SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIAL MEETING (5:00 PM)

success. Equally essential are: A stable, welcoming space for learners and tutors to meet. Evening and weekend hours that allow working adults to participate. Staff availability to provide resources, materials, and guidance. A sense of community and connection built through regular interaction. A reduction in library hours threatens all of these critical elements. I am concerned that a 35% cut to library hours will result in a comparable reduction in adult learning. How will adult learners who work during the day access tutoring if evening hours are eliminated? Will volunteers still get involved if they have fewer opportunities to get trained or meet with learners? Will the program need to reduce its offering of English conversation groups and ESL book clubs, two key places without a waiting list for adult learners to practice English in a safe, supportive environment that builds friendships and community? How will a reduced program impact State Library funding of the program? Beyond the library cuts, I am also concerned about the City's growing reliance on consultants and the impact this has on the budget. I respectfully request that the Council conduct a thorough review of consultant expenditures, including: How much the City spends on consultants. Whether these expenses have increased in recent years, and why. A clear justification from City staff for each consultant contract. Transparency about why the City's consultant reduction proposals from the February 13 and March 13 BAC meetings "General Fund Proposed Service Reductions" totaled $450,000, while the City Manager's April 8 recommendation reflects only $130,000 — a $320,000 discrepancy that deserves explanation. In a time of difficult budget decisions, I urge the Council to prioritize the people and programs that build community, foster learning, and directly serve Pleasanton residents — like our public library. Before cutting hours and services that touch so many lives, we should first take a hard look at discretionary spending elsewhere. Thank you for your consideration.