HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-09 Correspondence.�all ,�14,
CITY OF IOWA CITY
www.icgov.org
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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
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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