS FOR
THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM HAS TO BE
LIKE IT WAS MADE 100 YEARS AGO.
IT IS PART OF MAKING SURE THAT
WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE
HISTORY OF THOSE BUILDINGS. AND
THAT JUST GIVES YOU AN EXAMPLE.
AND EVERYTHING TO, YOU KNOW, THE
CENTRAL LIBRARY NOW BEING 22
YEARS OLD, AT THE END OF THIS
NEXT LEVY, IT'LL BE NEARLY 30.
WE ALREADY AT THE POINT OF
NEEDING TO REPLACE ELEVATORS AND
ESCALATORS. THOSE AREN'T CHEAP.
EACH ELEVATOR IS A MILLION PLUS,
JUST ROUND NUMBERS, TO CONSIDER
DOING. AND THERE'S FOUR
ELEVATORS. THERE'S, YOU KNOW,
SIX STORIES OF ESCALATOR THAT
ALSO HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A
REPLACEMENT. AND THEN ELEVATORS
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE
BRANCHES. WE DO HAVE ELEVATORS
IN A NUMBER OF BRANCHES. THOSE
ALSO ARE AGING OR ARE AT THAT
POINT OF NEEDING TO BE REPLACED.
SO THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE
TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE SEE. AND
OF COURSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE
ON THE END OF RUNNING INTO AN
ELEVATOR SITUATION IN WHICH YOU
MUST REPLACE IT BECAUSE THAT'S
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW. IT
WILL TAKE MONTHS AND MONTHS AND
MONTHS TO ACTUALLY BRING IN A
NEW ELEVATOR CAB. SO IT GIVES
YOU A SENSE OF THE TYPE OF
THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND
THE NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND AS WE DISCUSSED HERE IN SOME
OF OUR PRESENTATIONS OVER THE
LAST MONTH, THOSE NEEDS ARE
GREAT FOR SURE IN THE CAPITAL
SIDE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND DID
YOU WANT TO PASS IT TO ANOTHER
STAFF MEMBER BEFORE I ADD A
FOLLOWUP?
>> DID YOU HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL
DETAIL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE ON
THE $10 MILLION IN MAINTENANCE?
>> I DO. I THINK -- SO YOU'VE
CERTAINLY STARTED -- WELL, MAYBE
I'LL PUT A FINER POINT ON IT. I
THINK JUST FOUR ELEVATORS IN THE
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY, A MILLION
DOLLARS EACH, $4 MILLION. SO
THAT $10 MILLION SEEMS LIKE IT
CAN GO QUICKLY. AND I SUPPOSE
WHAT I'LL SAY IS ONE OF MY
CONCERNS IS -- AND I KNOW ALL OF
MY COLLEAGUES CARE DEEPLY ABOUT
BALANCING, AFFORDABILITY AND THE
COST THE LEVY, BUT ONE OF MY
SINCERE CONCERNS IS THAT THROUGH
DEFERRING SOME OF THESE COSTS,
THEY MAY JUST BE ESCALATED COSTS
THAT WE HAVE TO PAY LATER DOWN
THE LINE THAT NOT ONLY DO WE
HAVE TO PAY LATER DOWN THE LINE
BUT THAT COULD ALSO INTERRUPT,
YOU KNOW, ACCESS FOR FOLKS WHEN
YOU TALK ABOUT LIBRARIES NOT
HAVING POTENTIALLY WORKING
ELEVATORS OR NEEDING TO FIX
THOSE, SO THAT'S A CONCERN I
HAVE. AND I THINK WHAT I'M
COMING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE
INVESTMENT THAT WE HAVE HERE
REALLY JUST DOES NOT COVER THE
SUFFICIENT NEED THAT THERE IS TO
MAKE SURE OUR BUILDINGS ARE
UPKEPT OVER THE NEXT SEVEN
YEARS.
>> COULD YOU ADD A LITTLE
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO THE $10
MILLION?
>> I CAN ADD SOME CONTEXT, YES.
SO FIRST I'LL JUST SAY THAT BY
WAY OF BACKGROUND, THE LIBRARY
HAS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT
LOOKS OUT OVER THE FUTURE YEARS
AND DOES A CONDITION ASSESSMENT
FOR ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS. WHAT
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS LOOK
AT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THAT
RANGE IN TIME SPAN AND COST TO
SAY IF WE WERE TO PRIORITIZE
AGAINST A CERTAIN SET OF
BENCHMARKS LIKE CRITICAL LIFE
SAFETY SYSTEMS, DEFERRED
MAINTENANCE, PLANNED
MAINTENANCE, AND IF WE WED THAT
WITH A TIME SPAN AND SAID WHAT
WOULD BE OUR PRIORITIES IN THE
NEXT FIVE YEARS OR 10 YEARS OR
20 YEARS, THAT'S HOW WE DID THE
OVERALL COST ASSESSMENT. WHAT
THIS LEVY PROPOSAL WILL DO, WHEN
YOU COMBINE THE BASELINE MAJOR
MAINTENANCE WHICH IS ABOUT $31
MILLION OVER THE LIFE OF THE
LEVY AND THE $10 MILLION OF
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE, WE HAVE
ABOUT $40 MILLION OVER THE LIFE
OF THE LEVY TO ADDRESS JUST THE
MOST CRITICAL LIFE SAFETY AND
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE NEEDS OVER
A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. SO ROUGHLY
OUR NEED IS ABOUT $40 MILLION
EXTENDED OVER A FIVE-YEAR
PERIOD. IF WE LOOK OUT OVER A
10-YEAR PERIOD, WE SEE THAT
FIGURE GROW SUBSTANTIALLY TO AS
MUCH AS $160 MILLION OVER A
10-YEAR PERIOD. SO IT'S A RICH
AND DETAILED ASSESSMENT, BUT
RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO
ABOUT A QUARTER OF OUR NEED
LOOKING OUT OVER 10 YEARS. FIVE
YEARS WILL ALLOW US TO STAY
BARELY JUST ON TOP OF OUR MOST
CRITICAL MAINTENANCE NEEDS.
>> THANK YOU. AND OBVIOUSLY
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ANTICIPATE,
YOU KNOW, ANY FUTURE NEEDS, IF
SOMEBODY BREAKS THAT'S
UNEXPECTED OR IF THERE'S AN
EXTREMELY HIGH COST THAT COMES
BACK FOR SOMETHING, THAT COULD
SORT OF SHIFT THE ABILITY TO
DELIVER ON THOSE PROJECTS IN THE
NEXT FEW YEARS. AND IF I MAY, IF
YOU CAN HELP ME REMEMBER, THE
COLUMBIA BRANCH WAS IN THE
PREVIOUS LEVY AND THEN HAD TO
GET ROLLED OVER, FOR EXAMPLE, IS
THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT'S REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE I
THINK AS WE'RE THINKING OF THIS
LEVY, WE ARE SETTING OUR CITY UP
FOR THESE INVESTMENTS IN THESE
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PLACES. I
WANT TO TURN FROM THE CAPITAL IN
TO PROGRAMMING. WE LOVE LIBRARY
PROGRAMMING SO MUCH. AND, CHIEF
LIBRARIAN, I HEARD YOU SPEAK
ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL
PROGRAMMING FROM TEENS TO
SENIORS AND SO MUCH MORE. I KNOW
SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL
INVESTED IN PREVIOUSLY WAS THE
KALEIDOSCOPE PLAN LEARN
PROGRAMS. CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE
FOR ME WITH THE LEVY AS IS, DO
YOU HAVE A PLANNED EXPANSION OF
THAT PROGRAM? I'M RECALLING
BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE HERE
PREVIOUSLY, AND WE LOOKED AT A
MAP OF WHERE THAT PROGRAM IS
REACHING FOLKS CURRENTLY, AND I
KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION
FROM COUNCIL ABOUT POTENTIALLY
GOING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER
NORTH.
>> YES. PARDON ME. THANK YOU FOR
THE QUESTION. AT PRESENT WITH
WHAT WE HAVE IN THE FUNDING,
PROBABLY NOT AN EXPANSION OF IT.
IT COSTS ABOUT $350,000 PER SITE
PER YEAR TO DO THAT WORK. AND,
AGAIN, AS WE TRY TO BALANCE OUR
PROGRAMMING, AS I MENTIONED IN
SOME AREAS, WE'RE VERY WEAK IN
WHAT WE ARE OFFERING. WE
PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO
THAT AS IT'S LAID OUT RIGHT NOW
WITH THE FUNDING THAT'S IN
THERE FOR PROGRAMMING. WE WILL
BE STILL LOOKING TO DO THINGS
AROUND CHILDREN AND LITERACY,
BUT NOT NECESSARILY JUST THAT
PROGRAM.
>> GOT IT. THANK YOU. ANOTHER
THING I'VE COME TO LEARN THAT
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT --
AND, ACTUALLY, BEFORE I SAY IT,
I APPRECIATE NOT JUST YOUR
LEADERSHIP BUT THE LIBRARY
FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP, IT'S
JUST SO CLEAR THAT YOU ALL ARE
ALWAYS GOING AFTER EVERY DOLLAR
AND EVERY PARTNERSHIP AND EVERY
OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE THE
INVESTMENTS THAT WE ARE MAKING
HERE LOCALLY. SO THANK YOU FOR
THAT. SOMETHING I RECENTLY
LEARNED ABOUT IS A PARTNERSHIP,
AND I BELIEVE IT'S WITH THE
FOUNDATION AND A NATIONAL FUNDER
THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO EXPAND
OUR E.S.L. PROGRAMMING IN OUR
LIBRARIES. AND MY UNDERSTANDING
IS THAT PARTNERSHIP WOULD RUN
THROUGH THE END OF 2027. IS
THERE FUNDING IN THE LEVY AS IS
TO CONTINUE THAT AFTER 2027 OR
WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WE
WOULD LOSE ACCESS TO AT THAT
POINT?
>> THERE IS NOT, NOT AT THE
SCALE OF THE CURRENT GRANT IS
THAT CARNEGIE GRANT, IT WAS
$450,000 OVER TWO YEARS, AND IT
DOES EXPIRE IN 2027. THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY PROGRAM
WE HAVE AROUND E.S.O.L. WOULD GO
AWAY. WE HAVE OTHERS BEYOND WHAT
THEY'RE DOING THERE, BUT
THAT'S OUR LARGEST PACKAGE THAT
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT INTO
PLAY.
>> GOT IT. AND MY FINAL
QUESTION. YOU WERE ALSO IN FRONT
OF US A FEW WEEKS AGO TALKING
ABOUT ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR
PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY. I THINK
YOU SAID IT WAS THE THING THAT
HAS THE MOST HOLDS IS THE WI-FI
HOT SPOTS. AND I BELIEVE I SAW
THIS IN HERE AS A CONTINUED
INVESTMENT. IS THAT AN EXPANSION
OF THE NUMBER OF HOT SPOTS THAT
ARE AVAILABLE OR IS THAT
CONTINUED AT THE LEVEL THAT WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW?
>> IT WOULD BE CONTINUING AT THE
LEVEL WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
>> PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I
APPRECIATE ALL THE
CLARIFICATIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
FOSTER. I WILL SAY ALSO THAT WE
HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION COMING
THAT WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE LIBRARY
BOARD ARE THE ONES WHO DICTATE
WHERE FUNDING IS PLACED, AND
THERE IS ABILITY TO SHIFT
FUNDING AROUND AS NEEDED. THAT
IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
CITY DEPARTMENTS. SO I THINK
THAT BEARS MENTIONING IN THIS
CONVERSATION, AS WELL AS, CHIEF,
YOU MENTIONED THAT WITH -- ON
THE CAPITAL SIDE, HAVING THE
MONEY ALONE, I MEAN, THERE ARE
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO
ABILITY TO DELIVER ON PROJECTS.
SO I KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMETHING
THAT IS ALSO PART OF THE
CONVERSATION. SO I WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH, I'M GOING TO GO
TO YOU, AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO
MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT
PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE CAN GO
TO QUESTIONS AGAIN SO WE DON'T
RUN OUT OF TIME. BUT PLEASE GO
AHEAD. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND I WILL
BE FAST. I WILL NOT TELL
EVERYONE THE LIBRARY STORY. I
THINK WE'VE --
>> YOU CAN. YOU CAN.
>> NO. SO, ONE, EVERYBODY KNOWS
I LOVE THE LIBRARY. ONE THING --
AND I'M SO GLAD THAT COUNCIL
MEMBER FOSTER BROUGHT THIS UP
BECAUSE ONE OF MY CONCERNS WERE
THE MAINTENANCE THING. SO YOU
ALL ANSWERED A LOT OF THAT
BECAUSE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT
2019, IT WAS ABOUT 20% OF THE
MAINTENANCE -- EXCUSE ME, 26% OF
THE PIE, RIGHT NOW IT'S ABOUT
20%. AND WHEN I DO AN OVERVIEW
OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, JUST
WHERE THE GROWTH IS IN OUR CITY,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE
SOME LIBRARIES OBVIOUSLY THAT
ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF
UPTICK BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING
MORE PEOPLE TO OUR CITY. AND I
KNOW THAT WHEN WE COME BACK
PROBABLY IN 2023 -- OR 2033 FOR
THE NEW LEVY, DEPENDING ON IF WE
DO SIX YEARS, SEVEN YEARS, WHO
KNOWS, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT
OUR MAINTENANCE IS ON POINT FOR
THOSE LIBRARIES AND WANTING TO
KNOW OBVIOUSLY FROM YOU ALL --
AND THIS MIGHT BE JUST A COMMENT
OR A QUESTION, AND YOU HAD SAID,
DIRECTOR FAY, CHIEF FAY, THAT WE
DO GET MONEY FROM THE STATE FOR
POTENTIAL DIFFERENT CAPITAL
NEEDS AND JUST LEANING ON THAT.
SO HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T
HAVE -- AND I KNOW THAT COUNCIL,
OUR CHAIR RIVERA HAS DONE A
PHENOMENAL JOB AND WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR THIS BECAUSE I KNOW
WE'RE UNDER A CAP. THERE ARE A
LOT OF DIFFERENT NEEDS IN OUR
CITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND YOU
JUST DONE A GREAT JOB WITH MAYOR
WILSON IN PUTTING TOGETHER A
REALLY GREAT PACKAGE. BUT THAT
WAS, LIKE, ONE OF MY THINGS WAS,
LIKE, HEY, IF WE AREN'T -- IF
WE'RE DEFERRING MAINTENANCE,
WHAT OTHER AREAS ARE WE LOOKING
TO FEDERAL, STATE, WHATEVER IT
IS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE BUILDINGS ARE GREAT? AND
THAT'S WHY I'M ALSO JUST AN
ADVOCATE OF ALWAYS PUSHING FOR
TURF FIELDS, WE CALL THEM,
SUSTAINABLE FIELDS. THEY DO NOT
HAVE THE RUBBER IN THEM ANYMORE.
THEY'RE THE CORKS, OKAY,
BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS, LIKE, WE
DON'T WANT THAT. THEY ARE
CORKS. BUT THOSE GENERATE TWO TO
THREE TIMES MORE REVENUE FOR OUR
CITY WHEN THEY ARE TURF, AND
WHEN THEY HAVE LIGHTS, IT'S
FOUR TIMES MORE REVENUE. AND SO
KNOWING THAT WHEN WE BUILD
STUFF, AND WE HAVE OUR LIBRARIES
ARE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK WHICH
IS PHENOMENAL, SOME OF OUR
COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE NOT OPEN
SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. AND SO THOSE
ARE GETTING MORE WEAR AND TEAR,
AND PEOPLE ARE USING THOSE MORE,
WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO
CONTINUE THEM BEING OPEN AND ALL
THE WORK THAT YOU DO. SO I JUST
WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. I JUST
WANTED A QUICK COMMENT, JUST TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING
AT OUR COMP PLAN IN PHASE 2 WITH
COUNCIL MEMBER LIN LEADING THE
CHARGE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT
ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS IN SEATTLE
THAT OUR LIBRARIES ARE ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES
BECAUSE THEY ARE A PUBLIC SPACE
THAT ARE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,
UNLIKE SOME OTHER PLACES AS WELL
THAT HAVE THE LIBRARIES, THE
REST ROOMS, THE COLD OR THE HOT
AREAS FOR PEOPLE, DEPENDING ON
THE WEATHER. SO THANK YOU,
CHAIR. I KNOW WE WANT TO GO ON
TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION. BUT I
JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT
THAT IS ONE THING THAT I'M
LOOKING AT STRATEGICALLY FOR
THIS LEVY AND THEN BEYOND.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
IT IS ON EVERYBODY'S MIND
BECAUSE OF THE AGING
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IT IS
SOMETHING THAT I WAS VERY
ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION WITH
CHIEF FAY IN TERMS OF WHAT DO WE
DO ABOUT THIS AGING
INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW MUCH CAN WE
DO WITH THIS PARTICULAR LEVY AND
ALSO WHERE ARE THERE OTHER --
WHERE IS THERE OTHER FUNDING
THAT WE CAN TAP IN TO BECAUSE
THE NEED IS ALWAYS GREATER. I
MEAN, THIS IS TRUE NOT JUST WITH
LIBRARIES, THIS IS TRUE -- IT
WAS TRUE WITH THE F.E.P. LEVY,
IT WAS TRUE IN THE
TRANSPORTATION LEVY. THE NEED IS
GREATER THAN THESE LEVIES CAN
PROVIDE JUST IN GENERAL, EVEN
THOUGH THE SIZE HAS INCREASED
EXPONENTIALLY FROM THE LAST TIME
WE DID ALL OF THOSE LEVIES. THE
NEED IS STILL SO MUCH GREATER.
AND SO WHAT ELSE, WHERE ELSE CAN
WE PULL FROM TO BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS THE NEED? AND TO YOUR
POINT, CAN THE EXISTING
BUILDINGS ACCOMMODATE ALL THE
NEW GROWTH THAT WE'RE HAVING AT
THE CITY. LIKE, ARE WE GOING TO
HAVE TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, ADD
BUILDINGS BECAUSE THERE ARE
GOING TO BE MORE PEOPLE, AND
LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT. THEY'RE
AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE IN A CITY.
SO ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ARE ON
THE TABLE AND THINGS THAT WE
NEED TO SOLVE FOR TOGETHER. SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR
BEING HERE, DEPUTY MEMBER
SURRATT, CHIEF FAY, YOUR TEAM
AND WE'LL CONTINUE THE
CONVERSATION. AND NOW I'D LIKE
TO CALL UP OUR CENTRAL STAFF,
TOM MIKESELL, EDIN SISIC AND
ERIC McCONAUGHEY TO TALK ABOUT
THE LEVY, HOW THE LEVY CAPACITY
WORKS, OUR LEVY LID CAPACITY
WHICH KEEPS COMING UP, AND THEN
ALSO ISSUE I.D.
>> GOOD MORNING. AND THANKS FOR
LETTING US GET SITUATED.
>> YES, THANK YOU.
>> WE'LL GO IN REVERSE ORDER
HOW WE DO OUR INTRODUCTIONS
ORIGINALLY. I'M ERIC, THE
COUNTY COUNSEL'S CENTRAL STAFF
AND THE KIND OF MAIN POINT TO
CONTACT FOR THE LIBRARY LEVY. OF
COURSE, YOU CAN TURN TO ALL
CENTRAL STAFFERS TO GET SUPPORT
ON THIS AS EVIDENCED BY MY
COLLEAGUES TO MY LEFT. I'LL LET
THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES BEFORE
WE JUMP IN.
>> EDIN SISIC, STAFF.
>> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR RIVERA
AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY,
TOM MIKESELL, CENTRAL STAFF.
>> ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO
START WITH TOM AND ED WITH THE
LEVY CONVERSATION, THE FINANCIAL
PART. AND THEN WE'LL GO TO ERIC
TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE I.D.
>> THAT SOUNDS GREAT
>> OKAY. SOUNDS GREAT. TAKE IT
AWAY. THANK YOU. IRK BY WAY OF
INTRO AND TO TAKE A MOMENT TO
BRING THE SLIDE DECK UP, THE
PROPERTY TAX OVERVIEW PROVIDES
CONTEXT TO THIS CONVERSATION
BECAUSE HOVERING ALL AROUND THIS
IS THE ISSUE OF LEVY CAPACITY.
AND TOM AND ED WILL GO INTO
THIS. THERE'S A CALCULATION
THAT'S SHARED AND AGREED UPON,
YOU KNOW, BY CENTRAL STAFF AND
CBO AND FINANCE THAT ABOUT $780
MILLION OF CAPACITY OVER THE
NEXT SEVEN YEARS FOR LEVIES.
THIS LIBRARY LEVY WOULD TAKE 410
OF THAT, SO THERE'S A
SUBTRACTION THERE. AND THAT
LEAVES SORT OF CAPACITY FOR
OTHER LEVIES THAT WOULD COME UP
IN THE FUTURE. SOME OF THOSE ARE
MENTIONED -- EXCUSE ME, THOSE
ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE MEMO THAT
I SHARED WITH YOU ALL. I WON'T
DO THAT NOW. BUT THAT'S JUST BY
WAY OF FRAMING HOW WE GET TO
THIS NEXT BID AND A SEGWAY TO
TELL THEM. THANKS, TOM.
>> THANKS, ERIC. SO WE ARE NOW
GOING TO KIND OF AFTER HAVING
THE MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION
ABOUT THE LIBRARY LEVY REQUEST
KIND OF PULL BACK AND LOOK AT
OVERALL CAPACITY AND PROPERTY
TAXES AND OUR ABILITY TO LEVY
TAXES HERE IN SEATTLE. SO TO
START OFF, JUST GOING TO GIVE A
VIEW OF THE CONTEXT OF PROPERTY
TAXES WITH RESPECT TO THE TOTAL
REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE
GENERAL FUND. SO IN THE 2026
ADOPTED BUDGET, PROPERTY TAXES
ARE ABOUT 17% OF THE TOTAL, SO
OF NON-UTILITY REVENUE. SO IF WE
SUBTRACT CITY LIGHT AND SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES. AND SIMILARLY
DRILL DOWN INTO THE GENERAL
FUND, THE KIND OF GENERAL
SERVICES FUND, THE GENERAL
SERVICES LEVY IS ABOUT 16% OF
PROPERTY TAXES. SO IT'S A
FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL SOURCE OF
REVENUE TO THE CITY'S FINANCIAL
PROGRAM. SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES, AND WE
ALREADY HEARD SOME OF THESE
TERMS THIS MORNING. WE'RE GOING
TO HEAR THEM IN MORE DETAIL WITH
THIS PRESENTATION. THERE ARE
SOME KEY DEFINITIONAL THINGS TO
CLARIFY WHEN IT COMES TO
PROPERTY TAXES. FIRST THE TAX
LEVY. THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF
REVENUE YOU EXPECT TO RECEIVE,
THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT'S
USED TO FUND PROGRAMS. THAT TAX
LEVY IS SUBJECT TO A STATUTORY
RESTRAINT ON HOW MUCH IT CAN
GROW EACH YEAR. AND I BELIEVE
YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
IT'S A 1% STATUTORY ALLOWANCE
THAT WE CAN INCREASE TAXES, PLUS
THE VALUE OF ANY NEW
CONSTRUCTION THAT OCCURRED PLUS
ANY DECISIONS MADE BY THE
VOTERS, YOU KNOW, PUT FORWARD BY
THE COUNCIL TO LIFT THAT LID. SO
THE 1% IS A LID ON HOW MUCH IT
CAN GROW. THE REQUEST TO VOTERS
IS THE LID LIFT. SO THE LIBRARY
DISCUSSION FROM THIS MORNING IS
A LID LIFT IN THAT CONTEXT. AND
I KIND OF DID TALK -- I TALKED
ABOUT THE LIFT. IT'S THE VOTING
CRITERIA FOR THAT IS 50% PLUS
ONE, AND THAT IS AN
AUTHORIZATION BY THE VOTERS TO
INCREASE THAT CAP ON GROWTH, AND
THAT INCREASE CAN EITHER BE A
SINGLE INCREASE THAT THEN IS
MAINTAINED AT THAT LEVEL FOR THE
SPAN OF THE LEVY PERIOD, SO IN
THE CASE OF THE LIBRARY LEVY,
SEVEN YEARS OR IT CAN BE
MULTI-YEAR LID LIFT. WE DON'T
TRADITIONALLY DO THOSE HERE AT
THE CITY, BUT THEY ARE AN OPTION
FOR THE LEVIES. AND GENERALLY
THOSE LIFTS CAN BE FOR ANY
GENERAL PUBLIC PURPOSE, BUT
THEY'RE TRADITIONALLY FOR A
SPECIFIC PURPOSE TO DEFINE IN
THE QUESTION. THE NEXT CONCEPT
IS ASSESSED VALUE. THIS IS WHEN
YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT TAXES IN
GENERAL THIS, IS THE BASE FOR
THE TAX. SO YOU APPLY THE RATE
TO THE BASE, YOU GET YOUR LEVY.
THE ASSESSED VALUE IS THE -- IS
INTENDED TO BE THE FULL MARKET
VALUE OF ANY PROPERTY IN THE
TAXING DISTRICT. AND THAT'S
DETERMINED THROUGH AN ANNUAL
SURVEY DONE BY THE KING COUNTY
ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. SO THE LEVY
RATE IS THE AMOUNT PER 1,000, SO
IT'S EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF
$1,000 OF ASSESSED VALUE THAT IS
CHARGED AGAINST ALL ASSESSED
VALUE IN THE TAXING DISTRICT TO
GENERATE A TAX LEVY. THE
CAPACITY, SO THIS IS KIND OF THE
KEY CONCEPT THAT WE'RE TRYING
TO EXPRESS THIS MORNING WITH
THIS PRESENTATION, THIS IS THE
MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX
RATE THAT THE CITY CAN ASSESS
FOR ITS LEVIES. FOR THE CITY OF
SEATTLE, THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE IS
$3.60. SO THAT TIMES THE AMOUNT
OF ASSESSED VALUE IN THE CITY
EQUALS THE TOTAL DOLLAR LEVY
THAT WE CAN GENERATE. SO I'VE
TALKED ABOUT RESTRICTIONS A BIT.
THERE ARE SOME CASES WHERE THERE
ARE LEVIES THAT CAN BE -- THAT
CAN BE PASSED THAT ARE NOT
RESTRICTED, AND THOSE ARE CALLED
EXCESS LEVIES. SO A REALLY GREAT
EXAMPLE OF THAT IS A LEVY THAT
IS INTENDED TO REPAY DEBT. SO WE
HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE. WE HAVE
ONE FOR THE SEAWALL, AND WE HAVE
ONE THAT'S NEARLY EXPIRED OR
NEARLY PAID OFF FOR LIBRARY
CONSTRUCTION. SO THESE ARE
DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT
SUBJECT TO THE CAP THAT I
MENTIONED. SO THEY'RE NOT PART
OF THE 360 RATE LIMIT. HOWEVER,
THEY DO REQUIRE A HIGHER VOTER
THRESHOLD FOR AUTHORIZATION. SO
IT'S 60% OF VOTERS IN THE
ELECTION NEED TO APPROVE AN
EXCESS LEVY. THREES THE CONCEPT
OF PRO RATIONING. WE WON'T GET
INTO THIS IN DETAIL BUT IT MAYOR
E MATTERS IN A CASE THAT A
JURISDICTION SUCH AS SEATTLE IS
FACED WITH A TAX LEVY THAT
REQUIRES A RATE THAT EXCEEDS OUR
CAP. SO IF WE GOT INTO A
SITUATION WHERE THE TOTAL AMOUNT
OF LEVY THAT WE ADOPTED FOR THE
BUDGET EXCEEDED -- WHEN DIVIDED
INTO THE ASSESSED VALUE EXCEEDED
THE $3 DOT 60 OR EXCEEDED SOME
OF THE OTHER RATE LIMITS THAT
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING,
THERE'S A PROCESS BY WHICH
LEVIES NEED TO BE REDUCED IN
ORDER TO COME UNDER THE CAP. SO
WE HAVEN'T HIT THAT IN THE
PAST. WE DON'T PROJECT THAT
WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE THAT
HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT AS
YOU'LL SEE WITH SOME OF THESE
GRAPHICS THAT WE'LL SHOW YOU,
WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THIS.
SO IT KIND OF BECOMES PART OF
THE DISCUSSION TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE'S A PROCESS BY WHICH
THAT TAKES PLACE. AND I'M GOING
TO HAND OFF TO ED TO COVER THE
NEXT SIX SLIDES OR SO.
>> AND I'M JUST GOING TO
QUICKLY SAY BEFORE YOU START --
THANK YOU, TOM, BEFORE YOU
START, AND THE REASON WHY I
THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE
THIS CONVERSATION NOW,
COLLEAGUES, AND WE DON'T ALWAYS
HAVE THIS PRESENTATION AT ALL
OUR LEVY CONVERSATIONS IS
BECAUSE WE ARE SO -- WE'RE
GETTING SO CLOSE TO THAT LEVY
CAP THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS
IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE WE ARE WITH IT AND FOR THE
PUBLIC, FOR THAT MATTER, TO
UNDERSTAND NOW THAT WE'RE
GETTING CLOSER. THANK YOU. GO
AHEAD, ED.
>> THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'RE
ALMOST OUT OF TIME, 11:30, SO
I'LL BREEZE THROUGH THESE
BECAUSE -- I MIGHT EVEN SKIP
OVER SOME SLIDES IN THE INTEREST
OF TIME.
>> I THINK WE HAVE A FEW MORE
MINUTES. STAFF CHECK, WE HAVE A
FEW MORE MINUTES. SO GO AHEAD.
>> SO SEATTLE HAS TWO CORE LEVY
TIES TO FUND CITY OPERATIONS. WE
HAVE THE GENERAL PURPOSE LEVY.
THIS IS THE CITY'S BASE
PROPERTY TAX. IT DOES NOT
REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL, BUT BY
STATE LAW, ITS ANNUAL GROWTH IS
LIMITED TO 1% PLUS THE VALUE OF
NEW CONSTRUCTION, OFTEN CALLED
THE STATUTORY LID. AND REVENUES
GO TO THE GENERAL FUND TO
SUPPORT THE CITY OPERATIONS. AND
THEN WE HAVE THE VOTER-APPROVED
LEVIES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES,
AND VOTERS CAN AUTHORIZE US TO
GO ABOVE THE STATUTORY LID FOR
TARGETED PROGRAMS ESSENTIALLY,
HENCE THE TERM LID LIFT. THEY
PASS WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY, AND
THESE CAN BE TIME LIMITED OR
PERMANENT AND RATES CAN INCREASE
IN A SINGLE YEAR AS AUTHORIZED
BY VOTERS. FUNDS ARE DEPOSITED
AS SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AND
ONLY USED FOR THE VOTER-APPROVED
PURPOSE. AND SEATTLE CURRENTLY
HAS FIVE OF THOSE. WE HAVE THE
F.E.P. LEVY, THE MOVE SEATTLE
TRANSPORTATION LEVY, ELECTION
VOUCHERS, THE LIBRARY LEVY AND
-- I'M MISSING ONE. HOUSING
LEVY. AND SO FOR A CAPACITY
CONSTRAINT THE COMBINED LEVY
AMOUNT OF THE GENERAL LEVY PLUS
ALL THE LID LIFTS CANNOT EXCEED
THAT $3.60 MAXIMUM RATE. NEXT
SLIDE. SO TWO MORE LEVY
CATEGORIES MATTER FOR THE
OVERALL BILL THAT THE RESIDENTS
SEE. SO SOME DISTRICTS ARE
CREATED UNDER STATE LAW AND MAY
REQUIRE A VOTE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE
SEATTLE METROPOLITAN PARK
DISTRICT. AND SO THESE ARE NOT
CONSTRAINED BY THE $3.60 CAP.
THEY DO COUNT TOWARDS THE
BROADER $5.90 CAP WHICH IS LOCAL
GOVERNMENT LIMIT. THAT ALSO
INCLUDES RATES SET BY THE
COUNTY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND
OTHER LOCAL JURISDICTION LEVIES
AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS. AND SO
EVEN IF THE CITY IS UNDER THE
$3.60 CAP, THE OVERALL LOCAL
STACK HAS TO STAY AT THE $5.90.
AND THEN THERE'S EXCESS LEVIES
WHICH TOM ALREADY COVERED A
LITTLE BIT OF. SO WHEN VOTERS
APPROVED BONDS FOR CAPITAL
PROJECTS, THOSE REQUIRE A 30%
SUPER MAJORITY, AND THEY ARE NOT
RESTRICTED BY THESE STATUTORY
LIMITS. SO THEY SIT OUTSIDE THE
360 AND THE $5.90, HENCE THE
TERM EXCESS LEVIES. I WILL IN
THE INTEREST OF TIME SKIP OVER
THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES WHICH
ARE FOR CALCULATING HOW THE RATE
IS CALCULATED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE
CAN DO INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS ON
THESE, AND THE SLIDES ARE PRETTY
SELF-EXPLANATORY, BUT I WAS
GOING TO GO INTO THEM UNLESS
THERE'S INTEREST.
>> I THINK IT'LL TAKE A SECOND.
SO WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD.
>> YEAH. MAYBE I CAN JUST DO THE
MOVE SEATTLE LEVY, THE EXAMPLE
ONE. SO -- BECAUSE WE DIDN'T
HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR THE
LIBRARY LEVY AT THE TIME, WE
DEVELOPED THIS. WE'RE USING
MOVE SEATTLE AS AN EXAMPLE. SO
IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE LEVY WOULD
COLLECT $189 MILLION PER YEAR.
THE CITY'S TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE
IS ABOUT $306 BILLION. SO IF WE
DIVIDE THE $189 MILLION BY THE
ASSESSED VALUE, AGAIN, EXPRESSED
IN THOUSANDS, PER 1,000, WE GET
A TAX RATE OF ABOUT 63 CENTS.
AND SO NOW THE ONE BELOW LOOKING
AT AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD, IF
WE APPLY THE 63 CENT RATE TO A
MEDIAN VALUED HOME OF $833,000,
THAT HOUSEHOLD WOULD PAY ABOUT
$525 FOR THIS LEVY WHICH IS THE
SECOND HIGHEST OF THE FIVE
VOTER-APPROVED LEVIES THAT WE
HAVE, AND WE DETAILS ON THE NEXT
SLIDE. BUT ESSENTIALLY WE
COMBINED -- WE DO THE
CALCULATION FOR ALL THE LEVIES
SIMILARLY, AND THE TOTAL OF ALL
OF THOSE IS THE COMBINED BILL
THAT THE RESIDENTS PAY. AND SO
THIS CHART SHOWS HOW MUCH A
MEDIAN VALUE HOME PAYS
SPECIFICALLY TO CITY-CONTROLLED
LEVIES IN '26. THE TOTAL CITY
PORTION IS ABOUT $2,871 WHICH
CORRESPONDS TO A COMBINED CITY
LEVY RATE OF $3.45. AND THE
LARGEST PORTION OF THAT IS, OF
COURSE, THE CITY'S PROPERTY TAX
AND THE GENERAL PURPOSE LEVY
WHICH MAKES UP ABOUT 1/3, 30% OF
THAT $2,800 NUMBER, FOLLOWED
PRETTY CLOSELY BY THE F.E.P.
LEVY AT 28% AND THE MOVE SEATTLE
LEVY. AND ONE QUICK NOTE I'LL
ADD HERE, YOU SEE THE MPD LEVY,
THE METROPOLITAN PARK DISRUD,
AND WHILE IT SITS OUTSIDE OF $3
DOT 60 CAP, BUT IT IS WHAT OUR
RESIDENTS SEE ON THEIR BILL, SO
IT IS INCLUDED IN THE 2800
NUMBER, SIMILARLY WITH CITY
GENERAL AVIATION BOND DEBT
SERVICE, THESE ARE EXCESS LEVIES
APPROVED BY VOTERS AND ARE PART
OF THAT AS WELL.
>> AND THIS IS JUST FOR THIS
CITY, NOT --
>> CORRECT. THIS IS THE CITY
PORTION. AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE
-- YEAH.
>> SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE
THING BECAUSE WE MENTIONED THE
$3.60 RATE CAP, AND YOU SEE HERE
WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS COMBINED
RATE IS $3.45, SO, YOU KNOW,
IT'S KIND OF LIKE EYE-OPENING
15 CENT DIFFERENCE. SO WE KIND
OF TOUCHED ON THIS A BIT, BUT
THIS IS THE TOTAL SEATTLE TAX
BILL, BUT THERE WERE A FEW
LEVIES ON HERE FOR THE
METROPOLITAN PARK DISTRICT AND
THE EXCESS LEVY FOR BONDS THAT
IS NOT PART OF THE $3.60 CAP,
AND THAT'S ABOUT 45 CENTS OF
THIS TOTAL HERE. SO WHEN YOU
TAKE THOSE PIECES OUT, IT'S
MORE ON THE ORDER OF $3,
COMPARED TO THE $3.60 CAP. SO
JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT
PIECE.
>> THANK YOU, TOM. AND SO THIS
SLIDE ZOOMS OUT. IT SHOWS THE
FULL PROPERTY TAX BILL FOR THE
MEDIAN HOME VALUE IN 2026 ACROSS
ALL TAXING JURISDICTIONS, NOT
JUST THE CITY, AND THE TOTAL IS
$8,254 WHICH CORRESPONDS TO AN
OVERALL LEVY AMOUNT OF ALMOST
$10, JUST NINE CENTS SHY OF
THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH
RESIDENTS OFTEN THINK OF
PROPERTY TAXES AS CITY PROPERTY
TAXES, IT'S -- WE'RE ONLY
ABOUT 1/3 OF THAT. THE REST IS
FOR SCHOOLS, STATE, SCHOOL
DISTRICT, COUNTY AND REGIONAL
AGENCIES. NEXT SLIDE, TOM. I'M
GOING AS QUICK AS I CAN. WE ALSO
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO
REWRITE SOME HISTORIC CONTEXT IN
TERMS OF HOW TOTAL ASSESSED
MEDIAN VALUE AND TOTAL PROPERTY
TAX BILL HAVE CHANGED OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE REDDISH
LINE SHOWS THAT MEDIAN ASSESSED
VALUE, AND THE BLUE LINE SHOWS
THE TOTAL PROPERTY TAX BILL FOR
A MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUE HOME. I
WON'T GO TOO INDEPTH INTO THIS
SLIDE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE BLUE
LINE GENERALLY MOVES IN THE SAME
DIRECTION BUT ON A SMOOTHER
TRAJECTORY IS THE IMPORTANT
THING TO KNOW, INCREASING FROM
ROUGHLY $4,800 IN 2017 TO ABOUT
$8,300 IN 2026. AND, YOU KNOW,
THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE IS THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO
LINES. WHITE THE PROPERTY AMOUNT
IS GENERALLY CORRELATED WITH
ASSESSED VALUE, THE MAIN DRIVER
OF A PROPERTY TAX INCREASES FOR
HOUSEHOLDS IS THE VOTER-APPROVED
LEVIES AND NOT THE RISING
PROPERTY VALUES. I WILL TURN IT
BACK OVER TO TOM.
>> THANK YOU, ED. AND I'LL TAKE
IT FROM HERE. SO NOW WE'RE
GOING TO DRILL A BIT INTO THE
CAPACITY QUESTION THAT WE HAVE
KIND OF ALLUDED TO. BUT TO START
THAT OFF, AS A FOUNDATION, WE'LL
LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF ASSESSED
VALUE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS
USING THIS GRAPH. AND JUST TO
ORIENT YOU TO THE GRAPH, THE
LEFT AXIS IS KIND OF -- SO UP TO
$350 BILLION IS THE TOTAL
ASSESSED VALUE IN SEATTLE. AND
THEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS
TRACKING THE PERCENT CHANGE IN
THAT TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE IN
EACH YEAR. THAT'S ON TRACK WITH
THE DASHED LINE. AND, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S A FEW TAKEAWAYS HERE.
THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS TO SEE.
BUT THE KEY THINGS TO SEE HERE
ARE DURING THE GREAT RECESSION,
SEATTLE SAW A 10% DECLINE IN ITS
TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE IN 2010,
AND SMALLER DECLINES, BUT STILL
DECLINES IN THE YEARS SO THAT'S
A 16% DECLINE IN TOTAL ASSESSED
VALUE. AT THAT TIME THE RATE WAS
NOT AS SUCH THERE WAS ANY PRO
RATIONING OR ANY SUCH THAT WAS
NEEDED. BUT HAD WE BEEN CLOSER
TO THAT CAP, IT COULD HAVE BEEN
THE CASE. SO AFTER THE GREAT
RECESSION, WE EXPERIENCED
FORTUNATELY A BOOM IN GROWTH IN
THE CITY. AS YOU CAN SEE TRACKED
BY THE -- YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF
UPWARD STEEP GROWTH IN THE SOLID
LINE AND THAT DASHED LINE
THAT'S HITTING CLOSE TO 15% IN
SEVERAL YEARS. SO THAT HAD THE
EFFECT OF REALLY EXPANDING OUR
TAX CAPACITY IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE. AND SO THAT TREND
CONTINUED UNTIL AROUND 2020 OR
SO. AND THEN MORE RECENT YEARS
WE'VE SEEN A SLOWDOWN IN GROWTH
IN THE ASSESSED VALUE FOR A
NUMBER OF THINGS. BUT AT THE END
OF THE DAY, IT'S TRULY KIND OF
FORMING A MORE -- MORE OF A
CONSTRAINT ON OUR CAPACITY THAN
WE'D SEEN IN THE LAST DECADE.
IN FACT, WE HAD A SMALLER 2%
DECREASE IN '25, AND IT WAS
ESSENTIALLY -- IT WAS
ESSENTIALLY FLAT THROUGH THOSE
YEARS. I THINK IT'S ABOUT 2%,
3% IN THE 2026 PROJECTION. SO --
BUT ESSENTIALLY EVERY TIME THE
ASSESSED VALUE GROWS, IT ADDS
CAPACITY EVERY TIME ASSESSED
VALUE DECLINES, YOU LOSE
CAPACITY. SO BEFORE I SHOW YOU
THE NEXT GRAPHIC --
>> TOM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE AS
ASSESSED VALUES DECREASE, YOU'RE
STILL COLLECTING THE SAME
PERCENTAGE ON THAT LEVY, BUT NOW
YOU HAVE LESS -- THE HOUSEHOLDS
ARE PAYING MORE BECAUSE THE
ASSESSED VALUE IS LESS BUT THE
PERCENTAGE IS HIGH.
>> IT'S BASICALLY -- IF YOU
THINK ABOUT THE -- WELL, I'LL
SHOW YOU THE GRAPH, BUT IT'S
BASICALLY $3.60 IS THE MAXIMUM
RATE THAT THESE -- THE LEVIES
THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE
GENERAL EXPENSE AND THE LID
LIFTS, THAT'S THE MAXIMUM
COMBINED THAT THOSE LEVIES CAN
USE TO GENERATE REVENUE. SO YOU
TAKE THE $3.60 TIMES THE TOTAL
ASSESSED VALUE PROJECTION, AND
THAT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF
REVENUE THAT WE CAN GET. SO IF
WE EVER GET INTO A SITUATION
WHERE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF
REVENUE THAT HAS BEEN BUILT INTO
THE BUDGET EXCEEDS THAT CAP,
THEN SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN
TO BRING US DOWN BELOW THAT CAP.
SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH A MATTER OF
SHIFTING BURDENS BETWEEN
HOUSEHOLDS, BUT IT'S MORE JUST
AN EFFECTIVE LIMIT ON THE TOTAL
TAXING CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE. SO
WE --
>> THANK YOU.
>> BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT, AND
AS THE CHAIR ALLUDED TO, WE'RE
GETTING UP CLOSE TO THIS, EVEN
THOUGH WE'RE KIND OF -- THIS IS
THE LAST LID LIFT IN THE SERIES
OF LID LIFTS THAT WE HAVE AT THE
CITY BEFORE WE CONTINUE THE NEXT
CYCLE OF RENEWALS. WE ARE
LOOKING AT KIND OF A DIFFERENT
SITUATION PROJECTED OUT THAN
WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS. AND SO WE'RE KIND OF
REFRESHING -- THERE WAS A PRIOR
DISCUSSION IN THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE HEADED UP BY CBO WHERE
WE TALKED ABOUT THE CAPACITY,
WE'RE USING THE SAME
INFORMATION BUT JUST, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF REFRESH THAT AND DISCUSS
THAT THIS MORNING OF HOW THAT
PROJECTION WAS PRODUCED. SO,
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE RATE
CAP, $3.60, BUT WE'RE NOT
INCLUDING THE BONDS, WE'RE NOT
INCLUDING THE PARKS DISTRICT
BECAUSE THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDED
UNDERNEATH THE CAP. AND THEN
THERE'S REALLY TWO WAYS --
WE'VE LOOKED AT IT KIND OF
INTERNALLY, INFORMALLY, THERE'S
THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF THE $3.60
RATE AND THERE'S A NINE% THAT
SAYS, HEY, WE'VE SEEN THE
ASSESSED VALUE CAN DROP AS MUCH
AS 10% IN THE PAST, SO TO BE
MORE CONSERVATIVE, PERHAPS USING
A DIFFERENT PLANNING HORIZON,
THIS MIGHT BE PRUDENT IN ORDER
TO AVOID HAVING TO REDUCE THE
AMOUNT OF REVENUE FROM LEVIES IF
WE EVER COME UP AGAINST THE CAP.
SO THE ASSUMPTION THAT'S BEING
MADE IN THE PROJECTION WE'VE
MADE IS THAT ALL OF THE LEVY LID
LIFTS ARE RENEWED IN FUTURE
YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE RENEWAL
SCHEDULES. BUT THEY'RE REKNEWED
ONLY BASED ON THE GROWTH OF
INFLATION. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT
BECAUSE -- WELL, THERE ARE
MULTIPLE REASONS WHY THERE COULD
BE A NEED FOR HIGHER REVENUE,
CONFLATION, COST OF THINGS GOING
UP IS A CLEAR ONE. ANOTHER THING
TO CONSIDER IS POPULATION
GROWTH. SO AS THE POPULATION
GROWS, YOUR AMOUNT OF REVENUE
PER PERSON DECLINES. AND SO
WE'RE ONLY DOING INFLATION TO
KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING,
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST
POINT THAT OUT. FINALLY -- AND
THIS IS KIND OF GOING FROM A
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, THE
ASSESSED VALUE IS ONLY GROWN AT
3% IN THE YEAR IN THE FUTURE
WHICH IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE
BASED ON THE NUMBERS PRESENTED
FROM THE FORECAST OFFICE WHICH
IS MORE ON THE ORDER OF 5%. IT
DOESN'T HAVE AN EFFECT OF
LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF THE
LIBRARY LEVY DISCUSSION WE'VE
HAD THIS MORNING, IT'S JUST A
MORE -- BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT
OF UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO
COMMERCIAL OFFICE VACANCIES AND
THE MORTGAGE RATES CONSTRAINING
THE HOUSING MARKET. CBO AND
CENTRAL STAFF IN TANDEM FELT IT
WAS MORE CONSERVATIVE TO USE A
3% PROJECTION IN THE FUTURE. SO
WITH THOSE ASSUMPTIONS, SO THIS
IS THE GRAPH OF HOW THIS LOOKS.
AND IT'S VERY COLORFUL CHART,
AND THE COLORS MEAN DIFFERENT
THINGS. THE BARS ARE ESSENTIALLY
THE LEVIES. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW
-- AS RECENTLY AS 2020, THERE
WAS A LOT OF CAPACITY. SO THE
BAR CHART IN 2020 INCLUDES THE
GENERAL EXPENSE LEVY AND ALL OF
THE VOTER-APPROVED LEVIES UNDER
$600 MILLION, AND THEN YOU CAN
SEE KIND OF THE LINES GROWN AT
THE TOP. THERE'S THE MAGENTA
LINE AND THE BLUE LINE, THE
MAGENTA BEING THE CAPACITY, SO
THE TOTAL LEVY CAPACITY AT
$3.60, AND THE BLUE LINE IS THE
90% OF THAT KIND OF ACCOUNTING
FOR THE FACT THAT ASSESSED VALUE
CAN DROP. AND SO YOU CAN SEE AS
THE DIFFERENT SEPARATE LEVY LID
LIFTS HAVE BEEN RENEWED, WE'VE
GOTTEN CLOSER AND CLOSER TO BOTH
OF THOSE LINES. AND THEN HERE IF
YOU GO THEN FROM FROM 2026 TO
2027, YOU CAN SEE -- SO THE
LIBRARY LEVY IS THE KIND OF
BRIGHT ORANGE LEVY. WE HAVEN'T
INCLUDED AN ASSUMPTION FOR THAT
IN THIS GRAPH, BUT THERE IS A --
THE SHADED -- THE TOP SEGMENT OF
THE BARS FROM '27 THROUGH 2023,
THAT IS KIND OF ESSENTIALLY THE
CAPACITY, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE
THAT CAN BE GENERATED FROM
PROPERTY TAXES USING THE 90% OF
THE FULL CAPACITY LIMIT AS THE
CONSTRAINT. AND WHEN YOU KIND OF
GRAPH THAT OUT, YOU COME TO
ABOUT $111 MILLION PER YEAR OF
EFFECTIVE TAXING ABILITY. AND SO
THE LIBRARY LEVY, AS DISCUSSED,
AS PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR, WOULD
DRAW ABOUT $56 MILLION PER YEAR
OF THAT $111. SO THERE WOULD BE
ABOUT $55 MILLION OF TAXING
CAPACITY BASED ON THESE
PROJECTIONS IN THE FUTURE. AND,
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL
PROJECTIONS. IT'S ALL JUST A
POINT IN TIME, AND HOPEFULLY
ASSESSED VALUE WILL OUTPERFORM
THESE NUMBERS. HOWEVER, IF IT
GOES DOWN, THE PICTURE, OF
COURSE, CHANGES. YEAH. AND
FINALLY -- WE TALKED ABOUT THE
PRORATIONING. BUT IF THERE'S AT
ANY TIME THAT THE CITY LEVY
WOULD EXCEED $3.60, THEN THE
CITY WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE WHICH
ONE OF THE LEVIES TO REDUCE TO
COME UNDERNEATH THE CAP.
>> AND THAT'S JUST IMPACTED BY
THE ASSESSED VALUE, SOME CHANGE
IN THE ASSESSED VALUE, DECREASE?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU, TOM. SO
THAT'S LIKE ONE OF THE BIG
TAKEAWAYS ON THIS AND ALSO TO
SHOW HOW CLOSELY WE ARE GETTING
TO THAT CAPACITY PIECE.
>> CORRECT. AND, AGAIN, THIS IS
-- IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE KIND
OF LIKE A SCARE TACTIC, I GUESS,
FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.
>> NO, NO, NO.
>> WE ARE GETTING CLOSE TO THIS
LIMIT, AND WE JUST WANT TO
ENSURE THAT WE'RE EXPRESSING,
YOU KNOW, FULL AWARENESS OF THAT
FACT BECAUSE 10 YEARS AGO
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONTEXT, WE
WERE LOOKING AT LOTS OF WIDE
SPACE OF CAPACITY, AND WE'RE
JUST NO LONGER IN THAT
SITUATION.
>> AND THAT'S THE SECOND
TAKEAWAY IS WE HAD A LOT OF
CAPACITY IN THE PAST, BUT WE
DON'T TODAY. AND SO WE NEED TO
BE EYES WIDE OPEN WHEN WE MAKE
DECISIONS ON HOW CLOSE WE ARE
GETTING TO THAT CAPACITY BECAUSE
IF THERE SHOULD BE A NEED TO
LEVY A DIFFERENT -- TO DO
ANOTHER LEVY FOR A DIFFERENT
PURPOSE, IT STARTS TO IMPACT OUR
ABILITY TO DO THAT.
>> CORRECT.
>> I MEAN, SO AS WE'RE -- IT'S
A REALITY, IT'S NOT A SCARE
TACTIC, IT'S JUST A REALITY.
THANK YOU, TOM. I'M GOING TO
ROLL ALONG TO ERIC BECAUSE I
KNOW WE'RE -- WE'RE AT TIME
HERE. BUT WE'LL GO TO ERIC, AND
THEN IF FOLKS CAN STAY AND WANT
TO ASK QUESTIONS, THAT'S GREAT
TOO. I'M HERE.
>> GREAT. THANKS VERY MUCH. A
LOT OF THE THINGS THAT BRING TO
YOUR ATTENTION IN A NORMAL
PRESENTATION ON A BILL LIKE THIS
HAVE ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT UP
SHALL, THE SIDES OF THE LEVY AT
$410, THE HISTORY. THIS LEVY
FOLLOWS ON FROM THE 2012 AND THE
2020 LIBRARY LEVIES THAT WERE
SUCCESSFULLY PASSED BY VOTERS IN
THE PAST. I THINK THE HERITAGE
IS UNDERSTOOD. THERE WAS A 1998
LIBRARIES FOR ALL BOND MEASURE
WHICH MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED
ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
BOND MEASURES AND LEVIES, THAT
WAS USED TO REMODEL NEARLY ALL
THE LIBRARIES, BUILD TWO NEW
LIBRARIES AND BUILD A CENTRAL
LIBRARY THAT WAS ALSO A
SUCCESSFUL MEASURE AND THE
PRESENTERS FROM THE MAYORS
OFFICE AND SEVERAL PEOPLE
COLLABORATED NOTED THAT A LOT OF
THOSE STRUCTURES THAT TO ME
STILL SEEMED NEW BECAUSE OF MY
AGE AND HISTORY WITH SEATTLE ARE
20 YEARS OLD. SO THAT BECOMES A
PART OF THIS ONGOING DISCUSSION.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK
I'LL JUST FRAME UP SORT OF TWO
ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION. ONE,
I'LL JUST SAY OUT LOUD, LEVY
CAPACITY. THAT'S ALREADY BEEN
WELL COVERED, SO THAT CHECKS ONE
BOX. TWO, THIS HAS TO DO WITH
THE GOVERNANCE AND BUDGETING
THROUGHOUT THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY, AS IS TRUE FOR EVERY
FALL WHEN THE COUNCIL HAS ITS [
INAUDIBLE ] BASED ON THE BUDGET
DELIVERED BY THE MAYOR. WE'D
JUST LIKE TO REMIND THE COUNCIL
AND THE PUBLIC THAT THE
GOVERNANCE FOR THE LIBRARY IS
DIFFERENT, THAT THE LIBRARY
BOARD HAS THAT EXCLUSIVE CONTROL
OVER THE FINANCES OF THE
LIBRARY. THAT'S KIND OF COMES
OUT OF THE CITY CHARTER AND ALSO
STATE LAW. AND SO THE WAY THAT
THE ORDINANCE ITSELF IS WRITTEN
FOR THE LIBRARY LEVY, THE
CATEGORIES AND EXAMPLES FOR
SPENDING ARE ILLUSTRATIVE AND
GIVES SORT OF THE LEEWAY TO THE
LIBRARY BOARD TO MAKE THOSE
DECISIONS THROUGH TIME. THAT
BEING SAID, THE PAST LEVY
ORDINANCES AND THIS ONE WOULD
HAVE THE LIBRARY COME IN AND
REPORT ON THE PROGRESS FOR
ACHIEVING THE AIMS, THE
CATEGORIES THAT ARE DECLARED IN
THAT LEVY ORDINANCE TO THE
COUNCIL YEARLY. THEY HAVE DONE
THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS
UNFAILINGLY. AND ALSO AS
EVIDENCED BY TWO MEETINGS IN
YOUR COMMITTEE, CHAIR, THE
LIBRARY EDUCATION AND
NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE AND ALSO
THE FIRST MEETING OF THIS
COMMITTEE, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE
REPORT OUT IN THE 2019 LEVY
PERFORMANCE THAT FLOWS FROM
THAT. SO THOSE ARE SORT OF THE
MAIN THINGS THAT I WANT TO
COVER. MAYBE JUST AS SORT OF
TOUCHING ON GOING FORWARD,
YOU'LL ALL BE HERE AGAIN IN
MARCH 31st. THAT'S FOR NEXT
STEPS, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING
BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
CHAIR AND WHAT SHE'S
COMMUNICATED TO YOU ALL THAT
THERE WILL BE A TIME TO TALK
ABOUT POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS. I
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE
INTERNAL DEADLINE WHICH IS
REALLY TO HELP ME HELP YOU GET
THINGS DONE ON TIME. SO PLEASE
REACH OUT TO ME, REALLY LOOKING
KIND OF MIDDAY TOMORROW, SEEMS
LIKE A QUICK TURN AROUND, BUT
HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HAVE THE
INFORMATION YOU NEED BY THEN. OF
COURSE WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK
WITH YOU. THIS IS REALLY JUST TO
ABIDE BY THE DOUZ RULES THAT SAY
THAT 9:30 ON THE DAY BEFORE THE
9:30 MEETING, SO THAT WOULD BE
THE 30th FOR THE 31st MEETING,
ALL THOSE AMENDMENTS ARE
DISTRIBUTED TO YOUR COLLEAGUES
AND THE CLERK AND PEOPLE LIKE
ME. OTHER THAN THAT, IN
RECOGNITION OF THE TIME, I'LL
JUST SAY THAT THIS SCHEDULE THAT
WE'RE WORKING ON ESTABLISHED
FOR THE SELECT COMMITTEE IS SET
TO BE SUCCESSFUL TO HAVE THIS
LEVY BE -- HAVE FINAL
CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE COUNCIL
IN TIME TO SEND IT TO THE KING
COUNTY ELECTIONS BY MAY 1st. SO
THAT'S WHY WE ARE SORT OF
MINDING THE TIME WITH THE LAST
MEETING AS SCHEDULED ON APRIL
8th, THIS COULD GO TO COUNCIL ON
APRIL 14th. THAT DOES STILL
LEAVE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEETING IN
THERE AS SORT OF A LAST DITCH.
IT'S NOT ADVISED TO GO PAST
THAT 21st MEETING COUNCIL. AND
I'M JUST SORT OF FRAMING IT AS
IN MY ROLE ON CENTRAL STAFF AS
SORT OF LIKE THE PARAMETERS, THE
PLAN AS SET UP NOW IS APRIL 8th
WITH A VOTE AT COUNCIL ON THE
14th. BUT THAT DOES LEAVE A
BUFFER THAT WOULD BE A
REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET
THINGS PROCESSED TO GET IT TO
THE COUNTY BY MAY 1st. THAT NEXT
MEETING ON THE 28th REALLY IS
TOO SOON BEFORE THE 1st TO
ACHIEVE THAT, AND I THINK I'LL
STOP THERE BECAUSE I'M OUT OF
STEAM. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, ERIC. AND I WAS --
CAN WE FOLLOW UP ON THAT 21st?
BECAUSE I HAD A DIFFERENT
UNDERSTANDING. FROM LAW.
>> YEAH. AND I DON'T MEAN TO
INTRODUCE SORT OF A WRIPGLE
THERE. I'M JUST SORT OF -- THE
PLAN IS SET UP IN THE SELECT
COMMITTEE, AS YOU WELL KNOW, IS
THAT THE LAST COMMUNITY MEETING
IS APRIL 8th FOR A VOTE OF
COUNCIL EXPECTED ON THE 14th,
RIGHT?
>> YES, CORRECT.
>> BUT THAT'S PERHAPS THE
UNANSWERED IS THERE WHAT IF WE
DON'T MAKE THE 14th? I JUST
WANT TO SUGGEST THAT THE 21st
REMAINS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD
CONSIDER. WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON
THAT LATER OF COURSE.
>> THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
>> SURE.
>> THAT WAS NOT MY
UNDERSTANDING, AND SO WE HAVE
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS. I WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE ARE CLEAR,
ESPECIALLY FOR MY COLLEAGUES IN
GETTING THIS THROUGH.
>> SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
>> I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, ERIC. SO,
COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR TOM, EDIN OR ERIC
EITHER ABOUT THE LEVY CAP OR THE
PROCESS AND THE ISSUE I.D.?
COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR, AND
THANK YOU TO, AS ALWAYS, OUR
FANTASTIC CENTRAL TAV TEAM. WE
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR
WORK. I WANTED TO JUST ASK A
QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE RESERVE
THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED AS AN
OPTION. IT'S INTERESTING THAT
THAT RESERVE REFLECTS 10%, IS
THAT CORRECT?
>> YES, COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER,
THAT IS CORRECT.
>> AND CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT
HOW YOU DECIDED ON 10% AS THE
NUMBER THERE? I DO SEE THE
GRAPHS THAT SHOW PREVIOUS
FLUCTUATION, AND LOOKING AT THAT
GRAPH, THE ONLY TIME I SEE A
FLUCTUATION QUITE SO STEEP IS
WHEN WE HAD THE GREAT RECESSION.
SO I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY YOU
LANDED ON -- IF I WERE LOOKING
AT THIS GRAPH I MIGHT CALL AN
OUTLIER NUMBER OF 10% AS OPPOSED
TO MORE MAYBE WHAT I WOULD CALL
AN AVERAGE NUMBER?
>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION,
COUNCIL MEMBER. AND IT'S
ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE 10% IS THE
MOST EXTREME EXPERIENCE IN THE
LAST 20 YEARS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
AND SO IT WAS -- IT'S JUST KIND
OF AT THIS POINT USES AN
INFORMAL GUIDELINE BASED ON WHAT
THE PAST EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT IS AN
OUTLIE IF IT OCCURRED, AND SINCE
WE HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN, YOU
KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY JUST USING
PAST EXPERIENCE TO APPLY THAT TO
THE FUTURE, SO, YEAH.
>> GOT IT. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
IT'S SORT OF THE PAST, IF I
MAY, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO
THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE.
>> CORRECT.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT SORT OF AN
AVERAGE FLUCTUATION IS? I'M
SEEING SOME OF THESE MINUS 3%,
MINUS 2%, AND THEN GOING UP AS
HIGH AS 15 WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW,
AN OUTLIER. SO DO WE KNOW --
JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF
IS, LIKE, 10% THE RIGHT NUMBER
IF WE WERE TO BE CONSIDERING A
RESERVE?
>> SO COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER,
GREAT QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW
THE AVERAGE -- SO I WOULD HAVE
TO TAKE THE AVERAGE OF THE
DECLINES BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T
NECESSARILY BE TOO CONCERNED
ABOUT THE AVERAGES OF THE
GROWTH. SO, I MEAN, I COULD
EYEBALL IT, BUT IT WOULD
PROBABLY BE ON THE ORDER OF 5%
PERHAPS.
>> I APPRECIATE THE EYEBALL
BECAUSE I HAVE AN MSW, NOT A
MATH DEGREE, SO THAT'S VERY
HELPFUL. AND JUST THE OTHER
THING, AND I THINK THIS IS MAYBE
MORE STATEMENT THAN QUESTION,
BUT SOMETHING I REALLY
APPRECIATED IN THE SLIDES
EARLIER WAS THE UNDERSTANDING OF
HOW MUCH OF THE PREVIOUS LIBRARY
LEVY -- EXCUSE ME, HOW MUCH OF
THIS EXISTING LEVY REPRESENTS
GROWTH VERSUS WHAT REPRESENTS
SORT OF A SHIFT FROM THE GENERAL
FUND OVER TO THE LEVY. AND SO I
JUST AM CURIOUS, DID CENTRAL
STAFF DO ANY ANALYSIS WHEN YOU
LOOKED AT THAT SORT OF LEVY
GROWTH OF HELPING US UNDERSTAND
WHERE THAT REFLECTS NEW PROGRAMS
OR EXPANDED DELIVERY VERSUS
WHERE THAT REFLECTS SHIFT FROM
GENERAL FUND INTO THE LEVY?
>> YEAH. AND I'LL SHARE SOME
NUMBERS WITH YOU, BUT, REALLY,
I'M JUST RELYING ON WHAT THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY DEVELOPED
AND WHAT THEY SHARED TODAY.
FORGIVE ME IF THIS DOESN'T
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
>> SORRY. I GOT THE LIBRARY
NUMBERS. I WAS WONDERING IF WE
COULD DID IT FOR THE BROADER
LEVIES WHICH WE DID TODAY.
>> EXCUSE ME. I HAVEN'T DONE
THAT. WE CAN TAKE THAT AS A
QUESTION AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
>> I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
>> UNLESS TOM AND ED HAVE THAT
IN THEIR HIP POCKET.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CENTRAL
STAFF HAS READY IN THEIR HIP
POCKET.
>> SOMETIMES WE CAN SURPRISE
YOU, YEAH.
>> I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT AS A
FOLLOWUP. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
FOSTER. COUNCIL MEMBER LIN, YOU
ARE RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. COULD WE GO
BACK TO THE ASSESSED VALUE
SLIDE? YEAH, VALUE HISTORY? AND
WE CAN FOLLOW UP LATER, BUT ANY
IDEA IN TERMS OF ASSESSED VALUE
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL OR
INDUSTRIAL IN TERMS OF OUR TAX
BASE?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION,
COUNCIL MEMBER LIN. SO I HAVE A
NUMBER IN MY HEAD, BUT I WOULD
NEED TO CONFIRM IT. I WILL JUST
SHARE WITH YOU, I THINK IT'S ON
THE ORDER OF 15%, BUT I WILL
FOLLOW UP WITH A MORE SPECIFIC
BREAKDOWN FROM THE 2026 -- BUT I
THINK IT'S UP TO AROUND 15%.
>> FOR COMMERCIAL?
>> COMMERCIAL, AND THE BULK,
REMINDER IS RESIDENTIAL.
>> THE BULK IS RESIDENTIAL. SO
WHEN WE SEE THESE DROPS -- I
KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE'S BEEN A RECENT DROP IN
VALUE IN OFFICE, SO I'M NOT
SURE HOW MUCH THAT, YOU KNOW,
PLAYS INTO THESE VERSUS THE
RESIDENTIAL, LOOKS LIKE 2008 IS
MOSTLY THE RESIDENTIAL DROP. AND
THEN JUST IN TERMS OF IMPACT
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT BE A
FOLLOWUP AS WELL, YOU KNOW,
OFTENTIMES WE SHOW THE IMPACT TO
THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER OR MEDIAN
HOMEOWNER, COULD YOU JUST TALK
BRIEFLY ABOUT IMPACTS TO
BUSINESSES, TO RENTERS, AND
THOSE ARE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT
HARDER TO CALCULATE, BUT JUST
WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE
IS AN IMPACT TO, IT'S NOT JUST
HOMEOWNERS
>> THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THE RATE APPLIES TO COMMERCIAL,
RENTAL AND OWNED RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTY EQUALLY. SO IN THE PAST
WE'VE LOOKED AT THE RENTAL
IMPACTS. IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT
DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S PER UNIT
INSTEAD OF PER BUILDING, AND SO
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT
MEANINGFUL TO TELL KIND OF A PER
BUILDING IMPACT, BUT WE LOOKED
AT THE PER UNIT AMOUNTS. WE CAN
FOLLOW UP WITH THOSE STATS
BECAUSE IT REQUIRES KIND OF
LOOKING AT SOME COMMERCIAL REAL
ESTATE INFORMATION -- OR LIKE
BASICALLY RENTAL, COSTAR IS THE
NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT WE LOOK
AT TO SEE WHAT THE AVERAGES --
WHAT WE SHOULD BE BE USING AS
THE BASIS TO GIVE YOU THAT
NUMBER. AND AS FAR AS
BUSINESSES, IT'S EQUALLY
COMPLEX BECAUSE THERE ARE SO
MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS
FORMATIONS, AND IT'S -- THAT'S
LARGELY BASED ON KIND OF THE
AMOUNT OF INCOME THAT'S
GENERATED, AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF
THE PRICE OF THE -- LIKE FOR
RESIDENTIAL, IT'S THE PRICE OF
THE HOUSE VERSUS BUSINESSES.
IT'S BASICALLY EVALLING THE
INCOME GENERATED BY THE
PROPERTY, SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE
DIFFICULT. BUT WE WILL INDEED
FOLLOW UP WITH SOME MORE -- KIND
OF TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN
DEVELOP A RULE OF THUMB WHAT
THOSE NUMBERS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
BUT IT'S TRICKY. CAN BE DONE
BUT WITH THE CONSIDERABLE GRAIN
OF SALT IN HOW YOU INTERPRET THE
NUMBERS.
>> WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND JUST ONE LAST COMMENT, YOU
KNOW, I THINK THERE'S SOME
RECENT NEWS REPORTING ABOUT --
AND THERE'S ALWAYS CONCERN
ABOUT THE IMPACT TO HOMEOWNERS,
THE IMPACT ESPECIALLY TO OUR
SENIORS AND DISPLACEMENT
CONCERNS AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO?
I KNOW THAT IN PRIOR LEVIES, FOR
EXAMPLE, IN THE PRIOR
TRANSPORTATION LEVY THERE WAS
SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WAS
TARGETED TOWARDS EDUCATING
HOMEOWNERS AND OTHERS ABOUT
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS
>>> AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT
TO THINK HOLISTICALLY ABOUT HOW
DO WE MAKE SURE THAT MANY
PROPERTY OWNERS WHO QUALIFY ARE
STILL NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
THOSE PROGRAMS, HOW DO WE MAKE
IT SIMPLER FOR FOLKS TO QUALIFY
FOR THESE PROGRAMS, HOW DO WE DO
ACCESS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
AND, YOU KNOW, DO WE FUND THAT
THROUGH THE 11YS THEMSELVES? DO
WE FUND IT THROUGH SOME OTHER
WAY? BUT CERTAINLY THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE MAKING
SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH
THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, WORKING
WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE
ALREADY WORKING WITH HOMEOWNERS
AND OTHERS TO GET THAT TAX
RELIEF. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
LIN. AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING
UP THOSE POINTS. I MEAN, THE
TRUTH IS THAT MANY OF THE
SENIORS WHO ARE LIVING ON FIXED
INCOME ACTUALLY DON'T QUALIFY
FOR MANY BECAUSE OF THE A.M.I.
REQUIREMENTS. IT'S JUST THERE
ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY TO BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE RELIEF, SO A VERY
SMALL WORTHY, OF COURSE, SEGMENT
OF THE POPULATION HAVE ACCESS,
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF SENIORS
WHO, LIKE I SAID, DON'T QUALIFY
FOR THAT HELP AND ARE GETTING
MORE AND MORE SQUEEZED BY THE
PROPERTY TAX CONVERSATION. SO
THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE, AND, OF
COURSE, OUR MAUL BUSINESSES AS
WELL BECAUSE TO YOUR 59 THEY PAY
INTO THIS AS WELL AND WE ALWAYS
TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS ON OUR
PROPERTY OWNERS. WE ALSO DIDN'T
RAISE THE IMPACTS ON RENTERS
BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT
OF PEOPLE FOCUSED ON THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT PROPERTY OWNERS
PAY BUT THOSE COSTS ARE
TRANSFERRED TO RENTERS. AND SO
RENTERS ALSO SUFFER FROM THESE
PROPERTY TAX INCREASES, AND I
THINK IT BEARS MENTIONING. IT'S
IMPORTANT. IT'S JUST ONE OF
MANY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN WE'RE
GIVING TO THIS. SO THE IMPACT ON
THE PROPERTY TAXES BOTH TO
PROPERTY OWNERS AND WHAT MAY BE
TRANSFERRED TO RENTERS, THE
IMPACT ON SENIORS WHO ARE LIVING
ON FIXED INCOME, ESPECIALLY
THOSE WHO MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR
SOME ASSISTANCE, SOME DISCOUNTS
AND THEN THIS VERY REAL PROPERTY
TAX CAP THAT WE ARE RUBBING UP
AGAINST THAT WASN'T SOMETHING
THAT WE NEEDED TO WORRY ABOUT IN
THE PAST BUT IT'S BECOME EVER
MORE IMPORTANT AND THEN ALSO WE
ARE -- THIS COUNTRY IS IN THE
MIDDLE OF A WAR, THOUGH IT'S
NOT HERE AT HOME, AND ALL OF
THAT ALSO TENDS TO HAVE AN
IMPACT OBVIOUSLY ON THE ECONOMY
AND WHAT HAPPENS, AND WE ALL AS
LEGISLATORS HAVE TO TAKE ALL
THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHICH IS WHEN
I STARTED TODAY'S CONVERSATION,
I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
TO LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
AND TAKE ALL OF THE FACTORS INTO
ACCOUNT WHEN WE DECIDE TO MOVE
FORWARD, HOWEVER MUCH WE LINED
UP IN THE END PUGHTZ FORWARD TO
VOTERS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A
TOUGH CALCULATION. IT IS NOT
EASY BECAUSE WE WANT TO SUPPORT
ALL THE THINGS TO 100% EVERY
TIME, AND IT'S A REALLY HARSH
REALITY. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
COLLEAGUES, IF THERE ARE NO
FURTHER QUESTIONS, I DON'T SEE
ANYONE ELSE'S HANDS -- I REALLY
APPRECIATE, WE'VE GONE OVER 30
MINUTES. THANK YOU TO THOSE OF
YOU IN THE AUDIENCE WHO STAYED
ON. I THOUGHT ALL OF THIS
INFORMATION WAS REALLY IMPORTANT
IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS LEVY
CONVERSATION. THANK YOU FOR THE
EXTRA TIME, COLLEAGUES, YOU GAVE
TO THIS, AND LET ME DO MY
ENDING. OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS, THIS CONCLUDES THE
MARCH 25th SELECT COMMITTEE ON
THE LIBRARY LEVY. THANK YOU TO
CENTRAL STAFF AND THANK YOU FOR
MY TEAM IN MY OFFICE AND, AGAIN,
THE LIBRARY STAFF FOR ALL THEIR
PARTNERSHIP ON ALL THE SLIDES
AND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE
PULLED TOGETHER FOR YOU ALL FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION. OUR NEXT
SELECT COMMITTEE MEETING IS
SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, MARCH
31st AT 9:30 A.M. WE'RE GOING
TO BE TAKING UP REVIEWING ALL
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. PLEASE,
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BRING
AMENDMENTS SO THAT WE CAN
DISCUSS AT THAT MEETING. WE ARE
ON A TIGHT TURN AROUND, AND WE
DON'T WANT SURPRISES. IT'S
IMPORTANT SO THAT WE ALL KNOW
WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT WE
CAN PROPERLY DISCUSS, AND IF WE
NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO ANY
AMENDMENTS OR -- I JUST REALLY
WANT FOLKS TO HAVE THE ABILITY
TO DISCUSS AMENDMENTS AND NOT
HAVE THINGS COME IN AT THE 11th
HOUR. SO I'M GOING TO TELL YOU
TO PLEASE BRING ANY AMENDMENTS
TO ERIC. HE CAN WORK WITH YOU
AND ALSO BECAUSE ERIC HAS TO GO
THROUGH LAW, THERE'S A LOT OF
REVIEW THAT GETS. IT'S NOT JUST
ERIC, AND ERIC IS ONE PERSON, SO
GRATEFUL TO HIM. SO END OF THE
DAY, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS
BRING YOUR AMENDMENTS, LET'S
DISCUSS THEM ON THE 31st. LET'S
DISCUSS ALL AMENDMENTS ON THE
31st, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. WE
WILL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON
APRIL 2nd AT 5:30 AS THE LEVY
PROCESS MOVES FORWARD. IF
THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS,
THIS MEETING WILL ADJOURN.
HEARING NO FURTHER BUSINESS,
IT'S 12:01, AND THIS MEETING IS
ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, FOLKS.