HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Library Trustees 2020-07-14 Agenda Packet
SAN RAFAEL PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
6:00 P.M.
Virtual via Zoom
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ADVISORY NOTICE
In response to Executive Order N-29-20, the City of San Rafael will no longer offer an in-
person meeting location for the public to attend. This meeting will be streamed through a
Live Zoom Video Webinar at:
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Password: 415
The City is not responsible for any interrupted service.
Want to listen to the meeting and comment in real-time over the phone? Call:
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CALL TO ORDER
• Roll Call
AGENDA AMENDMENTS
MINUTES
1. Approve regular meeting minutes of February 11, 2020
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations
A. Introduction of new Board Member Adriana Duque Hughes
B. Library Curbside Service - Jill Harris, Supervising Librarian
3. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda. Speakers
are encouraged to limit comments to 3 minutes.
MATTERS BEFORE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
If necessary to assure completion of the following items, the Chairperson may establish time
limits for the presentations by individual speakers.
Library Board of Trustees Agenda Page 2 of 2
4. Library’s COVID19 Response and Service Modifications
5. FY 2020/21 Library Budget Update
BOARD REPORTS AND COMMENTS
6. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended by Board
members.
STAFF REPORTS AND COMMENTS
7. Other brief program updates or reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars
attended by staff:
A. Measure D Parcel Tax Committee
B. Friends of the San Rafael Public Library
C. San Rafael Public Library Foundation
D. MARINet Board
E. NorthNet Board
F. New Library Building Update
G. City Librarian Update
NEXT MEETING: August 11, 2020
FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS
Revised Workplan 2020
ADJOURNMENT
Notice
Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the Board less than 72 hours before the
meeting shall be available for inspection in the Library, 1100 E Street. Sign Language interpreters and assistive listening
devices may be requested by calling (415) 485-3066 (voice), emailing Lindsay.lara@cityofsanrafael.org or using the
California Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing “711”, at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Copies of
documents are available in accessible formats upon request. Public transportation is available through Golden Gate
Transit, Line 22 or 23. Paratransit is available by calling Whistlestop. Wheels at (415) 454-0964. To allow individuals with
environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to refrain
from wearing scented products.
1
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DRAFT MINUTES
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
San Rafael Library – 1100 E Street, San Rafael, CA
February 11, 2020 – 6:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Libresco called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M.
Roll Call
Board Members Present: Josh Libresco, Jaimi Cortes, Claudia Fromm, Beverly Rose, and
Robert Ross
Board Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Henry Bankhead, Assistant Library & Recreation Director/City
Librarian, Susan Andrade-Wax, Library & Recreation Director,
Jill Harris, Supervising Librarian, and Jinder Banwait,
Administrative Analyst
AGENDA AMENDMENTS
None
MINUTES
1. Approve regular meeting minutes of January 14, 2020
Chair Libresco requested that the following be added to page four (4), item seven (7),
letter F, at the end of the last paragraph:
a. Links to the 2017 and 2019 Carnegie Building Studies.
b. Correction - change item eight (8) to item seven (7).
2
A motion was made by Board Member Ross, seconded by Board Member Fromm, to
approve the minutes of the January 14, 2020 meeting. The motion was approved
unanimously.
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations
Presentation – Mystery Maker Bags
Ms. Harris presented on a library program called Mystery Maker Bags, which is
specifically made available during Creativity Month (January). Participants make
something utilizing the bag and the included supplies. This program is mainly self-
driven, drop-in, low cost, and is more process-based, focusing on the participant’s
experience rather than the creation. No action required.
3. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda
A member of the public asked if there was going to be any discussion on the new library
project. Ms. Andrade-Wax provided an update. She shared that the staff are developing
a request for proposal (RFP) and that the scope of work is currently being defined. Staff
are determining whether a concept plan or schematic plan should be included in the
scope of work for the RFP. There is a discussion about the process and expanding the
role and the makeup of the sub-committee to include additional members. A cost
estimate request will also be included in the RFP.
MATTERS BEFORE THE BOARD
4. Allergy Awareness Signage
Mr. Bankhead explained that the signage will serve as an awareness message and not
as a ban of peanut and other tree nut products. He shared that if peanuts and other tree
nuts are prohibited, the policy must be enforced, which means that the City can be held
liable if someone is exposed to these products. Board Member Cortes provided
examples of signage that emphasized the message with large font and easy to
understand graphics. She recommended language such as “nut-free zone” in large font
at the top, “please do not bring items with nuts into this area” in small font at the bottom
under a large graphic (graphic showing various types of nuts) in the middle. Ms.
Andrade-Wax recommended presenting the conceptual signage to the City Attorney for
review.
3
A motion was made by Board Member Cortes, seconded by Board Member Ross, to
accept the report with the shared recommendations. The motion was approved
unanimously.
5. Review of Board of Trustees Draft Workplan for 2020
Ms. Andrade-Wax explained that the proposed workplan is a document to help plan
meetings throughout 2020. The topics are only predictions and can be added/removed
at any time with the Board’s feedback and input.
Board Member Cortes suggested adding the Fees/Fines topic to the workplan.
Board Member Ross suggested adding the incentivization of cooperative behavior to
the workplan.
Board Member Rose suggested including library use statistics with the quarterly budget
report.
Board Member Ross suggested inviting other City Board & Commissions and members
from neighboring cities/libraries a couple of times a year to host an open forum.
Board Member Cortes suggested that the workplan be a “living” document where it can
be modified throughout the year. Ms. Andrade-Wax confirmed that the workplan is a
guiding document and that as it is updated, it will be included with future meeting
packets.
No action taken by the Board.
6. FY 2019/2020 Library Budget Mid-Year Status Report
Mr. Bankhead shared the Library Fiscal Year 2020 Second (2nd) Quarter Budget
Report and explained that the expenditures are on target.
BOARD REPORTS AND COMMENTS
7. Board Member Cortes attended the Making Ends Meet in Marin event on January 28th
at First 5 Marin, presented by the California Budget & Policy Center. Part of the
discussion were library fines and how these fines can be stressors adding to the already
high housing and childcare costs in Marin County. However, libraries also provide
resources and services to reduce or eliminate financial stressors. Free resources such
as Discover & Go Passes and the Library Park Pass Program.
4
Organizations website links:
https://calbudgetcenter.org/
http://first5marin.org/children-families-first/
Ms. Andrade-Wax left the meeting at approximately 7:20 P.M.
STAFF REPORTS AND COMMENTS
8. Staff provided updates regarding the following meetings and events:
A. The Measure D Parcel Tax Committee has not recently met.
B. The Friends of the San Rafael Public Library will meet on Wednesday, February
12th.
C. The San Rafael Public Library Foundation, nothing new to report.
D. The MARINet Board met and are still looking at placing a book drop on Lucas Valley
Road. The budget for FY21 is being finalized. The cost to the San Rafael Public
Library will be increasing for FY21 by approximately $10,000 to about $281,000. The
delivery contract with Sprint Delivery Services is being negotiated and may increase
by 35%.
E. The NorthNet Board met on Friday, February 7th. MARINet and NorthNet are
collaborating and seeing Link+ cost savings. State grants are also helping with these
cost savings. NorthNet is also looking into collaborating with libraries statewide in
sharing eBooks resources. Recovering Together LSTA grant information was also
presented at the meeting. This grant helps libraries impacted by recent fires. Lunch
at the Library program was introduced as well where State funding will provide
lunches to children during school closures. Organizations in the local community will
collaborate with libraries in providing this service.
F. New building update provided under item three (3) above.
G. City Librarian Update
a. The Northgate Mall would like to extend the library contract another year.
b. Gary Ragghianti from the San Rafael Public Library Foundation received a
Lifetime Achievement Honoree Award from the MCBA.
c. Various types of story times have been taking place recently. One future story
time coming up is a Disaster Awareness Story Time that will be performed by the
City’s Emergency Management Project Manager, Quinn Gardener.
5
NEXT MEETING: March 10, 2020
FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS
Allergy Awareness Month (May), potential display and presentation by Library staff
General Disaster Planning, potential presentation by the City’s Emergency Management
Project Manager, Quinn Gardener
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 P.M.
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA REPORT
July 14, 2020
Item #4
TITLE: LIBRARY’S COVID19 RESPONSE AND SERVICE MODIFICATIONS
SUMMARY
On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at 12:01 am, Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt
Willis issued a legal order directing residents to shelter at home until April 7, 2020. That
end date was extended by a similar statewide order from Governor Gavin Newsom on
March 19, 2020. Both orders limit activities, travel, and business functions to only the
most essential needs. Upon the emergency declaration, the City closed its facilities,
modified many of its services and activated the City’s Emergency Operations Center
(EOC). As a result, City staff transitioned to a remote wo rking environment where they
provided virtual library programs and services and supported the EOC by serving as
Disaster Service Workers This report provides a summary of those programs and
services that staff have been supporting for the last four (4) months.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Board accept the report and provide comment.
BACKGROUND
Working Remotely
The library was quickly able to transition regular hire staff to a remote work environment
after the shutdown of all City facilities. Laptops and other resources were provided to
staff so that they could successfully work remotely from their homes.
One silver lining of the closure of libraries all over the country was that many of the in-
person fee-based conferences and trainings became available for free online. This
meant that many new opportunities became available to staff from all over the United
States in an online format. Working from home, staff was able to take full advantage of
some amazing professional development opportunities at no cost to our organization.
Many of these opportunities were related to COVID-19 and developing a “new normal”
for library service during the current pandemic. They directly contributed to our success
in getting a fully functional online workspace up in a matter of days and helped to
maintain the high level of sustained engagement and services we were able to provide
during the shutdown.
Page 2 of 6
An additional tool that staff utilized was Microsoft Teams. This secure video
conferencing interface, similar to Zoom, was used for the majority of internal meetings
for the City Emergency Operations Center. The Library staff adopted it for its own
internal purposes to work, collaborate and meet virtually. Teams continues to be widely
used by all departments across the City.
In response to the COVID crisis and the Shelter in Place order by the State of California
and Marin County Health and Human Services, the City of San Rafael closed its library
operations at all three (3) library sites. As a result, City staff transitioned to a remote
working environment where they provided virtual library programs and services and
supported the EOC by serving as Disaster Service Workers This report provides a
summary of those programs and services that staff have been supporting for the last
four (4) months.
Virtual Library Programming and Services
Virtual Chat
All staff were able to communicate online using our library chat client from LibraryH3lp.
This interface allows staff to communicate remotely with patrons through a widget on
the Library’s website as well as with each other. Initially everyone was busy fielding
questions from the public and providing assistance with the use of the Library’s online
resources. Staff was able to provide our chat widget to the Marin County Free Library
and Sausalito library in order to provide assistance to their patrons. The chat interface
provides an easy and immediate way for staff to communicate with the public and is a
close substitute for in-person assistance. This interface was extremely beneficial as it
enabled staff with the ability to answer patron inquiries remotely. The chat service
which was provided in English and Spanish, allowed staff to easily resolve account
issues that may have prevented them from being able to access online resources. Once
account issues were resolved, patrons were able to access the streaming video,
ebooks, e-audiobooks and online learning resources the library provides.
Zip Books
The California State Library grant-funded Zip Books program became highly popular
during the shutdown as patrons were unable to access physical library materials from
our collections directly. Zip Books is a program that allows patrons to request up to five
items per month that are delivered directly to their homes by Amazon. The program
requires that patrons return the items to the library when they are finished. When we
first re-opened the book drop we received a ton of zip book returns - a testament to the
popularity of the program. Due to the Shelter-in-Place health order, the State Library
relaxed its’ requirements; patrons were able to request items already owned by the
library system. Unfortunately, because of the overwhelming popularity of the program,
the library had to temporarily reduce the total monthly limit from five (5) items per
individual to two (2) items per household due to limited funds. Once the Library had
exhausted all of its State funding, the Friends of the Library contributed approximately
Page 3 of 6
$7,000 in additional finds to keep the program going. When additional State funding was
secured, the Library was able to increase the number of items to five (5).
MiFi Hotspots
Staff worked with the San Rafael City Schools and Marin County Free Libraries to
coordinate the provision of MiFi hotspots to students to support distance learning during
the shutdown. Utilizing funding from the Marin Community Foundation, staff were able
to order and receive 150 MiFi hotspots which were then distributed to San Rafael City
School District. Once the City receives additional information from the District, the
Library plans on creating a record that links each hotspot to the student’s library
account. If the student doesn’t already have a library account, then one will be
established for them.
Canal Wireless Network
The Library collaborated with the Department of Digital Services and Open
Government, Canal Alliance and Marin County to help with the Canal Wi-Fi Network.
This network was inspired by the free wired connectivity available at the Pickleweed
Library. Based on the Pickleweed Library Network, the expanded framework will provide
a larger network in the Canal area. Library Administration participated in the policy
planning and some of the technical conversations about how the network would be built
and deployed. The purpose of the network was to help support students engaged in
remote learning and the community at large by providing free internet connectivity. This
project has gained national recognition as a model to span the digital divide and create
digital equity in the community. GovTech Magazine featured the project in an article
entitled How San Rafael, Calif., Built a Wi-Fi Network During a Pandemic
Outreach to Older Adults
Staff sent out a mailing to the Library’s Senior Outreach patrons explaining how to use
the Zip Books program during the Shelter-in-Place. In addition, staff followed up with
individual Outreach patrons who needed help in placing their Zip Books orders. The
Outreach program provides service to homebound seniors in the form of delivery of
library materials to their home or a congregate living facility. These patrons were
thought to be particularly vulnerable during the Shelter-in-Place health order.
Online Programming
Staff worked quickly to move as many of its existing programs as we could to an online
format, as well as developing new programs to support people of all ages during the
shutdown.
Family Storytime and Pint-Size Storytime
During the Shelter-in-Place, the Library offered two (2) Family Storytimes per week in
English and Spanish via Facebook Live. Staff also launched a series of pre-recorded
themed storytimes called Pint-Size Storytime. Both programs were immensely popular,
receiving numerous attendees, likes and positive comments. Now that the Library has
opened for Curbside Service, Pint-Size Storytime will be posted on Tuesday mornings
on Facebook and Family Storytime will be provided on Thursdays on Facebook Live.
Page 4 of 6
Family Special Events
The Library offered two (2) special online Noe’s Garden concerts. These concerts are
gentle, nature-focused, and provided important social-emotional support for families
with young children. The Library also hosted Colors of Spanish and Cascada de Flores
online. These two (2) performers were originally scheduled for Día de los Niños / Día de
los Libros and fortunately they were able to move their shows to an online format. For
adults with young children, the Library also offered a program about healthy eating
presented by Dr. Michelle Perro.
School-aged Youth Programming
The monthly online offerings for school-aged children was developed especially for
Spanish-speaking children and were some of the most successful, well-attended
programs. The Blues Poetry workshop helped children express their frustration with
COVID-19 and the resulting distance learning environment. The Library also hosted
author Angela Cervantez for a Cinco de Mayo book club online.
Teen Space
The Library hosted a successful Teen Space meeting via Zoom. The first meeting was
well attended. Teens talked about the challenges and stresses they experienced during
the Shelter-in-Place, offered tips to each other regarding distance learning, and shared
favorite books, movies, and music. They also played a fun online game called Drawful.
Virtual Book Clubs
Staff hosted several online book clubs in English and Spanish. Each was well-attended
and an important social time for participants.
Marketing and Content Creation
Staff also converted the monthly events newsletter created on MailChimp into a weekly
publication called Your Online Library. Staff received a lot of positive feedback about
this newsletter and it helped our community feel well-informed of our offerings. The
weekly publication featured online programs, digital resources such as Kanopy, Lynda,
and Libby, virtual chat service, Zip Books, etc. Staff also worked with the City’s Digital
Service and Open Government (DSOG) department to launch a Spanish version of the
newsletter. Additionally, the Library continues to market its programs and services for
youth via the PeachJar app that emails information to all San Rafael City School District
families.
Staff also offered a lot of original content to support families and engage with the
community while sheltering in place, such as craft tutorials, curated lists of materials
available anytime on Hoopla, and creative works made by the community during the
Blues Poetry Workshop. Staff shared this content with the public via social media and in
partnership with the Recreation Division via the San Rafael Active & Well website.
Page 5 of 6
Virtual Library Card Project with Miller Creek School District
The library card drive with the Miller Creek School District was based on the Institute of
Museum and Library Sciences funded Student Success Initiative and replicated the
Library’s ongoing library card drive with the San Rafael City schools. In this model, staff
creates library cards for all the students using a data transfer from the District. The
sharing of data is made possible by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between
the Library and the School District which protects the confidentiality of the student
records. In the case with Miller Creek School District, staff had not yet created the
physical library cards, so staff converted it to a virtual library card project, using the
student ID number as the library card number instead of the traditional physical library
barcode. This enabled Miller Creek students to better access the Library’s online
resources during this time.
Emergency Response and Disaster Service Work
Several of the Library lead staff and Assistant Director assisted in the City’s Emergency
Operations Center while the library was closed. Staff assisted with providing services
for people experiencing homelessness, coordinated supplies and logistical support at
the food pantry sites, and helped launch an initiative to provide meals for older adults
via the Great Plates Program. Other staff supported the Public Information Office by
drafting press releases and Citywide communications, as well as assisting with
graphics, social media and public relations. The Assistant Director was a member of the
Logistics Team and helped with securing cloth mask donations, organizing telework
opportunities, and supported the Calling Older Adults project.
Mask Donations
Along with these coordination efforts, more library staff helped to collect facial coverings
(masks) that community members made and were willing to donate. These masks were
collected in library book drops, laundered and then distributed to City employees,
emergency services workers, and members of the community experiencing
homelessness.
Translation Services
Several bilingual staff were instrumental in providing translation services to help the City
communicate with the public in Spanish and in Vietnamese about issues related to the
COVID shutdown.
Calling Older Adults Project
Library and Recreation staff assisted with calling older adults during the shelter in place
to make sure they had the support and resources they needed to weather the crisis.
Using public voter rolls, they first started with the 90+ age group and moved
successively by decades to 80+ and 70+. This project was part of the Neighbor to
Neighbor toolkit developed by Vice-Mayor Kate Colin.
Page 6 of 6
Census Project
Library staff acted as project managers to help Canal Alliance set up phone bank s to
assist people with their census questions, as well as deploying phone-based outreach
services.
Libros Para Familias
Staff all helped to provide free book giveaways to families at the free lunch programs at
the Bahia Vista and Vallecito Schools. The library had a large stock of children’s books,
originally donated by Copperfield’s Bookstore, that we were planning to use for summer
reading prizes. Instead these books were given out to the community in conjunction with
local free lunch programs.
DISCUSSION
As we have implemented curbside pickup and return of library materials on June 3rd we
continue to provide virtual chat, Zip Books and some more limited online programming
including storytime and virtual book clubs. The MiFi and Canal wireless projects are
ongoing as is the library card drive with San Rafael City Schools. Our MailChimp
newsletter continues to be published weekly rather than monthly. Emergency
Operations Center work and Disaster Service Worker Assignments, including the
Census Call Center project have ended as all regular hire staff have been required to
return to on-site assignments to staff curbside pickup and return of library materials. As
all MARINet libraries begin to offer curbside services in some form, the consortium has
formed a working group to discuss next steps in redesigning services to better meet the
needs of the public but to also maintain safety of staff and the public and limit the
spread of CVOID 19.
FISCAL IMPACT
N/A
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Any other action as determined by the Board.
Submitted by:
Henry Bankhead
Assistant Library and Recreation Director / City Librarian
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA REPORT
July 14, 2020
Item #5
TITLE: FY 2020/21 LIBRARY BUDGET UPDATE
SUMMARY
This report presents the adopted Library Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2021,
beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021. This budget is different than in prior
years as the financial impacts of Covid-19 are substantial and created a significant
budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and are expected to have a
stronger longer lasting impact.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Board accept the report and provide comment.
Page 2 of 3
BACKGROUND
This report presents the adopted Library Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 -2021,
beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021. This budget is different than in prior
years as the financial impacts of Covid-19 are substantial and created a significant
budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and are expected to have a
stronger longer lasting impact.
As of April 30, it was projected that over the next 16 months, the City will experience
reductions in revenue in the range of approximately $11,790,000, which is fourteen
percent of the City’s General Fund budget.
At the May 4, 2020 City Council meeting, the Assistant City Manager presented the City
Council with a staff report on the “Preliminary Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on City’s
Finances & Initial Programs to Aid in Recovery”. In order to immediately respond to the
economic downturn, it was recommended that the City implement the following cost
cutting measures immediately to reduce expenses and develop a comprehensive
Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan (Attachment 1). As part of the cost cutting measures
and budget preparation for FY 2020/21, all departments were asked to prepare
scenarios for additional budget reductions at 2.5%, 5% and 10%.
Cost Cutting Measures for FY 19/20 & FY 20/21 Amount
Hiring Freeze for non-public safety employees $ 1,420,000
Voluntary retirement separation program 600,000
Furloughs for non-public safety employees 700,000
Additional budget reductions 4,200,000
One-time funds available from prior year 1,104,000
Emergency Reserve up to 2.5%/year for 2 years 3,766,000
Estimates Sources to Fund Projected Deficit $ 11,790,000
As mentioned in the May 4th staff report, all these cost cutting measures will significantly
help to address the projected General Fund deficit, however additional measures
including using the one-time savings from FY 2019/20, the City’s emergency reserves
and/or reductions in force may need to be considered at a later date.
DISCUSSION
On June 15, 2020, the City Council adopted the budget which included over $4 million
in city-wide departmental budget reductions. The Library’s budget (Attachment 2) was
reduced by only 2.5% or approximately $76,130. The line items that were reduced in
the Library’s budget included travel & training, office supplies, contractual services,
audio/visual materials, books and publications.
Page 3 of 3
It is important to note that annually the Library receives funding from both the City’s
General Fund (approx. $3.1m) and the Measure D Property Tax fund (approx. $1.0 m).
The budget reduction of $76,130 was applied only to the portion the Library receives
from the General Fund.
Currently, the Library does not anticipate significant reductions in operational hours due
to these initial budget reductions. However, if the City receives less revenues than has
been estimated and needs to implement additional budget reductions, then possible
“reductions in force” i.e. layoffs may be necessary in the coming fiscal year.
Next steps towards offering library services in the new budget environment will depend
upon the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and the types of services that will be
allowed per Marin County Health and Human Services. For example, the current
curbside services being provided by the library are allowed because they fall within the
related health guidelines for both employees and the public. As County Health allows,
the Library will continue to explore ways of adding additional services and programs.
FISCAL IMPACT
N/A
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Any other action as determined by the Board.
Submitted by:
Henry Bankhead
Assistant Library and Recreation Director / City Librarian
Attachments:
1. COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan
2. FY 2020/21 Library Budget
SAN RAFAEL ISRESILIENT
PURPOSE
The goal of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan (CERP) is to
communicate to San Rafael’s residents, businesses, elected officials, and
the City workforce how the City plans to economically recover from
this public health and subsequent financial crisis. We must respond with
urgency to preserve the vitality of our City and remain resilient during
these unprecedented times by controlling costs and finding innovative
ways to create new revenues.
This CERP describes the strategies the City has already taken to address
the economic impacts of the COVID-19 Shelter in Place (SIP) orders on
the City of San Rafael, both as a provider of critical government services
and as a community. Additionally, it forecasts additional strategies to
reduce expenses, increase revenues, and enhance the economic vitality of
our City.
The CERP also outlines our work plan to reopen and reinvigorate local
businesses and the economy of San Rafael.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RESPONSE TO COVID-19
To better coordinate our response to COVID-19 and the SIP orders, the
City of San Rafael has been operating our remote Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) since the proclamation of a Local State of Emergency on
March 10, 2020. Through the EOC, City staff has been managing the
logistical and operational activities behind the City’s response to the
pandemic, including public information communications, supporting non-
profits and local businesses, and maintaining a continuity of government
through innovative digital solutions in the face of disaster. The City has
a dedicated section of the City website for resources and the latest
information on COVID-19. Throughout the crisis, the City’s public safety
first responders have been there for all of us responding to calls and
serving as the City’s front line of defense against COVID-19. SAN R AFA
E
L
THE
C
ITY WI T H A M ISSIONCOVID-19
ECONOMIC
RECOVERY PLAN JUNE 2020
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 1
ATTACHMENT 1
EXAMPLES OF SAN RAFAEL EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS CENTER (EOC) EFFORTS TO DATE
Emergency Childcare Program
for Essential Workers
Early in the crisis the City of San Rafael’s Library and Recreation Department
began providing popup childcare for healthcare workers, first responders,
disaster service workers, and other essential workers working or living in the
county while classroom instruction is suspended. All childcare centers are
following social distancing, sanitation, and hygiene guidelines.
Support for Local Businesses
The City has partnered with the County of Marin, Chamber of Commerce,
BID, and others to create a San Rafael Small Business COVID-19 Disaster
Relief Fund to help businesses struggling to maintain cash flow and financial
solvency during these unprecedented times. To date, over $200,000 has
been raised and over 280 grant applications were submitted. The City has
also assisted businesses to interpret the Federal CARES Act and Payroll
Protection Program (PPP), provided financial and legislative advocacy,
maintained a directory of open businesses on the website and is playing a
leadership role in the Marin Recovers reopening plan.
COVID-19 Testing and Surge Planning
The City of San Rafael Office of Emergency Services and Fire Department
have worked in coordination with the County of Marin Health and Human
Services in the setup of drive-thru COVID-19 testing facilities and surge
planning for potential increases in patient volume.
Assistance for Our Vulnerable Communities
Staff has worked in coordination with local service providers to set up
food distribution and local lodging providers to provide shelter for people
who were experiencing homelessness and who are medically vulnerable
or required to be in quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19. The City
has also supported food banks, blood drives, and have even turned book
drops into face covering donation sites. A Neighbor to Neighbor Toolkit
was created to harness the superpower of neighbors helping neighbors to
get through these difficult times together.
Online Access to City Services
City staff has developed remote access to City services including a Virtual
Recreation Center and an Online Library where you can participate in
online story times, workshops, and live chat, or get books delivered to your
doorstep. Many services are now being offered online such as remote access
to building and planning permit applications.
Equitable Access to Information and Services
Staff has also worked in coordination with the County of Marin and San
Rafael School District to expand internet access to students and families with
limited or no access. The City has developed stronger translation services for
public information to ensure public safety messaging is reaching as much of
our community as possible, including regular informational videos in English
and Spanish.
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 2
BUDGET AND FISCAL
IMPACTS OF COVID-19
In addition to the health impacts of COVID-19, the restrictions put into
place through the public health order have taken an unprecedented toll
on our federal, state, and local economy. Economists are predicting cities
such as San Rafael who are heavily reliant on sales tax, transaction and
use tax (TUT), and transient occupancy tax (TOT) will endure the hardest
financial hit.
As of April 30, it is preliminarily projected that over the next 16
months, the City will experience reductions in revenue in the range of
approximately $11,790,000, which is 14% of the City’s General Fund
budget. The breakdown of this financial hit is as follows: 71% of the
revenue reductions are due to loss of sales and TUT, 10% is attributed to
TOT, 6% is attributed to business licenses and the remaining 13% is an
accumulation of several smaller revenue generating sources.
While the fiscal year 2019-20 general fund budget for operating expenses
was more than $80 million, approximately $43 million or more than
53% was for the funding of public safety operations. Although staff is
recommending reductions to these operations, the majority is planned to
come from the non-public safety operating budget. Theoretically, if staff
was asked to make cuts of $12 million solely in non-public safety areas, it
would take closing down the libraries, eliminating all recreation activities,
cutting community development services and we still would not get to the
target amount.
The economic impacts of the pandemic and shelter in place orders have a
direct negative impact on our local businesses and the revenues used to
operate our city. To meet our financial challenges, the City is taking steps
that will create a balanced budget for fiscal year 2020-21 in line with
the City Council’s goals and strategies. Budget development is guided by
tenets such as:
• Continually assess and improve efficiency in the delivery of services.
• Manage the size and compensation of the workforce to best deliver
services given our current and anticipated financial realities.
• Seek additional revenues from all sources to meet the community’s
expectations of a high level of service.
• Collaborate with other Marin governmental agencies to consider
partnerships and/or regionalized services to leverage resources and
improve efficiency.
REVENUE ITEM % LOSS FY 19/20 FY 20/21 TOTAL
LOSSES
Sales/Transaction & Use Tax 71%$4,930,000 $3,440,00 $8,370,000
Transient Occupancy Tax 10%$860,000 $290,000 $1,150,000
Business Licenses 6%$240,000 $500,000 $740,000
Permitting/Franchise/Investment Earnings 13%$1,120,000 $410,000 $1,530,000
Projected Revenue Losses as of 4/30/2020 $7,150,000 $4,640,000 $11,790,000
REVENUE LOSS ESTIMATES
PROJECTED REDUCTION
OVER THE NEXT 16 MONTHS
$11,790,000
THAT’S ROUGHLY...
$24,194,338
1/2 of our Police Department
General Fund Budget for one year
$18,925,306
2/3 of our Fire Department
General Fund Budget for one year.
$12,021,259
Our entire Department of Public Works
General Fund Budget for one year.
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 3
There are a number of efforts and programs that will be necessary
to reduce expenses and increase revenues. In an effort to meet the
revenue loss estimates, the below table lists current and potential future
actions. A hiring freeze has already been instituted which would result in
approximately $1.4 million in savings annually. The City Council approved
a mandatory furlough program for non-safety employees which is
expected to save approximately $700,000 for the year. This would reduce
non-public safety compensation by 5%.
The City Council also approved a Voluntary Retirement Separation
Program which will result in on-going salary and benefit savings to
the City by not filling the vacant positions or restructuring around the
vacancies. This program is expected to yield approximately $600,000
but it is completely dependent upon the number of applications and
selections.
The Council additionally approved a Voluntary Work Hours Reduction
Program. This program will depend upon the number and position of the
employees participating and would lower that employee’s base annual
pay for a period of time.
These measures will significantly help to address the projected General
Fund deficit, however additional efforts will be needed including using
one-time funds available from the prior year and use of the City’s
Emergency Reserve.
Following the Great Recession, the City has been able to build its
Emergency Reserves from less than 3% to meet its policy of 10%. While
a reserve figure of 15% or 20% would be optimal, the below chart
illustrates reducing our reserve by a total of 5% (bringing it to 5%)
through Fiscal Year 20/21. Even with these reductions, an additional $4.2
million could be needed to meet the estimated revenue losses on the
prior page. These additional budget reductions will significantly add to
the negative impacts on city services, such as described on pages six and
seven.
COST CUTTING MEASURES FOR
FY 19/20 & FY 20/21 AMOUNT
Hiring Freeze for non-public safety employees $1,420,000
Furloughs for non-public safety employees $700,000
Voluntary retirement separation program $600,000
One-time funds available from prior year $1,104,000
Emergency Reserve up to 2.5% per year for 2 years $3,766,000
Additional budget reductions $4,200,000
Estimated Sources to Fund Projected Deficit $11,790,000
EXPENSE REDUCTION RECOMMENDATIONS
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 4
Sales and TUT
TOT
Multiple smaller
revenue sources
Business Licenses
Projected Revenue Reductions
Totaling approximately $11,790,000 over the
next 16 months
RECOVERY STRATEGIES
The City’s immediate response to the economic downturn was to
implement a variety of measures to reduce expenses and City staff have
also identified additional cost-savings opportunities to be implemented
over the coming months. We will continue to monitor the impacts of
revenue and expenses and make additional recommendations for the City
Council’s consideration as the situation evolves.
Actions Taken:
• Implemented a hiring freeze for non-essential positions.
• Left 14 positions vacant since March and all new, non-
essential vacancies will remain unfilled.
• Halted all non-essential/discretionary spending and
projects.
• Eliminated planned cost of living compensation
increases for executives, management and bargaining
units without closed contracts for fiscal year 2020-21.
• Offered a Voluntary Retirement Separation Program
that provides an incentive to encourage employees to
retire earlier than they would otherwise.
• Offered a Voluntary Work Hours Reduction Program
which allows employees to voluntarily take time off work
without pay.
• Actively seeking COVID-19 related state and/or federal
financial assistance through the support of our local
legislators.
• Implement a Mandatory Time Off Work (MTO)/Furlough
Program for non-public safety employees which is a 5%
pay reduction. (in progress)
• Focus on re-opening the local economy and enhancing
efforts on business attraction and retention during the
recovery process to support businesses and increase
revenues. (in progress)
• Continue to pursue any federal stimulus funding made
available to local governments and other grants that
can provide resources for projects and other one-time
needs. (in progress)
• Finalize the fiscal year 2020-21 budget including
reducing the Emergency Reserve to 5%, if needed,
as well as implementing additional departmental
reductions in expenses. (in progress)
• Evaluate savings associated with the voluntary
retirement, voluntary time off without pay, and
mandatory furlough program to determine if reductions
in force are necessary to balance the budget.
• Meet with employee unions to work on collaborative
ways to control costs and analyze other operational cost
savings opportunities. (in progress)
• Consider increasing the Paramedic Tax within the
current voter-approved cap limits.
• Evaluate the City’s “master fee schedule” to bring them
in line with the costs of similar Bay Area agencies and
insure total cost recovery of our services. (in progress)
• Continue to explore and gauge community interest in
other revenue generating possibilities.
• Collaborate with the County and all Marin cities
and towns to evaluate opportunities for savings
through partnerships, shared services, and/or other
consolidation efforts. (in progress)
• Participate in regional groups such as Marin Recovers
(and its Industry Advisory Groups) and the Marin
County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers Adhoc
Economic Recovery Committee that are working on
reopening businesses and regional financial recovery
solutions. (in progress)
Actions in Progress/Future:
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 5
HOW WILL CITY
SERVICES BE IMPACTED?
The City Council adopts specific goals and strategies each year along
with the budget adoption process. The goals are broken down into the
following 5 categories:
1. Neighborhood & Economic Vitality
2. Quality of Life
3. Public Safety
4. Public Assets
5. Foundational Services
The public health crisis has made it nearly impossible for City staff to
remain focused solely on the goals/strategies developed pre-COVID-19
as the EOC and other disaster service work has been more urgent and a
much higher priority in serving the community. In addition, the specific
impact of the mandatory furlough means City services will need to be
closed to the public for 13 calendar days during fiscal year 2020-21.
Described below are some of the anticipated impacts to city services by
each goal category:
Neighborhood & Economic Vitality
Regaining and sustaining the vibrancy of our City will be an enormous
challenge in the years ahead, both as it relates to housing as well as
business attraction and retention. Additionally, this goal includes the
work that City staff has been successfully implementing to reduce the
number of individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.
Unfortunately due to job loss and economic hardships due to COVID-19
we expect to see those numbers increase. With greater needs and fewer
staff resources available to help, some of the initiatives underway in this
area might be slowed down and take longer to accomplish. In addition,
the number of hours staff can provide public services over the counter
for processing permits, etc. will be reduced and the processing of current
planning development applications will be slowed. While greenhouse gas
emissions are down due to the economy coming to a halt, however now
is not a time to get complacent about climate change. Implementation of
our Climate Change Action Plan is as important as ever.
Quality of Life
This category is focused on the arts, culture and recreational experiences
of our community, as well as improving resident engagement and
governmental transparency. Due to our revenue losses, the City may
need to reduce its programs and/or operational hours at the three
library locations. Staff will continue to look for ways to mitigate service
impacts to the public. In addition, the City may need to reduce some of
its recreation programs, services and/or hours at its community centers,
if it is unable to open and/or be fully operational. There are many priority
initiatives planned for the coming years to improve engagement with our
Latinx community and develop a City-wide data program to monitor the
success of City services. City staff may need to be re-directed to focus on
critical/essential delivery of services, which may result in the deferral or
reduced pace of progress in these areas.
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 6
Public Safety
We will continue to provide critical public safety services, protect our
most vulnerable populations, and prioritize maintaining as much funding
toward these activities as possible. However, due to the need to reduce
budget in both police and fire we will need to defer equipment and vehicle
purchase which in the longer term can become a safety issue. In addition,
there will be less resources available for professional development/
training available for our police officers and fire fighters.
In addition, the Police Department’s cadet program will be on hold which
is a key strategy for identifying up and coming talent and training and
retaining new public safety officers.
Public Assets
After years of deferred maintenance due to the Great Recession, the
City was beginning to make progress in improving our roads and parks.
Unfortunately, this economic crisis will result in continued deferral of
maintenance projects of the City’s key facilities, such as the downtown
San Rafael and Terra Linda community centers. With significant projected
losses in gas taxes coming from the State, as well as reductions of
other funding sources, the City’s Capital Improvement Program will
be impacted and fewer core infrastructure projects will be able to be
accomplished in the coming year. In addition, the City may not be able to
implement another sidewalk application program this year, resurfacing
of streets is likely to be reduced, and we will not be able to make
improvements to outdated park structures and public restrooms.
Foundational Services
The City has a focus on exemplary service which relates to creating and
sustaining a high performing team and improving our technology and
digital presence. Our Together San Rafael culture initiative has grown
over the last few years and has received significant awards from state and
national organizations. Staff will continue to prioritize innovation and
service design improvements, but it can’t be ignored that there will be
far fewer staff carrying out initiatives. For example, existing staff will be
needed to backfill for the many current and future vacant positions due to
the hiring freeze.
While our City staff work to adapt services that meet health and safety
requirements and move services online, enhancing our technological
infrastructure and some improvements to digital services may need to
wait until new revenue sources can be found for more costly projects.
Delays in technology investments, enhancements, and automation will
have a direct impact on efforts to improve service delivery.
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 7
GETTING TO ECONOMIC
RECOVERY
The novel coronavirus is causing major disruptions to businesses and
communities across the world. COVID-19 is compromising supply chains,
workers’ hours and income, and demand for products and services as
consumers are encouraged to avoid public places.
Economic recovery requires a safe start and healthy workforce.
Workplaces will continue to look and operate differently. Continued
physical distancing, teleworking, and other measures will continue to be
necessary to keep workers and customers safe.
A phased approach:
Businesses should be prepared for a phased comeback approach which
will start with the State of California, and then be customized by the
County of Marin, to meet the specific needs of our community. Industries
and venues will be reopen based on their ability to address health risks
and comply with the state and county orders.
Maintain physical distancing and other public
health requirements:
Businesses and public spaces will need to maintain physical distancing
and make modifications as necessary to keep employees, customers and
the public safe.
PREPARING FOR A PHASED REOPENING
Leverage lessons learned:
Apply best practices from industries and businesses that have adjusted to
new COVID-19 safety standards.
Listen & Learn:
Engage with the business community to understand challenges and
evolve our approach based on what we learn.
Assist small businesses:
Help prepare restaurants, retail and service businesses, and
manufacturers, that are critical to local economies, understand changing
health and safety protocols.
Support the recovery of regional economies:
Develop and use a data-based approach to determine support needed by
sector and region to assist with recovery.
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 8
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
San Rafael’s quality-of-life is maintained and sustained by a healthy local
economy. The City’s beautiful natural setting, sense of community, public
safety, recreation facilities, and efficient government is supported by municipal
revenues. These unprecedented times require us to respond swiftly to
maintain the strength of our City while controlling costs and being innovative
in stabilizing revenues. Staff will be focused on long-term COVID-19 business
recovery, advancing key development projects including affordable and
workforce housing, conducting business outreach and education, and keeping
local partnerships strong.
Continued business outreach,
education, and marketing/promotions.
Partner with Chamber, BID, commercial property owners,
merchants, developers, and brokers to support our existing
commercial businesess base throughout the entire city and
achieve our economic goals.
Develop a post-COVID-19 economic
development recovery strategy
Work with our community partners to advance a
comprehensive and forward-looking strategy to stimulate
the economic vitality of San Rafael in the post-COVID world.
Stimulate business growth through
retention, expansion, and advancing
new development projects:
• Encourage business growth, private investment, and
economic vitality including but not limited to: in-fill
development, biotech, large format stores, hotel/lodging
• Create local employment opportunities
• Expand cannabis licenses and license types
• Improve the fiscal condition of the City by expanding the
tax base
Business Recovery Support:
• Ensure businesses have a strong voice in the State and
local reopening protocols and get people back to work.
• Directly assist our local businesses in taking advantage
of Federal, State and Local recovery programs.
• Partner with the Chamber of Commerce and BID to
find creative out-of-the-box ways to support our local
businesses to maintain their viability.
• Continue to invest in our business ecosystem including
infrastructure improvements (e.g. Third Street project,
East and West Francisco Boulevards) and beautification
efforts.
ACTIONS UNDERWAY |
ACTIONS TAKEN
• Continuing to communicate available small business
federal, state, and local COVID-19 disaster relief and
recovery programs
• Improving revenue stability by communicating business
reopening health and safety protocols
• Promoting which San Rafael businesses are “Open for
business” to the community
• Partnered with the County of Marin, the San Rafael
Chamber of Commerce, BID and others to administer
Small Business COVID-19 Disaster Relief Grants to San
Rafael businesses
• Participating and advancing the County’s Marin
Recovers plan and taking part in the County of Marin’s
Retail Industry Advisory Group
GETTING TO A SUSTAINED RECOVERY.
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 9
~
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The City of San Rafael faces serious financial challenges to recover from
the COVID-19 public health emergency and due to the unprecedented
nature of this economic downturn, we will need to remain vigilant about
updating our financial projections and assumptions in order to ensure we
are doing enough. As economic conditions change our staff will continue
to develop solutions that balance our expenses with available resources.
We have an amazing team who will work diligently to find innovative
ways to keep our organization operating and providing the highest quality
services to our community possible. However, we will face challenges in
maintaining pre-COVID service levels with less funding and fewer staff to
provide services. We will do our very best to continue building trust with
our community and will always looks for something we can say yes to.
And we will take every necessary action to ensure the City’s finances and
operations remain resilient moving forward.
The City Council will move forward with the efforts outlined in this plan
and will adopt the fiscal year 2020-21 budget in June. This plan will also
be amended as necessary to keep up with the rapidly changing COVID-19
crisis environment. Progress reports will be prepared as part of the
City’s regular updates to the City Council. We will also provide updates
regularly in the City Manager’s Snapshot e-newsletter.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
If you have questions or comments about the Economic Recovery Plan
you can make them online at the City Website.
SAN RAFAEL ISRESILIENT
SAN RAFAEL COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN - JUNE 2020 10
AS OF: 7/9/2020
GF Budget GF YTD GF % Total Spent PT Budget PT YTD PT % Total Spent Total Total YTD % Total Spent
Total for Revenue (estimated)18581.00 1092091.00 1110672.00
Regular Hire Salaries & Benefits 1861869.77 0.00 0.00%743320.26 0.00 0.00%2605190.03 0.00 0.00%
Extra Hire 57748.07 0.00 0.00%115636.00 0.00 0.00%173384.07 0.00 0.00%
Personnel Services 1919617.84 0.00 0.00%858956.26 0.00 0.00%2778574.10 0.00 0.00%
Bldg.Maint.Contracts 33805.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 33805.00 0.00 0.00%
Maint.Bldg.Improv.17000.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 17000.00 0.00 0.00%
Utilities-Gas & Electricity 47455.00 870.47 1.83%- - - 47455.00 870.47 1.83%
County Administrative Fee - - - 28342.00 0.00 0.00%28342.00 0.00 0.00%
Travel and Conference - - - - - - - - -
Contract Services (MARINet, security, etc.)312764.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 312764.00 0.00 0.00%
Internal Service Charges (IT, phone, ins)217694.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 217694.00 0.00 0.00%
Programming Supplies - - - 10,000 0.00 0.00%10000.00 0.00 0.00%
Office Supplies 23073.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 23073.00 0.00 0.00%
Books 15845.00 0.00 0.00%137983.00 0.00 0.00%153828.00 0.00 0.00%
Periodicals 7000.00 0.00 0.00%6250.00 0.00 0.00%13250.00 0.00 0.00%
Digital Branch Resources 15681.00 0.00 0.00%45000.00 0.00 0.00%60681.00 0.00 0.00%
Audio/Video Materials 10000.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 10000.00 0.00 0.00%
Technology Supplies & Materials - - - 6000.00 0.00 0.00%6000.00 0.00 0.00%
Training & Instruction - - - 5000.00 0.00 0.00%5000.00 0.00 0.00%
Professional Dues & Subscriptions 1000.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 1000.00 0.00 0.00%
Credit Card Fees 400.00 0.00 0.00%- - - 400.00 0.00 0.00%
Unbudgeted items - - - - - - - - -
Non-Personnel Services 701717.00 870.47 0.12%238575.00 0.00 0.00%940292.00 870.47 0.09%
Total 2621334.84 870.47 0.03%1097531.26 0.00 0.00%3718866.10 870.47 0.02%
Other Budget Sources (estimated)Budget Sources Annual % of Total
Friends of the Library (books, programs)10,000.00 General Fund $2,621,334.84 70.30%
TOTAL 10,000.00 Parcel Tax $1,097,531.26 29.43%
Other $10,000.00 0.27%
ESTIMATED, FY20 FINAL NUMBERS UNAVAILABLE TOTAL $3,728,866.10 100.00%
Special Funds
Estimated 214 Fund Balance 20,431.99 Budget Sources + Special Funds:$6,719,378.23
Copy Fund 5,868.36
Donations Fund 110,952.81
Kay Corlett Memorial Fund 490,629.91 $6,000
Kenneth Edlin Memorial Fund 418,847.48 $28,080
Robert and Lorraine Joses Memorial Fund 1,387,012.39 $8,050
MC Parcel Tax Capital Set-Aside Balance 353,335.00 $21,000
MD Parcel Tax Fund Balance as of 6/30/19 203,137.27 $10,000
Donation for New Building 300.00 $3,000
Immigration Services Grant -3.08 $76,130
TOTAL 2,990,512.13 NOTE: Revenue - Expenses + Prior Year Fund Balance = Current Fund Balance
San Rafael Public Library Budget - Fiscal Year 20/21
Budget and Expenditures
ATTACHMENT 2
Audio/Video Material reduced
Training & Instruction eliminated
TOTAL
** part of the 2.5% reduction in the General Fund
Travel and Conference eliminated
Contractual Services reduced
Office Supplies reduced
Books reduced