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Home My WebLink About1C, Recreation Fee Assistance ProgramEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: December 21, 2009 Item LC TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members Ron Moorse, City Administrator FROM: Michelle Olson, Parks and Recreation Manager SUBJECT: Recreation Fee Assistance Program Backiround The Parks and Recreation Department has followed a standard fee assistance procedure that has been in place internally for years. With the struggles in the economy, our fee assistance requests have increased in the past year. For this reason and because there is no official written program, staff has drafted a draft document for Council review. Staff would like to utilize tonight's work session to review and revise the current fee assistance procedures in order to bring a written program forward to a future Council meeting for approval. Staff has been researching various fee assistance programs throughout the metro area. This type of program is offered in the majority of the surrounding suburbs. The application form currently being utilized for fee assistance is included for Council review (attachment A). The basic guidelines that staff have followed when reviewing requests: • The participant must be a resident of Arden Hills. • The request must be submitted in writing and/or with the application form and must explain the circumstances surrounding the assistance request. • Fee assistance is limited to one registration per quarter per participant. • Staff asks that the applicant pay a small portion toward the fee, even if it is as little as $2. If a program is offered free of charge, it is not uncommon for participants to not show up for the program. If they pay a small portion of the fee, the participant tends to show more commitment to honoring attendance at the class. If they do not show up for the program, this becomes difficult because they have taken the spot of a possible full paid registration. Discussion Staff has included a draft of the proposed Recreation Fee Assistance Program Guidelines (Attachment B) and application form (Attachment C) for Council review. Below is a list of items that highlight additions and changes to the current procedures: I (Metro-inetl ardenhills IPR&PWIParks (Memos I Council Memos 1122109 Recreation Program Fee Assistance Policy.doc 2 • Each individual in a qualifying family will receive full assistance up to $40. • Events, trips or activities that require the purchase of a ticket or payment to another service provider are not eligible for fee assistance. This includes the following programs: Sports camps, specialized drama and science camps and field trips. • To qualify for fee assistance, the family must be eligible for the free or reduced lunch program at school or receive public assistance. • The family must provide documentation (school district letter, WIC card, or other form) that they are on the free or reduced lunch program for the current year or other public assistance program. • In the event a participant cannot attend the activity/class they registered for, they must provide the Parks and Recreation Department at least a 24 hour notice. For ongoing programs (such as a 6-9 week class), they must attend 75% of the class sessions to remain eligible for future fee assistance. One area that staff would like Council input on is our after school program offerings. Often times, we have non-residents participating in our after school programs at Island Lake Elementary and Valentine Hills Elementary that request fee assistance. I have not encountered a policy that includes non-residents. However, we have a unique situation in that we have a large number of nonresident participants of our class in need of assistance that would not be able to get assistance for our programs due to the residency requirements. There are a lot of offerings for students specifically for each individual school. If Council is interested, a clause could be put in there that would allow scholarships for after school classes as long as they are a student at that school. This could be created to have similar fee limits per quarter. Budget The City of Arden Hills does not have a designated fund for fee assistance. The Parks and Recreation revenue in the general fund is reduced by each fee assistance request. On average, we receive anywhere from 5-10 fee assistance requests per year. The fee for each of these requests will vary but the annual assistance awarded is usually under $500. Recommendation Staff is looking for Council input in order to bring back a revised Recreation Program Fee Assistance Program Policy for Council review and approval at a future meeting. Attachments A — Current Fee Assistance Application Form B — Proposed Recreation Fee Assistance Program Guidelines C — Proposed Recreation Fee Assistance Application Form I (Metro-inet. us I ardenhills I PR&PWW Parks (Memos I Council Memos 1122109 Recreation Program Fee Assistance Policy. doc Attachment Ais . Current Fee Assistance Application Form SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION The information requested below will be used to determine if you qualify for scholarship assistance. These scholarships are available for designated Arden Hills Recreation programs only. If you do not provide the information, you may not be considered for the scholarship. The information you provide and the fact that you applied for a scholarship will be kept confidential. This information will not be made available to any other people of governmental agencies, unless you so request. ONLY CITY OF ARDEN HILLS RESIDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS ASSISTANCE. Please answer all questions on this form: NAME OF APPLICANT (PARTICIPANT): IF CHILD, PLEASE GIVE PARENT(S) NAME(S): HOME ADDRESS: CITY: ZIP CODE: HOME PHONE: ( ) WORK PHONE: ( ) TOTAL MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME (TAKE-HOME) $ NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE HOUSEHOLD: OTHER INFORMATION SUPPORTING YOUR REQUEST FOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR WHICH SCHOLARSHIP IS REQUESTED: PROGRAM CODE #: PROGRAM FEE: $ HOW MUCH, IF ANY, ARE YOU ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE? $ i::....... rv.:...... 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'•,:;: •.» :• :' ::. �:: y::•: :.: ::• •.'".�',,'•�•.'•,'.••'•,�'�>:''••a�'•I•:•�`'.•t�•.•,•�,r:':."ra�"�::::•��''��•''.��•''.•''�''�4ii�'�:i.'ifi':l•.'••..�"'•�`:�'•`'�:;i::: ::::. ...:...:::::.:.::.•,... :. r:...: .:.....::.........:...::.....:...:............:::: r::::r::: r::.:....:::: r..::�:::::r:: rr:::r: •:::::: •: •: r:.:: :::::.,.:.• :.• f::r:..:...�: •: �.:::::::::::::::f .::...0 J I CERTIFY THAT ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS CORRECT AND THAT ALL INCOME IS REPORTED. SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR ADULT HOUSEHOLD MEMBER) (DATE) RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION, ALONG WITH REGISTRATION FORM(S) AND CHECK (IF APPLICABLE) TO: Arden Hills Parks and Recreation. Attachment Be Proposed Recreation Fee Assistance Program Guidelines �R��HU,LS City of Arden Hills Recreation Fee Assistance Program Program Purpose: The City of Arden Hills Parks and Recreation activities are supported by the taxpayers of Arden Hills, which keeps fees affordable. However, some residents still need financial help to participate in classes and activities. The fee assistance program is designed to assist individuals and families to overcome financial limitations and participate in the City of Arden Hills Recreation Programs. Eligibility for the program is determined by completing an application and supplying the correct documentation. Program Guidelines: 1. The participant must be a resident of Arden Hills 2. The family must be eligible for the free or reduced lunch program at school or receive public assistance. 3. The family must provide documentation (school district letter, WIC card, or other form) that they are on the free or reduced lunch program for the current year or other public assistance program. All information submitted for the purposes of eligibility determination into the Fee Assistance Program is considered confidential and is not shared with the staff working in the programs. 4. Each individual in a qualifying family will receive full assistance up to $40. 5. The policy limits assistance to one class per quarter per individual. 6. Participant will be responsible for paying any additional fees for materials, rentals, etc... 7. Events, trips or activities that require the purchase of a ticket or payment to another service provider are not eligible for fee assistance. This includes the following programs: Summer camps, specialty drama and science camps. 8. In the event that your plans change and you cannot attend the activity/event you registered for, we ask that you call the Parks and Recreation Department at 651-792-7800 at least 24 hours in advance. This is very important as at times we maintain a waiting list for activities and with 24 hours notice we are able to contact another person interested in participating. No notification not only prevents others from participating, but we often still need to incur the same costs as if you were attending. 9. For ongoing programs (such as a 6-9 week class), you must attend 75% of the class sessions to remain eligible for future fee assistance. 10. In the event you do not attend a registered activity/event you registered for and you do not notify us at least 24 hours in advance the following action will be taken: • The first time you will receive a letter re -stating the guidelines. • The second time, you will be suspended from participating in the fee assistance program for one calendar year. \\Metro-inet.us\ardenhills\PR&PW\Recreation\FORMS\Scholarship Information\fee assistance program policy guidelines.doc 12/16/2009 Submitting an application: In order for the City to approve fee assistance, the following information is required to be considered: • Completed application. • Documentation (school district letter, WIC card, or other form) that the family is on the free or reduced lunch program for the current year or other public assistance program. Fee Assistance Process: 1. Application: The completed application is submitted to the City with proper required documentation. 2. Staff Review: The Parks and Recreation Manager will review the application. 3. Notification: Once a reduced fee is approved or denied based on eligibility, the registrant will be notified of final payment (if any) amount and this amount will be due within 5 working days or before the beginning of class, whichever comes first. \\Metro-inet.us\ardenhills\PR&PW\Recreation\FORMS\Scholarship Information\fee assistance program policy guidelines.doc 2 12/16/2009 Attachment C 0 Proposed Recreation Fee Assistance Application Form Eligibility Requirements: 1. The participant must be a resident of Arden Hills. 2. The family must be eligible for the free or reduced lunch program at school or receive public assistance. 3. The family must provide documentation (school district letter, WIC card, or other form) that they are on the free or reduced lunch program for the current year or other public assistance program. Fee Assistance Policy: 1. Each individual in a qualifying family will receive full assistance up to $40. 2. The policy limits assistance to one class per quarter per individual. 3. Participants will be responsible for paying any additional fees for materials, rentals, etc. 4. The following programs are exempt: Summer sports camps, specialty drama and science camps, and field trips. Parent's Name: Address: School Attending: City. Phone: Is the family on fee or reduced lunch program or public assistance? Child's Name Grade Activity Title Activity # Zip: Y N Fee Fee w/assistance TOTAL DUE: SIGNATURE I certify that all of the above information is true and correct. I understand that school officials may verify the information on this application. [Signature of Parent or Guardian] [Date]