PREPARED BY: MATT RODRIGUEZ DATE OF SPECIAL MEETING: 06/16/25
SUBJECT:
TITLE
CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AMENDED SUB-LEASE SUPPLEMENT NO. 8 BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN PABLO AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FOR A TOTAL OF 52 HOURS PER WEEK OF LIBRARY SERVICES RENDERED AT THE SAN PABLO LIBRARY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 AT $134,544, AND INCLUDING ONGOING 5-YEAR LEASED SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT COST ALLOCATION OF $14,250.88, AND SECURITY SERVICES COST ALLOCATION OF $18,000 FOR A COMBINED TOTAL COST NOT TO EXCEED $166,795, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025
CEQA: The execution of the Sublease Supplement No. 8 is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act because it would not result in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and therefore are not considered a “project” subject to CEQA review. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21065; 14 Cal. Code Regs.§ 15378).
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
Body
Compliance statements
County Library Services is an existing contractual agreement between the City and Contra Costa Library Services since 2017 and is not a specific adopted policy item required to be enumerated in the adopted FY 2025-27 City Council Priority Workplan, effective April 7, 2025.
CEQA Compliance Statement
The execution of the Sublease Supplement No. 8 is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act because it would not result in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and therefore are not considered a “project” subject to CEQA review. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21065; 14 Cal. Code Regs.§ 15378).
BACKGROUND
The City of San Pablo (“City”) has long partnered with County of Contra Costa (“County”) to provide its citizens with a local branch of the County library system. Generally, the City has been responsible for securing space for a local library branch and paying rent, maintenance and operational costs related to the space, while the County provides all library services at that location. Increasingly, the County has required cities to pay for services beyond a baseline of hours of 35 hours per week established since 2017 in effect.
Operation of the San Pablo Library (“Library”) is governed under a Library Sublease and Service Agreement (“Sublease”) with the County originally executed on May 24, 2017. Under the Sublease, the County Librarian provides a Sublease Supplement (“Supplement”) to the City by March 31 of each year which sets forth (i) the number of weekly baseline hours of library service the County will provide in the upcoming fiscal year; (ii) the number of “extra or supplemental hours” of library service the City has requested the County to provide for the upcoming fiscal year; (iii) the resulting number of actual hours during which library services will be conducted at the Library for the upcoming fiscal year; and (iv) the cost of the extra hours to the City.
The Contra Costa County Library Services is a regional service provider which serves and supports twenty-six (26) library facilities County-wide, including the San Pablo Library. The City does not operate its own library or provide staffing resources. However, since August 2017, the City has provided a commercial-leased space for County Library Services to be provided, located at 13751 San Pablo Avenue in San Pablo. A minimum of 40 hours of operation per week is provided at County expense with operating costs totaling approximately $970,471 annually at the San Pablo Library. Overall, County Library Services includes program and service management of the following services:
• A collection that includes one million items available for physical checkout, over four million e-books and audiobooks, 35 electronic resources, such as movies, newspapers and online learning tools.
• Library administration, which includes back-of-the-house support for computing and
networking equipment, hiring and retention, shipping through three delivery routes, budget and finance support, and programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of each community.
FY 2024-25 County Library Services Cost Allocation
On June 17, 2024, per adopted Resolution 2024-088, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute the Sublease Supplement No. 7 which enabled the County to increase base hours per week to 40 base hours for FY 2024-25 period, with additional supplemental hours (i.e. OPTION B = +12 extra supplemental hours per week at the City’s expense) for a total cost of $122,250 for a total service level of 52 hours per week for FY 2024-25 through June 30, 2025. Additionally, the City Council also authorized payment of a new, 5-year Specialized Lease Equipment Cost Allocation of $20,549, for a combined total of $142,799, effective July 1, 2024.
FY 2025-26 County Library Services Cost Allocation (Proposed)
On March 26, 2025, the County Library Services provided a revised cost estimate to the City for FY 2025-26 under Sublease Supplement No. 8 for $134,544, effective July 1, 2025. Each fiscal year period, the City Council must authorize the City Manager to execute the +12 extra supplemental hours per week under OPTION B, which increases total service hours to 52 hours per week. A nearly +10% cost increase (+$12,294) from $122,250 in FY 2024-25 is being proposed for the FY 2025-26 period at $134,544, effective July 1, 2025.
Therefore, should the City Council authorize OPTION B in the attachment for a total service level hours of 52 hours per week for FY 2025-26, the proposed operating hours of the San Pablo Library remain the same service level provided to the San Pablo community for the upcoming FY 2025-26 period, effective July 1, 2025, as follows:
Mondays: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Fridays: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sundays: CLOSED
Thursdays: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Total FY 2025-26 Weekly County Library Service Level Hours: 52 hours/week
Ongoing FY 2025-26 Specialized Leased Equipment Cost Allocation
For FY 2024-25 period, all local cities who contract with County Library Services agreed through previous Contra Costa Public Manager’s Association deliberations during Spring 2024 to integrate new, leased self-check equipment machines to be acquired for operational use at certain Contra Costa Libraries for the next 5-year period from FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29. For FY 2025-26 period, the San Pablo Library costs associated with four (4) leased self-check equipment and one-time pedestal costs are proposed at $14,250.88 for ongoing integration of new, specialized leased equipment during FY 2025-26 period, effective July 1, 2025.
FY 2025-26 Security Services Cost Allocation (Proposed)
As part of the new FY 2025-26 Sublease Supplement No. 8, an additional service for City expense is being proposed by County Library Services to be integrated into FY 2025-26 to provide private security services through a third-party County provider at the San Pablo Library for a total cost allocation of $18,000, effective July 1, 2025.
City Manager Recommendation
The City Manager requests the City Council affirm by majority vote via adopted Resolution, a request for contract service modification to the County’s proposed Sublease Supplement No. 8 for FY 2025-26 period to include the following components under said Agreement, as follows:
1) Total Weekly Services Hours/Week: Authorize the 52 total weekly service hours per week for County Library Services which includes the 40 base hours provided by County expense plus the +12 extra supplemental hours provided at City expense under OPTION B at a cost of $134,544, effective July 1, 2025; and
2) Ongoing 5-year Specialized Lease Equipment Cost Allocation: Authorize the City Manager to pay the ongoing 5-year Specialized Leased Equipment Cost Allocation of $14,250.88, effective July 1, 2025; and
3) New Security Services Cost Allocation: Authorize the City Manager to pay the Security Services Cost Allocation of $18,000 at San Pablo Library, with a combined total cost allocation not to exceed $166,795, effective July 1, 2025.
The City Council is thereby funding and sustaining the same operational service level to the community provided by County Library Services and continuing this service level for the FY 2025-26 period which is consistent with pre-COVID-19 pandemic service levels.
If approved by majority vote via adopted Resolution this evening, the City Council would direct the City Manager (and City Attorney if required) to proceed with a formal contract modification, with permissive language authority (if warranted) to amend Sublease Supplement No. 8 and Attachment B (New, Leased Specialized Equipment Costs) appropriately with County Librarian staff before the July 1, 2025 effective date (See Attachment).
FISCAL IMPACT
For FY 2025-26, based on the new County Library service level, the proposed Sublease Supplement No. 8 will obligate the City to pay the County a total of $134,544 which includes the 52 weekly service hours, and includes the +12 extra hours of library operation at City expense for the upcoming FY 2025-26 period, effective July 1, 2025, with the City invoiced quarterly. Additionally, the City would also be required to cover the ongoing 5-year Specialized Leased Equipment Cost Allocation of $14,250.88 and newly proposed Security Services Cost Allocation of $18,000 for the San Pablo Library for the upcoming FY 2025-26 period, for a combined total cost not to exceed $166,795.
NOTE: All operational costs associated with FY 2025-26 County Library Services provided at the San Pablo Library are budgeted and costs absorbed under the FY 2025-26 Adopted Two-Year Biennial GF Operating Budget under the City Council Departmental Budget for FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 periods as approved on May 20, 2024, via Resolution 2024-064.
Attachments:
(1) Resolution
(2) Correspondence from Contra Costa County Library Service dated March 26, 2025 re: FY 2025-26 Proposed Costs for County Library Services, including Proposed Sublease Supplement No. 8 and Attachment B (Specialized Lease Equipment Costs) for FY 2025-26, effective July 1, 2025
(3) Annual County Library Report - 2024