2026-10-29 - Committee on Human Services

[GAVEL] RECORDING IN PROGRESS. CHAIR FRUMIN: GOOD AFTERNOON. TODAY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2026. WE ARE MEETING IN PERSON IN ROOM FORM CLOSE -- 412 IN THE WILSON BUILDING VIA ZOOM. THE TIME IS NOW

FOUR: 12:00 P.M. -- 4:12 P.M.. WE ARE CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON B26-0816. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC LIBRARY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1896 BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS. CONGRESS ALSO CREATED A BOARD OF

LIBRARY TRUSTEES TO OVERSEE THE LIBRARY WHICH CONSISTS OF NINE UNPAID RESIDENTS CONFIRMED BY THE COUNCIL. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SERVES AS A NONVOTING MEMBER. THE BOARD IS GOVERNED BY LAWS THAT SET

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. LAST MAY, THE BOARD AMENDED THE BYLAWS. SOME CHANGES WERE TECHNICAL WHILE OTHER SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES INCORPORATED LONG-STANDING PRACTICES THAT HAVE SERVED THE BOARD WELL. THIS

LEGISLATION WHICH I INTRODUCED AT THE REQUEST OF DCPL ALIGNS WITH THE NEWLY REVISED BYLAWS WITH THE D.C. CODE. THE REQUESTED REVISIONS REPLACE OUTDATED LANGUAGE, ENSURE LEADERSHIP CONTINUITY, CLARIFY

THE AGENCY REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES AND STRENGTHEN THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO STRENGTHEN GENERATING ACTIVITY. I LOOK FORWARD INTO DIGGING TO THE CHANGES IN HOW THE COMMITTEE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT

DCPL'S IMPORTANT WORK. AS WE HAVE NO PUBLIC WITNESSES FOR THE HEARING, WE ARE JOINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC LIBRARY, RICHARD REYES-GAVILAN. AND JOI MECKS, CHIEF OF STAFF.

IT IS THE PRACTICE OF THIS COMMITTEE TO PLACE OUR GOVERNMENT WITNESSES UNDER OATH. PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. DO YOU SWEAR OR AFFIRM UNDER PENALTY OF LAW THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU ARE ABOUT TO PROVIDE

TO THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES IS THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? I DO. I DO. CHAIR FRUMIN: YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR TESTIMONY. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN FRUMAN, MEMBERS

OF COMMITTEE AND STAFF. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY. I AM HERE TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF THE BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES TECHNICAL AMENDMENT ACT OF 2026 WITH A SET OF MODEST

UPDATES UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE BOARD AT THE REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING MAY 20 7, 2026, AND NOW BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION. THE REVISIONS ARE NARROW IN SCOPE READ THE PURPOSE IS TO MODERNIZE

OUTDATED LANGUAGE, ALIGN STATUTORY PROVISIONS WITH CURRENT PRACTICES, AND ENSURE THE LAW ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE OPERATIONAL REALITY OF D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY. COLLECTIVELY, THEY REINFORCE TREND PARODY,

CLARITY, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE WITHOUT EXPANDING THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I WILL BRIEFLY OUTLINE THE PROPOSED UPDATES. FIRST, LEGISLATION UPDATES. THE OFFICER ELECTION CYCLE FOR

THE BOARD. THE CURRENT STATUTE REQUIRES THE BOARD TO ELECT A PRESIDENT ANNUALLY. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT MOVES TO A TWO-YEAR CYCLE AND ADOPT A MODERNIZED TITLE OF CHAIR OR PRESIDENT. THIS CHANGE

PROVIDES GREATER LEADERSHIP CONTINUITY AND REFLECTS THE APPROACH THE BOARD HAS FOLLOWED SINCE JANUARY OF 2021 WHEN A SHIFT WAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE THEN BOARD PRESIDENT. THE

BILL MODERNIZES THE STATUTORY TITLE FOR THE LEADERSHIP POSITION. EXISTING LOT REFERS TO THE LIBRARIAN OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, LANGUAGE THAT NO LONGER REFLECTS DCPL'S STRUCTURE. THE UPDATE SUBSTITUTE

THE TITLE USED FOR DECADES. CHIEF LIBRARIAN, OR SINCE 2014, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENSURING THE STATUTE ALIGNS WITH THE CONTEMPORARY TITLE. THIRD, LEGISLATION UPDATES THE REQUIREMENTS WERE DCPL'S ANNUAL

REPORTING TO THE COUNCIL. WHILE STATUTES CURRENTLY MANDATE A FEBRUARY 1 SUBMISSION, IN PRACTICE, DCPL PARTICIPATES IN THE COUNCIL'S ANNUAL OVERSIGHT PROCESS ACCORDING TO THE TIMELINE SET EACH YEAR BY

THE COUNCIL. RENAMING THIS ANNUAL OVERSIGHT REPORT AND TYING THE DUE DATE TO THE COUNCIL'S ESTABLISHED SCHEDULE WILL PROVIDE CLARITY AND ENSURE STATUTORY ALIGNMENT WITH HOW OVERSIGHT ALREADY OCCURS.

FOURTH, THE BILL INTRODUCES IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THIRD PARTY REVENUE-GENERATING ACTIVITIES ON LIBRARY PROPERTY. THESE PROVISIONS DO NOT APPLY TO DCPL'S OWN REVENUE-GENERATING

ACTIVITIES. THEN MOMENTS CLARIFY AND MODERNIZE THIS SECTION OF THE CODE BY REPLACING THE TERM "PERMIT" AUTHORIZING THE BOARD TO DESIGNATE SUCH PERMITS AND ALLOW FEES TO BE SET BY A BOARD APPROVED

SCHEDULE AND PERMITTING FEE WAIVERS SERVES THE PUBLIC INTEREST. DCPL HAS GUIDELINES THAT DESCRIBE HOW THE AGENCY ISSUES FEE-BASED PERMITS, THE TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS ALLOWED TO GENERATE REVENUE ON

LIBRARY PROPERTY, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE LIBRARY ISSUES PERMITTING FEE WAIVERS. WHILE THE BOARD REVIEWED AND SUPPORTED THE CLARIFICATION OF THESE REVISIONS, THIS PORTION OF THE BILL DID

NOT REQUIRE AND THEREFORE DID NOT RECEIVE A BOARD VOTE. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE MINOR AND MINUTES ENSURE THE D.C. CODE REFLECTS THE BOARD'S BYLAWS AND DCPL'S ACTUAL OPERATIONS. THEY DO NOT CONFER NEW

POWERS OR AUTHORITIES. RATHER, THEY ENSURE THE CODE ACCURATELY REPRESENTS THE TRANSPARENT PRACTICES ALREADY IN PLACE AT D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND CONSIDERATION OF THESE

UPDATES. I AM JOINED BY LIBRARY CHIEF OF STAFF JOI MECKS. WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE. CHAIR FRUMIN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU DID ME THE SERVICE OF RUNNING THROUGH THE

PROPOSED CHANGES SO THAT HELPS US PROCEED EFFICIENTLY I THINK. I WILL NOT MAKE YOU GO THROUGH THEM AGAIN. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WHY NOW? AS STATED IN YOUR TESTIMONY, SOME OF THE PRACTICES HAVE BEEN

IN EFFECT FOR 10 YEARS. WHAT WAS THE APPROACH TO MAKE THESE CHANGES NOW? THE BOARD ADOPTED THESE CHANGES, MANY OF THEM YEARS AGO, BUT OUR GENERAL COUNSEL IS NOT HERE TODAY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR

US TO MAKE SURE THE LIBRARY'S BYLAWS AND CODE WERE PERFECTLY ALIGNED. WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY PROBLEMS CONSIDERING THESE HAVE BEEN STANDARD PRACTICES FOR YEARS. IT IS JUST GOOD GOVERNANCE. CHAIR

FRUMIN: OK. REGARDING THE ANNUAL REPORT DCPL SUBMITS TO THE COUNCIL, HOW LONG HAS THE LIBRARY BEEN SUBMITTING THE SAME REPORT AS THE ONE PROVIDED DURING THE OVERSIGHT PROCESS? CERTAINLY, AS LONG AS I

HAVE BEEN HERE, AND PROBABLY MANY YEARS BEFORE. JOI, YOU HAVE BEEN HERE 18 OR 19 YEARS. I'M GUESSING IT HAS PROBABLY BEEN AS LONG AS YOU HAVE BEEN HERE AS WELL. IT HAS. CHAIR FRUMIN: IS THERE ANY

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ANNUAL REPORT AND WHAT HAS BEEN REQUIRED UNDER THE OVERSIGHT PROCESS? NO. ALL THAT HAS EVER BEEN REQUESTED IS AN ANNUAL REPORT. OUR RESPONSES TO THE

OVERSIGHT QUESTIONS IS MORE ROBUST AND MORE DETAILED THAN ANY ANNUAL REPORT WE WOULD PROVIDE THE CITY OR THE BOARD. WE WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE ANSWERS WE SUBMIT TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON

HUMAN SERVICES ARE THAT ANNUAL REPORT. CHAIR FRUMIN: WHAT ORDINARILY MIGHT BE INSIDE AN ANNUAL REPORT IS MUCH MORE MODEST THAN THE FULL RESPONSES TO THE OVERSIGHT QUESTIONS, IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE

SAYING? CORRECT. IT SAYS THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE AGENCY OPERATIONS THE PREVIOUS YEAR, SO IT IS VERY VAGUE. SOMETHING PRESUMABLY YOU COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE OR 10 PAGES. AS

YOU KNOW, WE SUBMIT HUNDREDS OF PAGES TO THE COUNCIL. JUST ELIMINATING ANY SORT OF DUPLICATIVE REPORTING. CHAIR FRUMIN: SHOULD THE OVERSIGHT PROCESS OF THE COUNCIL BE CHANGED FOR ANY REASON? WITH THE

BOARD MAKE IT A POINT TO STILL SUBMIT SOME REPORT FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR? I DON'T SEE A WORLD WHERE WE ASK FOR MUCH LESS THAN THE OVERSIGHT PROCESS. MR. REYES-GAVILAN: I DON'T THINK IT IS NECESSARY.

WHEN WE SHARE RESPONSES, WE ALSO SHARE THOSE WITH THE BOARD SO THEY CAN PERUSE THOSE IF THEY LIKE. I THINK IT WORKS PRETTY WELL. IT BECOMES THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT OVER WHICH OUR HEARING THEN

FOLLOWS AND OUR DISCUSSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THAT PROCESS. CHAIR FRUMIN: OK. YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR TESTIMONY THE LIBRARY ALREADY HAS GUIDELINES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE

WISHING TO OBTAIN A PERMIT CONDUCTING REVENUE-GENERATING ACTIVITIES ANY LIBRARY BRANCH. DO THEY HAVE A FEE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC? MR. REYES-GAVILAN: YES. CHAIR FRUMIN: IS IT POSTED? MR.

REYES-GAVILAN: IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE IN THE LIBRARY'S GUIDELINES. CHAIR FRUMIN: WHEN DID THE BOARD LAST APPROVED THE FEE SCHEDULE? MR. REYES-GAVILAN: THE BOARD DOES NOT APPROVE THAT FEE SCHEDULE. WHAT

THE BOARD DOES IS APPROVE THE FEES THAT THE LIBRARY CHARGES AS PART OF OUR OWN REVENUE-GENERATING ACTIVITIES. CHAIR FRUMIN: HOW LONG HAS THAT FEE SCHEDULE BEEN USED BY THE LIBRARY? MR. REYES-GAVILAN:

WHAT IS THE EXACT DATE? MS. MECKS: THE FEE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A FEW YEARS. WE ACTUALLY JUST STARTED IMPLEMENTING THE FEES THIS PAST SUMMER. AND SO, WE HAD ONE EVEN TAKE PLACE AT THE

LIBRARY WHERE A SALES PERMIT WAS REQUIRED THIS PAST SUMMER. SO, THERE HAS BEEN ONE ACTIVITY WHERE A FEE-BASED PERMIT WAS