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Recreation Commission Meeting November 4, 2002 City is taking care of the liability issue at this time. Standardization is necessary. Do the same rules apply to someone working on the ice at the Recreation Center and someone teaching horseback riding at the Metroparks? It was observed that Karrie Tipton has multiple contracts: she has a recreation contract, an off-site/on site contract, and road trips as well. We have five general types which should be streamlined to a possible two. You can’t have the same agreement for someone who has a one-time flower arranging course on Saturday and someone who works off site and on site. This will take some time and thought. Also, the insurance industry has tightened up dramatically in recent years. There are higher rates for less coverage. The point is, one accident could spell disaster. Again, the Law Department will have some recommendations. Ms. Hayes asked for a concurrence on the new meeting date’s change to the first Monday of the month. The reports won’t be available on the first Monday; is there any concern about that? Do we want to keep it the first Monday or change it? It was observed that it’s nice to have a meeting with all the facts and figures available; however, the Commission had a hard time getting a quorum for the later meeting date. Ms. Hayes said that was true, but that we now have new members. She said that year to date and month to date financial reports were reviewed at the Monday meetings and at the budget at the beginning of the year. Normally the financial reports are available for the meeting later in the month , but not the first Monday. Reviewing the reports a month before or a month behind should not be a problem. Ms. Hayes stated that, in the past, it was possible to review the financials and then be able to go to Council with priorities. However, with the current condition of appropriations, this would be a moot issue. It was decided that the first Monday of the month would continue to be the date of the Recreation Commission meeting, and Ms. Hayes said that if the meeting date becomes a concern in the future, it can always be reopened. Mr. Jesse then talked a little on the budget cuts, stating this is a two-sided sword. The costs are increasing, and the revenues are decreasing in a number of different ways. The change in the inheritance tax has cost the City about $600,000, and income tax is less. Springvale did not do well because of the late start, which will probably translate into about a $100,000 to $200,000 loss. The City has cut and economized where it could, but the City has a high fixed overhead. We could never build the Recreation Center with today’s dollars, but we still must operate it. What do we do? Do we lay people off? Do we adjust jobs? Do we go through attrition? The fact is that, regardless of what we do, we still have a big money problem. We’re hoping to pick up again in 2004, when the economy is supposed to improve. We’ll never again see the inheritance tax benefit. There’s always the possibility of an increase in taxes, but that’s not a popular alternative. Ms. Hayes invited the staff to give any information or updates on programming. Ms. Drenski said things are holding up well, considering the Department has no Commissioner. Mr. Stein was asked about the condition of the building. He said there are still some leaks in the rink, and that he can’t find a warranty for the roof, after going through the channels to find out about one. The company (Franklin Roofing) does come to make repairs upon request, however. The Page 4