Arcadia City Council hears report on Phase Two of the Arcadia Public Library Strategic Plan. It outlines the need for additional funding to the Strategic Plan to accommodate for remodeling and additional office space and staff.
Arcadia Police Chief Dave Hinig outlined a strategic plan to improve the department over a five-year period, at a cost of $536,498. The proposals would involve adding 11 new salaried positions.
Arcadia Public Library will have a new conference room constructed and will remodel the existing room into offices and a work area. An office will be created for the Friends of the Library. This is the first phase and the contract was awarded to K & S Design for $106,500. Phase 2 of the project, to be completed at a later date, will include a teen center and an enlarged international language area.
City Manager Bill Kelly presented a "flat line budget" to the city council. Kelly said current uncertainties in state funding will not be resolved until after the election. The city will revisit the budget at midyear.
The Arcadia Public Library is now offering a new 24-hour, 2 days a week email reference service and a live interactive chat reference service called "Ask the Librarian."
A bus shelter will be built on the west side of the Arcadia Public Library. The shelter will be Arcadia Transit's bus stop. Benches and forty trees will be added.
The new landscaping and bus shelter for the west side of the Arcadia Public Library will cost $152,126.03 and will be done by Mariposa Horticultural Enterprises Inc.
The expansion and creation of recreation and activity programs at all school levels and extending Arcadia Public Library hours to include Sunday afternoon topped the list of recommendations in the Youth Master Plan.
Arcadia plans for the future. Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto presented the City's Fiscal Year 2018-2019 budget. Fiscal year 2018-2019 budget maintains existing levels of public services, but the City can no longer guarantee that services will remain at current levels over the long term. Due to recent changes in state law and other fiscal constraints, the City's proposed budget has a structural deficit of nearly $13.1 million in expenditures in excess of revenues.
The Arcadia Public Library is not responsible for children left alone at the library by their parents. The library is not a public babysitting service.
Arcadia's proposed budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 has structural deficit of nearly $3.1 million. City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto says Arcadia is at a fiscal crossroads. See hard copy in VF Budget.
Reserve funds that were set aside for city infrastructure improvements may have to be used to deal with state budget cuts, as proposed by city manager Bill Kelly.