Park Board Minutes 2009 03-12-09 Aftw,Page 1 of 8
UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE
Yorkville Parks &Recreation Department Board Meeting
Administration Office— Riverfront Building,201 W. Hydraulic St.
Thursday, March 12, 2009,7pm
Call To Order:
The meeting was called to order at 7:10pm by Chris Rollins.
Roll Call:
Board members present: Chris Rollins-yes, Ken Koch-yes, Deb Horaz-yes, Kelly Sedgwick-yes,
Garrick Gillette-yes, Vickie Coveny(Arrived just after roll call)
Introduction Of Guests, City Officials And Staff:
Interim Parks & Recreation Director Bart Olson
Superintendent of Recreation —Sue Swithin
Superintendent of Parks—Scott Sleezer
Public Comment:
None
Presentations:
None
Approval of Minutes: Special Park Board—March 5, 2009
The minutes were approved as read on a motion and second by Kelly Sedgwick and Garrick
Gillette respectively. Unanimous voice approval.
Bills Review:
Items discussed from bill list:
1. Page 1: Kit Blocks are pre-school blocks
2. Page 6: Gribble: is for truck inspection; uniforms are used by Park District personnel
3. Page 11: "Payment for Larry" invoice is for signage for leagues, could be additional bills,
Ken would like total of upcoming bills, Sue will make spreadsheet
4. Legal notice for$2,840 for Kendall County Record: placed in paper to meet grant
qualifications
5. Page 3: Video Game Design Class: questioned why Parks held this class when schools
offer similar. Vickie Coveny asked for list of possible classes before brochure is printed,
examine the dollar return on a class. Sue Swithin has set up a spreadsheet to monitor
classes for tracking for next year.
Vickie Coveny asked why Parks does not use staff as dance instructors. Sue reported
there is no staff certified at this time for dance. Sue hires contractual persons and also
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partners with Gold Star Dance Academy. Salaries are negotiated and a cap on those
salaries was suggested.
6. Page 13& 14: Group Power Charge: This is a trademark body training program and
currently there are 7 sessions a week with 20-25 participants in each session. Instructors
must pay for their own certification
Plaque: $195, is for Plocher family for a sponsorship
6. Page 14: Closing Account: $4,403.33 account closed on February 19th. Bart will
research and send a memo. Chris Rollins said the Cash Analysis and Bill List approval
should be suspended until this item is researched.
Debbie Horaz said that the Board should determine what is spent each month and what actually
needs to be spent. Bart Olson said that has been done in the past week and it was also decided
what was absolutely necessary for the last 2 months of the fiscal year. Those final numbers were .
used for determining the beginning Fund Balance. He also said that the Recreation Center will be
his primary focus.
Chris Rollins entertained a motion to table the approval of Cash Analysis and Bill List pending an
explanation of the "Closing Account'per Resolution, in the amount of$4,403.38.
In further discussion, an item on page 4 for 137 jerseys at$2,215.15 was questioned. It is a
reversible jersey for a winter youth basketball program.
Mr. Rollins amended his original motion to consider invoice#021909 as an exception, but noted
that it will have a major impact on the total of all invoices listed on the report. Garrick Gillette
seconded the motion. Roll call vote: Chris Rollins-yes, Ken Koch-yes, Deb Horaz-yes, Kelly
Sedgwick-yes, Vickie Coveny-yes, Garrick Gillette-yes. Unanimous approval.
Old Business:
FY 09/10 Draft Budget(Highlights)
Bart Olson said he included a memo detailing what action has been taken in the past week. Some
program fees, revenues and instructor fees have been reviewed and increased or decreased.
Operating Budget
Parks & Rec Fund Balance: Bart said the 2008/2009 revised budget column was approved at a
recent City Council meeting. The beginning Fund Balance decreased from $63,000 to $41,000
since the previous week, however, a report from Susan Mika showed an overall (-$124,000) deficit.
Mr. Olson said a message has been sent to all staff members, that any spending should have prior
approval from Bart, Sue or Scott.
Fees for Programs
The goal is for a net profit of 30% on each program. Instructor costs should be at or below 50%
and supply costs should be 20%. Classes will be reviewed for high attendance and high revenue
generators.
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Concessions
Sales have increased in this category and it includes food items as well as jerseys and other non-
food items. Debbie Horaz asked if this could be broken into line items to determine which makes
more money. Sue Swithin gave an approximation of the percentage of sales. Bart said there is an
approximate 32% profit in the concessions. The food menu has recently been revamped and
prices were increased.
Park Rental Income
$10,000 of the income will come from YYBSA according to Bart.
Golf Outing Revenue
The actual estimated cost is$27,000. Advertising and sponsorships will be looked at very soon,
however, it might be more difficult to obtain some of the sponsorships. Bart said the golfers'fees
cover the cost of the meal, golfing and all other operating costs of event. The sponsorships will be
solicited by staff members and administrators. The actual expenses in the past were $18,000.
Hometown Days
This budget item increased by 6%. Expanding the sponsorship opportunities will be explored.
The City will operate a beer tent so an increase of revenues is expected. There will be no overtime
for City staff for this event, but schedules will be adjusted to include flex time.
Tree Donations
This category decreased and is based on memorials. Scott said someone had recently
approached the Parks about a memorial bench.
Youth Services Grant
Bart said this will decrease from $1000 to$900 and will increase in the Rec Center budget from
$1000 to $1100. Sue said this grant is applied for each year. Ken Koch asked if the Tourism
Board could contribute any money and Bart will research this possibility.
Transfer from General Fund
Mr. Olson said that the former Director's salary was taken out of this budget and the fund transfer
was not decreased. However, he said that his salary was transferred into this budget for the fiscal
year, at a net savings of$15,000. If there was a cash payout in the terms of the former Director's
resignation, it would be included in this category. Mr. Olson said he will spend most of his day at
the Parks Department, however, he will have some duties at City Hall. He will track the hours he
spends at City Hall. Board members expressed concern that given the budget situation, if 100% of
his salary is paid through Parks, then 100% of his time should be spent at Parks.
Mr. Rollins said the Park Board is often questioned by the public about various aspects of the
Parks Department and it's difficult to explain at times. This overall concern has also been
expressed to the Mayor.
Operating Costs:
Parks Expenses
About$9,000 has been cut and overtime was cut from$8,000 to$5,000. Vickie Coveny asked if
there will be sharing of work duties between Parks and Streets so that overtime will be minimal for
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snow plowing? Public Works employees will be assisting and working varying hours if necessary.
Scott noted that during snowstorms, all Parks, Sewer, Water and Street personnel will be called out
and the cleanup time is 8-10 hours including sidewalks and parking lots.
Legal Expenses
The attorney will not be contacted for Parks and Rec matters unless absolutely necessary
according to Bart. It was conveyed to Bart that having an attorney on retainer was a very cost-
effective method and there are good attorneys in the area. It was thought that attorneys who were
residents did a great job for the City. Bart noted that insurance will cover some specific legal costs
forth is fiscal year.
Truck Maintenance
$11,000 is budgeted for maintenance of trucks since no new ones are being purchased.
Wearing Apparel
All service departments have uniforms that are maintained by an outside service. It was suggested
that they could be taken home for laundering, however, the service makes repairs or replaces the
uniform. They also "treat"the uniforms for longer wear. The service is for 8 employees. This
budget decreased from $9,000 to $4,500 due to a reduction of the previously expected number of
employees. The part-time staff was also decreased.
Cell Phones
Seven employees currently have cell phones. A new vendor is being explored that could decrease
the expenses.
Legal Expenses
Bart said he will limit calls for legal advice and only asks for yes/no answers after researching the
issue. The cost is $185 per hour. The Club 47 lease and Com Ed are ongoing legal issues and he
will find out more details.
Operating Supplies
Most gasoline expenses are now coded to Public Works.
Office Equipment
An extra computer will be rotated into Parks and Bart will use the former Director's laptop.
Recreation Expenses
Part-time concession staff will kept to a minimum this summer and some full-time employees will
work to help trim the part-time hours.
Salaries Instructors Contractual
This figure will be based on the number of programs. Sue said it was discovered that one
employee was paid out of this line item erroneously. This will be adjusted.
Salary Recording Secretary
The amount spent was a bit more due to increased length of meetings and the salary is also fixed.
The cost of each tape is$2.00.
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Office Equipment
It was discussed to reduce the number of copiers to one, however, Bart said the lease agreement
may not allow that. Laser printers were also discussed as well as the decreased number of
meeting packets being copied.
Electricity
The City does not pay electricity on some of the buildings and an audit is being done to try and
decrease usage. There are also grants available.
Phones
Three phones will be cut and employees will be encouraged to use personal cell phones and
request reimbursement.
Portable Toilets
Some costs will be paid for by YYBSA and some by Veolia.
Publishing and Advertising
The catalogs will be delivered door to door and it will be placed on-line. The cost will be split with
Community Relations for joint delivery with their city newsletter.
Dues
This line item is for professional organizations and certain necessary certifications.
Training &Conferences
These are cut city-wide
Office Supplies
This has decreased and purchasing in bulk is encouraged as well as requests for a quotes.
Program Expense
The cost of programs and expenses will be reviewed and fees will need to cover the programs.
Postage &Shipping
The door to door delivery will be cheaper than the mail. Vickie Coveny suggested some items
could be sent with the utility or water bill. However, a bulk rate is used and may not allow for
additional pages. Glory Spies will be sending information about trash pickups in a postcard format
and it was also suggested it could be sent with a utility bill.
Scholarships
This is for special recreation scholarships and is requested by City Council each year.
Summary
The ending balance is a (-$15,000) deficit in a$1.4 million budget. If a surplus results, Bart would
like to give to another department that might be facing layoffs.
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Rec Center
Bart said the beginning balance changed from (-$56,000) to (-$83,000).
Membership Fees
There could be a change in the membership and programs costs and different levels of
memberships may be offered.
Concessions
The vending machines were eliminated, however, a pop machine was suggested for the outside of
the building. It was felt there is a one on one contact when selling directly to the client. Another
suggestion was a wi-fi cafe with juices, coffee and other products.
Rental Income
The facility is rented out for extra income and clients can have pool parties.
Expenses
Salaries
There will be no raises city-wide this year. Part time salaries will decrease due to restructuring of
hours.
The front desk discussion from last week was continued. Sue said a minimum of 2 employees are
needed at the front desk for safety reasons, registrations, tours and other functions. Keys, locker
rooms and towels also need to be monitored. There are also no security cameras so employees
monitor various operations.
Pool Repair
A$5500 bill is expected for pool repair. Other mechanical devices such as the heater, motors,
vacuum system, etc. were discussed. The estimated cost of a new heater would be about$1,000.
Sue will obtain replacement costs of various pieces of equipment. Solar heating will be explored
as well as energy grants.
The lease agreement and responsibility for possible repairs was also discussed. Also, two lease
payments will be due next year and Bart detailed the upcoming yearly costs of the lease.
Electricity
Vickie suggested a possible change of hours in order to decrease electricity usage. Sue will do a
review to determine the usage by day and hour. Currently, the center opens at 5am and it was
suggested to cut the hours in the summer months.
Property Tax
Bart said next year the taxes will double and will increase more if the facility is re-assessed. He will
speak with the assessor to check for any relief for a government-leased building.
Summary
Bart said the deficit is expected to worsen. However, at the end of 5 years, he hopes the facility
can make money or break even. Bart will look at business plans to try and increase revenue.
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The roof repair was paid for by the building owner, however, the payment has not been completed
to the vendor since the roof repairs are not completed. They will be finished when the weather
warms. Ms. Horaz said the building owner must be notified in writing within a certain time, of any
problems. Ms. Swithin stated that the problems were going to be addressed by the former
Director. She said when the gym is closed, due to needed repairs, potential income is lost and the
persistent leaks are ruining the ceilings. Tile has already been replaced and ruined again. She
suggested that the building owner should pay for the ceilings as well, since the damage is caused
by the roof leak. It was suggested to contact the attorney to review the contract since safety is
also a factor. Bart will have an inspector check the building.
Day to day problems should be documented and written notice should be given to the owner. Bart
will document the various leaks and check the City's legal recourse.
Additional Business:
The next meeting is March 26th. On March 24th, the City Council will hold a special budget meeting
and the revised budget will be submitted. Then a public notice must be posted and a Public
Hearing will be tentatively scheduled for April 14th.
Vickie Coveny asked if any more thought was given to selling food items at the Riverfront Park
Building. It was not known if there would be enough business.
Chris Rollins asked the Board members to read the Parks and Recreation Reports.
Sue Swithin handed out a confidential grid detailing some increases in costs. She also presented
a request from the Chamber of Commerce for a park river rental night on September 3. A waiver
of fees is being requested. Mayor Burd stressed to Ms. Swithin that a good working relationship
with the Chamber is important. Sue said she would like to decline the waiver of fees for non-profit
groups in the future, in consideration of the budget.
Ms. Swithin said the swimming pool updates are completed at the Rec Center and it is in
compliance with the State. Ms. Horaz asked if the ceiling warranty would be affected by the leaks.
A fundraiser of special brew was mentioned by Mr. Rollins.
Mr. Rollins moved for a motion to suspend the regular meeting for an Executive Session. Ken
Koch moved and Debbie Horaz seconded to enter into Executive Session. Roll call vote: Chris
Rollins-yes, Ken Koch-yes, Deb Horaz-yes, Kelly Sedgwick-yes, Vickie Coveny-yes, Garrick
Gillette-yes.
Executive Session convened at 10:12pm.
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At 10:28 the Session was adjourned and the Board resumed their regular meeting.
At the next meeting, ideas will be discussed for fundraisers. Also, hosting of tournaments will be
reviewed.
Bart Olson said there will be a Director's Report at the next meeting. He would also like to meet
with each Board member individually in the next two weeks.
A motion was made by Deb Horaz and seconded by Ken Koch to adjourn the meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 10:32pm.
Minutes respectfully submitted by
Marlys Young