City staff updated the Community Services Commission on Sept. 8 about the library and community center site plan, reporting public outreach results and the three high-level site strategies consultants have prepared.

Outreach and process: Deputy Director Melissa Snyder said the project is in phase 1, focused on community needs and public engagement. Staff reported more than 600 survey responses and more than 2,000 interactions with engagement kiosks. An ad hoc committee and city leadership provided direction to refine site options based on that input.

Site options: consultants presented three revised site strategies that are intentionally scalable: (1) renovation of the existing buildings; (2) renovation of the 1930s building plus a new roughly 24,500-square-foot building; and (3) renovation of the 1930s building plus a new roughly 40,780-square-foot building. Staff said these options are representative points on a scale and that designs can be adjusted to match funding availability.

Budget and timing context: staff and committee members discussed budget constraints and grant timing. The commission heard that choices about library investment and competing capital priorities (notably major street repairs and capital-improvement planning) will factor into what is affordable and what propels to the ballot in future bond discussions. Staff said the next presentations are scheduled to the Library Board of Trustees (Oct. 9), the Community Services Commission (Oct. 13) and City Council (Nov. 5).

Why it matters: the plan establishes a design and funding pathway for a major public facility that could be partially funded by grants or bonds; early outreach results will inform scalable design choices and a future funding strategy.