The Garland City Council and Mayor Scott LeMay received briefings on the Rental Assistance Program and Library Master Plan at the Jan. 11-12 work session and regular meeting.
Rental assistance distribution
At the request of District 4 Council Member B.J. Williams, an update on the rental assistance and small business assistance program was provided by Matt Watson, the city’s director of finance. Williams was concerned because of the small number of people who received aid.
The answer was because residents did not have the documentation required to meet the qualifications. They needed documentation of a job loss, decrease in income, or something else that proved that they needed assistance because of the pandemic.
The small business assistance aid was also given to a low number of businesses. Council learned that the federal guidelines were the reason for the low usage rate of the assistance. The requirement was that they must have had a 25% decline in income.
This program is now over, but there is still a rental assistance program in conjunction with the Salvation Army. Williams suggested that the things learned during this program be used to help in administering programs like these in the future.
Library Master Plan update
The mayor and council received an update from Karen Archibald, director of the library system, on the Library Action Plan. The mission is to break down barriers to access so that materials can get into the hands of people who can’t get to the facility in person.
Some of the items in the plan include:
- Design the libraries for inclusion.
- Offer more virtual access. .
- Investigate the possibility of expanding hours of operation.
- Provide pop-up library activities in the community.
- Implement outreach programs.
- Refocus programs and services.
- Offer access to current technologies.
- Renovate facilities to meet needs and add flexibility.
Archibald added that there are needs such as space configuration, layout and additional equipment at every library. City Manager Bryan Bradford praised Archibald, the staff and the library board.
“Our library board is full of dedicated people who really share the vision that Karen [Archibald] gave,” he said.
Bradford praised Archibald’s vision and the plan. He added that this master plan will “take us to a new era as far as libraries.”