Community and Library Services projects $24.9 million in revenue; director proposes rental tech, in-house security and scholarship options

Ashley Wysocki, director of Community and Library Services, presented department operations and finances to the Huntington Beach City Council and outlined proposals to increase revenue and streamline services.

Wysocki said the department’s FY24–25 general fund budget was about $16,000,000, with total revenues projected to exceed allocations at approximately $24,900,000. She told council that beach parking and camping are the department’s largest revenue sources—about $18,200,000 of the projected revenue—with roughly $2,500,000 of that estimated to result from a newly formed beach parking citation team. The department comprises five divisions, about 63.25 full-time equivalents, an average of 275 part-time employees and roughly 859 volunteers.

Wysocki reviewed program-level figures: rentable recreation facilities have produced roughly $540,000 in revenue year‑to‑date (a 43 percent increase from the prior fiscal year); sports field rentals generated about $89,000; the library hosted more than 1,100 events this fiscal year and the system reports approximately 69,000 active library card holders and annual circulation near 846,000 items. She said roughly 8,000 beach parking passes have been sold and the beach lots have provided parking for over 849,000 vehicles year-to-date.

Planned initiatives and revenue ideas included a technology-driven "one-stop shop" for facility rentals to let customers find and reserve available spaces across library and parks facilities, bringing contracted event security staff in-house (projected to generate an additional $30,000 based on current rentals), issuing an RFP for third-party operators for the library theater, and expanding contract‑class programming and sponsorship opportunities. Wysocki also said staff is exploring fee assessments against surrounding jurisdictions to ensure market-competitive pricing.

Council members asked several operational questions. One member suggested offering a seasonal beach pass in addition to the annual pass; Wysocki said the annual pass is the standard product but the department will consider a seasonal option. On access for lower-income families, Wysocki said the department currently has no scholarship program but is researching models and funding mechanisms—including public‑private seed funds and potential use of CDBG funds—to support program scholarships.

Why it matters: Community and library operations generate substantial revenue for the city and provide widely used services—rental space, senior services, youth camps and library programs. The department’s proposals focus on improving customer access, increasing rental revenue, and identifying scholarship funding so programs remain accessible.

Next steps: Staff will continue to evaluate a one‑stop rental system, refine a potential in‑house event security plan, pursue RFPs for theater operations, analyze fee structures and report back to council with implementation details and budget impacts.