12/7/11
After some checking around and following the 2012 budget work session of 11/28 (see: http://windowsmedia.alphameetings.com/LMCCShorewood/112811shorewood.wmv
at the 2 hour 57 minute point for beginning), the Insider is concluding there's budgeting magic at work in the Shoth Shore Center budget for 2012.
Staff presented a Center budget that showed over $93,000 of revenue, more than $16,000 above that which was budgeted for 2011. Staff could not offer any explanation for the increase, over $14,000 of which is supposed to be increased rental fees.
On the expense side, staff showed contracted services increasing by $25,000. Those keeping close track should recall that these services are the cost of Community Rec Resources (Kristi Anderson) managing the center for the City.
So, does Kristi have a grand plan for driving more revenue in 2012? Seems nobody on City Staff knows or is telling. The Insider wonders how a $25,000 increase in expenses for Kristi is justified by a $14,000 rental income increase. Seems not to make any business sense no matter how it's viewed.
Further complicating the picture is the fact that the budget, that's sure to be adopted for the City, eliminates use of Community Rec Resources as the parks scheduling resource and Park Commission interface. Seems this is viewed as a big savings for the City as the work is being taken in-house to be done by existing staff. However, is the slight of hand that CRR is still being paid the same dollars in 2012 as in 2011 and what it has lost on park-related work is showing up in Center expense increases? Even Congress couldn't come up with a scheme better than this to keep CRR whole at taxpayer expense.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Has city hall made public the contract for SSC management? Has anyone reviewed the measurables? If not, how do we pass judgment?
ReplyDeleteIf the above exist, and do not provide for a transparent process for setting goals and measuring outcomes, the Council is doing Kristi Anderson a disservice. If she is a smart contractor, she ought to be upset about it and expect that the council do right by her. Or, in the end, she will be hung out to dry.