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Home My WebLink AboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-10/26/2010-Work SessionFinancial Services 300 Laporte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2259 fcgov.com/business M E M O R A N D U M Date: November 2, 2010 To: Mayor and City Council Through: Darin Atteberry, City Manager From: Mike Freeman, Chief Financial Officer Re: Oct. 26, 2010 Work Session Summary Follow up – 2011 & 2012 Budget City Manager Darin Atteberry and Chief Financial Officer Mike Freeman reviewed a high-level summary of the City Manager's Recommended Budget. Council members raised various questions in preparation for the 1st reading of the budget on November 2, 2010. For questions that were not able to be answered during the meeting, the answers to the majority of those will be included in this memo. Some questions may require additional time to adequately research and respond. /sek Attachment Page 2 of 5 October 26th Council Member Requests re: Budget Outcome: Culture, Parks and Recreation 1) Question from Aislinn Kottwitz What percent of ticket sales for Lincoln Center performances are sold to season ticket holders? Response from Marty Heffernan 51% for the 2009/2010 season ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2) Question from Wade Troxell What is the ongoing cost to repair and maintain the downtown news racks and can this cost be recovered? Response from Marty Heffernan Repair and maintenance of the news racks is $5,000 annually. This cost is comparable to the City’s previous costs to clean up the areas around the old individual, free-standing news racks. When the City decided to implement the new news racks, the DDA agreed to pay for the news racks and the City agreed to install and maintain them. The DDA also pays for replacement racks and parts. Staff does not believe these costs can be recovered from other parties given our agreement with the DDA to maintain the racks and our understanding that the DBA does not have the funding to cover this cost. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3) Question from Aislinn Kottwitz How much can the General Fund cost for Mulberry Pool be reduced by closing the pool in the summer and raising the fee to use it by $1, and more for swim teams? Response from Marty Heffernan Closing the pool in the summer reduces the General Fund expense for the pool by $32,000. Charging an extra dollar for each individual use of the pool is not practical because revenue from the pool comes from group lane rentals, classes and events, as well as drop-in use. Staff believes we can raise approximately $75,000 more through fee increases for all aquatic programs, including use of EPIC. The cost of lessons would increase by two dollars (e.g. from $31 to $33 for six learn to swim classes); lane rental charges would increase by one dollar (e.g. from $5 to $6); drop-in swim would increase by 50 cents (from $4 to $4.50) and the cost of a Superpass would increase by $1. Assuming we raise fees for all aquatic programs and close Mulberry Pool during the summer months, the funding gap is $80,000 - $90,000 per year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Page 3 of 5 4) Question from Aislinn Kottwitz Can more be done to bring additional softball tournaments to the City? Response from Marty Heffernan Parks and Recreation staff has been working closely with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and with tournament directors to bring tournaments to Fort Collins. Prior direction from City Council and the City Manager has been to recover the City’s costs associated with these events and to not unduly impact league play. Staff believes we have been successful in bringing significant tournaments to town and we will continue to work to maximize the use of our facilities. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5) Question from Aislinn Kottwitz Can we work more with non-profit groups, like the Boy Scouts, to help maintain our parks? Response from Marty Heffernan Parks does work with a large number of non-profit groups and individual volunteers to help maintain our parks and trails. We have adopt-a-park and adopt-a-trail programs. We have benefited from over 2,800 volunteer hours in 2010 compared to 2,350 in 2009. Staff will continue to reach out to groups and individuals to maximize volunteer opportunities. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Outcome: Economic Health 6) Question from Aislinn Kottwitz Can we talk to businesses in the downtown to see if they would be willing to take over flowers and maintenance activities that are cut from the budget? Response from Marty Heffernan Yes, if the flower and maintenance offer is not fully funded, staff will contact local businesses to see if they are willing to take over some or all of the flower and maintenance work. Before the City implemented this enhanced level of maintenance a few years ago, individual businesses were responsible for maintenance of the areas in front of their businesses. Maintenance of these areas was very inconsistent and did not provide the well maintained appearance that has been achieved through the City’s efforts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Outcome: Not Applicable 7) Question from David Roy What is the snapshot of citizen values from citizen input (in a finite value)? Response from Kelly DiMartino Below is a list of topics that were discussed by citizens in response to the City Manager’s Recommended Budget, and the frequency with which they were mentioned. This summary includes feedback and input from the online budget form at fcgov.com/budget, public comments given at the Budget Information Forum at the Drake Centre on September 13, the Page 4 of 5 Budget Public Hearings on September 21 and October 19, and comments during citizen participation at the Regular City Council Meeting on October 5. It does not include individual emails that were submitted to City Council. Preserve Funding • Keep Mulberry Pool open—60 o During the Oct. 19 Public Hearing, we also received a letter of support for Mulberry Pool signed by 304 individuals. A copy was provided in your Oct. 21 packet. • Maintain funding at Northside Aztlan Center—23 • Fund Dial-A-Ride—12 • Keep funding for Gardens on Spring Creek—8 • Fund Transfort night service—3 • Fund Transfort Saturday service—3 • Maintain funding levels at new Museum/Discovery Science Center—2 • Continue Fourth of July fireworks—2 • Fund Senior Center programs and services—1 • No furlough days for employees—1 • Give employees a raise, 1%--1 • Continue City’s mediation program—1 • Fund Police Core Info Services—1 • Fund Info Services Dispatchers and Police Report Specialist—1 • Fund Police Officers and detectives—1 • Keep and improve all levels of Police staff—1 Potential Reductions • Address inefficiencies at Mulberry Pool (hot locker rooms, unused office space)—2 • Close some of the natural areas to reduce management costs—2 • Golf should be independent, without any general funds—2 • No pavement management this cycle—2 • Efficiencies in Transfort routes/reduce Transfort spending—2 • Reduce number of City vehicles—2 • Reduce the amount of flowers in Downtown—2 • Reduce Museum hours—1 • Cut funding for Cinco de Mayo celebration—1 • No future improvements at the Senior Center—1 • Cut Beet Street funding—1 • Cut Mason funding—1 • Dial a ride is a luxury, can be cut—1 • Cut bicycle program—1 • Cut staff in Parking Services—1 • Cut 20% of Admin staff—1 • Large budget for City Manager’s Office—1 • Increase furlough days for employees—1 • Reduce consultant contracts—1 Page 5 of 5 • Discontinue Utility reports to customers—1 • Reduce funding for Energy Efficiency and Conservation programs—1 • Cut photo camera—1 • Cut Police Services—1 Potential Revenue Sources • Impose fees on bicyclist who break traffic laws—2 • Charge more fees at City Park Pool—1 • Collaboration with PSD and Transportation options—1 • Fundraising options to raise money—1 • Increase lodging tax—1 • Sell property not in City boundaries—1 • Attract Costco to Fort Collins—1 Other • Be more transparent with Poudre Fire Authority budget—1