New Search
Cultural/Leisure Services <br />Service Issues and Accomplishments: <br />1. Maintaining the current level and quality of service to the public .with a 14% increase in <br />Library circulation was the major accomplishment for the Library in the last year: There was <br />increased convenience through self-service stations and a-mail notifications which resulted in <br />record-breaking circulation of 2.5 million items in FY06. More than 64,000. new books, audio <br />books, CD's, DVD's, videos and other items were added to the collection, resulting in meeting <br />the OLA standard of 2.5 books per resident.. <br />2. The Library continues to be supported with time-limited funds. Voters approved afour-year, <br />$10.8 million local option levy in November 2006. This funding represents about 25 percent of <br />library operating costs and a permanent funding source will be required in FY12. <br />3. In 2007, the citizen members of the City Council's Budget Committee. evaluated youth <br />services with a special emphasis on Recreation youth services. ,This review was undertaken <br />because the Youth and Family levy was scheduled to end in FY07 and was not submitted to the <br />voters for renewal. This review affirmed the value of these services and even recommended <br />increases to those areas of immediate need and value, such as Teen Court and water safety <br />programs. Funding for current youth services, as well as any increases to those, services, will <br />continue to be a challenge in future budget years. <br />4. 2006 was another productive year for Recreation Services. Echo Hollow pool's full funding <br />was reaffirmed as a priority and is now in the Recreation Division's on-going budget. Adaptive <br />Recreation was honored as the best program of its kind in the country by the National <br />Recreation and Parks Association. Much needed after-school activities were added due to a <br />partnership with 4J school district. The Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) <br />Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the City Council. "RecEnroll",anew on-line registration <br />and payment system for classes through the Internet, was launched and expands Recreation's <br />service delivery to 24/7. <br />5. Cultural Services, which operates the Hult Center for the Performing Arts and the Cuthbert. <br />Amphitheater, has a significant financial impact on the local community. Over the last seven <br />years, for every dollar of Transient Room Tax (TRT) spent on Cultural Services operations, $5 <br />was returned back into the economy. <br />6. The existing business model for the Cultural Services Division is not sustainable nor fully <br />supported by existing revenue sources. Finding sustainable funding is a critical need and, with <br />that in mind, a Cultural Policy Review (CPR) was initiated. The CPR process was begun in <br />June 2006 with the final report expected to be completed in July 2007. <br />62 <br />