Agenda Item Wording:
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Annual fee waiver request from Visalia Gadabouts to utilize the Visalia Senior Center for the purpose of providing programs and services for senior citizens.
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Deadline for Action: 1/31/2022
Submitting Department: Community Services
Contact Name and Phone Number: Laurissa Roggenkamp 713-43365
Department Recommendation:
It is recommended that City Council waive the rental fee, $1,881 annual value, but assess the direct staffing cost, $717.31 annual value. The Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that the City Council waive the annual facility rental fee and not assess a fee for direct staffing cost.
Background Discussion:
In 2006 City staff worked with the Senior Advisory Committee to develop a process for designating free or reduced fees at the Visalia Senior Center. Whereas there were once several organizations requesting fee waivers for use of the Senior Center, this number has decreased over the years, some programs have become City operated programs and other organizations have found alternate locations.
Following the established process, organizations requesting to utilize the Senior Center and receive a fee waiver and/or reduced fee must annually submit a Facility Use Application for the upcoming calendar year. Their application must include information about the organization/agency, non-profit status, and financial records for the past two years. For 2022, one application was received requesting a fee waiver.
In the past, the Senior Advisory Committee aided in the review process of the applications. However, the Senior Advisory Committee has not met since January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic that temporarily closed the facility prohibited members of organizations and participants of the various City sponsored programs and clubs from meeting at the Senior Center. As staff rebuilds programs and clubs and organizations begin to use the facility, the Senior Advisory Committee positions will be filled by appropriate applicants.
The 2022 application was reviewed by City staff to ensure that the established criteria for consideration for a fee waiver and/or reduced fee were met. The criteria are as follows:
Programming & fees to participants:
• Programs/services meets the needs and interests of Visalia Seniors.
• Programs/services are affordable and within the economic means of Visalia Seniors.
Organization Finances:
• How does the applicant use the fees paid by participants?
o Is the applicant a commercial business profiting from their use of the facility?
§ If an organization is profiting from its use of this City facility, it is recommended that the organization pay full facility rental fees.
Appropriate use of facility space:
• Organizations request for time, room, set-up, etc. is suitable
o A small group of people using too large of a space and too much time is not suitable.
Impact on City:
• The City should not incur expenses specifically for the function of the applicant’s use of the facility.
o Facility use outside of normal operating hours requires that the City must pay for staffing to open, close, set-up, attend, etc.; this creates a City subsidy.
Through the review process staff have determined that the 2022 applicant, Visalia Gadabouts, meet the criteria. They offer a program of interest to Seniors, their finances show that they do not benefit financially, they are a designated non-profit 501(c)(3), their requested use of facility space and time are appropriate for the programming. The Visalia Gadabouts is a travel club for seniors, they meet one Saturday per month to provide trip information, they do not collect meeting fees from attendees of the monthly meeting (donations are accepted), they do collect fees to pay for the trips, however they are not profiting from these fees, and their services are affordable to seniors.
However, the Visalia Gadabouts requested facility use is outside of regular operational hours, so the City will need to schedule and pay for a staff member specifically for their use. The projected cost to the City for 2022 staffing is $717.31; $65.21/month. This estimate includes hourly wages, worker’s comp, FICA, and deferred comp. Staff will arrive 30 minutes prior to the reservation to set-up as well as remain 30 minutes after the reservation to clean and breakdown; for a total of 4 hours per rental date ($15.55/hour).
While staff appreciates that the Gadabouts provide good and affordable activities, staff also believes it is appropriate to continue past practice and charge for actual costs, in this case the staffing costs both because of the actual cost, and the precedent that would be set by changing this practice. Alternatives to paying this fee, or options for reducing the fee, would be to have a shorter meeting time than the 4 hours per day, and/or to meet during regular business hours, which would eliminate the need to schedule staff. The group has been meeting and renting space at the Lampliter during the time the Senior Center has been closed.
It should also be noted that the Main Room at the Senior Center is a popular rental option for baby showers, small receptions, etc. The Gadabouts are an appropriate use for the facility, but it does eliminate one Saturday a month for use by the general public.
Fiscal Impact:
The Visalia Gadabouts have requested the use of the Senior Center Main room on the first Saturday of each month beginning February 2022 thru December 2022 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. The cost for a non-profit to reserve the Senior Center Main Room is $57 per hour. The requested fee waiver for 2022 rental is $1,881.00.
Prior Council Action: Council has approved fee waiver for Visalia Gadabouts for the past thirteen years. January 6, 2020 Council approved a rental fee waiver for Visalia Gadabouts, and assessed that direct staffing cost be paid.
Other: Parks and Recreation Commission met on December 14th at a regular meeting to review the request from the Visalia Gadabouts. Staff recommended that the rental fee, $1,881.00 be waived, and that the Gadabouts pay for the direct staffing cost, $65.21/month ($717.31 annually). The Parks and Recreation Commission motioned to recommend that City Council approve a full facility waiver, $1,881.00 and not assess a fee for direct staffing.
Alternatives: 1. Adopt the recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission with the following motion: I move to accept the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission to waive the proposed 2022 facility rental fees and staff fees for Visalia Gadabouts for their use of the Visalia Senior Center to provide programs and services for Seniors.
2. Deny applicants request for fee waiver. Applicant would pay full facility rental rate.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to accept the recommendation of City Staff to waive the 2022 facility rental fees, but to assess the direct staffing cost for Visalia Gadabouts for their use of the Visalia Senior Center to provide programs and services for Seniors.
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Environmental Assessment Status: n/a
CEQA Review: n/a
Attachments: Fee Waiver Request and Facility Request Application from Visalia Gadabouts. Cost breakdown for Fee Waiver and Direct Staffing Costs