HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-23; City Council; 03; Donation from the Carlsbad Library & Arts FoundationCA Review CKM
Meeting Date:
To:
From:
Staff Contact:
suzanne.smithson@carlsbadca.gov or 442-339-2011
Subject:
Districts:
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution accepting a donation of $229,377 from the Carlsbad Library & Arts
Foundation to the City of Carlsbad’s Library & Cultural Arts Department.
Executive Summary
The Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation has offered to donate $229,377 to the City of Carlsbad’s
Library & Cultural Arts department, as follows:
•$102,699 from its Robert H. Gartner Endowment Fund to support cultural programming
in the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad City Library complex
•$100,741 from its Benson Family Endowment Fund to provide funding in part for library
materials and in part to support programs and services of the Library Learning Center
•$16,937 from the Cannon Endowment Fund to support programs, exhibits and activities
associated with the William D. Cannon Art Gallery
•$4,500 from the Foundation’s general non-endowment fund to support pop-up art
activities at the TGIF summer concert series.
Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 2.08.100 requires the City Council’s approval for the city to
accept donations worth more than $5,000.
Explanation & Analysis
The Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation was launched in 1998 with the mission to seek,
cultivate and provide financial support for the City of Carlsbad’s library and cultural arts
facilities and programs and ensure they serve community needs. One way the foundation
achieves this mission is by attracting and managing major gifts. Through the generosity of
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community members, endowments have been established to support specific programs and
services:
•The Robert H. Gartner Endowment was established in 2005 and is designated to support
cultural programming in the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium.
•The Benson Family Endowment was established in 2014 as a gift from Dr. and Mrs.
Russell Benson through the Benson Family Trust, for the use and benefit of the Library
Learning Center and for the acquisition of books and other library materials.
•The William D. Cannon Art Gallery Endowment was established with a gift from
Teresa M. Cannon in 1999, to support the activities and programs of the William D.
Cannon Art Gallery.
The funds for fiscal year 2026-27 will be appropriated as follows:
•Funds from the Robert H. Gartner Cultural Endowment will be used to support programs
presented by the Library & Cultural Arts Department in the Schulman Auditorium,
including concerts, film presentations, arts lectures, literary events, author visits, plays
and play readings for the community to enjoy. These funds also support film and music
licenses for the venue.
•The Benson Family Endowment will support collection development activities and
services including both physical materials and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks. At
the Learning Center, these funds will provide for marketing and promotional materials,
as well as supporting the Career Online High School Program and bilingual services.
These funds also support staffing for open Saturday hours at the Learning Center.
•The Cannon Endowment will support exhibition related special events and the technical
needs of the William D. Cannon gallery, which hosts over 30,000 attendees annually.
The funds also support the Explore More education program, which is developed in
relation to specific exhibitions presented in the gallery and serves about 5,000 students
and community members of all ages each year.
•Pop-up art activities at the annual TGIF Concerts in the Parks series were discontinued in
the summer of 2024 due to budget restrictions. Community feedback indicated the
activities were sorely missed. The Foundation responded by agreeing to provide
ongoing financial support for pop-up art at the concerts, starting in summer 2025.
Fiscal Analysis
The $229,377 donation will be used as stated above to enhance cultural programming, visual
arts activities and library services through the Library & Cultural Arts department.
Appropriation of these funds is included in the fiscal year 2026-27 adopted budget.
Next Steps
The Library & Cultural Arts department will apply these funds as appropriated in the fiscal year
2026-27 adopted budget to deliver the identified programs and services.
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Environmental Evaluation
The proposed action is not a “project” as defined by California Environmental Quality Act, or
CEQA, Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4) and does not require
environmental review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15602(c)(3) because accepting the
donation is a government fiscal activity and does not in itself involve any commitment to any
specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the
environment. Accepting the donation does not have a legally binding effect on any possible
future discretionary action. The activities or projects for which this funding will be used may
require preparation of an environmental document in accordance with CEQA and the CEQA
Guidelines. The proposed action will not foreclose review of alternatives or mitigation
measures by the public as part of the environmental review process.
Exhibits
1.City Council resolution
2.Fiscal year 2026-27 Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation funding request
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Exhibit 1 RESOLUTION NO. 2026-131 .
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, ACCEPTING A DONATION OF $229,377 FROM THE CARLSBAD
LIBRARY & ARTS FOUNDATION TO THE CITY OF CARLSBAD’S LIBRARY &
CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, has determined that the Carlsbad
Library & Arts Foundation has generously offered to donate $229,377 to the City of Carlsbad’s Library &
Cultural Arts department, as follows: $102,699 from its Robert H. Gartner Endowment Fund, $100,741
from its Benson Family Endowment Fund, $16,937 from the Cannon Endowment Fund and $4,500 from
the Foundation’s general non-endowment fund; and
WHEREAS, acceptance of this donation will provide for enhanced cultural programming in the
Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium and the William D. Cannon Art Gallery, purchasing of library materials,
support for programs and services at the Library Learning Center, and pop-up art activities at the
summer TGIF concert series.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as
follows:
1.That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the proposed action is not a “project” as defined by California Environmental
Quality Act, or CEQA, Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4) and does
not require environmental review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15602(c)(3) because
accepting the donation is a government fiscal activity and does not in itself involve any
commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical
impact on the environment. Accepting the donation does not have a legally binding
effect on any possible future discretionary action. The activities or projects for which
this funding will be used may require preparation of an environmental document in
accordance with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines. The proposed action will not foreclose
review of alternatives or mitigation measures by the public as part of the environmental
review process.
3.That the City Council accepts with thanks the donation of $229,377 from the Carlsbad
Library & Arts Foundation.
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4.That the City Manager or designee shall appropriate the $229,377 donation to the
Library & Cultural Arts Department fiscal year 2026-27 operating budget to be used to
support library programs and services.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City
of Carlsbad on the 23rd day of June, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Blackburn, Bhat-Patel, Acosta, Burkholder, Shin.
NAYS: None.
ABSTAIN: None.
ABSENT: None.
______________________________________
KEITH BLACKBURN, Mayor
______________________________________
SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk
(SEAL)
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Library & Cultural Arts Department
1775 Dove Lane ï Carlsbad, CA 92011 ï 442-339-2011 T
Memorandum
March 12, 2026
To:
From:
Re: FY 2026-27 FUNDING REQUESTS
The Library & Cultural Arts Department is requesting a disbursement from the Carlsbad Library
& Arts Foundation’s (CLAF) general fund and three endowment funds totaling $224,877 for
program and service delivery in FY 2026-27, consistent with the instructions of each donor.
•From the general non-endowment funds, $4,500 for Pop-up art activities at the TGIF
Concerts in the Parks.
•From the Robert H. Gartner Cultural Endowment, $102,699 for cultural programming in
the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium.
•The Benson Family Endowment provides funding in equal parts for the library collection
and in support of programs and services at the Library Learning Center. The request is
$100,741: $50,370.50 in support of the library’s collection and $50,370.50 to support the
Learning Center.
•From the Cannon Endowment, $16,937 is requested to support programs, exhibits and
activities associated with the William D. Cannon Art Gallery.
Funds from CLAF’s general non-endowment fund are for ongoing support of Pop-up art activities
and pre-concert dance lessons at the TGIF Concerts in the Parks. These activities were
discontinued in summer 2024, due to limited department funds. In response to community
feedback indicating how much they were missed, CLAF offered funds to support these popular
activities starting in summer 2025.
Funds from the Robert H. Gartner Cultural Endowment will be used to support programs
presented by the Library & Cultural Arts Department in the Schulman Auditorium, including
concerts, film presentations, arts lectures, literary events, author visits, plays and playreadings
for the community to enjoy. This endowment also provides enhanced part-time staff support for
events, as well as film and music licenses for the venue.
Exhibit 2
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Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation
March 12, 2026
Page 2
The Benson Family Endowment supports specific collection development activities and services
including both physical materials and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks. At the Learning
Center, these funds will provide for marketing and promotional materials, a new podium and
portable PA system to help with events, as well as supporting the Career Online High School
Program and bilingual services. These funds also support staffing for open Saturday hours at the
Learning Center.
The Cannon Endowment supports the needs of the William D. Cannon gallery, including
exhibition related special events and the technical needs of the gallery. The William D. Cannon
gallery hosts over 30,000 attendees annually. The funds also support the Explore More program,
which is developed in relation to specific exhibitions presented in the gallery and serves about
5,000 students and community members of all ages each year.
Finally, the department requests consideration for a new $7,000 funding request in FY 2026-27,
for ongoing support for juried and invitational exhibitions. Library & Cultural Arts has hosted such
exhibitions in the past and is planning to schedule them regularly in alternating years. If
approved, the funding will provide award money for winning artists in a biennial juried exhibition,
including a people’s choice award. It will also be utilized for payments to artists chosen for an
invitational exhibition in the alternating year.
The Library & Cultural Arts Department appreciates the Board’s consideration and approval of
these disbursements and staff will factor this into FY 2026-27 budget planning which is currently
in progress.
Thank you for your ongoing support of these valuable programs and services.
FE/SS
cc: Sheila Crosby, Deputy Library Director
Katie Nye, Deputy Library Director
Craddock Stropes, Cultural Arts Manager
Fiona Everett, Senior Management Analyst
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