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Record of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Study Session Summary - August 25, 2026

City Council Study Session — Tuesday, August 25, 2026
BodyTacoma, Washington
SessionCity Council Study Session
DateTuesday, August 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:06:27

Original source
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0:05

I'd like to call to order the joint city council Tacoma Public Library Board Study Session of August 25th, 2026.

0:14

Quick, please call the roll.

0:16

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

0:18

President.

0:18

Councilmember Diaz.

0:20

Councilmember Heinz.

0:22

Councilmember Palmer.

0:24

Councilmember Rembaugh.

0:26

Here.

0:27

It's virtual.

0:28

Councilmember Sidalgay.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Councilmember Scott.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Walker.

0:32

Here.

0:33

And Mayor Ibsen.

0:34

Here.

0:35

Our first agenda item is our Tacoma Public Library annual report.

0:40

Oh, excuse me, yes.

0:41

Missed that paragraph.

0:42

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

0:43

At this time, I'd like to welcome the Tacoma Public Library Director, Amida Lonial, to introduce the board members who are present and begin the presentation.

0:53

I think I heard yes.

0:58

Hi.

0:59

Yay.

1:00

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

1:02

It is so great to be here this afternoon for our annual joint session.

1:08

So you all know me.

1:09

I'm the director of Tacoma Public Library.

1:11

I've been the director for the last two years, but I'm gonna turn it over to my trustees to introduce themselves if you want to say your name, how long you've been on the board, and anything else you want to share.

1:21

Good afternoon, everyone.

1:22

I'm Jules Bilstra.

1:24

Oh, yeah.

1:24

On the right.

1:26

Good afternoon, everyone.

1:27

Joel Zyostra.

1:29

I am uh member of the trustees uh vice president right now, and uh I've been on the trustees uh board for about a year and a half.

1:38

So glad to be here today.

1:41

Good afternoon.

1:42

Thank you for having us.

1:43

I'm Elizabeth Bowman.

1:45

It's my third year as a trustee, which I'm um pleased and thrilled to serve in this capacity.

1:55

Thank you.

1:56

Good afternoon, everyone.

1:56

I'm Andrea Cobb.

1:58

Um proud and to have served on the board and I'm in my fifth year now, so it's good to be with you again.

2:05

All right, welcome everyone.

2:07

At this time, I'd like to call on a director um Amida Lonial to begin the presentation.

2:11

Sure.

2:11

And before I get started, I just want to say that um President Santiago um and trustee sex and a send their regrets for not being able to join today.

2:19

But um they are very active in the board and um are really excited about what we're gonna present today.

2:25

Um I thought I would just start with the basics.

2:27

I think you all probably know this, but I think it's always okay to kind of review.

2:32

Um but you know, Tacoma Public Library is composed of eight neighborhood libraries that you can see here on this map.

2:38

Um, our first real branch opens in 1903 following a substantive donation from Andrew Carnegie himself, which is what we know is the Northwest Room right now.

2:48

Um we currently have about 109 FTE.

2:51

That's what we're budgeted for.

2:52

It's not exactly what's filled today.

2:54

Um, and we are currently only open to the public uh 40 hours per week, Tuesday through Saturday.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Libraries And Digital Resources█████████████████████████████████████████████52%
Strategic Planning██████████████16%
Community Engagement███████████13%
Public Engagement█████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure███4%
Public Transportation███3%
Economic Development███3%
Procedural█1%
Budget Equity Analysis█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Study Session Summary - August 25, 2026

The Tacoma City Council held a joint study session with the Tacoma Public Library Board on August 25, 2026, starting at 12:00 PM. The meeting covered the library's annual report and operational metrics, an update on the council action memo (CAM) and council consideration request (CCR) process, a memorandum supporting Pierce Transit Proposition No. 1, and a resolution committing to minority- and women-owned business development. No public comments were received.

Tacoma Public Library Annual Report and Operating Metrics

  • Presentation by Director Amita Lonial: The library comprises eight neighborhood branches with 109 budgeted FTE, open 40 hours per week (Tuesday–Saturday), and an $18 million annual operating budget (98% from the city general fund). The library debuted its first community-led strategic plan in 2020, refreshed in 2025, with top community priorities: more hours/access, improved collections, and facility upgrades.
  • Key Statistics (2025): In-person visits grew 15% year-over-year; meeting room reservations increased 30%+; digital circulation rose from 400,000 (2023) to over 600,000 (2025); physical circulation remained flat. The collection budget ($1.2 million) has not increased since the 1990s. The library spends over 50% of its collection budget on electronic materials. Deferred maintenance across all eight branches was estimated at $10–15 million (2024 study), now likely doubled.
  • Challenges: Rising ebook costs due to unfavorable publisher pricing (e.g., $80/license per title), the forced termination of the Hoopla service (was costing nearly $250,000/year), aging buildings with no dedicated capital budget, and reliance on vacancy savings for emergency repairs.
  • Successes: Main library refresh (completed Feb. 2025, $8 million) has been highly used (25–70 people waiting daily). An anonymous donor gave $270,000 for Swayze branch exterior/structural improvements, matched by $200,000 from the library. Partnerships with Tacoma Creates, UW social work program, Tacoma Pro Bono, St. Leo’s food program, and others expanded services.
  • Future Plans: Hiring a facilities manager to develop a facilities plan; exploring a future library levy; growing the library foundation; adding four extra open Saturdays before Monday holidays in 2027.
  • Council Discussion: Multiple council members expressed strong support for the library’s role as a third space and its importance for youth, literacy, and community cohesion. Councilmember Diaz highlighted the need for a hilltop library and east side library. Councilmember Henz asked about eliminating late fees (successful) and the top-circulated book. Councilmember Walker asked about coordination on state/federal grants, digital costs, and e-rate program advocacy. Councilmember Rumbaugh inquired about the food locker proposal and levy timeline (survey planned for early September).

City Council Consideration Request and Action Memorandum Process Update

  • Presentation by Jacques Colon, Director of Center for Strategic Priorities: The CAM/CCR process was last updated in 2019. The goal is to align with Tacoma 2035 goals and improve effectiveness. Proposed changes include: combining multiple form types into one with dropdowns; adding a problem statement section; clarifying past council actions; standardizing section titles; updating community engagement to capture lessons learned; expanding impact analysis to cover equity (access, opportunity, belonging) and climate resilience; simplifying fiscal analysis; moving the recommendation section earlier; and including a timeline and evaluation measures.
  • Council Feedback: Councilmember Palmer supported the updates and asked about dropdowns for fiscal information and Tacoma 2035 alignment. Councilmember Diaz raised concerns about staff workload (particularly the alternatives section) and the proposed online form (PDF-only would hinder editing; prefers Word). Councilmember Walker and Deputy Mayor Bushnell emphasized that the form is a tool and won’t perfectly fit all topics. Mayor Ibsen suggested adding a future-oriented engagement component. Staff clarified that the alternatives section is not exhaustive. Council directed staff to proceed with a pilot process, incorporating feedback, with a goal of going live January 1, 2027.

City Council Action Memorandum – Support for Pierce Transit Proposition No. 1

  • Mayor Ibsen presented a memorandum to express council support for Pierce Transit’s ballot measure in November 2026, which would authorize an additional 0.3% sales and use tax (3 cents per $10) to maintain and expand transit service. Key benefits: new bus routes, expanded hours, reduced wait times, improved access to light rail/healthcare/schools/jobs, expanded services for people with disabilities, and fare-free bus service for seniors and youth. The item was co-sponsored by Deputy Mayor Bushnell and Councilmember Palmer. No council questions were raised.

City Council Consideration Request – Commitment to Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses

  • Mayor Ibsen introduced a resolution to formalize the city’s commitment to the Community Investment Commitment (CIC), aligning with Tacoma Public Schools and Parks Tacoma. The resolution does not require new funding but signals regional coordination on local hiring, apprenticeship utilization, and small, minority- and women-owned business (MWBE) procurement. City staff Casey Woods (economic development) and Tacoma Public Schools staff Alicia Laver explained that the city already meets or exceeds many existing goals; the CIC will aggregate and disaggregate data across the three agencies to demonstrate collective community wealth building. Councilmember Scott requested additional information before the September 15 vote. Councilmember Walker emphasized that the resolution reinforces existing work without creating new burdens. The resolution will be considered for adoption on September 15, 2026.

Committee Reports and Weekly Report

  • No committee reports were presented. The city manager’s weekly report was acknowledged, including a proclamation declaring Sunday, August 30, 2026 as Concrete Technology Corporation Day.

Key Outcomes

  • Library levy exploration: Staff to launch a public survey in early September and report back to council in early fall.
  • CAM/CCR process update: Council approved moving forward with a pilot test based on feedback, targeting a January 1, 2027 go-live date.
  • Pierce Transit Proposition No.1: Council action memorandum to express support; will be on the consent agenda for the evening’s regular council meeting.
  • MWBE Commitment: Resolution will be voted on at the September 15 council meeting.
  • Next study session: Scheduled for September 8, 2026 (not specified in transcript, but implied by regular schedule).

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call to order the joint city council Tacoma Public Library Board Study Session of August 25th, 2026. Quick, please call the roll. Deputy Mayor Bushnell. President. Councilmember Diaz. Councilmember Heinz. Councilmember Palmer. Councilmember Rembaugh. Here. It's virtual. Councilmember Sidalgay. Here. Councilmember Scott. Here. Councilmember Walker. Here. And Mayor Ibsen. Here. Our first agenda item is our Tacoma Public Library annual report. Oh, excuse me, yes. Missed that paragraph. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. At this time, I'd like to welcome the Tacoma Public Library Director, Amida Lonial, to introduce the board members who are present and begin the presentation. I think I heard yes. Hi. Yay. Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. It is so great to be here this afternoon for our annual joint session. So you all know me. I'm the director of Tacoma Public Library. I've been the director for the last two years, but I'm gonna turn it over to my trustees to introduce themselves if you want to say your name, how long you've been on the board, and anything else you want to share. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Jules Bilstra. Oh, yeah. On the right. Good afternoon, everyone. Joel Zyostra. I am uh member of the trustees uh vice president right now, and uh I've been on the trustees uh board for about a year and a half. So glad to be here today. Good afternoon. Thank you for having us. I'm Elizabeth Bowman. It's my third year as a trustee, which I'm um pleased and thrilled to serve in this capacity. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Andrea Cobb. Um proud and to have served on the board and I'm in my fifth year now, so it's good to be with you again. All right, welcome everyone. At this time, I'd like to call on a director um Amida Lonial to begin the presentation. Sure.

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