Calling for more oversight, public input, Palm Springs City Council approves moving forward on library renovations, funding study

With an eye toward the future, the Palm Springs City Council voted unanimously Thursday to move forward with the renovation of the Palm Springs Public Library and directed staff to begin the process of an issuance of debt service.

More than a dozen people spoke in support of the move at Thursday evening’s regular Council meeting. All of them were staunch supporters of the facility, including members of the library’s Board of Trustees, the Public Library Foundation, and the Friends of the Palm Springs Library.

Each of the speakers mentioned the necessity of a library as the “beating heart of a community,” as one speaker said, even in the digital age.

They insisted that libraries will never be obsolete because their public service work will constantly evolve and change. The early design plans reflected that outlook, with square footage devoted to maker and creative spaces.

David Schnee, principal in charge with Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc., laid out the timeline for councilmembers. He said his company is on track, having just submitted schematic designs at the end of last year.

Schnee emphasized that it was important for the Council to approve the next step so they could stay on schedule to meet the requirements of the $6.5 million state grant.

Councilmembers, however, were concerned with what they saw as a need for more community outreach at the current stage. They agreed that their approval came with an understanding that the project needed project management oversight and more public engagement within the next few months.

“There was one community meeting that we had, and it was on a Wednesday afternoon in October at 3 p.m.,” said Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein, noting that the timing of the meeting excluded “a whole portion of our community,” including working parents, children, and snowbirds.

Councilmember Grace Garner worried that the demographics surveyed for this preliminary stage weren’t representative of the community.

Instead, Garner said they should be looking at, “Who’s not here and why are they not here? How do we make sure we’re creating a library space available for everyone, even if they haven’t come to the library in the past?”

Garner and Councilmember Christy Holstege also wanted to ensure the library was built for the future by including facilities for virtual reality, audio and video spaces, and indoor play places for families.

Schnee said because planning is still in the early stages, all of that is still being incorporated into the design.

Councilmember Lisa Middleton summed it up, saying, “I’m going to support this, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Middleton said she hoped the project would be more integrated with other departments like the Parks and Recreation Department for a holistic approach to the renovation.

City Manager Scott Stiles explained that with the green light from the Council, the city’s finance director can begin a preliminary financial analysis on debt issuance before returning to the Council with options.

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