Select Committee on the Library Levy 4/8/2026

[ MUSIC ]
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THE
APRIL 8, 22026 MEETING OF THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY
LEVY WILL COME TO ORDER. IT IS
9:44 AM. I AM CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE. WITH THE CLERK PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS: COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER: COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN: COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ: COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK: COUNCILMEMBER RINCK.
HERE: HERE.
VICE CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH: VICE CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH.
HERE: HERE.
CHAIR RIVERA: CHAIR RIVERA.
HERE. SEVEN THE COUNCIL
MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
PLEASE NOTE COUNCILMEMBER: PLEASE NOTE COUNCILMEMBER
SAKA AND COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE
ARE EXCUSED FROM THE MEETING. IF
THERE IS NO OBJECTION THE AGENDA
WILL BE ADOPTED. WE WILL NOW
HAVE OUR HYBRID PUBLIC COMMENT.
PUBLIC COMMENT SHOULD TIE WITH
THINGS ON THE AGENDA OR IN THE
PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE. HOW
MANY SPEAKERS ARE SIGNED UP
TODAY?
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 10 IN
PERSON SPEAKERS AND SEVEN REMOTE
SPEAKERS ASSIGNED UP.
THAT IS 17 PEOPLE. SO, GIVEN
THAT, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO
MINUTES. CLERK, PLEASE PLEASE
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.
IT WILL BE MODERATED IN THE: IT WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER. UP TO 60
MINUTES, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE
TWO MINUTES. SPEAKERS WILL BE
CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH
THEY REGISTERED. WE WILL START
WITH IN PERSON SPEAKERS FIRST
AND THEN REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL
THE PERIOD HAS ENDED. SPEAKERS
WILL HEAR A TIME WHEN THERE'S
10 SECONDS LEFT. PUBLIC COMMENT
IS NOW OPEN AND WE WILL BEGIN
WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER ON THE
LIST. JESSICA LUCAS.
WELCOME, JESSICA.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I AM
JESSICA LUCAS, THE PRESIDENT OF
LOCAL 2083, SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY'S. LIBRARY EMPLOYEES
UNION. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT
OUR MEMBERS. WE WOULD LIKE TO
THANK THE MAYOR AND THE CITY
COUNCIL FOR WORKING SO
DILIGENTLY TO PUT FORTH AND
IMPROVE THE PROPOSED 2027 TO
2033 LEVY. WE KNOW THAT 30% OF
OUR SALARIES ARE FUNDED THROUGH
THE CURRENT LEVY. AND THAT THIS
LEVY DOES NOT , AND IF THIS LEVY
DOES NOT PASS, IT WILL MEAN
LAYOFFS AND DEEP CUTS FOR THE
SERVICES WE PROVIDE. WE ARE
HAPPY TO SEE SO MUCH POTENTIAL
FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF TO SUPPORT
FUTURE PROGRAMS THAT ARE PART OF
THIS PACKAGE. WHICH WE HOPE WILL
INCLUDE SUPPORT STAFF AS WELL AS
LIBRARIANS. AS 18 SERVICES
LIBRARIAN MYSELF I CAN TELL YOU
THAT WE NEED ADDITIONAL LIBRARY
ASSOCIATE STAFF WHO PROVIDE
PROCESSING, SHELVING, CUSTOMER
SERVICE AND INFORMATION
REFERRALS SO THAT LIBRARIANS
HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO OUR
COMMUNITIES AND CREATE AND
PROVIDE EQUITABLE PROGRAMS THAT
SERVE THEIR NEEDS. WE NEED MORE
SECURITY OFFICERS WHO ARE
TRAINED IN DE-ESCALATION,
HONESTLY MORE THAN THE THREE
PROPOSED. TO KEEP US IN OUR
PATRONS SAFE. WE NEED WORKING
DOOR LOCKS THAT ACTUALLY RESPOND
TO THE BUTTONS WE PUSH TO LOCK
THEM IN AN EMERGENCY. WE NEED
BUILDINGS THAT WILL NOT FALL ON
OUR HEADS IN AN EARTHQUAKE AND
THAT CAN PROVIDE REFUGE IN BOTH
THE HOTTEST AND COLDEST DAYS OF
THE YEAR. WE NEED ADDITIONAL
SUPPORT FOR OUR SOCIAL SERVICES
TEAM WHO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO
OUR MOST VULNERABLE PATRONS.
THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THESE
THINGS IN THE ORIGINAL LEVY
PROPOSAL AND IN THESE
AMENDMENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO
THE LIBRARY FOR FILLING ALL OF
THESE PROMISES TO STAFF AND
PATRONS AND TO ALL OF THE FOLKS
LIVING IN SEATTLE. WHETHER THEY
ENTER OUR BUILDINGS OR NOT, THEY
BENEFIT -- WE PROVIDE TO THOSE
WHO DO. THE LIBRARY CONTRIBUTE
STILL WELL-INFORMED, EDUCATED
AND CONNECTED SOCIETY. THANK
YOU.
THANK YOU, JESSICA. I SHOULD
SAY, CAN YOU PLEASE USE JAZZ
HANDS SO WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE
QUICKLY AND HEAR EVERYONE. ALL
MICROPHONES ARE ON SO WHEN I
CALL YOU UP YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO
WALK UP TO ONE OF THE
MICROPHONES IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
RYAN, LAUREN, PETER, BETSY AND
THEN PIPPIN.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL
MEMBERS. I AM THE CEO OF THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
FOUNDATION. I APPRECIATE THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD
LEADING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. IT
IS WORTH STATING THAT THE
FOUNDATION IS A NONPROFIT
PARTNER OF THE LIBRARY. WE ARE
FUNDRAISERS AND ADVOCATES ON
BEHALF OF THE LIBRARY WE LOVE.
WHILE WE ARE PROUD OF THE
FUNDING WE PROVIDE TO THE
LIBRARY, TANKS WERE THOUSANDS OF
DONORS, WE ALSO KNOW PRIVATE
PHILANTHROPY IS ALWAYS CHANGING
AND CAN NEVER MATCH THE IMPACT
OF PUBLIC FUNDING FOR A
CHARTERED CITY INSTITUTION. NOR
SHOULD IT. THE AMENDMENT'S
BEFORE YOU ARE SMALL IN RELATION
TO THE CITY'S TOTAL BUDGET FOR
THE OVERALL SHARE OF THE
PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO THE
CITY'S VARIOUS LEVIES. BUT THE
OFFER SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS AND
THEY WILL POSITION THE
FOUNDATION TO MAKE EVEN FURTHER
ENHANCEMENTS FOR PRIVATE
SUPPORT. INC. ABOUT IT THIS WAY,
THESE AMENDMENTS REPRESENT ABOUT
10 YEARS OF FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AT
THIS MOMENT TO MAKE A DECADES
WORTH OF DIFFERENCE FOR THE
COUNTLESS LIBRARY PATRONS WHO
RELY ON IT. THE TIME TO INVEST
IN THE LIBRARY IS NOW. THE
LIBRARY IS READY TO IMPLEMENT
IMPORTANT EXPANSIONS TO VITAL
SERVICES TO ACHIEVE ITS
STRATEGIC VISION. AND THE
FOUNDATION IS READY TO BOOST OUR
FUNDRAISIN

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