Minutes - Parks and Recreation Commission - 05/08/2008

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Ms. Geiss was excited to hear that and advised that they do have a projector that they received from the police station that allows them to watch movies. Commissioner Hansen questioned ifthey were familiar with ARAA. Ms. Geiss advised that she was not. She stated that one of the things that they struggle with is that the kids do want to play sports but have never played on a team before. Commissioner Hansen advised that he is the commissioner of football and stated that every year there are kids that come out that have never played before. He advised that the prior year they had 50 kids that had never played before. He also advised that they have an adversary program that you could apply for when registering. He advised that they allow anyone to play that wants to play and do not turn away kids that cannot afford it. Commissioner Barr advised that many sports would be starting in June and that there would be many kids that have not previously played the sport, they would not be the only one. She advised that a lot of good information could be found on the website www.arsports.org. She advised that they could just send an email explaining that the kids are part of the Youth First program and not able to pay for the sport, she explained that there is a good chunk of money available for the kids. She stated that they may have to pay $20 to $40 for a uniform but would not have to pay the full amount. Commissioner Backous reported that the City owns the building and questioned if Youth First was able to use it rent-free. Asst. City Administrator Nelson advised that the City does not charge them rent and reported that Youth First does pay the utilities for the building. She advised that the area is classified as tax- exempt and clarified that the City does not have a mortgage on the building. Commissioner Backous thought that the City should get credit for the available lease amount in the financials for Youth First, as the other cities are charging rent for their sites. He questioned if there was equal participation at all ofthe three sites. Ms. Geiss replied that they have been in Anoka for eight years and that it has taken them three years to get where they are in Ramsey. She advised that all three cities do contribute money each year. She explained that they used to receive a state grant but advised that it ran out after three years. She advised that they had applied for nonprofit status, which would make them eligible for more grants and funding. Chairperson Johns questioned if the request would be for the City to fully fund the program. Ms. Geiss advised that it would be the full funding for the bare bones operation. She explained that for staff it is herself and another part time person. She reported that Ramsey Lions and Rotary assist the group with the utility bills. She advised that they have two fundraisers each year, which also contribute about $10,000 to $15,000 a year. She advised that she pretty much asks everyone for money to help with the program. She advised that the Anoka site is currently Park and Recreation Commission/May 8, 2008 Page 7 of 13