HomeMy WebLinkAbout8 - Maters from the Department
TO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
FROM: Tracy Winfree, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation
Sarah DeSouza, Policy and Information Services Manager
Felix Gallo, Interim Parks and Planning Superintendent
Alice Guthrie, Interim Recreation Superintendent
SUBJECT: Matters from the Department
DATE: April 22, 2009
A. Parks and Recreation and Senior Services CLASS Registration System Update
Please see Attachment A, Weekly Information Packet item dated April 15, 2009
B. Valmont City Park (VCP) Design Process Update (verbal update)
C. Economic Stimulus Package Update (verbal update)
D. Nuisance Mosquitoes
A Weekly Information Packet item is being submitted by the Office of Environmental Affairs for
3eApril 23, 2009 packet. An email link to this WIP will be sent to PRAB members on April
E. Thunderbird Lake Management Plan Update
On February 17, 2009 the Department received direction from City Council to pursue Option D
(Use of Potable Water - multiple fills per year) for fixture management actions at Thunderbird
Lake. Since then, staff has assembled a project team and has been working on the next steps of
this option. Members of this project team include staff from Parks and Recreation, Planning and
Development Services, Public Works/Water Quality, Open Space and Mountain Parks and hired
consultants. The consulting firm, Biohabitats, Inc., has been retained to provide continued
expertise in the development of a lake management and implementation plan, wetland permit and
mitigation plan and ground water monitoring protocols and data collection.
The initial steps for implementing Option D, requires the submittal of a wetland permit per city
code to review and address any impacts this option may have. In order to obtain a wetland
permit for adding water in a timely manner, the project team prioritized the wetland permit
application and has completed this task, submitting the wetland permit application on April 20,
2009. Several issues were addressed as part of the preparation of the wetland permit application.
These were:
- Appropriate elevation of water level to accommodate desired outcome.
- Amount of wetland mitigation required based on water elevation and site constraints.
- Evaluation of the options of water delivery via a hydrant or irrigation system retrofit.
- Evaluation of other project goals as a result of adding water to the lake.
Staff has developed an approximate timeline for this project and when water may be available
and ready to add to Thunderbird Lake. The target timeframe for adding water is mid-June 2009.
This will allow for the public process of the wetland permit to take place (pending call-up by the
Planning Board and City Council), accommodate any wildlife issues (i.e. breeding, nesting) as
well as construct the. wetland mitigation area (0.21 acres) at the project site. During the wetland
mitigation construction, staff will retrofit the existing irrigation system to provide the water
delivery, which will include a dechlorination process before water enters the lake.
The adaptive management plan is in progress and will be developed around four project goals.
1) Add water to an acceptable elevation level that remains cost effective and efficient.
2) Managing the water level that will enhance recreational and educational opportunities.
3) Maintain overall lake and wetland functions as they relate to aquatic ecosystems.
4) Improve initial water quality that enables water quality management practices.
Staff is preparing a weekly information packet item for City Council that will provide an update
and will address staffing costs, budget analysis based on approach of water delivery, monitoring
and assessment, field management activities and other necessary permits. Staff will provide the
PRAB with a copy of the item.
Attachments:
Attachment A - Parks and Recreation and Senior Services CLASS Registration System Update
Attachment A
WEEKLY INFORMATION PACKET
MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor Appelbaum and Members of City Council
From: Jane Brautigam, City Manager
Stephanie Grainger, Deputy City Manager
Tracy Winfree, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation
Abbie Novak, Business and Finance Manager
John Riggle, Assistant Director of Housing and Human Services for Senior
Services
Date: April 15, 2009
Subject: Information Item: Parks and Recreation and Senior Services CLASS
Registration System Update
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of the CLASS registration system update is to rebuild the city's Parks and
Recreation and Senior Services shared database to improve its speed, accuracy and
efficiency. It is anticipated that the effort will ensure that customer data is current and
accurate, optimal customer service is provided and staff is trained appropriately on system
functionality and data entry. Additionally, staff will be able to utilize customer account
information for future retention, marketing and outreach efforts. The current "go-live" date
for the new database is November 9, 2009. The previous database will be backed-up and
accessible for historical query for up to four years, then archived thereafter.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Initial cost estimates for this project were $30,000. Based on changing operational needs, the
current estimated project cost is approximately $20,000. The project costs will include
consulting services from the software vendor, Active Network, to assist in rebuilding the new
database as well as funding for communications and outreach to patrons through the
recreation brochures and onsite at the recreation, community and senior centers. Staff time to
support the project is part of each department's ongoing work programs.
A combination of accounting principles (cash and accrual basis) had been utilized in the past,
causing mismatched financial information in the Boulder Finance System (BFS) and the
CLASS System. For consistency, accrual accounting will be utilized for all future
transactions, ensuring revenues are recognized at the time services are provided. As a result,
there will be a one-time accounting adjustment of approximately $297,000 to align the
revenues collected in December with January expenses, the month that services were
provided. Revenues will not be lost, just accounted for in the appropriate calendar year. As
a result, data in BFS and the CLASS System will match so there is consistency in financial
reporting from the systems.
AGENDA ITEM #_SL4 ,PAGE 3
Attachment A
COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND IMPACTS:
• Economic: Rebuilding the CLASS database provides an opportunity to resolve all
current and long-term financial liabilities (debits due/credits owed), while updating and
verifying client account information and improving the effectiveness of data collection.
This will result in having accurate information for operational and marketing decision-
making.
• Environmental: The updated system will collect email addresses for all transactions
allowing for email, as opposed to paper, receipts to be issued. Additionally, the online
registration system will be updated and reformatted so that it is more user-friendly,
making it easier for patrons to register online thereby reducing vehicle trips associated
with registering in person at city facilities. In the future, biometrics will be implemented
so patrons can scan their fingerprints upon arrival at the centers, eliminating the need for
producing membership passes and punchcards. Staff will establish policies and
procedures to ensure customer privacy protection.
• Social: The project will impact existing recreation, community and senior center patrons,
as all customer accounts will need to be recreated in the new system. Users will be asked
to provide current information for their new accounts. Staff will make its best efforts to
minimize the impact/burden to patrons and use the project to enhance outreach and
marketing of current service offerings.
ANALYSIS:
In 1995, the CLASS registration system was implemented at the city's recreation, community
and senior centers to manage financial transactions for memberships, program registration,
point-of-sale, contract agreements and facility rentals. In recent years, a system analysis has
revealed that a significant amount of unusable and inaccurate data now exists in the CLASS
system resulting in delayed system response times and other system inefficiencies.
To address the identified problems, staff researched other registration software systems and
evaluated if they could meet the city's business and operational needs. After evaluating
several products, staff determined that the CLASS system, specifically a rebuild of the
existing CLASS database, was the best fit for meeting the city's financial transaction and
customer service needs. The rebuild will improve data accuracy,and consistency and promote
optimal customer service. Additionally, staff will determine how to utilize updated customer
account information for future retention and outreach efforts.
In fall 2008, the city's CLASS System Management Team began working collaboratively
with staff from Parks and Recreation, Information Technology and Senior Services to
develop a project plan for the database rebuild. After identifying the project tasks, staff
worked with the vendor, the Active Network, to refine and formalize the project scope. In
February 2009, the vendor completed a business process review to provide recommendations
on the logistics of the implementation. In March, the vendor began to establish and test the
new database and instructed staff on standardized data entry processes that will be used to
keep new data current and accurate.
AGENDA ITEM # t , PAGE
Attachment A
The goals for the CLASS registration system update are to:
1. Resolve all existing financial liability issues associated with old or inactive account
balances;
2. Improve system operating speed and efficiency;
3. Update and verify account information;
4. Standardize collection of personal account data;
5. Change staff data collection procedures to improve account management;
6. Improve the speed of operations and customer service transactions; and
7. Have current and accurate information for marketing and operational
decision-making.
Staff anticipates the following areas will be improved by a database rebuild:
• Data: The Recreation Division and Senior Services currently rely on the CLASS
system to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information for clients and client
accounts, as well as programs, memberships and facility data. Rebuilding the
database will reduce the amount of data it contains, in turn increasing operational
efficiency.
• System Format: Over the past several years, staff has improved how the system is
used and formatted. Rebuilding the system will ensure functionality is in line with
business operations, eliminating data that is no longer utilized (e.g. membership
plans, programs and activities no longer offered, paint-of-sale items no longer sold,
brochure sections no longer advertised).
• Customer Service: Since the database had been utilized for 14 years, there is a
significant amount of data in the system, resulting in delayed system response time.
Eliminating unnecessary data will result in faster transactions and access to customer
account information. Additionally, cashiers and recreation and senior center staff will
be trained on the project intent, appropriate communications and the processes for
gathering and re-entering data and utilizing the database.
NEXT STEPS:
At the beginning of May 2009, staff will launch a communication effort regarding the
CLASS system rebuild through advertising at the recreation, community and senior centers
and in the brochures. The communications will inform the public of the upcoming changes
and improvements to the system. Patrons will be asked to provide their current information
online, in person at a recreation, community or senior center or by completing a form and
returning it to any recreation, community or senior center. New customer accounts will be
created from May through early November. The new database will "go live" on November
9, 2009 - in time for the winter registration sessions for the Recreation Division and Senior
Services programs.
AGENDA ITEM #'V 1114 , PAGE 5
Attachment A
For additional information on this project, please contact Abbie Novak, Parks and Recreation
Department, Business and Finance Manager, at novaka@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-413-
7253.
AGENDA ITEM # PAGE