2a. 1991 Lake Ann Park entrance fees , e
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CITYOF .
I ,,_, .., _. CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
1 (612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739 k111
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MEMORANDUM:
I TO: Park and Recreation Commission
FROM: Todd Hoffman, Park and Recreation Coordinator
DATE: February 20, 1991
II SUBJ: Estabish 1991 Lake Ann Entrance Fees
II In accordance with the Chanhassen City Code, Chapter 14 Park and
Recreation, Section 14 -59 Parking Permits, the parking permit fee
for Lake Ann Park must be established by resolution each year.
The following history of permit fees and annual gross revenue is
II provided for your information in reviewing this item.
YEAR FEES GROSS REVENUE
1 1987 Daily $ 3.00 $13,600
Annual (Resident) 5.00
Annual (Non- Resident) 10.00
I 1988 Daily 3.00 17,200
Annual (Resident) 5.00
I Annual (Non- Resident) 10.00
1989 Daily 2.00 11,000
I Annual (Resident) 5.00
Annual (Non- Resident) 10.00
1990 Daily 2.00 12,500
I Annual (Resident) 5.00
Annual (Non - Resident) 10.00
II Traditionally the debate over the Lake Ann Park entrance fee has
centered on the amount of the fees and whether or not every
person, regardless of their purpose for entering the park, should
be charged. The possibility of discontinuing the parking fee has
I also been discussed. The Park and Recreation Commission reviewed
this item extensively in 1989 before establishing the fees for
1990. The majority of discussion at that time related to the
1 fairness of allowing youth participants of organized recreational
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February 20, 1991
Page 2
and instructional activities and their parents /spectators free
access to the park. The Commission eventually made a
' recommendation to the City Council on November 28, 1989. This
recommendation was approved by the City Council on January 8, 1990.
Recognizing current economic trends and with the knowledge that
the 1990 parking fee /gate attendant program operated smoothly
and generated gross revenues of $12,500.00, no changes in the
parking permit fees are being recommended.
Specifically, it is recommended that the Park and Recreation
Commission recommend the City Council establish the 1991
' parking fees at the same rate as 1990 (see page 1) and that all
park users, except youth participants of organized recreational
and instructional activities and their parents /spectators, be
' required to pay the fee. Further, it is recommended that all
adult softball teams pay for fifteen park stickers ($75.00) as
part of their team registration fee.
' TH:nd
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Park and Recreation Commission Action (2-26-91):
Lash moved, Erhart seconded to recommend the City Council establish
the 1991 Lake Ann Park parking fees at the same rate as 1990 and
that all park users, except youth participants of organized
recreational and instructional activities and their parents/
spectators, be required to pay the fee. Further, it is recommended
that the adult softball teams purchase fifteen seasonal park
stickers ($75.00) as part of their team registration fee. All
voted in favor and the motion carried.
Recommendation:
' In accordance with the Park and Recreation Commission's motion, it
is recommended that the City Council establish the 1991 Lake Ann
Park entrance fees as follows:
Daily Pass $2.00
Annual Pass (Resident) $5.00
Annual Pass (Non- Resident) $10.00
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with the following exceptions and additions:
1. Youth participants of organized recreational and instructional
activities and their parents /spectators are not required to
pay entrance fees.
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February 20, 1991 II
Page 3
2. Adult softball teams be required to purchase fifteen seasonal 1
park stickers ($75.00) as part of their team registration fee.
Attachments II
1. February 26, 1991 Park and Recreation Commission Minutes.
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2. Copy of ordinance.
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Park and Rec Commission Meeting
February 26, 1991 - Page 15
to see included first among that ranking system, I'd certainly welcome your
opinion in doing so.
ESTABLISH 1991 LAKE ANN PARK ENTRANCE FEES.
' Hoffman: In accordance with the Chanhassen City Code, Chapter 14, Park and
Recreation, Section 14 -59, Parking Permits, the parking permit fee for Lake
Ann Park must be established by resolution by the City Council each year.
The history was provided there so you have some information on what has
' occurred with gross revenues and then with the fees which were charged to
accumulate those gross revenues over the past 4 years. As you recall, last
year in trying to review this item, I think I paged back all the way to
' September and then we talked about it in 4 different meetings during 1989
to finally come up to a conclusion or recommendation for the 1990 fees. As
you can see, those fees which were $2.00 for a daily, $5.00 for an annual
' resident, and $10.00 for a non - resident annual accumulated in $12,500.00
gross revenues which was up a thousand from the year prior. As well, some
of the majority of that discussion that time around centered around how we
would operate the gate function itself. Who would be allowed in without
' paying. Who strictly has to pay. How are we going to handle the adult
softball. Those types of things. The conclusion which was made and the
recommendation which was made at that time is that participants of youth
' activities and instructional activities, whether that be a baseball
program, swimming lesson, playground program, something of that nature,
where they've signed up. They've paid a fee to be in the program. Those
people and their spectators and /or parents would not be charged a fee to
' enter the park. That includes teams coming in from out of town visitor
teams coming in to play a Chanhassen team in a particular ballgame. It was
also recommended at that time to include 15 park stickers or $75.00 worth
' of park stickers right into the adult softball fee. Those two
recommendations and those two guidelines or procedures worked fairly well
or worked extremely well. The best of any that's been used in my
' experience at the gatehouse for the past 4 years. We had the least amount
of problems and things seemed to operate fairly smoothly. There's also
been talk in the past about, it's somewhat unusual to have this type of
charge at a community park. We've talked that it is not unusual to have
' this type of charge at a beach. Strictly a beach function but Lake Ann is
more than that. However, as noted in my memo, under the current economic
situations which we're surviving, omitting the fee or dismantling at this
time is not recommended either. What is recommended is that since things
did operate smoothly, we stick with the same fees and recommend those fees
and the same procedures as 1990.
Andrews: I'd like to make one comment. I think for the sake of smoothness
I agree it ought to be left alone but I've had a position of being a
conservative when it comes to revenue and I think with the State and
Federal government projecting, I've heard figures around 40% as far as
reductions or contribution to local government and I guess I have a concern
about that we have to watch our available resources and our available
sources of money carefully and if indeed we do see our funding dry up that
we'd have to take a look at raising our fees for 1992.
Schroers: As a benefit to the newer members of the commission, I think we
might point out that this is an issue that we have spent a lot of time on.
It wasn't easy to reach a workable and acceptable solution and as far as
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Park and Rec Commission Meeting
February 26, 1991 - Page 16
revenues that's generated in the overall budget of the park operations,
it's really not all that significant. I mean if we raise the gate fees by
a buck or two, we're not really doing ourself a major justice by doing I.
that.
Hoffman: If you recall Jerry's end of the year report, when you take off II
the employee cost and those types of things associated with that, we were
down around just in excess of $5,000.00 for a net revenue.
Lash: I have just two comments that I thought of tonight. Originally I
thought this was just fine and I still do. It worked last year and we
spent hours discussing it last year. I think that's fine but one gripe
that I end up with, and this is pretty petty I have to admit but I realize II
there are a lot of teams, men. Well, maybe women too. Softball teams who
have non - residents on their teams and then they're getting the sticker for
the resident fee. But I don't see that there's anything we can do about it
but that kind of gripes me. Number one that they're non - resident and then
they're getting the thing for the same price and can use it as many times
as they want Not just for games. But another thing just came to my mind
and that's how similar some of the facilities at Lake Susan are to this '
park and is it something we want to think about. Do we want to have a
similar kind of system at Lake Susan or is that just always going to be
free admittance? ...adding on at Lake Ann if it's free and it's got the II boat access and the swimming beach and the picnic shelter and a lot of the
same facilities.
Erhart: Maybe they'll go over there then.
Lash: Well yeah, maybe they will. Or maybe it would behoove us to have
the same kind of system over there and double. '
Erhart: If you buy a pass for Lake Ann, you could get into Lake Susan?
Hoffman: The situation, it has been discussed time and time again..'
Initially the fee was established at Lake Ann as part of the beach program.
Lake Ann was initially basically a beach setting. The ballfields were II installed at the same time. There will not be an official, there's a sand
area at Lake Susan Park. You would be hard pressed to find anybody who
will partake in swimming there because of the water quality. It will not
be maintained as a beach. It will not be marked as a beach and there will II
not be lifeguards there so Lake Ann will continue to be the popular and the •
most favorite spot for that type of activity.
Schroers: Is the shelter at Lake Susan available for reservations? '
Hoffman: Yes. As noted in one of the upcoming items.
Schroers: Okay. Well I guess that is something that we could look,at some'
point in time in the future if we feel that it's warranted but for right
now we're dealing with the 1991. Were you thinking about that for this
season?
Lash: No, no, no. I just thought it was food for thought. That if we're
going to have this set up at one facility that is I think comparable in a
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Park and Rec Commission Meeting
February 26, 1991 - Page 17
lot of the things offered that it just doesn't seem right to have it at one
and not the other.
Schroers: Well that's a good point.
Lash: Just to think about it.
Schroers: Okay, with that is there anyone interested in submitting a
motion?
Lash: 1 would move that we approve the park fees as used in 1990 for Lake
Ann. For 1991. The same as 1990.
' Schroers: Okay, is there a second?
Erhart: Second.
' Lash moved, Erhart seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission
recommend to establish the 1991 parking fees at the same rate as 1990 and
that all park users, except youth participants of organized recreational
and instructional activities and their parents /spectators, be required to
pay the fee. Further, it is recommended that all adult softball teams pay
for 15 park stickers ($75.00) as part of their team registration fee. All
voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
ESTABLISH GROUP PICNIC AND BALLFIELD RESERVATION FEES.
Hoffman: You led us right into item 5 Larry in that this particular memo
t discussed group picnic and ballfield reservation fees. Group picnic fees
are nothing new. Those have been established and used in the past years
but the idea of the ballfield reservation or generating some income by use
of the ballfields by non- resident groups is new to our community. However,
' it is used extensively in other communities to generate some considerable
amounts of money for the general park funds. Again, Lake Susan Park, the
one which I dealt with first, has been out of commission let us say for the
' past 2 years with the remodeling taking place at that park. Prior to that
time it was, people call it a private park. It was isolated. The picnic
shelter was constructed years before as part of a project to build a
' wellhouse which also exists as part of that building. However, it was made
available for group reservations. They used the farmer's field access road
to get down into that location and it remained a popular spot at that time.
Now with the drastic changes which has taken place at Lake Susan, I would
' foresee that it is going to be even more popular than Lake Ann for group
picnics due to the fact that it does having running water at the current
time, electricity and the nice park shelter which is there. The amenities
' are listed. The recommended group rates are based off of those amenities.
Taking a look at what other communities and what other agencies are
charging and then as well taking into consideration both non - resident and
resident groups and then as well giving a discount for recommended and
' discount for school groups, government groups and non - profits. Boy Scouts
and senior groups. Those type of things. Fees which are being
recommended for a resident group for Lake Susan Park shelter is $50.00 per
picnic. Non- resident group would be $150.00. And then non - profit or
senior group discounts would receive a 25% discount. Again, to clarify