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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-04-07-REC-rpt.pdf "Report to Town Meeting" ,- ---- tn#,VIlcil .., .—, Report from the Chair of the Recreation Committee for Town Meeting lif This has been a year of challenges for Lexington Recreation. In carrying out our mission to provide quality opportunities for recreation that are accessible to all the citizens of Lexington, we are challenged to maintain and improve our existing facilities, to respond to the changing recreational needs of our citizens, and to pursue our conviction that recreation is an important element of community life. More than 14,000 individuals registered for programs through the Recreation Department in FY96, including expanded youth activities during the school year. Youth and adult sports leagues have expanded, resulting in greater demand and heavier usage for our fields. Playgrounds and other structures continue to be upgraded and improved to comply with ADA requirements, resulting in increased use and greater accessibility to all. The Recreation Scholarship Fund has also increased accessibility to our programs by providing assistance to more than 40 families. This year, we have been particularly challenged to protect fair funding for recreation in an environment in which many worthy community enterprises must compete for the same dollars. For several years, Recreation has been funded through the Recreation Enterprise Fund, which serves as a reservoir for all funds generated from income- producing activities under the oversight of Recreation. Roughly half the income for the fund comes from Pine Meadows Golf Course; the rest comes from fees charged for Recreation programs (swim tags, tennis cards, program fees, etc.), all of which are totally self-supporting. Recreation has met all its expenses from the Enterprise Fund, including the funding of capital improvements to maintain and improve infrastructure. In recent years, the Enterprise Fund has also paid for the portion of the DPW budget relating to playground and field maintenance (including the maintenance of the school fields, which has never been in the school budget). The fees paid to DPW for these services have increased each year, further reducing funds available in the Enterprise for capital improvements and expenditures. The Enterprise Fund has been able to accomplish all of its financial obligations for a limited time because of a cash reserve maintained over the years, available for seasonal shifts in income, emergencies, and capital projects. Undesignated Fund Balances at the close of FY94 and FY95 may have looked to some like surpluses, but these cash reserves have been critical to our ability to maintain our facilities without funds from the tax levy. By the end of FY97, however, this cash reserve will be gone. In addition, last year's Town Meeting vote to impose a $50,000 in lieu of tax payment on the Recreation Enterprise Fund was the straw that broke the camel's back. With our reserves depleted and an additional levy from the town, we could no longer put off thinking how to adequately fund the maintenance of our resources. The Recreation Committee and staff have sought to meet this financial challenge in both obvious and more creative ways. We have raised fees as much as possible while remaining fair and equitable. This solution has limitations, however, as fees that increase to a level more than the market will bear, may drive down participation and ultimately decrease revenue. In addition, fee increases begin to make it less possible for some individuals and families to participate in our programs, undermining the connecting function of recreation in the community. We have begun to work with other community groups in cost-sharing partnerships to address pressing needs that have been postponed because of budget constraints. Examples of this include work with Lexington Youth Soccer on field maintenance and improvement, and support and participation in Lexington Lights, a community group raising funds to expand and improve lighting at Center Field. It became apparent to us a few months ago that a radical change would be needed to enable us to keep the Recreation Enterprise Fund solvent, and Recreation programs and facilities healthy. An ad-hoc committee was formed which included the Recreation Director, Park Superintendent, Director of Public Works, and the Town Manager's office to develop that solution. The policy change developed by this committee and approved by the Selectmen includes the following recommendations: 1) that the Recreation Enterprise Fund will only support capital projects associated with revenue-producing programs, such as swimming, golf, and tennis. 2) that the costs of maintaining neighborhood playgrounds and fields which do not generate direct income will be supported by the tax levy. 3) that the Enterprise Fund will not be required to make any future in lieu of tax payments. 4) and, that the transfer payments to the DPW Parks and Trees Department will be substantially reduced. While we are encouraged by this policy change, we do not see any change in our role as advocates and overseers of playgrounds and fields. These areas will continue to be our important responsibility and we will now be requesting tax levy monies for them, as we did prior to the Enterprise Fund. We face a new fiscal year with renewed commitment to better educate the community about the services provided by Recreation and about the new funding policy. We believe that a strong recreation department is more important than ever, that recreation provides opportunities for citizens of all ages, income levels, and abilities to come together in a common pursuit. And we believe that in both social and economic terms, recreation gives to the community much more than it costs.