Big changes could be coming to the Malibu Library.
Malibu’s Library Subcommittee met to discuss potential ways to spend “Set Aside Funds,” which are tax revenues designated specifically to spend on library-related expenses. Ideas include an exterior remodel or satellite library.
The meeting drew noteworthy public interest due to the Set Aside Funds growth per year — the fund is expected to grow by $1 million annually.
With the increase of funds, the committee discussed potential ways to use the money in 2017, including an exterior remodel of the library that would move the existing entrance to face Civic Center Way.
This exterior remodel is an extension of plans from 2005 when the library was meant to get a full remodel.
“At the time, we didn’t think we had enough money to do both in and out so we did the inside remodeling,” City Manager Reva Feldman said.
The cost of the exterior remodel is estimated at $4 million, but Feldman said that number was used as a discussion item to set funds aside and is not representative of the exact remodel cost.
The suggested remodel is meant to coincide with the construction of Santa Monica Community College, which is being built in close proximity. Instead of having multiple years of stacked construction in the area, both locations would potentially undergo maintenance at the same time and reduce eyesore fatigue.
In addition to the exterior remodeling, various service expansions were discussed at the meeting in response to library trends.
Some Malibu citizens expressed a concern that the growing homeless population has begun flowing to the library and making it less safe. The staff at the library rejected the premise.
“I don’t want anybody to feel like the library is unsafe or we’re catering to a sketchy population,” Community Library Manager Melissa Stallings said. “Are there troublemakers? There are troublemakers in every building. It’s a public building. It’s not always the homeless people who are the troublemakers.”
The library employed a security guard in response to the safety concerns. That contract will continue to the end of the year.
Other suggestions included embracing the library as a community hub and investing in programs that promote the building as a communal space or expanding the library into other parts of Malibu.
“Everyone’s always looking for a place to have community meetings; it seems like that’s a significant amount of money that could do something in West Malibu,” Planning Commissioner John Mazza said. He later referred to the city’s recent purchase of land at Trancas Canyon Road, noting, “We are going to have 35 acres.”
The committee had previously looked into establishing services in Western Malibu, but was advised by LA County that it would run into logistic issues.
“One of the things the county brought up all the time is to staff it,” Committee Member Joan House said. “As you well know, it’s very difficult for people to get a job in Malibu or for people to come and drive to Malibu.”
The committee also discussed expanding the programs it already offers, such as the speaker series.
The Malibu Library Speaker Series was budgeted for $100,000 in 2016, with each event averaging 160 attendees per event. The lowest attended event was at the beginning of the year with 120 attendees.
For 2017, the committee has loose guidelines for what types of guests to invite for the speaker series. For now, it is focused on which topics to cover, such as speakers specializing in education as Malibu gets closer to having an independent school district.
The committee hopes to have a separate meeting dedicated to ideas for the Speakers Series.
Set Aside Funds are specified for library expenses, based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Malibu and the County of Los Angeles that was signed in 2008. The money is collected through a portion of property taxes in Malibu that are collected by the county. The library subcommittee acts as an advisory board to the city council and does not make binding decisions.