El Cerrito task force proposes having library assessed for repairs, public surveyed about how to fund a new building
on November 11, 2026
For more than two decades, water has seeped through the El Cerrito Library’s ceiling, soaking tiles and, at times, sending staff scrambling for trash cans to catch the drips.
A citizen-led task force charged with charting the library’s future voted Tuesday to ask El Cerrito City Council to seek a detailed condition assessment of the 77-year-old building and a cost estimate for repairs.
The assessment is part of the task force’s proposed work plan as it chooses between recommending a new or renovated library to the city’s capital improvement program.
If approved at the Dec. 1 council meeting, the assessment and report would take about three months and could cost an estimated $50,000, said City Manager Will Provost. Consultants from construction firm Griffin Structures would assess the state of the building and recommend repairs, providing cost estimates for each fix.
Members of the task force said their new plan needs more community engagement to succeed. Their work plan calls for a formal survey that would gauge support for a new or renovated library. That survey could cost up to $35,000.
The task force said it is considering alternatives to a survey such as community town halls or online forms spread through social media.
The group also plans to speak with those who campaigned for and against Measure C, a citizen-lead property tax measure that would have funded a new library but failed in the June primary election.
”Whether they are perfectly representative of all of the folks who voted, they at least were helpful in mobilizing around different concerns and desires,” said task force member Amy Chen.
The task force decided Tuesday to prioritize renovations over scouting out a new library location for the time being.
“At this point, I don’t think we have any other option, because that’s the library we’ll have for the foreseeable future,” said task force member Chelsi Sparti.
The library has been dealing with wet ceiling tiles and dripping roofs since 2004, work orders show. In a February 2011 report, former El Cerrito head librarian Laura Martinengo requested repairs for the leaky ceiling, saying trash cans were situated to collect drips.
“So far,” she wrote, “the water has not damaged any books.”
The roof was replaced in 2012, but new leaks were reported this August. Records show the library has flooded at least six times in the past 20 years, most recently last November. The floods have damaged books and basement flooring.
Sparti said she’s concerned about more flooding and roof damage in the coming months. The Bay Conservation and Development Commission has warned of heightened storm and flood risks this winter and spring because of an unusually strong El Niño climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean.
Provost said the city will look into preventive action outside the building, such as cutting tree branches that could sever power lines near the library if knocked down in stormy weather.
The task force, which was formed after the tax measure failed, has a year to finalize recommendations to the City Council. The group meets once every two months and will disband by September.
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