8A - 2011 PRAB Goals for City Council
2011 PRAB Goals for City Council
City Council Goals for 2011 - Todd Bryan, PRAB Chair
1. Goal: Raise individual fees for annual passes, punch cards, and drop-in
fees to meet current market rates and/or full cost recovery goals.
Rationale: Neither the Parks and Recreation staff nor PRAB have the
authority to raise fees for the use of parks and recreation facilities
(annual pass, punch cards, drop-in fees, facility charges). Without
raising such fees, P&R cannot meet the requirements of the Recreation
Program and Facilities Plan, which PRAB voted unanimously to adopt on
March 15, 2010. The plan allows subsidies only for social core programs,
such as YSI, Expand and entry level "Learn-to?" programs. All other
programs and users must meet full (100%) cost recovery goals. P&R has
satisfied this requirement, in part, by establishing fees for "programs"
that fall outside of the City's codification requirements. These fees are
charged to a class or group that is using a parks and recreation facility.
However, individuals that do not join classes or groups are subject only
to codified fees that are set by City Council. At the current fee
structure, individual users are being subsidized at a rate of 65% compared
to users who join classes and groups that pay market rates. To be
consistent with the plan, fees for individual fees should be set to
reflect full cost recovery or the current market for recreation facilities
of equal quality - Flatirons AC, Rally AC, and Colorado Athletic Club.
2. Goal: Ensure that the city's outdoor swimming pools remain open from at
least Memorial Day through Labor Day. Rationale: Americans traditionally
celebrate summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day. One of the dominant
icons of summer for most Americans is the municipal swimming pool or
beach.
This was true in Boulder for many years. Traditionally, the city's outdoor
pools closed the weekend following the start of school, which was after
Labor Day. When the school start-date migrated into August, however, pool
closures began to follow. In the summer of 2010, Scott Carpenter pool
closed to public swimming in the middle of August, three weeks before
Labor Day. Ensuring that the pools remain open not only guarantees that
the summer is intact, it will also bring revenues back to the city that
were lost when the triathlon community abandon the city facilities for
private fitness clubs with year-round outdoor pools.
3. Goal: Explore a sustainable funding source for operating and
maintaining the city's swimming pools. Rationale: The city's swimming
pools are the Parks and Recreation Department's most expensive facilities
to operate and maintain. These costs were traditionally shared by all
resident and non-resident users of recreation facilities and by Boulder
taxpayers. In 2004, however, the department began itemizing the operation
and maintenance costs of each facility component (i.e. the pools) and
Agenda Item VIII-A pg. I
passing the full costs directly to user groups through program fees and
rentals. The burden of operating and maintaining the pools was passed on
to aquatics groups.
They were not passed on to individual users since the department does not
have the authority to raise annual pass, punch card, and drop-in fees. If
they were, lap swimmers would have to pay rental rates equivalent to the
aquatics groups. Such fees would be prohibitive although the Recreation
Program and Facilities Plan requires non-subsidized users to pay 100% cost
recovery (see #1). A sustainable funding source specifically for
operation and maintenance of the pools would address this problem.
Currently the department's portion of the .15% sales tax is used to
subsidize the operation and maintenance of Stazio and Pleasant View fields
so there is a precedent for a dedicated fund. In truth, the department's
portion of the .15% sales tax could be used to subsidize the pools however
such a change in policy might be disruptive. Without such a subsidy,
however, individual pool users will continue to be heavily subsidized by
the aquatics groups and by other programs.
Pete Webber's Preliminary Goals:
Partnerships - I would like to see some type of goal on this topic, and
perhaps one that is more action-orientated... , for example: continue to
develop existing partnerships and streamline the process for new
partnerships. It would be great to catalog the existing partnerships we
have, and identify/publish some models that would inspire and educate
newcomers on what to do and how to succeed.
Recreation Facilities and Program Plan - I'd like to see a goal related to
the implementation of the RPFP, what PRABs role in implementation is, and
what Council's role is. The RPFP addresses many issues that have been
nagging the department and PRAB, and I'd like to discuss how it will be
executed to solve these issues. Could also include any recommended code
revisions for Council to consider, such as fees.
PRABs Ongoing Role - There is always confusion about PRABs role. At
present we are a reactionary board with few initiatives or collaborative
actions. We only address items that are brought forward by staff. What
else should we be doing? How can we better serve the public? Should we?
Michelle Estrella Goals
PRAB has identified priority areas the board will take up in 2011; we ask that Council
assist us in accomplishing these:
1. Proactively brainstorm and pursue partnership opportunities that further cement
the foundation for economic and social sustainability with non-profit to for-profit
organizations to assist the department in offsetting:
a. operating expenses (e.g. volunteer work),
Agenda Item VIII-A pg.2
b. capital investments (e.g. sponsorship of benches, shelters, dog waste
composting bins) and
c. revenue generation (e.g. rental of spaces for private organizations' use).
Ideally, this will involve the formation of an official committee composed of board
members and other city stakeholders.
2. Ensure programming is economically advantageous for the department whenever
possible; however, keep/create programs that may not yield a positive operating profit
that benefit socio-economically disadvantaged children through scholarships and
sponsorships.
Marcelee Gralapp Goals
since i am unclear on what we should be providing for goals and mine all relate to programs but
that need council support, i;ll deal w/ them on weds.
Bob Yates Goals
1. Conduct a comprehensive product and pricing review of our recreational
programs and facilities. While staff undoubtedly conducts these reviews
to some extent on an ongoing basis, a one-time comprehensive review with
the participation of PRAB may yield some valuable insights, result in a
better-informed PRAB, and may lead to product and pricing changes to the
benefit of our customers and the City. Questions we should address in a
comprehensive product and pricing review involving staff and PRAB include
the following: Are we offering the right programs? Are there programs we
offer that are poorly attended or which other organizations provide better
than we can? Do we have programs which are perpetually over-subscribed
that we should provide more of? Are there programs that we don't offer
that we should? Are our programs and facilities fees priced at market? If
our programs and facilities fees are not priced at market, are there
limitations on our ability to adjust prices and how can we overcome those
limitations? Do we have the right price differentials between residents
and non-residents? Are our program and facility fee subsidies for low-
income households adequate? Do our facility fees discounts to large groups
unfairly prejudice individuals? Should we make distinctions in group
facility fee discounts between for-profit and not-for-profit groups?
Impact to City Council: Minimal, although Council should anticipate a
request from PRAB to change the "codified" fee adjustment limitations.
2, Provide a better forum for community input. We invite the community to
come speak with us at PRAB meetings, but then we limit their presentations
to three minutes and dialogue between the community and PRAB at these
meetings is discouraged. At least once per quarter, PRAB should conduct
an open community forum for 60-90 minutes before a PRAB meeting (i.e.,
Agenda Item VIII-A pg.3
starting at 4:30 or 5:00 before a 6:00 PRAB meeting). At the community
forum, community members would be encouraged to express their views with
fewer time limitations and PRAB should be allowed to interact with
community members and ask them clarifying questions. The forum should be
in a comfortable, welcoming environment, with PRAB members and members of
the community sitting around a table. All public meeting and recording
rules would be respected.
Impact to City Council: Minimal.
3. PRAB and City Council should meet together at least once during 2011.
PRAB can express directly to City Council its views on Parks and
Recreation accomplishments and challenges, and City Council can share with
PRAB Council's strategic objectives for recreation programs and
facilities. The two groups can exchange input that they have each received
from the community and discuss ways to meet the community needs. The
session will also give Council the opportunity to directly communicate to
PRAB whether PRAB is fulfilling the role that Council needs PRAB to play,
and PRAB can share with Council any frustrations or limitations that PRAB
feels it has in meeting Council's expectations.
Impact to City Council: Set aside time in 2011 for one or two 60-90 minute
study sessions with PRAB.
4. Survey PRAB on the performance of Parks and Rec staff with whom PRAB
interacts. PRAB members should complete a confidential survey of their
views of the performance, strengths, and weaknesses of the Parks and Rec
Director and his senior staff with whom they interact. PRAB reviews of
senior staff would go to the Director for him to consider in his
performance reviews of staff. PRAB reviews of the Director would go to
the City Manager for her to consider in her performance review of the
Director.
Impact to City Council: Minimal
Rick Thayer Goals
Prioritze goals of Parks and Rec;
Complete the plan to transition to a self-sustaining business model for Parks and Rec;
Complete the process whereby all costs are fully
allocated and accounted for in the services model; Complete the
Reservoir Master Plan; Finalize the decision on the Pottery Lab.
Evaluate and Refine the purpose of the PRAB - gain any city counsel/charter
amendment consistent with same.
Rick Thayer
Agenda Item VIII-A pg.4
Alyriah Conroy
Partnerships
- It my hope that the department can seek mutually beneficial partnerships with local
organizations focused on preserving and expanding Boulder's community parks and
recreational offerings with a similar not-for-profit mission. Within this goal, I would see
partnerships that allow the department to restructure current offerings while off-loading
unsustainable costs (i.e. full-time vs part-time employees).
In all cases, partnering organizations should be similarly aligned with mission, goals.
In the coming year, I hope the board can offer some assistance with this goal through the
Pottery Lab, the Reservoir, and the Golf Course.
Center of Neighborhood Community
- In the coming year, I would like to see some depth of discovery of neighborhood-centric
uses for parks and recreation facilities and a casting away of the tight control and
command practices which linger. For example, neighborhood CSAs, solar gardens, car-
share, bike- share, bulletin boards, after-school programs might all be explored from a
regulatory perspective so such micro uses of the facilities can be quickly approved
without the years of red tape.
- I also think that the health and wellness of our community can be further supported by
offering TBD services and opportunities in this category at the local park and rec center
facility level.
Reservoir Master Plan
- I hope that one of the board's goals this year can be directed at the successful
passage of an appropriate Mater Plan that respects the reservoir's raison d'etre:
...first and foremost a source of clean water and valuable natural
resources...where high quality and appropriate recreation activities are managed
and sustained in a manner consistent with preserving and enhancing the
environment.
Website
And lastly, I would like to see the website made more easily accessible so it is a resource
for the community, not just for those who are intimately familiar with its contents.
Myriah Conroy
Agenda Item VIII-A pg.5