09-03-1996 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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cal a REQUEST FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION Agenda Section STAFF REPORT Report Number. /A/5 Report Date: 8/29/96 • WORK SESSION MEETING DATE "•,, Dog September 3. 1996 �D�liest•ParmeePgb Item Description: Discussion Regarding Use of the Bel Rae Property During Interim Planning Period Administrator's Review/Recommendation: C16^) -No Comments to supplement this report -Comments attached. Explanation/Summary(attach supplement sheets as necessary) Summary: Attached are memos from Cathy Bennett and Mary Saarion addressing issues the Council and myself have asked for. Overall, the concept of working with the Bel Rae is threefold. First, overseeing the operations and monitoring ongoing use is covered under Mary's memo. As we have been planning for the long term project, it has become clear to me that two methods of conducting operations in the building would predominate. Activities would either be overseen through the Parks and Recreation Department as is done with other rec oriented activities, or through VB Diggs if it is determined to be cost effective. A variation may be to hire a person to run the Bel Rae, but I suspect that will be cost prohibitive until if and when the cash flow of the building can be determined. Therefore, the proposal of Park and Rec's role for the short term is •consistent with the likely long term plan for the building, plus it is immediately doable. The second area is the cost effectiveness of the short term operations. The additional time staff has had since this was first brought up has allowed more to be done on this. While certainly not entirely predictable, the conditions outlined in Cathy's memo seem entirely plausible and should reflect nominal cost or even profit on a per event basis. I anticipate we will have some difficulties when we are approached by groups incapable of meeting the requirements of using the building, but are positive community groups nonetheless. This will be an ongoing concern from my own experience with community buildings, particularly where building costs and revenues are tight and scheduling is tight. However, I am confident these can be dealt with in an ongoing fashion by staff maintaining consistency and predictability in scheduling and enforcing the use rules. It is here I would ask the Council, once the rules have been agreed to, to allow staff the discretion to work with the groups as they come forward and not create situations where groups ply Council for exceptions. This will only add confusion to scheduling and maintenance. If staff sees a significant number of requests for exceptions or that the rules themselves inhibit use of the building, we will come back to the Council for redress of the policies. The final area is the perceptual advantage of interim use of the building. Concern has been expressed by the Council that the building sits empty but that there has also been a lack of planning. I am confident now that both concerns have been addressed by staff as laid out in the attachment. Not only are these issues addressed, the interim operation may give us added insight into the problems and opportunities that may rise after reconstruction. In that way, this should be a learning experience at nominal cost. Staff of course will need to •track this through the end of the year. Lastly, my main concern is that the interim operations do not become an ongoing operational concern by default of action by the Council. It is my understanding, and staffs understanding that the proposal is