The document proposes a System Settings API to solve issues with functional configuration management and deployment in sites. The API would provide a central location for all site configuration, support change logging, and allow pluggable storage mechanisms. This would make adding features less disruptive and merging configuration across environments easier. The API is designed to support storing structured data and allow modules to specify how and when settings are loaded. New potential features include pluggable storage options, configuration version control, and a configuration server to propagate changes.