Solvang council approves one-year library services contract with Goleta amid 50% cost increase

The Solvang City Council voted 4-0 Monday to approve a one-year agreement with the City of Goleta for library services, including satellite service points in Los Olivos and Santa Ynez, at a not-to-exceed cost of $284,855 for fiscal year 2025–26 (term 07/01/2025–06/30/2026).

Council members and Goleta staff described the increase from roughly $185,000 to about $285,000 as the result of higher operating costs, participation in the Black Gold library cooperative and the need to build a sustainable reserve.

City of Goleta Neighborhood Services Director Joanne Plummer told the council Goleta has operated Solvang’s library for about five years after the county divested that responsibility. Plummer said the new contract includes staff costs, collections and fees tied to membership in the Black Gold cooperative, which allows interlibrary lending across a multijurisdictional network. “Maintaining a relevant collection is important so that we could be a good partner within the Black Gold Cooperative,” Plummer said. She added that some previous cost assumptions were carried forward from earlier agreements and that the pandemic disrupted planned contract updates.

Council members pressed staff for more budget detail during the discussion. Council member Smith asked for a clearer breakdown of administrative costs and staffing levels; Goleta staff and Solvang finance staff said they had reviewed line-item budgets and could provide additional documentation. Goleta agreed to provide an annual presentation to Solvang on library operations and finances after the state library reporting cycle (the presentation was proposed for after October).

Council members also questioned why Solvang’s contract covers service to Los Olivos and Santa Ynez. Plummer said those small sites are included as part of County Zone 4 for library funding; per-capita funds flowing to Goleta are used in part to support outreach to those communities, which are staffed primarily by volunteers and open only a few hours per week.

Mayor Brown and other council members acknowledged the size of the increase but said keeping the library open and staffed was a priority. The motion to approve the agreement passed on a 4-0 roll call vote.

The contract is for a single fiscal year with renewal options; Goleta staff said the agreement as written commits the city to annual reporting and scheduled check-ins with Solvang so the councils and staff can revisit scope, staffing and costs.

Votes at a glance: the motion to approve the agreement with the City of Goleta for library services (not to exceed $284,855 for FY 2025–26) passed 4–0 (Council member Infante: yes; Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Arona: yes; Council member Smith: yes; Mayor Brown: yes; Council member Elizabeth Arona: absent).