Receive an update on the long-term effort to finance, construct and then operate a South Davis Library Facility and receive Board direction. (No general fund impact) (Fink)

1) Receive an update on the long-term effort to finance, construct and then operate a South Davis Library Facility; and
2) Receive Board direction. 

The long term community vision for a new South Davis facility is to serve the interests of the community as a whole and be a welcome place for all residents, which includes the innovative use of technology to access library collections, modular seating and shelving, provision of children’s programming and early childhood education, adult education classes through the library and through partnerships with schools and universities, community meeting rooms, individual and collaborative study spaces, classroom spaces for a variety of programming, art classes and exhibition space, an outdoor theater, and an expansive garden area.

Services, resources, and programs offered at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library, situated in North Davis, are at capacity. Data from 2018 showed high usage of the library with frequent use of meeting rooms and parking spaces. Ultimately, this data coincides with the experience of staff that often find individuals crowding at tables or sitting on the floor.

Constructing a library in South Davis is the predominant strategy to reduce library facility capacity issues, expand services to a growing Davis community, and provide access for those who have difficulty traveling to the Mary L. Stephens library. Locating the new facility in South Davis is preferred due to land made available by the City in Walnut Park and the opportunity to serve residents currently separated by the intersecting freeway from City and community facilities. This opportunity is unique and benefits the entire community as it is able to both mitigate the overflow and potentially serve new community members who previously faced geographic barriers to library access. 

The Yolo County Department of General Services' Strategic Space Utilization Study, finalized in October 2014, noted that given library use trends in Davis, the Mary L. Stephens Branch Library would require up to double its current space and that its location did not allow for expansion. A similar finding was noted in Yolo County Library's Facilities Master Plan in 2017. 

A second library constructed in South Davis would effectively meet this need, and also provide essential resources not currently available to this part of the community. Currently, residents of South Davis lack formal meeting places and other community services that the Mary L. Stephens library provides for other Davis residents. In addition, numerous South Davis residents report difficulties accessing the Mary L. Stephens library due to the distance as well as the freeway that intersects their route.
 

A study in 2006 conducted concurrently with the development of Measure P indicated that Davis voters would only be able to accommodate a certain level of funding support for maintenance and increased library service in Davis. Funding was determined at the time of Measure P passage in 2008 to be insufficient for standalone construction of a South Davis facility and continuing operations. In preparation for Measure P, with growing interest from South Davis residents, a draft library service plan was developed for a building and land identified as part of an existing MOU between the City of Davis and Yolo County. The property in Walnut Park totals around 1.7 acres in size.

The MOU expired on October 28, 2012, and the land reverted back to the City. A replacement MOU was established by the City of Davis on October 9, 2012 expressing the City of Davis’ continued interest in establishing a South Davis Library, an interest that is shared by the County, with land in Walnut Park as a continued option.

Since then, a South Davis Ad Hoc Committee for Library Services was formed charged with examining service needs. This committee includes representatives from the Davis City Council, the Davis Joint Unified School District, the Yolo County Library, and Yolo County Board Supervisors for Districts 2 and 4.

While working to mitigate a small part of the library service needs in South Davis through utilization of a small portion of the Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School, the committee has also advocated for long-term planning and development of a new library facility. This facility is envisioned to be a shared use facility for the community serving as a community and education center as well as a library.

Actions Taken:
The South Davis Ad Hoc Committee met periodically from 2019 to early 2022 and explored service priorities, reviewed use and demographic data, explored financing options, hours of operation, and staffing models for a South Davis Library. Yolo County engaged WMB Architects to develop a conceptual design for the facility. This development process included meetings with various community non-profits and stakeholders to incorporate interests and community needs in the design of the facility. The conceptual design was delivered in April 2021.

Yolo County engaged Government Financial Strategies to explore financing strategies for the construction and operation of a new library in South Davis.  Their work is ongoing.

Yolo County applied for $8.8 million in grant funding from the California State Library's Building Forward Library Infrastructure Grant program.  Awards are expected to be announced in August 2022.  There is a dollar for dollar match requirement for grant funds, and if awarded, funds must be spent by March 2026.

Presentation: 
County staff intend to provide an update on this long-term effort to finance, construct, and then operate a South Davis Library Facility and recieve Board direction, as needed. 

Organizations involved with this project include the County Administrator's Office, the City of Davis, Yolo County Board of Supervisors Districts 2 and 4, WMB Architects, and Davis Joint Unified School District.