06-07-2021 Council Work Session Packet

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Page 7 of 73 STRATEGIC OVERVIEW The theme of the Strategic Overview focuses on several key elements: 1. How can the Recreation Center improve on the former YMCA in terms of providing greater access for Lino Lakes residents and enhance community programming and access for the entire community? 2. How can the Recreation Center be differentiated from YMCAs and other community recreation centers to enhance value to users and draw users and members from outside Lino Lakes to help support the financial sustainability of the Recreation Center? a. Can the Recreation Center be a destination facility? 3. How best to position Recreation Center memberships, program, user, and rental fees in the Lino Lakes community to provide the most equitable and affordable access to residents while supporting long term financial sustainability? 4. What Recreation Center enhancements and/or expansion and new facilities make the most sense in terms of community programming and impact and return on investment and long term financial sustainability? a. Are there strategic partners or partnerships that can support the Recreation Center and program enhancements and expansion? 5. How can phasing of facility enhancements and expansion be achieved? 6. What management model makes the most sense in achieving these strategic objectives? The Strategic Overview has been developed through discussions with City Management and Leadership, engagement of stakeholders, review of the YMCA programs, budgets, and challenges that faced the YMCA, and a creative approach to differentiating the Lino Lakes Recreation Center. These strategic considerations will link the elements of the facility, program, management, and financial analysis of this Study and Report. Role in the Community Perhaps the single most important strategic element we identified was the incorporation of community programming and access into the existing facility and future expansion and updates. The YMCA had limited community classes, functions, and community organizational partners and the ones they had were decreasing, such as some sport classes through Centennial School District Community Education. Currently the City has limited space and resources for senior programming and special needs residents are underserved. There is also limited community accessible meeting and function spaces for use by organizations and outside community programs. Although the current building has limited function space the potential exists to make this space more flexible and user friendly and add to increased availability of the small gymnasium and workout spaces for a wider range of community programming and access. Communicating this community element will be very important to building membership and use of the Center and generating support for the long term enhancement and expansion of the Recreation. We feel it is important to “rebrand” the Recreation Center as the: “Lino Lakes Recreation and Community Center”