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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-09 Correspondence.�all ,�14, CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org . ) Y IIYKiliJ�[�l l! Jim Throgmorton Mayor Kingsley Botchway Mayor Pro Tem Rockne Cole Terry Dickens Susan Mims Pauline Taylor John Thomas council@iowa-city.org 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 356-5041 Fax: (319) 356-5497 January 8, 2015 Shanti Sellz Johnson County Local Foods Coordinator BY EMAIL: ssellz@co.johnson.ia.us Re: Kresge Foundation Grant Dear Ms. Sellz: I am writing to express my support for your Kresge Foundation grant proposal, Food in Place: A Program for Neighborhood -Based Local Food. I understand that you seek the grant to partner with the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (NCJC) to pilot an on-site, weekly farm stand at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center in Iowa City during the 2016 growing season, and that you will also use the grant to promote the arts there as well. As you know, I was recently elected to the Iowa City Council, and am now beginning my four year term. Growing our local foods economy, and enhancing access to underserved communities were key parts of my platform. Your proposal aligns with that platform exceedingly well. If Kresge awards the grant, I will fully advocate for support from the City of Iowa City. I do want emphasize that I am expressing my views only as an individual councilor, and am not advocating on behalf of the council as a whole. While I will fully advocate for Iowa City's support, this letter should not be construed as binding on behalf of the city. That decision will be made after careful consideration with our city manager, staff, and other council members during the ordinary course. Thank you for all of your hard work in support of growing our local foods economy, and for opening new doors for local foods access. Keep planting those seeds of future growth! Sincerely, Rockne Cole cc: council@iowa-city.org Marian Karr From: Rockne Cole Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 5:00 PM To: ssellz@co.johnson.ia.us Cc: Council Subject: Food in Place Program. Attachments: Kresge Foundation Letter (Jan. 8, 2015).pdf Shanti, Please find my enclosed letter of support. As I indicated in the letter, I obviously cannot speak on behalf of other councilors, or the City of Iowa City; however, I fully intend to advocate for funding this project through close consultation with our city manager, mayor, and other councilors during the budgeting process. Once that decision had been made, I will let you know as soon as possible. Thank you for all of your hard work. Rockne Cole Marian Karr From: Tom Markus Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 4:40 PM To: Rockne Cole Cc: Council Subject: RE: ICPL Budget Proposal Rockne: Thanks for your comments. As we work our way through the budget you are welcomed to suggest items that you think should be added or for that matter changed, reduced or eliminated. As councilors make these suggestions the other councilors, city staff and I will engage in those discussions to help shape an appropriate inclusion and funding if a council majority deems appropriate. While staff has included a number of items that correlate to what we heard during last fall's election process and that fit into the strategic plan I welcome your comments on other items you would like us to consider. You can relay those to me in an individual meeting with me or you can share them at the budget review meetings that we have scheduled. To be clear if you proposed a budget item to me in an individual meeting with me that would not necessarily result in my including that item in the budget. I would likely discuss it with you and share my views of the request but in the end I would likely encourage you to share the item with the council in a public meeting to seek the council's concurrence. Either way changes will require support of a majority of the council just as the manager's recommended budget requires majority support. Again I am open to meet individually with you and any other member of council on a one on one basis or hearing council member's views through the budget meetings. I also think that when we meet on January 14 to refine the strategic plan we will have a better understanding of what the council's priorities are. If you or a council member wishes to meet with me individually just call and we can arrange a mutually convenient time to sit down. From: Rockne Cole Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 4:01 PM To: Tom Markus Cc: Council Subject: ICPL Budget Proposal Tom, Please find attached letter, and supporting proposal. Please let me know your preferred method of making proposals, and the preferred proposed protocols relating to modifications to the budget. To date, that process has not been made clear. While I sincerely appreciate your efforts to incorporate what you think the incoming councilors prefer to see in the budget, I think it makes more sense to meet individually with each councilor to get their feedback. This has the salutary benefit of knowing what we actually think on the proposed budget ahead of time so that you can be prepared to respond to our proposals during the actual budget review process. Thank you very much for all of your hard work and candid feedback during this transition period. It has been very helpful. I look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow morning! Rockne At NiM�al1q�� CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL Jim Throgmorton Mayor Kingsley Botchway Mayor Pro Tem Rockne Cole Terry Dickens Susan Mims Pauline Taylor John Thomas council@iowa-city.org 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 356-5041 Fax: (319)356-5497 January 8, 2016 Tom Markus City Manager 410 East Washington Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: FYI - Budget Request Iowa City Public Library Dear Tom: I am submitting this letter for our upcoming budget discussions. I received this budget proposal from the Antelope Lending Library, a non- profit bookmobile serving our community since 2013. It relates to the Iowa City Public Library's request for $250,000.00 for a new bookmobile service. I commend the Iowa City Library for seeking to expand and enhance service for our entire community. It appears to be a very attractive program, and I have no doubt that it will be excellent. Nevertheless, as we consider the Library's budget request, we need to ensure that we are not duplicating services that are already available within the community. We need to be careful stewards of our residents' tax dollars. This proposal is attractive to me because it builds upon a successful model, has the potential to be fully self-supporting in the future, and provides enhanced service at a lower cost. I know that the decision to utilize an outside vendor will be made by Susan Craig following a request for proposal, and that she cannot commit to any particular vendor, including Antelope. Nevertheless, before supporting the ICPL budget proposal, I would like to see the Library explore whether it can provide this service at a lower cost through a RFP process with any non- profits providing a similar service. Sincerely, 9," e4e-- Rockne Cole cc: councilAiowa-city.org Enc: Antelope Proposal Antelope Lending Library Bookmobile Operations The Antelope Lending Library was founded in 2012 as a 501(C)3 non-profit organization and has been serving the Iowa City community with book checkout and literacy activities since summer of 2013. It is an independent, volunteer -run community library that focuses services in lower-income neighborhoods of Iowa City and surrounding areas. Antelope has current partnerships with the Iowa Youth Writing Project, Table to Table, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, Iowa City Community School District, and Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. It is also a member of the James Gang, a local non- profit coop. The Antelope Lending Library is one of three bookmobiles in the state of Iowa: the other two are located in Scott County and Ames. Library Materials The majority of books in the Antelope Lending Library collection were obtained through in-kind donations from various sources: school libraries, charitable organizations and individual community members. A small percentage of books have been purchased from local booksellers such as Prairie Lights and Daydreams Comics to supplement, update, and diversify the collection. The funds used to purchase new materials were obtained through fundraising efforts by the Antelope Lending Library's annual book sale, a PIN grant awarded in 2013 co-sponsored by the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association and Longfellow Neighborhood Association, in addition to other private donations. Library Policies Late fines and lost book fees are a barrier to lower-income patrons. Antelope Lending Library does not charge patrons fees of any kind. Membership and participation in library services and activities is always 100% free. Antelope's motto is "It's never too late to return a library book." Membership with Antelope Lending Library grants patrons access to the circulating collection, free wi-fi service at each stop, and unlimited access to Antelope's mobile computer lab. No photo ID or proof of address is required, but patrons under 18 must have an adult co-sign their membership. Current Services As of summer 2015, Antelope Lending Library has ten regularly scheduled summer community stops. Each stop is visited once or twice a week between one and three hours. In 2015, services were extended at one stop into the fall and winter and a new stop was added. Eight of the summer stops were both check out and literacy activity stops, while two stops were story -time only. Over 1500 patrons visited Antelope Lending Library between June and August 2015. Recent Accomplishments • Expanded to new areas of the community such as Cole's Mobile Home Community and the Hill's Cares for Kids summer program. • Piloted bilingual Spanish/English services with Iowa Youth Writing Project and Table to Table which will expand summer of 2016. • Added mobile computer lab and wi-fi services. • Participated in the Iowa Children's Museum Move It, Dig It, Do It! event in September 2015 where almost 2,000 people visited the bookmobile. • Started a partnership with the Center for Worker Justice in December to provide weekly bookmobile services to their center. Plans for 2016 • Increase services to additional mobile home communities. • Partner with new summer programs. • Register as Free Summer Lunch site to provide meals at 1-2 summer stops. Financial Highlights Received second grant from the Community Foundation of Johnson County to fund 2016 bilingual summer program expansion, and from the AM Rotary Club to fund 2016 summer reading program. Overall budget for 2015 including fuel, insurance, maintenance, collection management, and professional memberships was just under $6,000. Antelope works hard to be fiscally responsible. Project Proposal: Iowa City Public Library/Antelope Lending Library Partnership Description A partnership between the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL) and the Antelope Lending Library (Antelope) wherein ICPL would provide access to their circulating collection and collection management expertise to the Antelope Lending Library and Antelope would provide delivery services for ICPL to the community, sign patrons up for ICPL library cards, return books for patrons to ICPL, promote ICPL events, and serve as an additional outlet for library volunteers and an additional avenue for ICPL librarians to do outreach in the community. Antelope Lending Library would provide 5 days of bookmobile service year round with stops ranging from one to three hours each. Antelope would maintain a separate circulating collection but would be able to provide ICPL books on hold to patrons at bookmobile stops. Antelope would maintain fee -free lending of the bookmobile collection, while books checked out through ICPL on the bookmobile would be held to ICPL late/lost book standards and could accrue fees accordingly. Antelope would work with ICPL to align policies where applicable. Justification Antelope Lending Library is an existing bookmobile service in the Iowa City area. The Iowa City Public Library is looking to expand their own services in 2017 with a bookmobile of their own. This partnership would save ICPL money and time in that they would not have to purchase a bookmobile, hire and train new staff, and start bookmobile service from scratch. Through a partnership with Antelope Lending Library, ICPL bookmobile service would be able to start as soon as summer 2016. No additional ICPL staff would need to be hired, no bookmobile custom built, and there would be no danger of either party duplicating services in the community. The partnership would be beneficial to Antelope in that it would give bookmobile patrons access to the more expansive collection of materials and technology available at ICPL and Antelope would benefit from the support and expertise of ICPL, the busiest public library in the state of Iowa. Financial support from the City of Iowa City would enable Antelope to increase services and partner with ICPL in this new expansion of both organizations. Anticipated Expenditures FY 2017 FY 2017 FY 2018 Collection Management/Library Services Demco library marking materials $ 900.00 $ 900.00 Lending materials $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Activity materials $ 2,000.00 $ 2,000.00 Wifi service $ 1,069.56 $ 1,069.56 Antelope cell phone service $ 720.00 $ 720.00 SUBTOTAL $ 9,689.56 $ 9,689.56 Staffing 1 full-time, independently contracted bilingual staff person $ 45,000.00 $ 45,000.00 1 part time employee [summer help] $ 15,000.00 $ 15,000.00 QW4 IOWA CITY ip,anam PUBLIC LIBRARY 123 S. Linn St. •Iowa City, IA 52240 DIRECTOR Susan Craig • PH E 319-356-5200 • vex 319-356-5494 • www.kpl.org TO: Iowa City City Council FROM: Library Board of Trustees DATE: January 9, 2016 RE: FY17 Library Budget Proposal for Bookmobile Service The Library Board is proposing to begin bookmobile service starting in Spring, 2017. The purpose of the Iowa City Public Library's Bookmobile is to address access disparities in our community in a cost effective manner by offering collections and services in a user friendly and flexible structure. The need for a community bookmobile was identified during the Library's multi-year strategic planning process. It is an important next step in addressing our community's diverse needs through outreach programming, targeted efforts to get children library cards, and committed support for family literacy programming during non -school periods. In addition, mobile service available at various locations will offer an alternative pickup and service point for families concerned about transporation access and parking issues near the downtown library. It is a flexible, user friendly, and economical alternative to a branch library for a City of our size. Iowa City is currently the largest city in Iowa without a branch library. A bookmobile supports the City of Iowa City's Strategic Plan: Fostering a more INCLUSIVE and SUSTAINABLE Iowa City through a commitment to: • Healthy neighborhoods • A strong urban core • Strategic economic development activities • A solid financial foundation • Enhanced communication and marketing The services provided on the Bookmobile will reach out to populations who have difficulty accessing the downtown library in a way that best fits their needs and will help build community within their neighborhoods. Items to be funded: Annual Cost/City Fundinq beginninq February, 2017 Fund Item Amount 411000 Perm Full-time Staff (40 hours/week) salary and benefits $68,841 435059 Advertising $1,000 438130 Phone/Wireless $3,600 444100 IT Repair/Maintenance $1,200 446360 City Vehicle Maintenance Chargeback (needs confirmation from Transit) $12,000 449280 Miscellaneous, insurance (needs confirmation) $12,000 Total $98,641 Annual Cost/Foundation Funding beginning February, 2017 411000 1 Perm staff (16 hours/week) $32,218 Estimated for 5 months (42%) in FY17: Total FY17 Operating budget $41,429 Total FY17 Gifts $13,532 One-time Cost FY17: Fund Item Amount 442060 Bookmobile Site Prep: Electricity $8,000 442010 Bookmobile Site Prep: Miscellaneous $4,000 Total $12,000 Capital costs of the vehicle purchase are in the FY17 CIP budget with $100,000 allocated from tax dollars and up to $150,000 supported through gifts from the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation. We appreciate your commitment to the cost of the bookmobile and your agreement that meeting the needs of all community members is a priority. The challenge we now face is that acquisition of a bookmobile without the concomitant service support will not permit us to serve the community as we would hope. Our original intent for funding the ongoing operation of the Bookmobile was to request use of the income from the Library's rental space. Recent City agreements to provide the space as an innovative tech maker center have now created a need for us to request a dedicated funding source for the operations of the bookmobile. The Library Board requested full funding for bookmobile operational costs as part of the preliminary budget development. However, these costs were not included in the recommended budget from City staff. We request the funding be approved for FY17 and beyond. Recommendations Involving the Senior Center Fee Structure and Cost Recovery Goal for the Operational Budget Submitted by Members of Committee A Jason Chen; Cheryll Clamon; Beth Clopton; Mary Dusterhoft; Ed Flaherty; Ken Gamb; Mark Holbrook; Shirley Lindell; Bonnie Love; Tom Schulein; Gary Schwartz; Bob Wiley Prepared by: Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Primary Staff Advisor Approved by the Senior Center Commission October 15, 2015 Introduction One opportunity for improvement noted in the Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee Report to the City Council was for The Center to "review ... fees and other ways to assist in the funding of the Center." Committee A, a group of active Center participants and volunteers living in Iowa City and other areas of Johnson County, was created to carry out the review identified by the Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee. Members of Committee A included: Jason Chen; Cheryll Clamon; Beth Clopton; Mary Dusterhoft; Ed Flaherty; Ken Gamb; Mark Holbrook; Shirley Lindell; Bonnie Love; Tom Schulein; Gary Schwartz; Bob Wiley. Committee A was asked to focus on two goals. One, to recommend an operational budget cost recovery percentage for the Senior Center to use as a goal when budgeting and fundraising. The second was to review all participant and user fees assessed by The Center and make recommendations for change when appropriate. The Committee began working in early June 2015 and finalized its recommendations in September 2015. The initial actions of the Committee were to review The Center's budget expenses and revenue streams, operating indicators, mission, goals, and value statements. City Council goals were also reviewed as well as the Council's commitment to inclusivity and sustainability. The probable impact on City funding caused by changes in state tax laws was discussed. Finally, cost recovery for senior programming in other areas of the state and country was considered. Cost Recovery To help determine their recommendation for cost recovery, Committee A used the Cost Recovery Pyramid Model to provide them with rationale and a framework to accomplish their goal. The Cost Recovery Pyramid was developed in 1990 and refined by GreenPlay LLC in early 2000. Since then it has been used in many recreational facilities (including Iowa City's Recreation Department) to help determine cost recovery goals. The Cost Recovery Pyramid has five levels; each representing a different proportion of community and individual benefit or involvement. The fee for service is set to recover a higher percentage of cost as the level of individual benefit increases as compared to the level of community involvement/benefit. See Appendix 1. The Center's operational budget was reviewed and each line item was place in one of five (5) operational or program categories intended to reflect the level of personal verses community involvement or benefit. The five categories identified, presented from highest to lowest in terms of community benefit, are Facility, Operations, Volunteer/Service, Programming, and Sales. (A detailed breakdown of which line items are included in each level/category is included in Appendix 2.) Table 1 presents the five categories in the context of the Cost Recovery Pyramid and includes the Committee's recommended level of cost recovery for each level. TABLE 1 COST RECOVERY PYRAMID To determine the overall cost recovery goal, Committee A used total dollar amounts from all budget line items in each category and calculated the cost recovery percentage of that amount. For instance, Level 4, Programming, has a total revised FY15 budget amount of $140,554. Seventy percent (70%) of this amount, or the recommended amount for cost recovery, is $98,387. The cost recovery dollar amount was determined for each category. The five values were added and it was determined that this total amount was equivalent to 32% of the operational budget. Following considerable discussion, the committee made the following recommendation: As an initial goal, The Center should increase its cost recovery goal by 2.5% annually up to 35% This value was endorsed for the following reasons: 1. Using the Cost Recovery Pyramid provided a rational and tested cost recovery model that has been used elsewhere, including Iowa City Parks and Recreation. 2. Approximately 10% of The Center's members are on low-income scholarships --$10,000 of scholarship support was provided in FY15. Literature on fees indicates that it is best to keep costs low and not intimidate people with high fees. Higher fees would work against inclusivity. 3. The Center has limited income generating options and while 35% cost reimbursement is modest, it is realistic. It is a good place to start. 4. The Center is limited by services that take up space and do not generate income. For instance the VNA, SHIIP, Honoring Your Wishes, AARP Tax services, legal counseling, congregate meals, and non-profit groups. These are valuable community services older adults and other community members have come to rely upon them, but they do not generate revenue. Recommended Cost Level of Community Reimbursement Level Pyramid Level Benefit Budget Category for Level/Budget Category Level 1(largest): Mostly community Facility 0% benefit Level 2: Considerable Operations 30% community benefits Leve13: Balanced Volunteer/Service 40% individual/community benefit Level 4: Considerable individual Programming 70% benefit Level 5 (Smallest): Mostly individual Sales 125% benefit To determine the overall cost recovery goal, Committee A used total dollar amounts from all budget line items in each category and calculated the cost recovery percentage of that amount. For instance, Level 4, Programming, has a total revised FY15 budget amount of $140,554. Seventy percent (70%) of this amount, or the recommended amount for cost recovery, is $98,387. The cost recovery dollar amount was determined for each category. The five values were added and it was determined that this total amount was equivalent to 32% of the operational budget. Following considerable discussion, the committee made the following recommendation: As an initial goal, The Center should increase its cost recovery goal by 2.5% annually up to 35% This value was endorsed for the following reasons: 1. Using the Cost Recovery Pyramid provided a rational and tested cost recovery model that has been used elsewhere, including Iowa City Parks and Recreation. 2. Approximately 10% of The Center's members are on low-income scholarships --$10,000 of scholarship support was provided in FY15. Literature on fees indicates that it is best to keep costs low and not intimidate people with high fees. Higher fees would work against inclusivity. 3. The Center has limited income generating options and while 35% cost reimbursement is modest, it is realistic. It is a good place to start. 4. The Center is limited by services that take up space and do not generate income. For instance the VNA, SHIIP, Honoring Your Wishes, AARP Tax services, legal counseling, congregate meals, and non-profit groups. These are valuable community services older adults and other community members have come to rely upon them, but they do not generate revenue. 5. Most of our programs and classes are led by volunteers and therefore offered at no cost. This is consistent with The Center's mission to offer programs that promote wellness, social interaction, community engagement, and intellectual growth. 6. Placing a small registration fee on all classes is not cost effective when staff time and the software's fees are factored into the process. Further, it would create an unmanageable workload on the short-staffed front desk employees. 7. The Center's participant base is well defined and as a result it has a smaller pool of potential donors. 8. When the 35% cost reimbursement goal is attained, the cost reimbursement amount will be reevaluated and an increase in the amount considered. Fees Membership Fee Recommendations TABLE 2 MEMBERSHIP FEE RECOMMENDATIONS Type of Membership Recommended Fee Single/Each Additional Family Member Percent Increase Single/Each Additional Family Member Iowa City Resident $40/$25 21%/25% Non City Resident $75/$45 25%/25% Out of County Resident Membership classification eliminated The rational for this recommendation is largely focused on issues related to income and a desire to make sure The Center remains available to all members of the community. Committee members expressed concerned that higher fees may keep lower income people from considering participation in Center programs and services and noted the reluctance of some low-income people to request financial assistance. Further, they supported the idea that it is better to price memberships at a level where they are available to all, rather than set it at a price that puts it out of the reach of people who would benefit from the services provided. In addition to income factors, committee members were concerned about raising membership fees so high that The Center was "priced out of the market." It was also suggested that people who are in a position to pay higher membership fees should be encouraged to make a contribution when renewing their memberships. Out of county resident membership fees were eliminated for two reasons. Currently there are approximately sixteen members who reside outside of Johnson County. It was determined that the work involved with tracking fees and memberships associated with this category was not commensurate with the staff time involved accomplishing these tasks. Further, with a smaller fee out of county participation is likely to increase and ultimately increase membership fee revenue. Membership cards are computerized access cards that provide access to specific areas of the building such as the computer lab and fitness rooms. These cards cost $3.48 each. To this point, The 4 Center has never charged a fee for replacing a lost card. Committee A recommends that a membership card replacement fee be implemented for both regular and scholarship members costing $10 and $3 respectively. Current membership fees generated $53,811 in fiscal year 2015. It is estimated that this increase would generate an additional $8,760 in revenue annually assuming there are no changes in membership numbers, family memberships, scholarship participation, or place of residence. Classroom Rentals Given the exceptionally low rate of rental usage, Committee members recommend leaving room rental rates for rooms 202, 205, 208, and G13 unchanged for non-profit groups; removing room 211 from the list of available rental rooms due to the potential for damage to the contents of the room; and adding room 209 as an additional room rental. Committee members are recommending offering rental availability of the same spaces to for- profit organizations with the caveat that all sales of materials and services on site are prohibited. They are further recommending that rental fees for individuals and for-profit groups be double the rates of non-profit groups. This is consistent with the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department which offers non -profits a 50% discount on all rentals. The decision to open rentals to for-profit organizations was based upon the belief that it would increase rentals and therefore rental income. Another recommendation put forth by the Committee is to limit classroom rentals to times when staff or volunteer building attendants are in the facility. RECOMMENDED NON-PROFIT ROOM RENTAL FEES AND AVAILABILITY Class Room Availability Fee: Hourly Security Deposit 202, 205,208, 209 Day: Free None M-F;8AMto5PM Weekend/Evening: $20/hr $75 without refreshment; M —Tu; 5 PM to 7 PM $125 with refreshments or AV W — F; 5 PM to 9 PM use S —Su; 8 AM to 5 PM G13 �: Free None M - F; 8AMto5PM Weekend/Evening: $30/hr $125; M —Tu; 5 PM to 7 PM No refreshments allowed; W— F; 5 to 9 PM $175 with AV use beyond S —Su; 8 AM to 5 PM what is available in room RECOMMENDED INDIVIDUAL AND FOR-PROFIT ROOM RENTAL FEES AND AVAILABILITY Class Room Availability Fee: Hourly Security Deposit 202, 205, 208, Day: $40/hr $75 without refreshment; and 209 M - F; 8 AM to 5 PM $125 with refreshment or AV Weekend/Evening: use M —Tu; 5 PM to 7 PM W—F;5PMto9PM S —Su; 8 AM to 5 PM G13 Day: $60/hr $125; M - F; 8 AM to 5 PM No Refreshments Allowed; Weekend/Evening: $175 with AV use beyond M —Tu; 5 PM to 7 PM what is available in room W—F;5PMto9PM S —Su; 8 AM to 5 PM Assembly Room Rental Committee A members extensively reviewed and discussed rental possibilities for the Assembly Room and kitchen area. After touring the area, discussing rental and other use possibilities, and meeting and discussing needed room/facility enhancements with staff and a representative from one of the event managers from the company that works for Iowa City Parks and Recreation, Committee members recommend the following: With assistance from the City's Engineering Department, Center staff should engage a consultant who will develop plans to upgrading the kitchen, Assembly Room, and lobby to make them more efficient, useable, and renter friendly. Committee members agreed with the event management company representative who felt the historic nature of the facility, its downtown location, attractive interior, audiovisual capabilities, convenient parking, and adjacent kitchen space all had a lot of potential for making the space an excellent rental possibility, even if only available on weekends. They believe an initial investment in necessary improvements would generate significant revenue in the long run. Further, the modest kitchen modifications required would support participant programs throughout the week and provide much needed storage for programs, services, and necessary rental materials. A second recommendation is to have an outside management company oversee all weekend rentals of the Assembly Room, kitchen, and lobby to avoid unmanageable staff workloads. 2 Discounted Parking Program Fees Since increasing the fee and introducing new parking options for discounted parking program a couple of years ago, the program has been essentially self-sustaining. Sales of annual permits ($100/year); semiannual permits ($50)/year) and hourly parking passes ($10/20 hours) generated $21,640 in FY15 with an actual cost of $22,000. Committee A members agreed that the discounted parking program was run primarily for the benefit of the participants of the program and would fall into level 5 of the Cost Recovery Pyramid. With a cost recovery goal of 125%, some changes to the fee structure of the program would be appropriate. Rather than increase the $100 annual fee, Committee members recommend increasing the cost of semi-annual permits and hourly parking passes to cover the additional staff time, handling, and processing fees required to maintain these two options. Their recommendation is to increase the cost of semiannual permits to $60 each and hourly parking tickets to $15/20 hours. Replacement costs for lost parking permits would continue at $10 per lost permit. Class Fees Independent contractors who teach at The Center pay 25% of their gross revenue to The Center as compensation for the use of space and equipment. This reimbursement level is set by contract and there is no recommendation for change. Classroom material costs set by The Center are typically established to cover the expense of significant amounts of copying done in conjunction with a particular class. Committee members recommend increasing the minimum charge for class copying costs from the current $5 to $10. Fees for other materials that may be used in a class should be established by staff on a case-by-case basis. As in the past, all material costs set by The Center shall be waived for participants in the low- income scholarship program. Coffee Coffee has been a longstanding offering at The Center. The current charge is $0.25/cup is paid on an honor system. The actual cost of a cup of coffee, including the cup, creamer, sugar, cup holder, and the like is $0.57/cup. The Committee members agreed that the price of coffee needs to increase. Their first option however was to explore the acquiring of a coffee vending machine that would be installed on the ground floor. Staff was asked to try coffee available at the ICPL and evaluate it for quality. Benefits for this approach included a variety of beverage options and an annual vendor fee that would generate a small amount of revenue. If the vending machine does not succeed, the price of coffee should be increased to $0.75 per cup. Public Copying Charge Committee members recommend increasing the current copying charge of $0.15/single-sided page to $0.25/single-sided page. The intent of this increase is to discourage the use of Senior Center copying services as they consume staff time and prevent the receptionists from carrying out normal work responsibilities. 7 Locker Rentals The Center offers members and participants a number of on-site lockers for rent. The current rental fee is $4/month and there is no replacement charge for lost keys or locks that are provided by The Center. Committee members recommend a monthly rental fee of $5 and a $10 fee for a lost key or replacement lock. Miscellaneous Services The Center is involved with a number of other fee based services that are more specialized in nature. Committee members felt that any changes to these fees should be made by the involved coordinator or volunteer group. This group of fees included: Service Area Current Fee Commission on Sale of Art 25% Commission on all Sales Quilting Fees $0.025/sq. in. Other Fees May Apply Quilt Raffle Tickets $1/Ticket or $5/6 Tickets SCTV Dubs $10/Disc SCTV Transfers .1 Disc (up to 2 hours of footage) _ $15/unit • 2-5 Discs (from 2-10 hours of footage) _ $13/unit • 6-10 Discs (from 10-20 hours of footage) _ $11/unit • 11+ Discs (20+ hours of footage) _ $10/unit • Additional copies of transferred discs may be ordered for $10/unit Conclusion A comprehensive summary of all the recommended fee changes appears on the remaining pages of this report. While there are many unknowns that have not been factored in the overall calculation, such as earned revenue from lobby coffee and room rental, the current estimated increase in revenue that would result from these changes is over $19,500 annually. 8 Summary of Fee Recommendations Committee A, Senior Center September 2015 Approved by Senior Center Commission October 15, 2015 Fee Percent Current Projected Description Current Recommended Chane Revenue Revenue $164,116+ $198,894** Total $59,224 + Operational 27o � Increase 2.5% 2 5o � (Johnson Co. $59,224 Budget Cost annually up to 35% Grant) (Johnson Co. Recovery Grant) ($223,340) ($258,118) Annual Membership Single/Family, $33/$20 $40/$25 21%/25%$35,178 $42,865 Iowa City (T $7,687) Resident N=1,183 $Annual Membership Single/Family, $60/$36 $75/$45 25o/25% $14,544 $18,175 Non -Iowa City (,r $3,631) Resident N=264 Annual Low - Income Scholarships Provided $10 $10 0%$1,530 $1,530 Without Regard (NC) to Place of Residence N=153 Standard and Low -Income Scholarship Membership ---- $10/$3 Unknown Card Replacement Fee Lobby Coffee $0.25 donation $0.50 donation --- Unknown Minimum Class Fee For $8654 Materials $5 $10 100% FY15 = 4327 Provided By (T $4,327) Senior Center Fee Current Recommended Percent Current Projected Description Chane Revenue Revenue Annual Parking $100/year $100/year 0% FY15 = $8100 Permits $8100 (NC) Semiannual $50/6 months $60/6 months 20% FY15= $9250 $11,100 Parking Permits (t $1,850 Hourly Parking $10/20 hours $15/20 hours ° 50% FY15=$3420 $5130 Tickets (T $1,710) Parking Permit $110 Replacement $10 $10 0% FY15=$110 Fee (NC) Low Income $380 Scholarship $10/year $10/year 0% FY15=$380 Parking Permits (NC) Personal $0.15/single- $0.25/single sided 66% Unknown Copying Fees sided copy copy Non -Profit $20/hr with Rental of Rooms deposit of $75 202, 205, 208, without 209 during refreshment;° No Change 0% FY15=$180 Unknown Weekend and $125 with Evening Hours refreshments or When Staffing is Available AV use Individual and For -Profit Rental $40/hr with of Rooms 202, deposit of $75 205, 208, 209 without during Weekend Not Available refreshment; $125 ___ Unknown and Evening with refreshments Hours When or AV use Staffing is Available $30 with Non -Profit deposit of $125; Rental of Room $175 with AV G13 during use beyond Weekend and what is No Change 0% FY15=$0 Unknown Evening Hours available in When Staffing is room. No Available refreshments allowed. 10 Fee Percent Current Projected Description Current Recommended Chane Revenue Revenue Individual and $60/hr with For -Profit Rental deposit of $125; of Room G13 $175 with AV use during Weekend Not Available beyond what is --- Unknown and Evening available in room. Hours When No refreshments Staffing is allowed. Available Develop plans to $40/hr with implement an deposit oft income generating Rental of without rental program for Assembly Room, refreshment; the area using an TBD FY15=$560 Unknown Lobby and $300 with outside Kitchen Space refreshments or management AV use company to schedule and oversee events. $1965 Locker Rental $4/month $5/month 25% FY15= $1572 (T $393) Replacement $10/lock and key Unknown Locks and Keys No Charge set --- $10/key alone Total New Revenue Projection: $19,598* **Projected cost recovery amounts are based upon FY16 budget projections. This is the amount that will need to be raised if the FY16 budget expenses occur exactly as planned and cost recovery increases to 29.5%. 11