Agenda Item Wording:
title
Consideration for fee waiver - Request from Visalia Gadabouts to utilize the Visalia Senior Center at a reduced rate for the purpose of providing programs and services for senior citizens.
body
Deadline for Action: 12/30/2024
Submitting Department: Community Services
Contact Name and Phone Number: Jason Glick 713-4042 jason.glick@visalia.city, Laurissa Roggenkamp 713-4336 laurissa.roggenkamp@visalia.city
Department Recommendation:
It is recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission and by City staff that the City Council waive the rental fee of $2,520 annual value, but assess the direct staffing cost, $1,035 annual value.
Background Discussion:
The City of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department is dedicated to supporting Visalia seniors through the services provided at the Visalia Senior Center. The City of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department Fee Policy, reviewed and approved annually by the City Council, has identified recreation senior programs to have a cost recovery model of 50% of direct program cost because they are a community/individual benefit program. Programs in this category are partially offset by both tax subsidy to account for the community benefit and participant fees to account for the individual benefit. This categorization has permitted Recreation staff to continue to offer programs such as the senior lunch program at a low price to participants. Additionally, the Visalia Parks and Recreation Department also supports verified non-profit organizations within the community with a non-profit facility rental rate listed in the Annual Rates & Fees, also reviewed and approved annually by the City Council, in which non-profit organizations receive a reduced rate of -20% off the private rental rate.
In the continued effort to support senior programs and non-profit organizations that serve seniors, a process was developed in 2006 to designate free or reduced facility rental fees for use of the Visalia Senior Center. Following the established process, organizations requesting to utilize the Senior Center at a waived or reduced rate must annually submit a Facility Use Application for the upcoming calendar year. The application must include supplemental information including details about the organization/agency, non-profit status verification, and financial records for the past two years. For 2025, one application was received requesting a fee waiver, the sole applicant was Visalia Gadabouts.
The Visalia Gadabouts organization is a travel club for seniors. Gadabouts meet one Saturday per month to provide trip information. This organization is 501(c)(3), and does not collect fees for their monthly meeting from attendees (donations are accepted). Gadabouts board members coordinate numerous trips with a travel company, participating seniors pay to attend the curated trips. As a verified non-profit organization Gadabouts are eligible for the non-profit (-20%) rental rates. Gadabouts has requested a fee waiver for the 2025 rental of the Senior Center Main Room, where they will host their monthly meetings.
City staff reviewed the rental application and fee waiver request of Visalia Gadabouts to ensure that the established criteria for consideration for a fee waiver or reduced fee were met. The criteria are as follows:
• Application: Organizations must apply annually and provide records of their non-profit status and financial records.
• Programming: The program or service meets the needs and interests of Visalia seniors.
o Programs and services should be affordable and within the financial means of seniors.
• Organization Finances: The organization should not monetarily benefit (make a profit) from their use of the city facility.
o If an organization or group has profited from its use of this City facility, it is recommended that the organization pay fully appropriate rental fees.
• Facility Use: The requested amount of time and facility space fits with the needs of the program and should not displace a City program.
• Impact on City: The City should not incur expenses specifically for the function of a free or reduced rental fee.
o For use of the facility outside of normal operating hours the City must pay for a Building Attendant, this creates a City subsidy for a particular program or event.
Through the review process City staff have determined that the applicant, Visalia Gadabouts, offer a program of interest to seniors, their finances show that they do not benefit financially (create a profit), and their requested use of facility space and time are appropriate for the programming. However, the requested time is outside of regular operating hours of the Visalia Senior Center. To fulfill the rental request, the Parks and Recreation Department will need to schedule a staff member to open/close the facility, in addition to setting up the meeting space and service the facility for the duration of the rental.
In 2024 City Council approved a fee waiver for Visalia Gadabouts, the facility rental fee was waived but to ensure that there wasn’t a financial impact on the City, Visalia Gadabouts were required to pay for the direct staffing cost. For 2025, Visalia Gadabouts requested a complete fee waiver, with no cost to them for facility use. City staff’s analysis of the application unfortunately does not support the request, and as it has in recent years, staff is once again recommending that the Visalia Gadabouts be charged for the direct cost of the on-site staffing. Staff discussed measures to decrease the cost of staff with representatives from the Gadabouts. These representatives have agreed to decrease the usage time by 30 minutes and utilize a different set-up with round tables which require less staff time for set-up and break-down.
The updated 2025 facility use request from Visalia Gadabouts is for the Senior Center Main Room, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Based on the Rates & Fees non-profit pricing this usage would cost a total of $2,520. The direct cost to the City for staffing the facility for the Visalia Gadabouts use is projected to be $1,035 for 2025 ($86.25 per month), this is the amount that staff are recommending Visalia Gadabouts pay for their facility usage.
Fiscal Impact:
The Visalia Gadabouts have requested use of the Visalia Senior Center Main Room on the first Saturday of each month beginning January 2025 - December 2025 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The cost for a non-profit to reserve the space is $60 per hour. The applicant is requesting a fee waiver for their 2025 rental, $2,520.
Prior Council Action: Council has approved fee waivers and/or fee reductions for the Visalia Gadabouts for the past sixteen years. Beginning in 2020, Council approved rental fee waiver with assessing the direct staffing cost be paid by the applicant.
Other: Parks and Recreation Commission met on November 12, 2024 to review the request from the Visalia Gadabouts. The commission is recommending to City Council that the rental fee is waived, but that the applicant pay the direct cost of staffing.
Alternatives: Deny applicants request for a fee waiver, applicant would pay the full facility rental cost at the appropriate non-profit rate.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to accept the recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission to waive the 2025 facility rental fees, but to assess the direct staffing cost for the Visalia Gadabouts use of the Visalia Senior Center to provide programs and services for seniors.
end
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments: Facility Request Application with Fee Waiver Request and Visalia Gadabouts 2025 Trip Sheet.