EJRP Governance Survey Results Presentation

Recreation Governance Survey Results

Essex Junction Recreation and Parks Advisory Council

Recreation Governance Survey On September 14, 2010, the EJRP

Recreation Advisory Council opened up a survey for the community to comment on the proposed governance change of EJRP from the school district to the Village. The survey was closed on November 9, 2010. 208 individuals responded. 199 of the respondents identified themselves as residents of the Village of Essex Junction. The data that is presented below is derived from the responses by Village residents only.

SURVEY PREFACE:Recreation Advisory Council Questions to the Essex Junction

Community We are proud to represent Essex Junction Recreation and Parks

(EJRP). We are inspired by the people, the parks, and the programs. EJRP serves our community well. We appreciate our 40-year history of administration by the school district. It has fostered the development and growth of a quality department. We are always seeking ways to improve our parks and programs for the community. Some people have suggested that there be a governance change from the school board (Prudential Committee) to the Village of Essex Junction (Board of Trustees). This important community decision requires a thorough process and comprehensive study. To gather your opinion, we ask members of the Essex Junction community to weigh in on the following questions.

BEFORE taking this survey we encourage you to visit www.ejrp.org/governance to learn more about this topic. The Frequently Asked Questions and the Petition Assertions and Counter Points should be particularly helpful.

Thanks for your time and opinion. It matters. Essex Junction Recreation Advisory Council Questions? Contact Bridget Meyer, 879-5409, [email protected]

http://www.ejrp.org/governance

http://www.ejrp.org/faq

http://www.ejrp.org/petition

mailto:[email protected]

FOUR MAIN QUESTIONSQ1: ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH EJRP STAFF, PARKS

& PROGRAMS?

Q2: DO YOU THINK HAVING EJRP GOVERNED BY THE SCHOOL DISCTICT (CURRENT STATUS) SERVES OUR COMMUNITY WELL?

Q3: DO YOU THINK TRANSFERRING GOVERNANCE TO THE VILLAGE (PROPOSED STATUS) WOULD SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL?

Q4: WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU NEED ANSWERED IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INFORMED OPINION ABOUT THE QUESTION OF REC GOVERNANCE?

RESULTS CAN BE FOUND:WWW.EJRP.ORG

CLICK ON “GOVERNANCE” TAB IN UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER

CLICK ON “SURVEY RESULTS”THIS POWERPOINT IS AVAILABLEAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FULL 19-

PAGE REPORT IS AVAILABLE

http://www.ejrp.org/

Question 1: ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH EJRP STAFF, PARKS & PROGRAMS?

Yes

85%

Not sure8%

No7%


Of the 170 respondents that said “yes,” 71 provided comments or reasons:

•EXCELLENT, QUALITY PROGRAMMING (42)

Serving All Ages • Offering a Variety/Diversity • Affordable/Wise use of Resources

•GREAT STAFF (26)

•WELL MAINTAINED PARKS & FACILITIES (23)


IMPORTANT/DEFINING PART OF OUR COMMUNITY (23)Best in the State • A great asset to the community • Love the

integration between EJRP and schools • Like the coordination of programs between EJRP and schools • Hidden gem • Huge part of our family’s life • An amazingly valuable resource • Community resource • This is why we live here • Enrich our community • Truly adds value to living in this community • An asset to me as a homeowner • Brought us a feeling of a close community • Envy of surrounding communities • Essential to my child’s education • Huge part of their childhood • Great community for raising kids, in part due to the rec department • Like feeling as if my kids are with family when they are at rec



GREAT SERVICE TO COMMUNITY (14)

PROGRESSIVE (8)

NOT A SINGLE COMPLAINT/WOULDN’T

CHANGE ANYTHING (7)



BASEBALL FIELD (4)

STAFF ISSUES (4)

LACK OF/REPEATED PROGRAM OPTIONS (3)

HIGH BUDGET/COSTS (3)

Of the 29 respondents that said “not sure” or “no,” 22 provided comments or concerns:

Question 2: DO YOU THINK HAVING EJRP GOVERNED BY THE SCHOOL DISCTICT (CURRENT STATUS) SERVES OUR COMMUNITY WELL?

Yes72%

Not sure17%

No11%


COLLABORATION/INTEGRATION WITH SCHOOLS (16)

IF IT AIN’T BROKE… (10)

SHARED/COORDINATED USE OF FACILITIES (9)

BOTH ORGANIZATIONS SERVE CHILDREN (9)



EXCELLENT, QUALITY PROGRAMMING (7)Serving all ages • Offering variety/diversity • Affordable

THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE BASEBALL FIELD (7)

WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT CHANGE (7)

COMMON THREAD OF REC. & ED. (6)



NOT SURE (8)

NOT A SCHOOL FUNCTION (7)

SCHOOLS ARE BUSY (4)

QUESTIONS (4)

Of the 55 respondents that said “not sure” or “no,” 17 provided comments or concerns

Question 3: DO YOU THINK TRANSFERRING GOVERNANCE TO THE VILLAGE (PROPOSED STATUS) WOULD SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL?

Yes13%

Not sure36%

No51%


COULD BE COST EFFECTIVE (3)

SHOULD BE GOVERNED BY VILLAGE RESIDENTS (2)

SCHOOLS SHOULD FOCUS ON SCHOOLS (2)

NOT SURE (2)

A MUNICIPAL FUNCTION (2)



IF IT AIN’T BROKE… (27)

THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE BASEBALL FIELD (11)

VILLAGE ALREADY HAS TOO MUCH TO DO, AND CAN’T DO THAT (10)

COSTS WILL GO UP (FEES AND/OR TAXES) (10)



REC & SCHOOLS BOTH EDUCATE AND SERVE FAMILIES & YOUTH (8)

I DON’T SEE ANY ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS TO VILLAGE GOVERNANCE (8)

VILLAGE SHOULD PUT EFFORTS INTO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS (6)



REC MONEY SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR REC PURPOSES (6)

CHANGE WILL REDUCE PROGRAM OPTIONS AND VARIETY (5)

VILLAGE CAN’T DO IT – NO EXPERTISE/INFRASTRUCTURE (3)

IT’S A MUNICIPAL FUNCTION (2)

WHY ARE WE LISTENING TO SO FEW PEOPLE (2)


Question 4: WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU NEED ANSWERED IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INFORMED OPINION ABOUT THE QUESTION OF REC GOVERNANCE?104 respondents filled out information in this

section. From this information, questions were sent out to the following, with a return deadline of 12/6:

Petitioners (Cindy Godin, Jeff Harton, Joyce Stannard, Bob Willey) – 5 questions

Essex Junction Recreation & Parks – 9 questions

Chittenden Central Supervisory Union – 5 questions

Village of Essex Junction – 35 questions

Letter Sent to Each GroupNovember 12, 2010

Dear ___________:

The EJRP Recreation Advisory Council is on a fact finding mission to answer important questions related to the governance change proposed by a citizen petition. We are working to assemble all of the necessary information so that the community can effectively evaluate the governance issue. Enclosed please find some questions we need your help in answering. These questions are based on comments and questions from over 200 community members who participated in our recent survey, as well as questions from the Recreation Advisory Council. We are hoping to receive your responses by Monday, December 6, 2010. We will be compiling this information and presenting a complete summary of the survey and answers to questions at our next meeting on Thursday, December 9, at 6:30p.m. at EJRP.

Thanks in advance for your help. If you could respond with an electronic copy of answers, that would be appreciated. Please e-mail to [email protected].

Sincerely,EJRP Recreation Advisory Council

mailto:[email protected]

QUESTIONS FOR THE PETITIONERS

QUESTIONS FOR THE PETITIONERS

What do you think will be accomplished by achieving a transfer of governance?

In your opinion, how will a transfer of governance benefit the community?

In your opinion, how will a transfer of governance enhance our recreation department?

In your opinion, what needs (please provide a list) are not being met by CCSU governance?

How will Village oversight address each of these needs?

GOVERNANCE

RESPONSE FROM ONE PETITIONERVIA E-MAIL ON 12/7:"We understand that the Trustees are still

evaluating how to proceed with School Board discussions, and plan to review tonight. Jeff and other interested parties also prefer to wait for results of the Trustee meeting. Hopefully, we can reply again tomorrow."

-Regards, Bob WilleyNo response from Cindy Godin, Jeff

Harton, or Joyce Stanard

QUESTIONS FOR ESSEX JUNCTION RECREATION AND PARKS


What is the EJRP budget?For FY11, the EJRP budget is $1,529,988.

$863,246 is from user fees (56%)$591,742 is from General Fund tax revenues (39%)$ 75,000 is from Capital Fund tax revenues (5%)

The EJRP tax rate has either declined or remained level for the past 5-years.

BUDGET


Who manages the EJRP budget?The EJRP budget and capital plan are:

Developed and approved by the Prudential Committee Voted on, as two separate items via Australian ballot,

by voters of the Village of Essex JunctionOverseen by the CCSU Chief Financial

Officer/Executive Director of OperationsImplemented and managed by the EJRP Director

BUDGET


Is the EJRP program self-sustaining?National average: 60% supported by tax

dollarsEJRP: 44% supported by tax dollarsMost of the programs are considered “pay-to-

play” Tax revenue is needed to support the

infrastructure

BUDGET


How much does EJRP contribute to the school district for managing the EJRP program?

EJRP has a $1.5 million budget, 300-employees, and in one year processes nearly 1,200 accounts payable, makes over 2,200 deposits, and serves 5,228 participants through 129-different programs. 3

In FY11, the Essex Junction School District charged EJRP $83,174 for: Fiscal services (payroll, accounts payable, budget execution, bank

deposits, financial reporting/auditing support) Treasurer services (payments and deposits) Supervision Information technology support HR support Consultation support: curriculum, special education, legal

BUDGET


What is the current governance structure of EJRP? What type of oversight does EJRP staff receive?

GOVERNANCE

Adobe Acrobat Document


What is the purpose of the Recreation Advisory Council?From the Council’s Charter: “The Essex Junction Recreation and Parks

Advisory Council (Advisory Council) will serve in an advisory capacity to the Department’s administrative staff in the development, maintenance, and stewardship of a comprehensive system of leisure and recreational services as provided by the Essex Junction Recreation and Parks Department (EJRP).”

GOVERNANCE


Does EJRP report on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis? Does EJRP give a financial state of the department report?Monthly:

Meets with Recreation Advisory Council Provides updates to Prudential Committee

Two to five times per year: Director attends Prudential Committee meeting to deliver reports,

answer questions, or present informationQuarterly:

CCSU Chief Financial Officer/Executive Director of Operations provides year-to-date budget report to Prudential Committee

Annually: Annual report (both narrative and budget) is delivered to every home in

Essex Junction

GOVERNANCE


Will program offerings remain the same if there is a transfer of governance?Currently: Staff have support to create &

manage programs in order to meet the needs of the community

Under Village Governance: to date the Village has not provided information indicating how programs will be developed nor what programs would continue

PROGRAMS


Will program prices remain the same if there is a transfer of governance?Currently: program prices based on our

budget, vision, mission, and pricing policies. Under Village Governance: to date the Village

has not provided information about what the EJRP budget, vision, mission, or pricing policies would be

PROGRAMS

QUESTIONS FOR CHITTENDEN CENTRAL SUPERVISORY UNION


What is the anticipated total savings to CCSU if the Supervisory Union no longer administered EJRP? ABOUT $10,000.

How much of that would be saved by Essex Junction School District?THE ACTUAL COST TO EJSD (AND EJ

TAXPAYERS) WOULD INCREASE $52,817.

BUDGET


Given that there would be a decrease in the expenses and assessment, but now only four groups sharing the expense of EJSD’s assessment, how would that affect the school tax rate for EJSD? IN FY’11 THE EJSD HOMESTEAD TAX RATE

WOULD HAVE BEEN $0.0570 INSTEAD OF $0.0536, AN INCREASE OF $0.0034.

BUDGET


What would be the anticipated effect on school taxes on an average family with a $250K assessed property value, with no adjustment for income sensitivity?THE SCHOOL TAXES WOULD HAVE BEEN $8.50

HIGHER.EJRP NOTE: FOR A FAMILY TO PAY THE SAME

TOTAL TAX BURDEN IN FY’11, THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT TAXES WOULD NEED TO HAVE DECREASED BY $8.50 PER HOUSEHOLD, THUS IF THE VILLAGE WERE TO GOVERN REC, THEY WOULD NEED TO OPERATE EJRP WITH $35K LESS TAX REVENUE.

BUDGET


EJRP also pays U46 for some services. If these services were no longer administered to EJRP, would there be a savings to U46 or would these expenses still exist and need to be covered by some other revenue source?NO SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS TO U#46.

BUDGET


50% of EJRP programs take place in the schools. Current District policy does not charge EJRP for school use unless it is outside of normal custodial or security work hours. A governance change would not affect this policy. If EJRP was no longer associated with the school district, and given the current climate of school budget challenges, do you anticipate CCSU revisiting this policy, whereby EJRP would be required to pay for facility use?THE CCSU BOARD HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THIS POLICY.IF THE POLICY DID NOT CHANGE, THE PERSONNEL FEES

CHARGED TO REC WOULD LIKELY INCREASE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, AND NOT HAVE KEYS OR ACCESS CODES, THEREFORE NEEDING ADDITIONAL SECURITY/CUSTODIAL COVERAGE.

BUDGET


What are the key steps involved in transferring EJRP from school governance to Village governance? What is a reasonable time frame to successfully accomplish each step?ENSURE AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR VILLAGE TO PAY

BOND DEBT (1 MO)CANCEL INTERNET, PHONE, COPIER CONTRACTS (1 MO)CANCEL INSURANCE (1 MO)TERMINATE EMPLOYEES, CANCEL MEDICAL, DENTAL,

LIFE INSURANCE (1 MO)PRODUCE ANY NEEDED W-2’S EARLY (1 MO)TRANSFER FUND BALANCES (1 MO)DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TO RUN CERTAIN

PROGRAMS (NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS STAYING SAME/CHANGING BY VILLAGE)

GOVERNANCE


Are there any programs that are currently operated by EJRP that the school district would continue running in the event of a transfer of governance (i.e. not transfer to the Village)?DEPENDS ON WHAT EJRP WOULD PLAN TO

CONTINUE. WOULD RECOMMEND CONTINUING AFTERSCHOOL CARE BY EITHER EJPR OR INTERNAL PROGRAM.

PROGRAMS

QUESTIONS FOR THE VILLAGE OF ESSEX JUNCTION

RESPONSE FROM THE VILLAGELetter from Dave Crawford dated 11/18/10“Most of these decisions have not been made so I

cannot answer them”“The Trustees noted that the questions were ones

that certainly should be discussed in the consideration of governance question.”

“The Trustees are planning to discuss the RAC questions along with other Recreation Agreement related issues at their December 7th meeting.”

“We thank the EJRP RAC for providing the questions that raise some important issues to be considered”

No answers or follow up were received after 11/18

The EJRP budget is voted on as a separate line item by the voters by Australian ballot in April. How will the budget for the Recreation Department be voted on if there is a governance change?

All revenue realized by EJRP stays with EJRP. It cannot be accessed for any other purposes. Will this remain the same under Village governance - will EJRP be separate from the General Fund?

EJRP has a rolling capital fund that is voted on as a separate line item by the voters by Australian ballot in April. Will EJRP continue to have a capital fund dedicated to recreation purposes only? How will this be funded? At what level will this be funded? How will the capital budget for the Recreation Department be voted on if there is a governance change?

BUDGET


If the Village were to oversee recreation, what are, if any, the anticipated increase in Village costs for: Legal services? Audit services? Property & liability insurance? Workers compensation insurance?

What will the tax implications for the Village property tax rate be of a governance change? What would be the anticipated effect on Village taxes on an average family with a $250K assessed property value?

EJRP currently has phone and internet connectivity through a T1 line connected to Essex High School. How would EJRP connect to the phone and internet under a governance change and how much would it cost per year?

EJRP currently has several cell phones. Who would the provider be under a governance change?

BUDGET



Under Village governance, will there be changes to the EJRP mission and vision?

How would a change in governance affect implementation of the EJRP 10-year Master Plan?

In the event of a transfer of governance, how will the ownership of the buildings transfer?

How will the bond debt be transferred to the Village and/or how will the Village pay for the remainder of the bond through 2019, if there is a change in governance?

GOVERNANCE

If the Village were to govern EJRP, what accounting system will be used? Is this already in use or will it need to be purchased? If so, at what expense?

For the Village, what are the key steps involved in transferring EJRP from school governance to Village governance (HR, budget set-up, phone, internet, vendor relations, bank accounts, hiring new personnel, etc.)? What is a reasonable time frame to successfully accomplish each step? What are the anticipated costs?

GOVERNANCE


EJRP has over 525-friends on Facebook and 90+ followers on Twitter. Will use of these types of social media be permitted under Village oversight?

EJRP has it’s own website and domain name. Content is routinely updated and visitors have the ability to comment on articles and programs. Will this domain name (www.ejrp.org) and type of independent, interactive website continue to be permitted and promoted under Village oversight?

GOVERNANCE



Current EJRP structure includes a seven member volunteer advisory council that serves as the liaison between the administration and the community. Under a governance change, would this group remain in place in the same capacity? If not, then how would the Village provide for community input?

At the request of the Prudential Committee, the Recreation Advisory Council has reached out to the community with a survey and several public meetings to obtain more feedback as to the residents’ desire for this change. What have the Trustees done to gather public input on this subject?

GOVERNANCE


Why are time and resources being spent exploring an issue raised by such a small but vocal minority?

Why are the Trustees adamant that this be dealt with in such a short timeframe? Is there an emergency?

If it ain’t broke why fix it? The school district has managed the recreation department for forty years, why is a change needed at this time?

GOVERNANCE


80% of EJRP program users are youth. Services that are currently accessed through CCSU include support, guidance, meetings, and consultation with guidance counselors, principals, athletic directors, and teachers. Under Village governance, how will the Village provide support and expertise in reference to working with youth?

PROGRAMS


EJRP utilizes IT support from CCSU for purchasing, server maintenance and back-ups, computer security, software installation, network infrastructure, and more. If there was a change in governance, what IT support will the Village provide? Who will provide it? Is there a cost for these services?

EJRP utilizes maintenance support from CCSU. If there was a

change in governance, what support will the Village provide in terms of each of the following: plumbing (winterizing park, installing/removing water meters, leaks, problems, etc.)? Electrical (installing new electrical, addressing electrical issues, replacing parking lot/ball field lights, etc.)? Auto repair (EJRP truck)? Equipment repair (tractors, lawn mowers, etc.)? Who will pay for these services?

STAFF


Does the Village adhere to a pay scale for full time staff? If so, please provide a copy. What is the standard for determining pay rates and how would existing full-time recreation employee’s rates be calculated for the first year in the event of a governance change? How long are employment contracts?

What benefits (health, dental, leave, tuition reimbursement, retirement match, life insurance, travel and conference, etc. – please provide detail) would be offered to full time recreation employees under Village governance? What are the costs to both the Village and the employee for single, two-person, and family healthcare and dental plans?

STAFF


For employees at EJRP who have accrued benefits (achieved waiting period for retirement match, accumulated unused sick, vacation, and personal time) how will these transfer to Village employment under a governance transfer?

If the Village were to assume oversight of EJRP, who will provide accounting, finance, human resource, and/or administrative support for EJRP’s operations? What will be the annual expense? Will any additional staff need to be hired? If so, how many? In what capacities? At what total compensation?

STAFF


If the Village were running the recreation department and taking on that additional workload, will there be in an increase in any existing Village staff salaries? If so, by how much?

Under Village governance, would there be any changes to the existing staffing structure, personnel, titles, job descriptions, and/or work related responsibilities at EJRP? What assurances are there that the existing recreation staff will become employed by the Village in their current positions?

STAFF


Several times, in reference to the Village staff workload, it has been said that they are at their limit. In its current configuration and numbers, can the Village staff assume the additional responsibilities of adding a new department?

Please provide a current organizational chart, demonstrating the relationships of Village employees and departments. Please explain how recreation would fit into that chart, including who would provide supervision and oversight of the department, and what that supervision and oversight would entail.

STAFF


RESULTS CAN BE FOUND:WWW.EJRP.ORG

CLICK ON “GOVERNANCE” TAB IN UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER

CLICK ON “SURVEY RESULTS”THIS POWERPOINT IS AVAILABLEAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FULL 19-

PAGE REPORT IS AVAILABLE


Documents

EJRP Governance Survey Results Presentation