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Wednesday, June 23, 2010 Page 7A
<br />WHITE BEAR PRESS
<br />Mahtomedi discusses new youth athletics fee plan
<br />Officials would charge hourly field, court rate
<br />by Mark Nicklawske
<br />Regional Editor
<br />MAHTOMEDI — Officials
<br />who coordinate youth athletics,
<br />senior activities and a variety
<br />of community events have
<br />developed a plan to reduce the
<br />impact of expected budget cuts
<br />next year.
<br />Mahtomedi School District
<br />Community Education officials
<br />discussed a new youth athletics
<br />billing system with the
<br />Mahtomedi City Council during
<br />a workshop meeting June 15.
<br />The Community Education
<br />Department coordinates sched-
<br />uling, registration and ongoing
<br />field and facility maintenance
<br />for more than 2,600 youth par-
<br />ticipating in a dozen different
<br />athletic programs.
<br />"This is the time when every-
<br />body is looking at their budgets
<br />and you've got to justify every-
<br />thing," said Community
<br />Education Director Chuck
<br />Erickson. "We're all partners
<br />and We're trying to make things
<br />work."
<br />Community Education has
<br />approximately $292,000 in annu-
<br />al expenses and generates
<br />approximately $212,000 in rev-
<br />enue through city contribu-
<br />tions, user registration fees and
<br />program fees. The school dis-
<br />trict contributes $80,000 in fund-
<br />ing to balance the books.
<br />Based on a resident -user for-
<br />mula, Mahtomedi has con-
<br />tributed $50,000 to the commu-
<br />nity education fund. Dellwood
<br />provides $7,300 and Pine
<br />Springs $1,800. Hugo, Willernie,
<br />Grant and Lake Elmo, which
<br />the district also serves, have
<br />refused to supplement commu-
<br />nity education programs.
<br />Erickson said state cuts to
<br />school districts, will likely lead
<br />to a reduction in community
<br />education funding. He said offi-
<br />cials are exploring alternative
<br />revenue sources.
<br />"Our budget is shrinking," he
<br />said. "So what's balanced and
<br />fair? We're trying to find a for-
<br />mula that allows us all to work
<br />together and sustain our-
<br />selves."
<br />Youth Program Coordinator
<br />Pam Klinkhammer said a new
<br />funding plan wiii- waive a $15
<br />per athlete registration fee for
<br />all youth sports except hockey.
<br />Community Education will
<br />then bill each athletic associa-
<br />tion an hourly fee for individual
<br />team use of fields and courts.
<br />Associations will continue to
<br />charge their own registration
<br />fees for each athlete. The associ-
<br />ation fees go to pay for equip-
<br />ment, uniforms, travel and
<br />game officiating.
<br />The Community Education
<br />registration fees generate
<br />$39,700 in revenue. But a $5 per
<br />hour field and court rental fee
<br />charged to each athletic associ-
<br />ation is expected tor generate
<br />$57,400, an increase of more
<br />than $17,000.
<br />The extra $17,000 will go to
<br />reduce the school district con-
<br />tribution to Community
<br />Education.
<br />Klinkhammer said the new
<br />system will encourage more
<br />efficient use of fields and open
<br />more fields to the public. She
<br />said past scheduling has closed
<br />fields and courts to the public
<br />for blocked off periods of time
<br />over the weekends and
<br />evenings.
<br />"This first year will be a chal-
<br />lenge," she said. "But we'll
<br />learn what they're using and
<br />they'll learn what they need."
<br />County slashes 2010 budget
<br />State cuts spur mid -year adjustment
<br />demands on the county
<br />Mahtornedi
<br />$59,000
<br />court and jail system.
<br />by Mark Nicklawske
<br />"We've been doing more
<br />Without proper funding,
<br />Regional Editor
<br />with less for the last 10
<br />the county will see more
<br />issues in the
<br />Hugo
<br />years and now we're
<br />youth
<br />courts.
<br />STILLWATER — Youth
<br />going to be doing less
<br />Deputy County
<br />intervention, senior
<br />with less."
<br />Administrator Molly
<br />assistance and alterna-
<br />Weik said state cuts
<br />O'Rourke said the cuts
<br />tives to jail are just some
<br />forced the layoffs and now
<br />will increase wait lines
<br />of the programs and serv-
<br />the county will have to
<br />and response times for
<br />ices that will see reduc-
<br />look toward more tech-
<br />county services. She said
<br />tions under a county
<br />nology uses and virtual
<br />county employees will
<br />budget adjustment forced
<br />services to make up for
<br />also see decreases in
<br />by recent state legislative
<br />lost employees. She said
<br />internal services like
<br />action.
<br />lines will be longer at
<br />mail frequency, computer
<br />The Washington
<br />service centers and help
<br />assistance and employee
<br />County Board authorized
<br />counters.
<br />newsletter information.The
<br />$2.7 million in cuts to its
<br />It's not going to be
<br />county is also
<br />2010 budget during its
<br />pleasant for the next two
<br />exploring merging its
<br />regular June 15 meeting.
<br />years, and probably the
<br />facilities and central
<br />The budget sbortfall was
<br />next four years until the
<br />service division and con -
<br />caused by $1.7 million in
<br />economy turns around,"
<br />solidating the juvenile
<br />unanticipated state tax
<br />said District 4
<br />PLACE program into one
<br />credit cuts, $800,000 in
<br />Commissioner Myra
<br />location
<br />reduced interest earnings
<br />Peterson. "The level of
<br />County Administrator
<br />and nnnthPr .Rg.nn non in
<br />service is izoinR to be real
<br />-
<br />Mahtomedi Community Education
<br />contributions by municipality - 2009
<br />city
<br />Request
<br />Rec=eived
<br />Mahtornedi
<br />$59,000
<br />$51.679*
<br />Grant
<br />$17,184
<br />$0
<br />Dellwood
<br />$7.076
<br />$7,076
<br />Hugo
<br />$6,065
<br />$0
<br />W#ternie
<br />$,3,033
<br />$0
<br />Pine Springs
<br />$2.022
<br />$1,800
<br />Lake Einno
<br />$2.022
<br />$0
<br />Hourly fees will also be
<br />charged for tournaments and
<br />training camps.
<br />Erickson said Community
<br />Education has been working
<br />with the various athletic associ-
<br />ations to develop the hour rate
<br />plan. "We're going to have to
<br />ask them to pick up these costs
<br />one way or the other," he said.
<br />Mahtomedi officials were
<br />receptive to the plan. About 59
<br />percent of the young people
<br />involved in Community
<br />Education athletic programs
<br />are from the city.
<br />"I think your new plan is a
<br />start," said Mayor Judson
<br />Marshall. "It may take three to
<br />five years to get it running but
<br />at least you have a new road to
<br />*Redeved a $7,324 re)mbursement
<br />go down."
<br />Councilman Tim Mitchell
<br />suggested Grant, Willernie,
<br />Lake Ehno and Hugo also pay
<br />into Community Education. He
<br />said a user fee should be
<br />charged to participants from
<br />communities that do not con-
<br />tribute to the program.
<br />"It doesn't seem fair that
<br />these communities do not con-
<br />tribute," he said.
<br />Erickson and Marshall said
<br />the payment issue is tied up in
<br />politics between the school dis-
<br />trict and the communities.
<br />Mark Nicklawske can be
<br />readied at news@presspubs.com
<br />or 651-407-1231.
<br />CASTING CALL
<br />— Photo by Pattl Carlson
<br />Savanah L'Allier of Hugo and her grandmother, Ginette L'Allier of Lino Lakes,
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