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ANC commissioner asks council to budget staffing so libraries can host accessible evening meetings
Summary
Tripti Patel (ANC2A chair) urged DCPL to budget for staffing and security so ANCs and community groups can reliably use West End and other library meeting spaces after hours; she asked the committee to require a report on access across wards.
Tripti Patel, an ANC2A commissioner, said ANC2A has struggled to hold monthly meetings at West End Library after staffing reductions limited availability, and asked the committee to require DCPL to identify and budget for staffing and security to accommodate at least one monthly ANC meeting ending at 11:30 PM. "We were informed that meetings can no longer extend beyond 10:30PM due to limits on staffing and security coverage," she said.
Patel emphasized the civic‑engagement consequences: when meeting times are constrained, public testimony opportunities shrink. She made clear that any overtime coverage must be compensated and not rest on staff volunteering; the chair asked DCPL to report on how ANC access is being accommodated across wards and what barriers the FY27 budget creates for community use of library spaces.
