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Libr ar y and the co mmunity.We wo uld often ma ke pr es entations to <br />the Co uncil about o ur cur r ent pr ogr aming and pr oje cts .I wa s <br />a dditio nally as ked to s er ved as a r e pr es entative fr o m the Libr a r y <br />C om m is s ion on m any ta s k for ces to help de velop the Youth Mas ter <br />P lan,the C ultur al Ar ts P lan and on other co mmittees r epr es enting <br />the inte r e s ts of P le as anton r es idents . <br />We often vis ited other libr ar ies thr ougho ut the Bay Ar ea,had <br />s peaker s r egar ding developing a libr a r y founda tion,e ncour aged <br />o utr ea ch to m em ber s of community including Village High S cho o l’s <br />Yo ung Mother s pr ogr am,in a joint effor t for a G irl S cout G old Awar d <br />pr o ject to enco ur age attendance at the libr ar y child developm ent <br />pr o gr am s a nd helped the m apply fo r libr ar y car ds .As Hum an <br />S er vice comm is s ioner s ,we would vis it the non-pr ofit organiza tions <br />that s er ved the co m munity and fa miliar ized our s elves with their <br />pr o gr am s a nd s er vices fir s thand.We als o had m eetings to update <br />us on the unho us ed and and the nee ds of the m os t vulner able <br />membe r s of the co mmunity. <br />S ince attending the ye ar ly Comm is s ion and C om m itte e Recognition <br />Events ,I ha ve been s tr uck by the s ignifica nt amount of wor k and <br />co mpleted pr ojects that ar e a cco m plis hed beca us e of the ins pir atio n <br />and ener gy of the Commis s io ner s and Comm is s ions ,fr om the <br />B er nal C o m munity P ar k,Public Ar t and Ar ts Facilities ,s uch as the <br />Fir ehous e Ar ts Center to affor dable S enior ho us ing,low cos t health <br />ca re and mea ls fo r the m os t vulner able in our comm unity.I <br />under s tand and appr e ciate the C ity S taff’s r o le in thes e <br />a cco m plis hm ents as well. <br />Recently I have he ar d that s om e Comm is s ion member s feel they ar e <br />no t being utilized as hoped when appointed to their r o le on the <br />C om m is s ion due to canceled me etings or pr es entatio ns by s taff and <br />o the r gr oups that don't have much to do with the Comm is s ion's r ole <br />o r pr io r ities .This s ens e of fr us tr ation and feeling mar ginalized can <br />lead to fewer individuals wanting to par ticipate in loca l gover nment <br />o r feeling they ar e par t of s olutions to building a be tter co m munity.It <br />ca n a ls o m ake it appea r that the Co mmis s io ns don’t ha ve e nough <br />action item s or need to meet as individual gr oups or as regular ly as <br />they have in the pa s t year s . <br />As a member of the Pleas anton C ultur al Ar ts Council,I am fa miliar <br />with the s ignificant le ngth o f tim e it take s to s chedule m eetings with <br />the Civic Ar ts C om m is s ion to mo ve per ma nent public ar t pr ojects <br />for war d for appr oval.Having the two Commis s io ns s plit their time on <br />mee ting agendas and action items ,would m ake it even longer to get <br />new P ublic Ar ts P r o jects to the City C o uncil via the Civic Ar ts <br />C om m is s ion revie w and recom m endatio n. <br />Mos t im por tantly,plea s e vo te to r eta ined the Libr a r y and C ivic Ar ts <br />C om m is s ions as s epar ate entities .Each Comm is s ion s ho uld ha ve