Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Library commissioner: Rohnert Park branch to close for fall renovation as JPA review continues
Summary
Library Commissioner Barbara McKenzie told the council the regional library joint powers agreement is under review and the Rohnert Park branch will close mid-September through the end of the year for carpet, HVAC and interior upgrades funded by Measure Y and a state infrastructure grant.
Barbara McKenzie, the city’s library commissioner, updated the Rohnert Park City Council on Feb. 24 on a 10-year review of the regional joint powers agreement that governs the county library system and on planned renovations to the local branch.
McKenzie said the ad hoc review begun in early 2025 examined the agreement line by line and found that, while "everything's working pretty well," there is ambiguity about commissioners’ roles and the function of local library advisory boards. She said a follow-up ad hoc will focus on clarifying commissioner responsibilities and improving advisory-board recruitment and guidance.
The presentation also covered funding and planned facility work. McKenzie said Measure Y — a local 1/8-cent sales tax first passed in November 2016 and renewed by voters in November 2024 — has expanded services and provided stable financing. She reported that the citizen oversight committee found expenditures in compliance with the Measure Y expenditure plan.
On the facility project, McKenzie said the Rohnert Park branch will receive new carpet, interior painting, lighting controls and HVAC upgrades paid largely by a state library infrastructure grant and Measure Y funds. She told the council the Flores room will close first in August and the library will be closed from mid-September through the end of the year, with a tentative target to reopen in January; a Dec. 21 construction completion date cited in the presentation was described as tentative and the reopening timeline was not guaranteed. McKenzie said staff will provide more details on biblio-bus schedules, and noted there will be no temporary mini-library onsite, although a 24/7 biblio-box for holds will remain available.
McKenzie described interior reconfiguration planned as part of the work, including a central service desk moved toward the lobby that will shift teen services and study pods to other areas. She reminded the council of an April 22 library budget workshop and said summer programs such as the lunch-at-the-library meal program will be taken into account when scheduling construction to minimize service disruption.
The council offered thanks and no substantive objections at the time; McKenzie closed by encouraging follow-up questions and promising more detailed scheduling information once it is finalized.
