MEMORANDUM

This memo is in response to the Mayor's memo dated March 19, 2004.

While I have not had a full discussion with the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission regarding the proposal for The Grove, I would like to share the following thoughts.

Phase I:

1)		Form a Teen Advisory Board that will reflect a diverse teen culture.
		If the City were to appoint a teen "advisory" board, Parks and Recreation Department staff would be happy to meet with them on occasion to determine the scope and type of parks and recreation programming associated with the building. However, the Teen Advisory Board should probably be responsible to the City Council and not the Commission as it relates directly to the sole issue of The Grove as opposed to general community issues.
2)		Make a formal request to the Parks and Recreation Commission
	a) 0	Request that the Parks and Recreation Department manage and rent The Grove as is currently done for the Community Center and Pioneer Hall.
		Parks staff can accomplish this task and has been authorized by City staff to begin this process.
	b) 0	Request that the Parks and Recreation Department, in conjunction with a Teen Advisory Board, develop and implement teen-oriented programs and services and establish partnerships.
		Upon appointment of a Teen Advisory Board, Parks staff can meet with them and discuss appropriate teen-related programs for The Grove. However, to fully maximize the use of the building, staff would recommend that other demographic types of programming also be allowed to occur within the building.
	c) 0	Request that the Parks and Recreation Department explore ways to integrate the established programs and services with the Community Organization which will be formed in the future.
		Further clarification will be needed on the issue of investigating "other community organizations" in relation to this. Further, staff would recommend that this function remain with City staff as opposed to Parks Department staff.
	d)	The City of Ashland will offer the Parks and Recreation Department free rent and free utilities, including AFN.
		Further exploration of costs such as custodial and supervision/staffing would need to be explored in conjunction with this matter.

Phase II

Once the new Community Organization is formed:

a)	0	The Community Organization will work with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Teen Advisory Board to transition programs.
b) 0		The Community Organization will develop and implement a series of support systems for teens such as counseling, job referrals/placement, and others.
c) 0		The Community Organization will develop and implement a support system for homeless teens, such as connecting with other services, finding places for teens to sleep, and providing phone and computer services.
d)		The City of Ashland will offer free rent and free utilities, including AFN, until the organization is able to assume those expenses.
e)		The Community Organization will assume responsibility for the facility.

Parks and Recreation Department staff will work to facilitate the transition of any and all services provided by the department during Phase II to another organization.

Further, the Mayor's memo requested information regarding the cost of operating The Grove as a teen center, including costs of utilities, AFN services, and on-site staff, along with any other budgeted requirements.

In reviewing The Grove from a facility standpoint, it would make an excellent teen center. The large gathering room, multi-purpose room, studio, kitchen area, classrooms, and offices would conform well to a variety of both passive and active uses. The building lends itself well to having several different activities occurring at once. Further, the layout of the building allows for easy supervision of the main areas with minimal movement required. One staff person could supervise the building, which would lower overhead.

I have not had the opportunity to calculate utility costs associated with the facility. A quick review of previous utility bills during full operations with adjustments for inflation indicate that at a minimum it is estimated that the cost of full-time utility operations with regular maintenance and cleaning services would cost approximately $42,000 per year, excluding staff supervision and program coordination. It is highly unlikely that fee-for-service would offset this cost. Service fees will realize little more than direct service costs of individual programs.

In the event the City wished to proceed with a teen center, I would offer the following suggestions:

• Allow Parks and Recreation to begin programming the facility on a fee-for-
00service basis.
• Parks and Recreation would utilize a current service provider, such as the
00YMCA, to offer fitness classes when possible.
• Parks and Recreation would only staff the building during limited designated
00hours for teen drop-in, and would staff the building during scheduled program
00hours.
• Parks and Recreation would also program the building for non-teen use
00activities during hours when teens typically would not be utilizing the building
00(i.e., during the day on school days, mornings on weekends, and so on).

Programmed hours for the facility would increase gradually over a year-long period, eventually resulting in the facility being staffed almost full-time.

In the event the Council wishes to proceed with the concept of the Parks and Recreation Department operating The Grove as a teen/community center, staff will prepare a comprehensive budget for further discussion purposes.

Please note that the above discussion does not constitute a proposal, but is simply put forth for discussion purposes. All actions would need to be referred to the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission and be incorporated into the proposed budget.

cc: Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission
Gino Grimaldi, City Administrator
Ann Seltzer, Management Analyst