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Memorandum, Outdoor Skating Rink Establishment and Operation Policy Page Two October 3, 2000 . Mission Since our January 2000 Retreat, establishing the goals for the year 2000, we have had an ongoing discernment over those words that help guide those goals. Some people refer to it as a mission statement; I refer to it as a philosophy or policy, rather than a mission statement. However, I believe both interpretations are intended for the same purpose. That purpose is to serve as a guiding principal for the City Council and staff to gauge the offerings of programs, services, purchase of equipment, budget, staffing and all other items that go into the makeup and operation of the City. The portion of the statement that seems most appropriate is the provision of "basic and necessary.... services....' The City does provide an array of services at low cost. One ofthe reasons that we're able to do this is that staffing is at a very minimum. The other reason we're able to do this is that we carefully determine those programs and services that we can provide readily, conveniently, to the greatest number of people, with the greatest amount of impact. The operation arid maintenance of skating rinks in the City is no exception to these guidelines. Previously, the Parks and Recreation staff presented to the PTRC information that allowed them to make a determination that providing a skating rink at Valentine Park was not in keeping with the City's mission statement. At that time, the City Council was apprised of that staff decision, arid determined not to overturn the decision. e Operations The City Council may want to consider whether it wants to weigh in on this decision or not, based on the fact that it is an operational issue. The number, location, how we staff and the hours that we staff, the winter skating rinks are all considerations that staff has taken upon itself to determine. By stepping over that line, the City Council may be setting a precedent. I'm not sure it's the intent of the City Council to enter into arI operational issue unless it's prepared and does desire to weigh in on many more operational issues. One operational nightmare that the City Council might not want to be involved in is how many streets get plowed, or conversely, which streets do not get plowed, or how often they get plowed, or to what extent they get plowed, or who's streets are plowed first. I think the City Council is better off not wading into an operational issue such as this, and giving the staff a guiding policy, which it has established through its mission statement, and backing and supporting the staffs decisions to either reduce or increase programs, services and opportunities once the need is proven. Future Plannine: The last item is the fact that the City has been operating, particularly in the area of Parks and Recreation, without a long-term management plan. One of the criticisms brought up by the Valentine Park neighborhood is the City location of a new warminghouse at Valentine Park. If the City didn't intend to operate a skating rink, why did they locate a warminghouse at this park? .