Parks and Recreation Division Quarterly Report to the Metropolitan King County Council April 17, 2003

1. Parks and Recreation Division Quarterly Report to the Metropolitan King County CouncilApril 17, 2003

2. Parks Division Reporting Requirements Per Omnibus Ordinance • Meeting revenue targets • Implementing entrepreneurial strategies • Pursuing gifts, bequests and donations • Developing agreements with other organizations to provide recreation services • Transferring parks and recreation assets • Community outreach and involvement

3. Meeting Revenue Targets • 2003 Parks Division budget of $16.4 million includes $7.2 million in revenues • $3.6M from user fee revenues • $1.2M from new, entrepreneurial efforts • $2.3M from intergovernmental transfers (SWM, Roads, REET, WTD) • $116,060 from miscellaneous sources such as easements and special use permits

4. Meeting Revenue Targets

5. Meeting Revenue TargetsAquatics User Fee RevenuesGoal: 25% increase

6. Meeting Revenue TargetsAquatics User Fee Revenues • Three sources of user fee revenues at pools: • Swim lessons ( up 23%) • Facility rentals (up 29%) • Drop in use (up 26%) • Swim lesson revenues increased at all pools • Facility rental revenues increased at KCAC and Renton, down at Tahoma and Evergreen • Drop in use revenues increased at KCAC, Renton, Tahoma, down at Evergreen Pool • Evergreen Pool (-9%) • Reduced operating hours by 20% • Low income area

7. Meeting Revenue TargetsAquatics User Fee Revenues • User Fees for 2nd Quarter • No major fee changes being considered at this time, continue to closely monitor usage and revenues • Minor tweaks (lockers: 25 cents to 50 cents or more) • Party Packages to increase facility rentals

8. Meeting Revenue TargetsOther Fees and Rentals

9. Meeting Revenue TargetsOther Fees and Rentals • Fairgrounds increase of 38% exceeds goal of 25% • Field and Facility rentals up 12% • Prime season for field and facility rentals is 2nd and 3rd quarters • Most athletic fields unavailable during first quarter • Sand fields fees during first quarter held at 2002 levels • Rec Program revenues up 4%; lower than goal, but offerings have been greatly reduced during last two years

10. Meeting Revenue TargetsNew Entrepreneurial Activities • 2003 Budget assumes $1.2M in new revenue • High level of certainty on nearly 75% of target so far • $300,000 anticipated from Concert Series (revenue begins in June) • $350,000 - $400,000 anticipated from Marymoor Park parking fee ($75,358 to date) • $110,000 received from 2002 events • $67,000 anticipated from RFP responses

11. Meeting Revenue TargetsIntergovernmental • $640,000 from SWM Fund • $288,804 from Road Fund • $500,000 one-time from Wastewater for Juanita Beach Park easement • $931,929 from REET (capital program and land management staffing)

12. Meeting Revenue TargetsOther • $116,060 target includes miscellaneous sources such as utility easements. • Target is based on historical average • Low percentage of overall revenues

13. Implementing Entrepreneurial Strategies • Request for Proposals • Concert Series • Marymoor Parking Fee • Advertising • Employee Cost/Revenue Team • Revised Financial Systems • Driving Range

14. Implementing Entrepreneurial StrategiesRequest for Proposals • Issued in Fall 2002, 30 responses January 2003 • Division has reviewed all responses, following up with approximately 20 • Small food and beverage vendors, swimwear vendor, various dog park vendor proposals, trail running series, batting cage proposal, naming rights/sponsorship proposals • Division has not completed detailed revenue analysis of all proposals, but assessment work to date projects $67,000 in net revenue in 2003

15. Implementing Entrepreneurial StrategiesConcert Series • Projected to generate $300,000 in net revenue to Parks Division in 2003 • Concerts begin June 7th, run through early September • Division has begun talking with potential corporate sponsors on naming rights and advertising – these revenues would be in addition to the $300,000 from concerts

16. Implementing Entrepreneurial StrategiesMarymoor Parking Fee • $1 parking fee at Marymoor implemented February 1st • $75,358 collected through March 31st • Anticipated to generate $350,000 - $400,000 for 2003 • Current system: temporary honor boxes • Final system: Division will present plan to Council during 2nd quarter

17. Implementing Entrepreneurial StrategiesAdvertising • Division has developed two brochures to generate advertising revenue, one for the advertising and naming rights opportunities at the KCAC and one for advertising opportunities at ballfields, the velodrome, community centers, and local UGA pools

18. Implementing Entrepreneurial StrategiesEmployee Cost/Revenue Team • Division formed employee team to recommend cost cutting and revenue generation ideas • First cost saving recommendation has been implemented: consolidating email accounts for field maintenance employees (savings: $12,000) • Revenue generation projects being developed by the team include development of campgrounds at various sites and birthday party packages at remaining County pool locations

19. Pursuing Gifts, Bequests, and Donations • Division has approached local corporations, no firm commitments to date • Division working with family on $6,000 donation at Cougar Mountain Park • Division created list of equipment and facilities that can be donated, will be posted on web page • Friends of Marymoor Park received $37,500 grant from WLR’s Urban Forestry Program for tree planting; Serve Our Dog Area donated $25,000 worth of fencing to the project • Division received $46,202 grant from Washington State Department of Agriculture for King County Fair • Northwest Parks Foundation formed

20. Developing Agreements With Other Organizations • Primary approach will be through ADOP Program • $605,000 in 2003 Parks budget • Council approved criteria/guidelines March 31st • Division has begun working on rolling out program and working with user groups to submit ADOP proposals • Division working with existing user groups with agreements to review and potentially revise agreements to better cover County costs and generate revenue where possible • Agreement with Boys and Girls Club to operate West Hill and Gold Creek Community Centers

21. Developing Agreements With Other Organizations • Two partnerships to provide interpretive programs which were eliminated in the 2003 budget • Developed agreement with Nature Visions to continue providing interpretive classes to schools • Formed partnership with Friends of Soos Creek and City of Kent for interpretive walks at Soos Creek Park • Negotiating with Redmond Little League on concession agreement at new Redmond Ridge Park, scheduled to open June 1st • Division continues to negotiate privately financed athletic complex at Marymoor Park

22. Transferring Park and Recreation Assets • King County transferred ownership of 7 pools • South Central (Tukwila) • Mary Wayte Pool (Northwest Center) • Costie/Ruiz Pool/Northshore Pool (Northwest Center) • Kenneth Jones Pool (Federal Way) • Redmond Pool (Northwest Center) • Kent Pool (Kent) • Enumclaw Pool (Enumclaw) • Transfer of Mt Si Pool forthcoming

23. Transferring Park and Recreation Assets • King County transferred 12 parks to cities • Juanita Beach Park (Kirkland) • Eastgate and Manor Hill Parks (Bellevue) • Lake Burien School Site (Burien) • Salmon Creek Waterway (Burien) • Jenkins Creek Park (Covington) • Luther Burbank Park (Mercer Island) • Lea Hill and Auburndale Two Parks (Auburn) • Lake Wilderness Park (Maple Valley) • Fort Dent Park (Tukwila) • Beaver Lake Park (Sammamish)

24. Community Outreach and Involvement • Outreach and Reconnection Strategy, long-term outreach strategy developed collaboratively with Lee Springgate • Executive listserve messages • User Fee increase outreach • Marymoor Park parkingfee outreach • Web page enhancements • Volunteers

25. Community Outreach and InvolvementOutreach and Reconnection Strategy • New outreach strategy developed with Lee Springgate • Copy of plan delivered to Council in February 2003 • Plan includes strategies for working with citizens, user groups, and cities • Division has formed working group with Parks staff and DNRP outreach staff to implement

26. Community Outreach and InvolvementExecutive Listserve Messages • Listserve created to help keep citizens informed • Since November 2002 8 separate messages sent to a database of over 700 users/user groups providing information on transfers, new ways of doing business, Metropolitan Parks Task Force recommendations, levy proposal information, and park events.

27. Community Outreach and InvolvementFee Increases Outreach • Specific outreach included: • Seattle Times • Posted at affected facilities • Posted on Internet • Direct mailed to over 400 users/user groups • Special e-mail address established to receive feedback • 280 comments received • 266 focused on Marymoor Park parking fee

28. Community Outreach and InvolvementMarymoor Park parking fee outreach • Division revised initial pass fee proposal based on citizen comments • Partnership formed with Serve Our Dog Area to sell six month passes • Saves Division administrative time • Generates revenue for SODA • Resulted in increased membership for SODA

29. Community Outreach and InvolvementWeb Page Enhancements • Regular posting of all information regarding new ways of doing business (transition plan, task force report, etc) • Reformatted Parks web pages, easier navigation • Comment boxes added to foster better feedback • Division working on adding donations page, ability to schedule fields and facilities, more information about individual parks and facilities including maps • Division exploring ability to advertise on Parks web page

30. Community Outreach and InvolvementVolunteers • Division has a total of 72 volunteer events scheduled on 15 different parks sites for the first 6 months of 2003 • These efforts are expected to generate 900 individual volunteers and 1800 hours of labor