HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/1/2026 Item 1d, History Center of SLO County
History Center of SLO County <
To:Hill, Robert; Stewart, Erica A; Francis, Emily; Shoresman, Michelle; Marx, Jan; Boswell,
Mike; E-mail Council Website
Cc:Hollie West
Subject:The History Center of SLO County Lease Renewal Letter
Attachments:Lease Letter.pdf
Hello City Leaders,
Please find attached to this message a letter addressed to Mayor Stewart and
the San Luis Obispo City Council regarding renewing the lease the History
Center of San Luis Obispo County has for 696 Monterey Street, the Carnegie
Library Building.
I look forward to seeing all of you next Tuesday to present our case and to
answer any of your questions.
Thank you so much for everything,
Steve Schmidt
The History Center of San Luis Obispo County
Executive Director
1
HISTORY CENTER
August 26, 2026
Subject: Interest in Lease Renewal
Dear Mayor Stewart and the San Luis Obispo City Council,
As we near the end of a twenty-year lease, the History Center of San Luis Obispo County is
excited to pen this letter expressing interest in a twenty-year renewal as per the Terms of
Agreement in our existing lease.
We have been grateful to steward San Luis Obispo's Carnegie Museum building since 1954,
and are prepared for and enthused by the prospect to continue doing so. Our organization is
sitting in a strong place. We are fiscally stable, despite losing County subvention funding in
2025, community support is strong, and our Board of Directors and governing committees are
strong.
A huge leg up in our current Board's strength is the work we were able to do with Adrienne
Harris Consulting, thanks to your generous investment. We left our session with that team with a
robust work plan that is in the middle of implementation, and we are so grateful for the time with
Adrienne and the direction the sessions gave the organization. Thank you!
As mentioned above, the History Center of SLO County's agreement for subvention funding with
the County of San Luis Obispo was not renewed in FY 2025-26. Thanks to community support
and a very generous estate donation, we are in a strong financial position, and respectfully
request the removal of the agreement in the terms of this lease renewal.
We are eager to continue offering this space to the public and sharing history with the
community, and excited to work in conjunction with the City team and community partners over
the next twenty years as you work toward the next phases of the Downtown Concept Plan.
While our lease agreement offers us two parking spots in the lot directly next to the Carnegie
Library, we understand the lot is valuable real estate that can and likely will change over the
course of the next two decades. As such, we're happy to waive our lease on those spaces if and
when it becomes relevant, and look forward to any potential partnerships that may come with
the development of that space and the house behind the Carnegie Library.
We are so grateful for this partnership and all the support we receive from the City. Thank you
for being great stewards of this place we love!
Respectf y,
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SteveSchmidt, xecutive Director
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Hollie West, Chair of the Board