12-07-2017 Parks & Rec Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Parks & Recreation Commission FROM: Bryce Shearen, Parks & Recreation/Community Services Manager DATE: November 30, 2017 RE: David Behles Scholarship Form Back in 2015, the City received a donation from Deb Behles in memory of her father David Behles, a former youth sports coach for the Little Canada Parks & Recreation Department. This donation was to be used for Little Canada families that are in need of financial help for their children to participate in our recreational activities. Staff has created a standardized form that will be available to anyone interested in requesting financial assistance. This form has objective criteria that staff can use to determine if a scholarship is granted. This form will also serve as better documentation on how the donated money was used. It is the intent of staff to generate an annual report that can be sent to the Behles family that shows how their donation has helped Little Canada families pay for fees that they could not afford. Staff is proposing that the City subsidies 80% of the program fees, which would leave 20% of the program cost to the families. As an example, $56 is the average program fee in Little Canada, with using the proposed guidelines this would mean that $44.80 would be subsidized through the scholarship and $11.20 would be required for the family to pay. Staff is also proposing a $200 per year per individual that can receive the benefits. Below is a survey of the surrounding communities with the Little Canada proposal on the bottom: City Resident Only Annual Restrictions City % Fee Assistance St. Louis Park YES $160 per Family 50% Shoreview YES $100 per Individual 50% Roseville YES $100 per Individual 80% Vadnais Heights YES $200 per Individual 70% Maplewood YES 1 Activity per Season 70% Arden Hills YES 1 Class per Quarter 100% up tp $40 Little Canada YES $200 per Individual 80% Most of the communities use the Free/Reduced meal plan eligibility requirements with the exception of St. Louis Park, which has their own guidelines, but those closely mirror the guidelines of the public schools.