HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.a. Operational and Financial Considerations PARK AND RECREA71ON CONSULTANTS, LLC
KEN YRAA CONSULTING, LLC
July 30, 2010
Dear Honorable Mayor Schmitt:
Councilor Clay:
Councilor Heitzman:
Councilor Lehman:
Councilor Punt:
We are pleased to have been able to work with your staff and members of your community in
preparation of the attached pro forma for the proposed improvements to the Shakopee
Community Center now under consideration
We are sure you can appreciate the short time period for conducting the study and completing
this work. Without the excellent cooperation from your administrative staff and the staff of the
Parks and Recreation Department we would not have been able to complete this project on
schedule. We want to acknowledge their efforts under busy and trying circumstances for their
responsiveness in gathering data and meeting our fast paced schedule.
We want to thank Todd Hallett, representing the Shakopee Hockey Association, for his
responsiveness in providing us with data regarding the association's need. Our thanks to Tom
Schaff, President of the Senior Club and the senior citizen focus group of 17 residents who
discussed the program needs of seniors. We also appreciated the opportunity to interview the
community leaders and community members we were able to speak with for their responsive and
candid comments.
Throughout the preparation of the document and the resulting income and expense projection, we
saw as our responsibility to "drill down" through the data to ensure as accurate information, as
possible. This effort allowed us to effectively draw our conclusions and operational assumptions.
Further, we were able to offer suggestions on more meaningful ways to improve services and
enhance performance of the facility. From the beginning, we felt it was our obligation to be
conservative with income projections and realistic about expenses. We believe we have achieved
that result.
As you review the attached information, please be aware that our initial budgetary computations
were more detailed and reviewed with your administration. We have since compressed the
numbers into your budget presentation format for ease of presentation.
Finally, we were very impressed with everyone's desire to make the City a better place to live by
using City Council adopted objectives to guide current and future decisions of striving to be:
"An active and healthy community, A place with a high quality life for residents, A great place
for kids to grow up; A vibrant, resilient and stable city; A financially strong city. "
We look forward to your council workshop meeting on August 2nd to review this information and
to bring to light other suggestions which we believe will enhance the value of the Shakopee
Community Center and its commitment to "Good Health, Good Friends, Great Community"
; S' ely PIdman r
Harve Ken Vraa
Park and Recreation Consultants, LLC Ken Vraa Consulting, LLC
Cc:
City Administrator McNeill
Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Polley
City of Shakopee
129 S. Holmes St.
Shakopee, MN.
55379
Financial Feasibility
Community Center Improvements
Prepared
July 30, 2010
Completed By:
Harvey Feldman
Park and Recreation Consultants, LLC
Ken Vraa
Ken Vraa Consulting, LLC
Table of Contents
Project and Study Scope ............................................................................ I
GuidingPrinciples ................................................................................... 2
IcePricing ............................................................................................. 3
CivicCenter Profile ................................................................................ 10
Active Older Adults/Senior Center ............................................................... 13
PerformanceRisks ................................................................................. A
Ice Arena Revenue Projections ....... I ......................................................
Civic Center Revenue Projections ................................................................. C
Shakopee Community Center Budget Pro Forma ................. ..............................D
Project and Study Scope
The City of Shakopee is considering improvements to its community center which was originally
constructed in 1995. The multi use facility includes a gym as part of a health and fitness area, a
walking/running track and locker rooms; an ice arena with a National Hockey League size ice
surface with seating for approximately 900 spectators; a teen center, meeting and programming
rooms as well as offices for the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department. The
primary source of income is through the sale of community center memberships and ice rentals
from the arena.
Responding to a residents group named, "Shakopee Recreation: Bring Community Together" the
City Council has undertaken a number of steps to determine the feasibility of an addition to the
Community Center. The proposed improvements would include a new entrance to serve the twin
sheet facility as well as a relocated manager's office, skate sharpening, and concessions stand.
The second ice sheet would be of NHL size with seating for approximately 500 - 800, team
locker rooms and locker rooms for the Shakopee High School boys and girls hockey teams; an
expansion to the fitness area to spread out existing cardio machines and free weights; and an
aerobics studio. Included as part of the improvements, would be a "Senior Center" for Active
Older Adults. This space is also under consideration for use as a congregate dining site, a
function currently conducted at a location in the downtown area of the city. The room would also
be large enough to function as a large gather space for special events such as wedding receptions,
retirement parties, business meeting and large class room instruction.
Construction funding is still to be determined but it's likely to come from a combination of two
sources: volunteer contributions being solicited on behalf of the project by the Shakopee Youth
Hockey Association and a voter approved General Obligation Bond. The dollar amount for
construction is yet to be determined and is the responsibility of the selected architect to calculate
the amount based on a schematic plan.
Study Purpose:
The purpose of this study has four objectives:
• First, to assist in developing a defined set of operating and programming functions with
sufficient clarity and reality upon which monetization can be determined.
• Second, to recommend fees and charges for various activities.
• Three, to define an expected Pro Forma of total income and expense for the various
functions.
• Fourth, to present the collected data with sufficient clarity, depth and understanding the
City's decision makers can be confident to move forward.
1
Guiding Principles
The study was conducted under a set of "Guiding Principles" the purpose of which was to act as
a constant reminder of how the study was to be conducted and the end product delivered.
1. We are part of a responsive team with an obligation to offer suggestions for
improvements as part of a "best practices" approach. Throughout the study, we will offer
suggestion to practices and procedures that have the potential to improve services, create
greater value, or optimize facility performance.
2. Expenses are to be rounded up, and income rounded down. The Approach is to be
conservative.
3. The outcome of this work is to provide as accurate a picture as possible; not to deliver
upon an expectation.
4. We understand the final decision is not ours.
To meet these stated study objectives, a series of meeting with staff were conducted in order to
understand current programming levels and declared needs. The Community Center, as well as
the various budget components and financial statements were rigorously reviewed. Questions on
the same issues were asked in different ways in an effort to ensure as accurate and reliable
information as possible. The weekly ice schedule and ice usage statistics as well as the complete
team -by -team ice usage by the Shakopee Youth Hockey Association was reviewed. Community
Center membership information was also gathered and an analysis of membership type and
geographic location to the community center studied. Individuals in key leadership positions,
such as the President of the Hockey Association and the Associations Treasurer, the High School
Activities Director, seniors, the School District Superintendent, Community Center staff and
others were interviewed to fully comprehend current space shortcomings, programming needs
and to build a context for understanding the dynamics of the issues. Other informal interviews
were conducted with users of the facility sometimes on a chance basis while others were
deliberate outreach efforts. The Shakopee School District enrollment projections as well as
contact with City Planning staff was sought to better understand school district demographics
and likely growth of the community. A discussion with the architects was also held in order to
develop as reasonable of an understanding as to how the design might impact staffing needs and
operational costs.
Nearing the completion of the data collection phase, a meeting with city administrative staff was
conducted to review and determine agreed upon assumptions from which a Pro Forma could be
developed.
2
Ice Pricing
The economics of a perishable product with high, fixed operating costs and marginal unit cost
increases comes into consideration when pricing ice time. What once was recognition of this
principle has turned into an expected two tier rental rate system of "prime" and "non -prime
time ". Despite near identical cost of production for each hour, the two tier system evolved. The
premise being that a price differential would help to placate user groups who rent less desirable
time slots. Rink Managers have also used this structure to make marginal times affordable for
less organized groups or as an attraction to those who consider the economy of less expensive
ice. Selling marginal, non -prime and shoulder season ice is becoming increasingly more critical
in achieving financial success as production/utility costs have increased. Some communities have
placed less reliance on a discounted rate structure to sell its marginal times by adopting an
approach that mandates purchasing a certain ratio of non -prime time to prime time hours. In the
case of Shakopee, the price differential between the two rates is relatively narrow. Another
community is considering combining various hours into a "block" of rental hours selling the
entire block to the highest bidder. This block approach attempts to maximize revenue by
ensuring a greater number of available hours get sold or dispose of marginally desirable hours
during shoulder seasons by combining it with very attractive hours.
Skating industry watchers also note there has been an expansion of the definition of non -prime
hours. With more facilities the core hour needs for each team are being met. What once were
sold as `prime time' hours are now seen as less desirable and sold as non -prime. This is
particularly true during the "shoulder seasons" when less demand exist. It should also be noted
that with greater availability of hours, late night and evening hours are seen as undesirable.
These hours are considered unacceptable by many youth teams and left unused unless
programmed by the arena manager or organized for late night adult play.
Because the sale of non -prime time is vital to "making budget" it is important to every pricing
and scheduling strategy that non -prime hours are sold on a consistent basis. In the case of
Shakopee, Seagate renting three early morning hours a week during the majority of the skating
season is a great benefit. Last season this group purchased slightly over 100 hours. Seagate hours
are not likely to be used by most groups and thus represents a desired source of income.
Unfortunately, the arena has not been as successful in selling evening hours after 10:00pm and
even some early morning weekend hours during the height of the hockey season. This is of some
concern. One needs only to do the math to understand the importance of selling these non -prime
time hours.
The Shakopee Arena has been charging $170 per hour for its prime time ice until recently. The
new announced rate for the 2010 -2011 season is $185 per hour. Even at this rate, Shakopee is
still below the announced rate of the nearest competitor, Dakotah Sport and Fitness in Prior Lake
who are projecting a rate of $195.00. Other metro area facilities have also announced rate
increases in the $10.00 per hour range, a departure from the traditional $5.00 an hour increase
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that most have increased rates in past years. This increase is partly the result of municipal
governments' budget woes and a greater need to cover operational expenses. This study proposes
that ice time rates should be $200 an hour by the start of the 2012 skating season, an increase of
$15.00 over the rate to be implemented this fall. The non -prime rate could be as much as $30.00
less. Future increases are likely and have been accounted for in the two years beyond 2012 with a
$5.00 increase per year.
High School Rental
Many High Schools now have their own, exclusive use of team rooms in their community rink.
This exclusivity comes at a cost; first to construct and then to heat, light and maintain. Following
the user pay principle, it's not unusual for high schools to pay an additional hourly fee or flat rate
annually to compensate the arena for the added cost. Even when the school has financed the
construction of the team rooms, some form of compensation is arranged. In the case of
Shakopee, the City and School District have a joint powers agreement concerning shared and
free use of facilities. While the agreement is not specific to team rooms, and in light of the
excellent cooperation that exists with the District and the City use of School District facilities, it
would seem that a charge for use of any varsity team rooms maybe counterproductive.
High School Games / Association Tournaments
Many communities charge a higher fee for hockey games / tournaments based on the assumption
that additional costs are incurred as a result of hosting the event. Those that subscribe to this
often establish a higher hourly rental rate for this purpose. Others have added any direct cost to
the rate to ensure all additional costs are covered. A few arenas charge a percent of the gate,
instead. In many instances high schools or associations supply the additional labor required to
host an event. This has been the case for Shakopee High School and the local youth association.
Even though this may be the case, a higher fee is justifiable because of clean up costs. Others
feel a higher fee is justifiable given the additional construction cost in sizing the facility and in
creating seating.
It's been expressed that Shakopee Youth Hockey Association (SYHS) will continue to provide
its own labor for ticket sales, security and crowd control, ticket takers, announcer, scorekeepers
and other labor needs. Similarly, the Association will be conducting hockey tournaments in
which they will be responsible for additional staff and tournament needs. Thus the Arena will
only need to concern itself with the after game clean up and additional staffing needed for
between period net changes.
It's recommended that the City continue to follow a practice of straight line billing for time
booked. If additional services do become an issue as it relates to tournaments and high school
games, they should be discussed with the appropriate organization to ensure complete cost
recovery.
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Learn to Skate
The current Learn-to -Skate program has been severely hampered by a lack of available ice time
and a Wednesday time slot (traditional church night) and lack of a skating school director. With
initial programming of no less than 2.5 hours on a traditional Saturday morning time slot and a
weekday time period for pre- school children, the 2012 season can be a new beginning point for a
strong learn -to -skate program and increased revenues. By year two, a Monday evening session
should be added to accommodate another group of skaters as well as a year -end "recital" of all
skate school participants. Year three could likely see the need to expand the ice time even more.
The potential for adding clinics and skate school camps during the summer and shoulder season
is also possible. In addition, future years hold the potential for greater skater participation, and
again greater ice sales and income.
Public Skating Session, Skate Rental and Skate Sharpening
Public Skating Sessions are not always profitable when compared to what might be generated if
the ice were simply rented at the hourly rate. Consequently, some arena managers have been
quick to drop sessions or schedule them at marginal times. Without consistency, the public is
uncertain and does not plan to skate, and a downward cycle begins; further reducing potential
income and reinforcing the idea they are not profitable. Revenues can be enhanced when open
skating sessions are held at consistent times on a consistent basis. Given this Community Center
addition is likely to be constructed in part by a general obligation bond, public skating times
should be held weekly and at a consistent time to attract a following. A second ice sheet will
allow this to occur.
The Arena allows members of the Shakopee Community Center to skate for free. This value
added benefit for members has the impact of reducing income to the arena function. Recently, a
transfer of funds has been initiated to reflect this income loss and should be continued.
Both skate rental and skate sharpening are incidental service offerings. Skate rentals need to be
available for novice skaters and are an important part of learn -to -skate programs. Skate
sharpening is also a service component and is rarely a significant profit center. There is no
reason to believe that revenues will increase significantly in either of these two functions with a
second ice sheet.
It's recommended there be no immediate changes to the current rate structure for these services.
Open Hockey / Open Figure
This is a pay per person event and usually scheduled by the manager at times of marginal use for
group rental. Like open skating, development of a consistent schedule can attract and develop a
following. This is particularly true for figure skating. Figure skating has not developed in
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Shakopee to the extent possible, likely the result of limited ice availability and a professional
skating staff. However, there is potential for figure skating to grow in future years. After the
Learn -to -Skate program matures, skaters are willing to pursue skating as a more competitive
sport and a demand for figure skating ice hours will follow.
Dry Floor
Non ice events and programs are increasingly becoming a central theme to dual sheet facilities.
The arena floor at 200x85 offers 17,000 square feet of unobstructed space ideal for many
activities. Once the ice is taken out, typically in very early March, other activities can use this
venue. Antique gun shows, baseball collector card shows, circus, home and garden or home
improve shows, community rummage sales, private client shows, trade shows and exhibits are
typical. Other uses include rentals for baseball, soccer and softball organizations to hold
practices indoors when late springs force teams inside. The City of Lakeville is a recent example
of a facility going to a covered floor for rent. Lakeville purchased and installed a padded,
synthetic flooring material when they built their new facility in conjunction with the High
School. Lakeville now rents to soccer, baseball and lacrosse teams to the extent that it nearly
equals the weekly hours of use from ice rentals. However, when outside conditions are good,
rentals stop. The cost for a good flooring material can range up to $100,000 while hourly rates of
use are in the $55.00 to $75.00 range. With relatively low operating costs, these sport team
rentals can be profitable. However, given the opportunity to go outside for practices, team use is
often dependent on weather. Poor spring conditions force teams inside. This means that unless
there is a committed program of use by an organized sports association or defined program use,
this source of revenue is often unpredictable,
Use of this large area, even without flooring, still has potential but will require a concerted effort
to market its use. The City will also need to recognize that users, such as a gun show, circus, or
other private rental for public purpose will have additional requirements that need to be
accommodated: additional power sources, heat / cooling conditions, easy floor access, tables &
chairs to mention a few. Even private rentals for a private function, such as a sales and marketing
meeting, have unusual requirements and happen infrequently.
Besides sports groups and private rentals, are self initiated events created by the City. Several
arenas have developed Home, Garden and Patio or Home Improvement shows in which the arena
sells booth space to a collection of private vendors who are involved in the industry. The arena
staff does all the advertising for the event, assigns booth space, and provides the booth, while
realizing a profit from the rental of booths. These events are time consuming and often take
several years to develop a following of vendors to make it a profitable venture.
In researching the potential for dry floor activities, the consultants have not found a strong
sentiment or expression of need for dry floor activities in Shakopee. The High School has
sufficient space to meet its spring sports requirements, and by the Joint Powers Agreement,
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would not pay a fee. Other than functions that might be seen as a public service offering; they are
not likely to generate any positive cash flow. Therefore, the City should not anticipate any
income to be generated from dry floor events. Nevertheless, management should have a plan
prepared in case asked about the use of the arena for an event.
Arena Service Profile
The ice arena is the home ice of Shakopee High School Varsity and Junior Varsity boys and girls
hockey teams for all practices and games. While not the primary user of ice at the arena at
roughly 410 hours per season, they do get the best available hours for practices and games. Even
with the hours they currently schedule, it's obvious that both boys and girls could schedule
additional practice hours, if available. Weekday practice ice now begins at 3:30pm. On a
Monday, with both the boys and girls practicing, the next available hour is 8:OOpm. By
comparison, it's not uncommon for high school teams to have players scheduled with a last hour
"study hall" and released early from school in order to have practice begin as early as 2:30pm,
and then be off the ice by between 5:00 and 5:30pm for the start of youth practices / games. With
the start of games, usually conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, weekday practice ice is almost
non- existent for the youth association. Hockey games played on Saturdays are much easier for
the schedulers to absorb.
Shakopee Youth Hockey Association / Ice Rentals
The Shakopee Youth Hockey Association is by far the biggest renter of ice, purchasing upwards
of 840 hours. This past year, the Association also rented an additional 200+ hours from other
facilities to fill their various team needs. In addition to the eleven travel teams, the Association
"rainbowed" girls team with Prior Lake this past season as well as conducted an entry -level Mite
program. The Association has annually sponsored youth hockey tournaments. Each tournament
takes the majority of ice on a weekend with games beginning on Friday and concluding on
Sunday. At one time as many as six tournament weekends were sponsored, but more recently
they have reduced the number to four, in part because of the economy and the needs of the
Association for ice for its own teams.
The Arena has a variety of other renters, but the next biggest user has been employees of Seagate
who have used in excess of 100 hours this past year, taking as many as three weekday mornings
a week. Evening ice rentals (hours after 10:00pm) have been somewhat rare. Many arenas have
been successful in operating adult men's hockey league during these late hours, adding to the
revenue stream.
Summer ice rentals have not been very consistent over the last two to three years. Hockey
Schools and one week hockey skills camps are typically large renters of summer ice, but they
have seen less interest in recent years by players. In part, this is because of an over abundance of
schools thinning out participants and the economic downturn. It's not been unusual to see
cancellations of ice when summer hockey enrollments has not warranted the session being
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offered. Such has been the case in Shakopee. While the 2010 summer ice rental appears to be
stronger than last year, as of this writing, those conditions could change. Clearly, a strong track
record for summer ice rental is lacking. A cautious approach to estimating summer ice is being
taken.
Similarly, "shoulder season" ice rentals have also been somewhat "soft" when compared to other
metro facilities. The Arena, like most arenas, has closed down for periods of maintenance in the
spring, typically in late May and early June, when ice demand is at its absolute lowest. At this
time, the arena does not have a policy in place that determines the smallest number of hours in a
week that must be rented in order to keep the ice "in" rather than take it out in the spring. Arenas
are at risk when it appears keeping the ice in will be profitable, only to have a group cancel its
hours. This sometimes occurs after it's too late to take the ice out.
The arena also offers a Learn -to -Skate program, which has been slotted on Wednesday evenings.
This program, scheduled at another time period, is likely to generate greater revenue than the
Wednesday program. Open skating and open hockey are also offered, but there is a lack of
consistence for scheduling these times caused by the need to schedule in high school games and
association tournaments.
The Shakopee Youth Hockey Association has two operative agreements of significance with the
Arena. The first is the option of selling arena advertising. The Arena receives $5,000 for this
agreement. The second is the operation of the arena concessions during games, tournaments or
whenever a large crowd is anticipated, for which the arena receives a percentage of the gross
receipts. In 2009, the arena received approximately $1,600. Neither agreement is unusual and
works well for the Association and the Arena.
The Arena has only one full time staff person, designated as the Arena Manager. Supplemental
staff consists of six part time staff whose primary function is to open / close the arena, resurface
the ice and perform a variety of general building maintenance functions. Combined, they worked
approximately 2,850 hours in 2009. This is a very economical approach to staffing in that the
fringe benefit costs for a second full time employee can significantly add to the costs of
operation. However, what's lost is a higher degree of maintenance skills and experience in
overall arena management and operations, as well as having necessary "backup" for managerial
absences. A two sheet facility, assuming that its ice schedule will continue to expand, may not
be able to withstand the hidden, high cost of not having a second full time person with some
responsibilities for general operations, maintenance and arena management.
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Second Ice Sheet Operating Assumptions
The addition of a second ice sheet would allow the scheduling of one varsity high school team
(boys) to be on the ice at approximately 3:30, and the second varsity team (girls) on sheet two at
3:45. Additional hours for the high school are also programmed for 2012. Allowing two hours
for the high school boys' and girls' teams, youth practices, and other ice usage could begin
between 5:45 — 6:15. This would open up to the much needed week day hours for the
association. The high school will likely add additional practice hours to what they are currently
using. The Hockey Association will likely require 1,500 hours by 2012, if not more, based on
their current programs. It's also very likely they will be able to add another team in the year
after. Two likely possibilities are for the creation of a Junior Gold team, the other perhaps at the
Pee Wee level. Therefore, second year projections for the association have been increased by 100
hours. The Learn to Skate (LTS) program can be shifted to a more traditional time slot on
Saturdays and a public skating session can be held on Saturdays and / or Sundays with
consistency. In year two, additional LTS hours can be expanded into Monday evenings and even
the Saturday time slot expanded. Other program expansion can be accommodated in year three.
A conservative approach to estimating summer ice sales is being taken. This is more the result of
looking back than looking forward! What is encouraging is that a new boy's hockey coach will
be in his second year this season, as programs tend to grow with stability from the top. The coach
has developed a skills camp this summer and reports are positive. If this continues, a greater
number of hours are likely to be purchased in future years.
The main ice sheet will operate approximately 48 weeks (allowing for demand to determine the
exact amount) and the second ice sheet to operate for 23 -25 weeks its initial season. Again, ice
demand will likely determine the value of extending this beyond 25 weeks. A word of caution;
operators of twin sheet facilities need to be prudent in "filling up" the first ice sheet for hours of
rental before opening the second. Otherwise the operator simply risks spreading the rentable
hours out over two rinks, increasing operating costs without increasing revenues.
For the purpose of budgeting, a full time position has been added to the staffing complement. It
is our recommendation this individual be hired at grade 5 of the City's Pay Plan. However, this
classification should be subject to farther review and analysis by the City and Human Resources.
Dependent upon the final job position description, it is possible this full time position could drop
to a grade level 4. Additional part time staff have also been added, but at a lower pay grade
(Grade H). These individuals will be limited to general cleaning and light janitorial
responsibilities after games and tournaments, assisting during public skating sessions or open
hockey.
Also added are hours for a Learn-to -Skate School Director/lead skating instructor. This
individual will be responsible for hiring of instructors, class registration and student placement as
well as program development. This is a "market rate" classification but assumed at $25.00 an
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hour. Expanded hours for skate school instructors have also been added to the proposed
operational program.
Because the architectural program is at a schematic level and yet to be approved, there remains
some uncertainty as to possible changes. Consequently, the architect does not have a defined
HVAC system. Nor is it clear about what ice making system might be employed. Consequently,
utility estimates are based on historical data, while using the highest per unit cost recorded in the
last 12 month period for electricity and gas.
Finally, because the building will likely be "under warranty" during the initial 12 months of
operation, there has been no allowances made for costs associated with mechanical breakdowns.
Year two will reflect an allowance for this possibility.
Civic Center Service Profile
The civic center depends primarily on the fitness center membership for the majority of its
revenue with $165,792 in membership fees for 2009 and $23,721 in daily admissions. A SCC
membership entitles an individual, or in the case of a family membership, free admission to all
fitness classes, free use of the gymnasiums, free admission to the outdoor pool area, free
admission to the skate park and open skating session at the arena, free use of the weight area and
all the exercise equipment. It should be noted there are age restrictions to use some of the areas.
From our research and discussions with staff it appears there are three main factors driving the
purchase and retention of memberships. The three factors are as follows:
1. Convenience close proximity to residents and ease of travel make this community center
attractive to many.
2. Affordabilfty and Value of Product cost of membership is very low compared to other
similar providers. The membership offers great value with free fitness classes, free
skating, and free use of the gymnasium.
3. Quality of Fitness Instructors Attracting and keeping membership is largely a function
of having a quality experience with instructors who care about your health and wellness.
The Civic Center also includes two meeting rooms, the Rotary room and the former room used
for cable access. When not used for program and activities scheduled by staff, they can be
reserved for use by members and the public. Room rentals generated $14,141 in fees in 2009.
Based on current policy, the rooms are seen as a "service function" and not a "revenue
generator"
Another program service to the community is the operation of the teen center. The study and
review of this function remained outside the scope of this study, however it should be recognized
that its function within the structure does not capture any accounting for building rental or
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operational costs for utilities. In 2009 the program operated at a deficit of approximately
$63,000.
Market Niche in Shakopee Area
We believe the market niche for SCC is its affordability and value as a fitness center.
Currently, Chaska, Dakotah and River Valley YMCA are the closest full sized Community
Centers to Shakopee. In terms of membership fees, Dakotah has the highest family membership
fee at $1,116 and individual membership fee at $828. Family month -to -month rates are at $103
and individual month -to -month rate at $79. River Valley Y charges $110 per month for a Metro
family membership and $60 per month for an adult membership with a $150 joiner's fee in each
case.
Since SCC's rates are only $253 annual family and $201 for annual individual membership and
family month -to -month at $25 and individual month -to -month at $20 with a $30 enrollment fee
there is some room to increase the membership rates and still remain as the most affordable. The
way to accomplish the increase without antagonizing the members is to use incremental pricing.
By increasing the fees in small increments instead of a large increase every 3 -5 years the public
will not have sticker shock. The pro forma is based on a 3% increase in annual members
beginning in 2011 and a 5% increase to month -to -month members for the next five years.
Distance Decay Factor
The distance decay factor becomes troublesome for sustained and increased growth of the
membership base because some competition is closer to many current and future residents than
the SCC. Chaska Community Center located in Chaska and the new River Valley Y and Dakotah
Sports and Fitness Center located in Prior Lake are large facilities that fit that description.
Recently, Gold's Gym closed its doors in Shakopee allowing SCC some new membership
opportunities. At the same time, LA Fitness a large fitness center like Lifetime has been
exploring a Shakopee area location. Whether or not LA locates here or somewhere else in the
area is not the issue. As the population of Shakopee grows, the potential for more private fitness
facilities in the immediate area is always a possibility. In addition, smaller no frills fitness
facilities such as Anytime Fitness located at 1206 Shakopee Town Square, and SNAP fitness
located at 114 Canterbury Rd. will be closer and more convenient for some Shakopee residents
and likely impact the growth of membership at SCC.
In identifying the address location of existing members, those within 1 mile, are the largest group
purchasing and holding SCC memberships. Known as the distance decay factor, the closer you
live to the facility the more likely you will join as a member. Currently, the majority of members
live within a 2 -mile radius of the SCC.
11
The bottom line is that as fitness becomes a regular part of one's daily schedule, many including
the School District may become involved in the fitness trend. The City isn't able do anything
about the location of the SCC, but the City can continue to offer affordable pricing of the product
and hiring great instructors with large followings who provide quality service. This practice of
hiring talented instructors will serve SCC well. Members have their favorite instructor and will
continue to return month after month, year after year. As for the Child Care piece, after
crunching the numbers it didn't make financial sense to add to the fitness center improvements.
The New Partnership and Collaboration Program Budget
It would first appear that this item is out of place in this report. However, the significance of the
City Council agreements with the Shakopee Youth Athletic Association (SYAA) and the School
District cannot be underestimated. The importance of their impact on rentals and revenue
program opportunities is important to identify and capture within the framework of a budget
category. The special relationship with the SYAA demonstrates the City's effort to maximize
the human and facility resources in the best interests of the community. The agreement with the
SYAA requires the City to schedule all park and school facility use, develop flyers and provide
copying services for distribution of flyers, provide support during the season in day -to -day
administrative issues and coordinate and provide free meeting space for annual meeting, accept
and process registrations in department's software system, produce rosters for associations and
develop practice and game schedules in return the SYAA pays $10 per participant
(recommendation of $15 starting August 1, 2010) and Jackson and Louisville townships pay $36
per participant to the City. This newly proposed budget category would further recognize the
important place these entities have in providing "a great place for kids to grow up" As the SYAA
agreement states "Whereas, that it is determined be in the best interests of the citizens of the City
and to work cooperatively with the ASSOCIATION as much as possible so as to reduce the tax
burden of the City and for the benefit of the citizens of the City..." The number of volunteer
hours provided by the Associations is enormous and should not be lost on the taxpayers.
Therefore the Department should calculate the volunteer hours at a rate of $21.16 per hour
(Value of Volunteer Time/Independent Sector 2008) and include this in -kind revenue as part of
the park and recreation performance measures. While these agreements impact the ability of SCC
to generate additional revenue, it will never outweigh the dollars saved by this collaboration.
Furthermore the Department should document their actual labor costs to honor the agreements.
The results of this budgetary change will allow the tracking of both income and expenses related
to servicing the commitments between the Association and the City. A shifting of hours of the
recreation supervisor time and clerical staff to the Partnership /Collaboration program budget will
be documented, as will the income from the per participant fee.
12
Prime Time Priority Scheduling
In an attempt to generate additional revenue by providing comprehensive prime time program
offerings, there should be two classifications of programs; Specialty and Value Added. Specialty
programs can increase revenue as they are not to be considered as part of the membership fee
structure. Value added programs are free to membership participants. The most critical period for
offering specialty programs is during prime time. Prime time is generally defined as M -F from 6
am —10 am and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am - noon during the school year.
The new scheduling policy should give highest priority to new specialty programs /classes with
the greatest net revenue operated by the Department. Second priority should be given to special
events with a family focus that will attract large numbers of participants. These programs should
be free or at little cost to the public and sponsored or co- sponsored with local businesses. Third
priority should be park and recreation programs by private vendors with the greatest net revenue
for the SCC.
Prime time priority scheduling of the banquet facilities should be based on a first come first serve
basis for residents wishing to hold private events with rental generation potential.
In conclusion, value added programs should not be offered beyond the current 25 fitness classes
a week during the months of September through May and the current 15 classes a week during
the summer. When fitness class space reaches capacity, and if numerous members and / or the
growth of in the number of members demand additional classes, a review of this policy change
should be considered. This Priority Scheduling provides for revenue generating specialty classes
to be offered instead of additional value added programs which do not increase direct revenues.
AOA/Senior Center
Heard in conversations with the Active Older Adults /Seniors was references' to the beautiful
senior space called the "Lodge" at the Chaska Community Center. This seems to be the image
and the reference point for a senior facility in Shakopee. The importance of the AOA/Senior
Center is critical to the success of the entire SCC in two ways. The space will address the needs
of the seniors as a programmable weekday gathering place attached to a fitness facility and as a
larger space for community and various private functions. Under current policy, room rentals are
free or at very low cost to most community organizations. Meaning that the revenues to be
received from this space will be very low relative to the cost to construct and maintain. This new
space will require the City to increase janitorial and maintenance allocations which is reflected in
the pro forma. Adoption of a new policy and fee schedule could change the revenue potential for
this meeting space into a revenue generator and potentially, a profit center. This potential is
worthy of further exploration by city staff and City Council as the building plan refinement
continues.
13
Performance Risks
1) The new "Y" in Prior Lake has just recently opened. As a result, its impact on the Shakopee
Community Center is largely unknown. However, staff has recently reported some membership
cancelations by those residents who find themselves in closer proximity to this new facility. It's
likely that some membership loss will continue for a period of time as people seek convenience
in their lives and enjoy the closer proximity of this facility. More likely, the Community Center
will find it increasingly difficult to draw people to its fitness activities (memberships) who live
nearer the new "Y" than the Community Center. It will take some months for this issue to
clarify itself as to its full impact. Some of this membership loss may be off -set by the recent
closing of Gold's Gym as these members now look for a new facility. The City should monitor
both issues closely to measure their potential impact. The impact of the nearby Lifetime Fitness
has already been assimilated due to its long standing. However, the sudden increase in fitness
facilities across the metro area such as Snap Fitness, Fitness 19, Anytime Fitness could further
erode center membership. These facilities seek to locate near residential areas and offer "near by
convince and affordability" The Community Center should clearly define its niche in the market
and build its brand and identification on this.
2) The Community Center I Parks and Recreation are operating at marginally thin staffing
levels. The recent loss of a Recreation Supervisor points to the concern that there is little backup
support for critical and timely functions when an individual leaves or is not able to function. Not
having sufficient backup or cross training of critical areas puts the facility (revenues) at risk. The
staff seems capable, but their capacity to do more is in question. Decision makers need to
carefully measure programming requirements, and revenues, against staffing levels if there is an
expectation of building programs and growth in future years.
3) Ice arenas are high energy users with utility bills representing between 22% and 32% of a
typical two sheet facility annual operational budget. (Currently, utility costs represent about 28%
of the operational budget of the Shakopee arena) In late 2007 and in 2008, energy prices were
escalating at a rate of 10 -20 %. For example, one twin sheet facility saw its January 2008 bill for
electricity increase by $2,000 from the previous year! Natural gas went to over $7.00 per unit at
the wholesale level. Since that time there has been a significant easing of utility cost as energy
rate pass through have decreased, with natural gas now selling just below $4.10 per unit. It's
inevitable that utility costs will again increase, but at what rate of increase is the subject of great
uncertainty. Proactive steps to reduce energy use, as was done with the re- lamping of the existing
arena, should be considered whenever feasible. The design of the new addition should also
consider energy conservation technology. A return to high energy costs could significantly
impact operating costs. This need to be understood by decision makers and a strategy to cope
with this potential should be considered as part of the business plan.
A
4) Hockey is a "high touch" sport, meaning that participants need to touch the puck frequently
and to be on the ice frequently. Being on the ice frequently translates into increasing costs for
team players. For example, based on the hockey association numbers for participants and ice
hours, the $15.00 per hour increase in rates for the 2010 -2011 season, combined with an
expectation of additional hours, would increase the per player cost, on average by nearly
$185.00. While the hockey association is subsidizing the entry level mite program to encourage
and grow the number of participants in the program, a concern for reaching too high a price point
that limits growth should not be forgotten. Efforts to create and grow other ice user groups as a
means of increasing income through greater ice sales should be a business strategy to pursue.
5) Within the metro area, ice time demand has softened. One only has to look at the inability
to sell early and late hours as well as shoulder season and summer ice. While many would
consider these hours to be "undesirable" they need to be sold to offset the high operational costs
of arenas operations. If not, ice time rates will continue to escalate disproportionally and will
price out skaters from participating. The Waconia arena was built in part built with an
expectation that they would be able to sell excess hours over the local hockey associations needs
to other users. This failed to materialize, in part because of high ice rates. As a result, they have
hours to sell and no one to sell them too. It's now been reported that the Waconia Hockey
Association has backed out of its original agreement and will only buy ice at "market rates." This
will undoubtedly add to this arenas losses, with available hours not sold. Victoria also reports a
limited amount of available time. While Shakopee and the surrounding communities are likely to
grow and increase demand for ice rental, its likely there will continue to be ample hours of
shoulder and undesirable times that go unsold in the near term.
A
Shakopee Ice Arena
Revenue Projection
Ice rentals 2012 2013 2014
Shakopee Hockey Association
1,500 @$200= $300,000
1,600 @$205= $322,000
1,650 @$210= $346,500
Shakopee High School
425 @200= $85,000 $87,100 $89,200
Other Rentals Tax Exempt
200 @200 $40,000
150 @160 (non - prime) $24,000
225 @205 $46,100
160@165 $26,400
250 @210 52,500
170 @170 28,900
Other Rentals Tax
300 @160 (net - non - prime) $54,000 $55,500 $57,000
Sub Total Ice Rentals $503,000 537,100 $574,100
Learn to Skate Program $41,000 $74,000 $84,000
Open Skating /Open Hockey & Figure $7,000 $7,500 $8,000
Skate Shop / Skate Sharpening $3,500 $3,500 $4,000
Concession Vending $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
Concessions (Association) $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Advertising $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
Dry Floor 0 0 0
GRAND TOTAL ARENA INCOME $566,500 $634,100 $682,100
B
Shakopee Civic Center
Revenue Projection
Memberships 2012 2013 2014
Membership Packages $180,000 $186,000 $193,000
Family Annual
Adult Annual
Youth Annual
Senior Annual
Family Monthly
Adult Monthly
Youth Monthly
Senior Monthly
General Admission $25,000 $25,000 $25,000
Personal Trainers $6,000 $6,000 $6,000
Specialty Program $29,500 $31,500 $33,500
Preschool
Youth
Partnerships /Collaborations
Youth Athletic Associations $51,600 $52,000 $53,000
Soccer (1,179)
Baseball (642)
Basketball (434)
Football (292)
Tennis (272)
Softball (229)
Basketball (176)
Volleyball (130)
Mats Club
Townships and SD Non - Residents $5,500 $6,000 $6,500
Room Rentals $15,000 $16,000 $17,000
Vending $5,500 $5,500 $5,500
GRAND TOTAL C.C. INCOME $318,100 328,000 $339,500
C
Shakopee Community Center 2012 I 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 Shakopee Community Center 2014 2014 2014
Civic Center Civic Center Civic Center
/Seniors Ice Arena TOTAL SCC /Seniors Ice Arena TOTAL SCC /Seniors Ice Arena TOTAL SCC
Grand Total Revenues $ 318,100 $ 566,500 $ 884,600 $ 328,000 $ 634,100 $ 962,100 Grand Total Revenues $ 339,500 $ 682,100 $ 1,021,600
Wages $ 398,304 $ 160,600 $ 558,904 $ 413,807 $ 169,100 $ 582,907 Wages $ 426,284 $ 181,200 $ 607,484
Benefits $ 126,741 $ 57,800 $ 184,541 $ 137,129 $ 63,700 $ 200,829 Benefits $ 148,879 $69,000 $ 217,879
Total Wages and Benefits $ 525,045 $ 218,400 $ 743,445 $ 550,936 $ 232,800 $ 783,736 Total Wages and Benefits $ 575,163 $ 250,200 $ 825,363
Other Than Personnel Other Than Personnel
Operating Supplies $ 50,000 $ 49,500 $ 99,500 $ 51,500 $ 53,087 $ 104,587 Operating Supplies $ 53,000 $ 57,596 $ 110,596
Repair & Maint Building $ 50,000 $ 2,700 $ 52,700 $ 51,500 $ 2,781 $ 54,281 Repair & Maint Building $ 53,000 $ 2,864 $ 55,864
Communications $ 5,000 $ 3,150 $ 8,150 $ 5,150 $ 3,215 $ 8,365 Communications $ 5,300 $ 3,342 $ 8,642
Dues/Training/Travel $ 2,000 $ 1,700 $ 3,700 $ 2,200 $ 1,751 $ 3,951 Dues/Training/Travel $ 2,400 $ 1,802 $ 4,202
Insurance $ 15,000 $ 14,000 $ 29,000 $ 15,500 $ 14,420 $ 29,920 Insurance $ 16,000 $ 14,853 $ 30,853
Utilities $ 98,700 $ 177,700 $ 276,400 $ 101,620 $ 182,960 $ 284,580 Utilities $ 104,615 $ 188,375 $ 292,990
Building and Equip Rent (IS) $ 312,390 $ 403,100 $ 715,490 $ 321,751 $ 415,297 $ 737,048 Building and Equip Rent (IS) $ 328,416 $ 427,756 $ 756,172
Total Other $ 533,090 $ 651,850 $ 1,184,940 $ 549,221 $ 673,511 $ 1,222,732 Total Other $ 562,731 $ 696,588 $ 1,259,319
Total Expenditures $ 1,058,135 $ 870,250 $ 1,928,385 $ 1,100,157 $ 906,311 $ 2,006,468 Total Expenditures $ 1,137,894 $ 946,788 $ 2,084,682
Less Building and Equip, Rent (IS) $ ( 312,390) $ (403,100) $ (715,490) $ (321,751) $ (415,297) $ (737,048) Less Building and Equip Rent (IS) $ ( 328,416) $ (427,756) $ (756,172)
Net Operational Expenditures $ 745,745 $ 467,150 $ 1,212,895 $ 778,406 $ 491,014 $ 1,269,420 Net Operational Expenditures $ 809,478 $ 519,032 $ 1,328,510
NET REV -EXP $ (427 $ 99,350 $ (328 $ (450,406) $ 143,086 $ (307,320) NET REV -EXP $ (469,978) $163,068 $ (306,910)
7/30/2010 D