Laserfiche WebLink
Submitted On: <br />Apr 2, 2025, 08:37AM PDT <br />City Council Regular Meeting - <br />Submit your written public <br />comment <br />City of Pleasanton <br />Full Name First Name: Susan <br />Last Name: Dickinson <br />Email (this entry is disclosable <br />if included)susan.dickinson@sbcglobal.net <br />City Council Meeting Date April 08, 2025 05:00 PM <br />Meeting Type Special Meeting at 5:00 pm <br />Agenda Item Number 2 <br />Comments Dear Pleasanton Mayor and Councilmembers- <br />I am writing to you today to protest the City Manager’s <br />recommendation to cut the Pleasanton Library open hours by 22 <br />hours per week, as well as cutting the collections budget by 50%, as <br />part of his budget reduction plan. While the BAC ranked keeping the <br />Library’s current hours just above maintaining Police and Fire <br />(number 20 out of 28 on a scale of cut vs keep), the City Manager <br />went ahead and recommended cutting the Library budget and <br />reducing Library hours. In his budget recommendation memo, the <br />City Manager acknowledges that “feedback from the Town Hall, BAC <br />and online engagement tool indicate that the community highly <br />values these services, and in many cases these programs primarily <br />serve more vulnerable populations and provide significant <br />community benefits. Nevertheless, reduction of these services <br />mostly aligns with the City’s focus on preserving critical, essential <br />programs and services before considering funding for non-essential <br />initiatives”. Mr. Beaudin clearly does not engage with the Library as <br />a resident of Pleasanton, and clearly does not understand that the <br />Library IS a “critical, essential program and service” in the City of <br />Pleasanton. <br />As a 30-year resident of Pleasanton and a Library employee for <br />more than 17 years, I am a huge supporter of the Pleasanton Library <br />and the value it brings to our community. The Library serves the <br />informational and recreational reading needs of our population, <br />which is so valuable in our society. The Library provides computer <br />access to those who may not have access at home, with Library <br />staff often helping Library patrons whose computer skills have not <br />kept pace with ever-changing technology. The Library also provides <br />Literacy classes, helping the many newcomers to Pleasanton learn <br />and improve their English skills. <br />The Library also serves as a Community Center, with Pleasanton