10. PRSR 07-11-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Visit us on the web at wuvw.erstarnews.com •• Wednesday, July 4, 2001/ Elk River Star News /5 �RIVER ELK . .. _ , . ,, • ■City considers new department after Community. Re - c shake u p by Nicole Jacob priate time for us to form school district so we expect Staff writer `Recreation is our own rec department," you to start a t-ball pro- And then there was one. Elk River City Adminis- gram'?"asked Dietz. After receiving word that something of a trator Pat Klaers said. "I According to Community Otsego is withdrawing jUXUr don't know that(a JPA)can Education Administrator from the Community y survive with just Elk River Charlie Blesener, Commu- Recreation joint powers —Mike Robertson, and Rogers." nity Ed is involved in edu- agreement(JPA),Elk River Most Elk River city coun- cation and enrichment, not decided to do the same last Otsego city cil members agreed, voting recreation. He allowed that week. That leaves just 4-0-1 to withdraw from the the lines between the two Rogers, and in essence dis- administrator JPA. Council Member can sometimes be fuzzy solves the partnership that Louise Kuester abstained and added that the two once included seven area draft,it's not set in stone." from the vote. entities try not to duplicate municipalities. Elk River City Council Should Elk River form its programs. Elk River will most likely Member John Dietz said he own community recreation "Our intent would not be Ilk orm its own Recreation had been expecting Otsego department, people living to compete with Commu-' Department and charge to withdraw. outside of the city will most nity Rec," said Blesener substantially higher recre- "They had been threaten- likely see at least a dou- "On the same token, we ation fees to people who ing this for more than a bling of current recreation would hope that they live outside of the city, year,"he said.,"I think they programming fees. wouldn't start offering edu- according to several city felt this was something "We certainly shouldn't cation and enrichment pro- council members. they could easily discard. make (the fees) financially grams. We serve people Community Recreation They don't seem to place a attractive," said Elk River across the whole school dis- offers programs ranging high need on recreation." Council Member Dan trict. If they have a need from open gym to sports Robertson said it's simply Tveite. "There should be and bring it to our atten- leagues to introductory a difference in size and considerably higher non- tion, we will be attempting athletics. financial capability resident fees. Then those to meet that need." Otsego officials said finan- between Elk River and residents are going to voice Blesener said he plans to cial concerns led to their Otsego. their opinion . (and) meet with Klaers to discuss decision to leave the JPA, "Recreation is something of those communities will say, the reformatting of Corn- effective Dec. 31, 2001. a luxury," Robertson said. 'oh, maybe we should have munity Recreation. "It is obvious that other "The big reason (for Otsego stayed in."' At one time, the members of the board wish withdrawing from JPA)was Dietz believes the non-res- Community Recreation to increase the recreational we saw the coming cost ident fee should be at least Board included members services offered in this area increase. There were also double the Elk River resi- from Dayton, Elk River, The city of Otsego is concerns raised over the dent fee. Hassan Township, Livonia, simply choosing to put its quality of accounting within "It's going to be a stiff fee," Otsego, Rogers and financial resources else- the joint rec board." he said."Elk River tax pay- Zimmerman. By September where," Otsego City Robertson said there was ers are not going to subsi- , 1997,only Elk River,Otsego Administrator Mike no accountant on staff for dize something for (non- and Rogers remained. Robertson wrote in a letter Community Recreation and residents) . . . That would Otsego technically with- to the. Community he and other Otsego city be a slap in the face of Elk drew from the board that Recreation Board. officials had concerns that River people.The fees have September, reportedly for ccording to the prelimi- there were mistakes with to be high enough to show financial reasons,but recon- ary budget for 2002,Otsego the record keeping. there is a price to this sidered and decided to re- was going to be assessed Bergh said the school dis- recreation program." enter the group. $32,533, or roughly 20 per- trict handled the finances The only exception to the Said Dietz:"I think I knew cent of the total Community of the Rec Board up to non-resident fees may be all along when we started Recreation budget.This was January 1, 2001, and that Rogers,which stayed in the this thing that it would an increase of more than at that time records JPA to "the bitter end," as work for awhile,but eventu- $10,000 from the previous showed there was a sub- Dietz put it. Elk River offi- ally we would have to pro yea'. stantial deficit. The cials have expressed inter- vide our own recreation." Elk River, as the largest finances are now being est in contracting out recre- Dietz called the formation city in the partnership,was handled by the City of Elk ational services to the city of an Elk River Parks and to be assessed $105,832, River, who Bergh said has of Rogers. Rec Department "the next leaving Rogers with the discovered that there may The reformatting of logical step," and added remaining$22,372. ,,, ,,, not be a deficit after all Community Recreation also that the city is researching Recreation manager Meanwhile, the folding of raises questions about how recreation depart- ichele Bergh said she was the JPA has prompted the Community Education's role. ments in other cities are Wot surprised by Otsego's city of Elk River to take a "Are these communities handled. withdrawal. What did sur- closer look at forming its (which no longer have "First and foremost, we prise her, however, was own Parks and Recreation recreation programming) have to worry about provid- their timing. Department. going to run to Community ing good, solid recreation "They did it after review- "I think it's always been a Ed and say, `there's no t- for Elk River residents," ing the first draft of the question of not if,but when ball, Elk River costs too Dietz said. "That is our budget,"she said. "That's a would be the most appro- much, we're part of the charge."