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ity of <br /> <br />River <br /> <br />Item #4.5. <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />Mayor & City Council <br /> <br />Pat Klaers, City Adn~is~/ator <br /> <br />March 16, 1998 y <br />Rivers of Hope <br /> <br />Representatives of the Rivers of Hope organization were before the City <br />Council on March 2 to answer questions the Council had regarding their <br />organization and their requested $5,000 contribution. A decision on the <br />contribution was delayed until this meeting so a full Council could be present <br />for the vote. <br /> <br />This item is not in the 1998 budget. Originally, in the draft budget it was <br />listed as a line item in the mayor and council department, but this <br />expenditure was deleted. If this expenditure is approved it would have to <br />come from the 1998 city council contingency fund. Last year, an identical <br />$5,000 expenditure for the Rivers of Hope organization came out of the <br />contingency budget. <br /> <br />The Rivers of Hope is a valuable organization and meets a very important <br />community need. However, the Rivers of Hope is a social service <br />organization and funding of these programs is typically not a city <br />responsibility but more of a county and state responsibility. Much like the <br />county does not fund youth recreation programs; the city does not fund social <br />service programs. <br /> <br />It is strictly a City Council decision whether or not it wants to contribute to <br />this organization. If the Council designates this contribution for a specific <br />program that benefits Elk River citizens, then the city would be in <br />comphance with state law that governs local contributions. <br /> <br />The City Council should understand that flit approves this $5,000 request, <br />then it can anticipate future similar requests from the Rivers of Hope. This is <br />not a capital request from the Rivers of Hope organization, but an operating <br />expense request. At the last meeting, representatives of the Rivers of Hope <br />organization discussed a contribution for services approach, but I have not <br />seen any information on this financing method. There are many valuable <br /> <br />13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 <br /> <br /> <br />