Consideration and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2014-18:  An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff, amending the Flagstaff City Code, Title 3, Business Regulations, Chapter 10, User Fees, Section 3-10-001-0005, Recreation Fees, by increasing certain Parks and Recreation Fees; providing for penalties, repeal of conflicting ordinances, severability, authority for clerical corrections, and establishing an effective date.  (Increasing recreation fees)

At the Council Budget Hearings held April 23, 2014 through April 25, 2014 the City Council directed the increase of recreation fees to balance the FY2015 budget.  City fees are set forth in Title 3, Chapter 10 User Fees of the City Municipal code

This fee amendment will increase General Fund revenues by an estimated $70,000 annually.

 Effective governance

Final FY2015 budget adoption June 17, 2014
Council budget study sessions April 23 - 25, 2014
Council budget study sessions April 24 - 24, 2013

Approve Ordinance No. 2014-18 as written
Approve Ordinance No. 2014-18 with amendments
Do not approve Ordinance No. 2014-18

As part of the FY2014 budget process, the City Council approved fee increases to generate additional revenue of approximately $210,000.  To ease the impact on our citizens that use Recreation Services, the City Council directed staff to implement the fee increase over a three-year period, realizing additional incremental revenue of approximately $70,000 per year.   FY2015 is the second year of the three year implementation plan.

This fee increase was an integral component of the Council budget add's as agreed upon at the April 23 - 25, 2014, Council budget study sessions.

The General Fund is dependent on increased fees in order to maintain a structural balance.  Should the fees not be adopted, the General Fund will have to re-evaluate those line items funded with this increase.  While the recreation fees were not the sole source of the funds, they are a component of funding the Police market pay adjustment, Police and Fire assignment pay increases, and Police and Fire uniform allowance increases.

The primary community benefit is through a continued structurally balanced budget.

Inform:  Posted on City website from April 28, 2014 to date. An informational letter was sent out in late May discussing the proposed fee increase and notice of the public meeting on July 1. This was sent to all registered Recreation users. Posters and flyers have been placed at all Recreation facilities in early May alerting the public about the proposed fee increase and notification of the July 1 meeting. The Parks and Recreaton Commission approved the proposed fee increase at their April meeting.

Collaborate.  As the Recreation fee increases were being considered last year, representatives from many community sectors that utilize these services provided feedback to the Council.  The community was overall supportive of the increases, but asked that the fees be phased in over a three-year period.  Council agreed with that recommendation and provided that direction to staff.

Approve Ordinance No. 2014-18 as written
Approve Ordinance No. 2014-18 with amendments
Do not approve Ordinance No. 2014-18