Tuesday June 18, 6:30 PM
MLK Library, Lower level – room A3

Agenda includes:

• Booksale series launch
• “Books & Brews” get-togethers
• National Building Museum lecture by Freelon Group — MLK’s architect of record

The Budget Support Act is a little known legislative document that accompanies the Budget. It outlines actions to be taken with certain allocations. It becomes law.

Look Out!                                                                                                          Regarding the District’s central library Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, the proposed Act puts in place actions that have not received public discussion:

” that by October of 2013, DCPL is to report upon the following:
(1)  A detailed update on design plans;
(2) A description of the project’s financing including any and all public-private partnerships or use of financing other than District capital funds;
(3) A detailed timeline on the steps that will be taken leading up to the start of construction in FY17 and through to completion in FY18; and
(4) A description of the project’s community and stakeholder engagement plan with an explanation of how the project will reflect the needs and perspectives of District residents.”

See excerpt of Budget Support Act pdf

This is exactly backwards!!  If we haven’t established what is wanted for a transformed central library including, among other things, public-private or public-pubic partnerships, how can we design it or draw up a financial plan or construction timeline to achieve it? When will communities be consulted — over the summer when no one is around?

Library Renaissance Project has been asking for a Citizens Task Force on the Future of MLK since the central library debacle in 2006 (incidentally, also precipitated by a Budget Support Act which gave Mayor Anthony Williams authority to enter into negotiations to dispose of MLK. Library advocates caught it just in time and that action was deleted).

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B, in Dupont Circle, which does not have a neighborhood library but where MLK is in walking distance, has twice called for a Citizens Task Force:  in 2008 and in March of this year. The first time, the ANC was told a task force would be premature; the second request has simply been ignored.

Had the city conducted a task force in the interim since 2006, we could have had genuine citizen participation; perhaps even intellectual discussion, such as people who use libraries would welcome, and such as other communities provide their citizen stakeholders. We could have created anticipation about something good that government does.

Solution: Put Number 4 First: Move 1, 2 and 3 to the following year.   There is still plenty of time to convene a task force to conduct an inclusive and meaningful process, which would set the parameters for points 1, 2 and 3.  In fact, until 4 is done, 1,2 and 3 can’t be undertaken. The 2014 budget contains $4M in planning for MLK. The money for actual renovation  does not become available until 2017 and 18. The Budget Support Act  should be changed to put item 4 first, and items 1-3 should be pushed back until the next budget cycle.

The final vote on the Budget Support Act will take place June 18th. Between now and then, please call upon DC Council to use some of the $4M provided for Library planning in the FY 2014 capital budget to  convene a Citizens Task Force on MLK Library. 

And change the Budget Support Act of 2013 to read as follows:   

by October of 2013, DCPL is to report upon the following:
(1) A description of the project’s community and stakeholder engagement plan, including a Citizens Task Force on the Future of MLK central Library, to identify the needs and perspectives of District residents.

by October of 2014, DCPL is to report upon the following:
(1)  An update on design plans;
(2) A description of the project’s financing including any and all public-private, public-public partnerships or use of financing other than District capital funds;
(3) A detailed timeline on the steps that will be taken leading up to the start of construction in FY17 and through to completion in FY18;  and
(4) An explanation of how the project plans reflect the needs and perspectives of District residents.