September 14, 2004

SUBJECT: Proposed Study Issue Paper Regarding Youth and Senior Rates for Recreation Programs and Activities

REPORT IN BRIEF

On May 18, 2004, City Council reviewed the results of staff’s “Exploration of Youth Rates for Recreation Programs and Activities”. At the conclusion of Council’s review, it requested that staff prepare an additional Study Issue Paper for Council’s consideration that would study youth and senior rates in the context of how well the City is serving both those populations based on specific demographic information. This report provides that requested Study Issue Paper (Attachment A) for Council’s consideration.

This report also provides Council another (less costly and time-intensive) option in terms of gathering the information staff believes Council is seeking. Staff would present for Council’s consideration statistically valid data generated by a previous Community Recreation Needs Assessment conducted in 2002.  This option could negate the need for the formal Study depicted by Attachment A, (PDF format) or it might help Council to focus its interest in further exploration of specific policy areas. 

BACKGROUND 

On May 18, 2004, City Council held a public hearing regarding RTC 04-170: “Exploration of Youth Rates for Recreation Programs and Activities”. The heart of that study was to examine fees charged by the City for recreation services provided to the City’s youth, and to explore whether change was warranted. While Council accepted staff’s report as a good primer on current conditions and practices, it stopped short of accepting the conclusions and findings made by staff within the report. Council requested that staff develop an additional Study Issue Paper for Council’s consideration that would study youth and senior rates in the context of how well the City is serving the recreational needs of those populations based on ethnicity, geographic residency, and economic status, and compare its performance to that of other cities. Council requested that staff provide a draft of the requested Study Issue paper within 2 to 3 months time, sufficiently ahead of the fall Study Issue process so that Council could make changes if desired. Attachment A of this report represents that requested Study Issue Paper.

EXISTING POLICY 

Exploration of youth and senior rates for recreation programs and activities in  the Sunnyvale community is supported by the following City policies:  

DISCUSSION 

Council will please bear in mind that the original purpose of this study was not to change current fees. Rather, it was to provide Council information regarding current practices so that Council could determine whether changes in youth rates (and now seniors as well) were warranted. Pursuing the attached Study Issue may well be the best way to provide Council the information it desires. However, staff offers another option as well. During the May 18, 2004 hearing, Councilmember Fowler queried staff as to the availability of data related to the number of users of recreational programs by age, ethnicity and geographic location. Staff indicated that this type of information was not routinely gathered, and that what information it could gather would not be statistically valid. Staff is reminded, however, that a comprehensive Recreational Needs Assessment was conducted by the City during the summer of 2002. That needs assessment involved community focus groups in the establishment of a survey which sought to gain statistically valid data on a host of recreational issues, including recreational interests, reasons for non-attendance, and the most effective means of disseminating information about recreational opportunities. The survey instrument was developed with the assistance of several community focus groups, including youth and seniors. The survey was distributed to over 4,000 residents of Sunnyvale with an overall response rate of 15.3%—a response rate high enough to produce a satisfactory error factor of about 4%.

While the survey data does not report specifically on the performance of the City’s recreation programs, it does analyze the recreational interests of the community, the frequency with which they attend recreational programs and reasons for not attending (including cost of fees). Furthermore, all survey results can be broken down by ethnicity, economics and geographical location.

Lastly, Sunnyvale’s results can be compared to those of numerous other cities which have conducted similar studies (albeit not local cities).

If it pleases Council, staff will provide an Informational Report which highlights some of the findings of the 2002 recreational needs assessment prior to Council’s consideration of the attached Study Issue Paper this coming Fall. Staff could also provide a table which would compare the fees charged for benchmark program offerings in the youth and senior areas with those fees charged by other local agencies. The informational background supplied by staff may satisfy Council and the need for further study, or it may help Council to focus its interest in further exploration of specific areas.

FISCAL IMPACT

Council is not asked to determine at this time whether or not to pursue the attached Study Issue. Any such action, including related fiscal impacts, would occur this coming fall. As a result, there is no fiscal impact at this time. Council will note, however, that the proposed cost of this particular study issue is listed as “unknown” at this time. Once Council has confirmed that the Study Issue Paper accurately represents its desires, staff plans to seek rough cost estimates from survey firms skilled in this work, and will fill in the cost section prior to Council’s Study Issue process in November. There are three reasons for relying on professional assistance with this Study Issue: first and foremost, much of the work requires a good degree of statistical data gathering and analysis—staff is not qualified to prepare statistically valid data for Council’s consideration. Second, there was some concern expressed by both Council and a member of the public that the findings and conclusions associated with staff’s previous work could not be relied upon—staff believe an outside source would help mitigate this concern. Lastly, the study as proposed represents a significant amount of work, unable to be absorbed completely by existing staff.

The cost of preparing an Informational Report related to the findings of the 2002 Recreational Needs Assessment can be absorbed within the existing budget of the Parks and Recreation Department. 

PUBLIC CONTACT

Public contact was made through posting of the Arts Commission Agenda and the Parks and Recreation Commission agenda and Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City’s web page, and the availability of the report in the City Clerk’s office, Library, Parks and Recreation Administration office, Corporation Yard, Community Center and Senior Center.

Copies of this report have been distributed to the Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission.

ALTERNATIVES

1. Accept the Study Issue Paper titled “Exploration of Youth and Senior Rates for Recreation Programs and Activities” as presented in Attachment A for Council’s consideration during its Study Issue process this coming fall.

2. Do not accept the Study Issue Paper titled “Exploration of Youth and Senior Rates for Recreation Programs and Activities” as presented in Attachment A for Council’s consideration during its Study Issue process this coming fall.

3. Provide Council an Informational Report highlighting findings of the 2002 Community Recreation Needs Assessment prior to this coming year’s Study Issue Process.

4. Other action as determined by Council. 

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Alternatives No. 1 and No.3.

Prepared by:

Robert A. Walker
Director,  Parks and Recreation

Approved by:

Amy Chan

City Manager

Attachments:

A, Exploration of Youth and Senior Rates for Recreation Programs and Activites Study Issue. (pdf format)