Minneapolis Recreation Center Research Conducted by CHANCE In Partnership with the Brian Coyle Community Center Desirée Culpitt- Intern I. Introduction Currently a lease exists between the Brian Coyle Community Center and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) in partnership to provide recreational services to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Upon agreement of the Cedar Riverside Project Committee, Inc., the Cedar Riverside People’s Center, the Minneapolis Community Development Agency, and the administrator’s of the City’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program, a partnership was created by this lease between the tenant (Pillsbury Neighborhood Services, Inc.) and the landlord (The City of Minneapolis, acting through the Park and Recreation Board) based on a need within the community of Cedar-Riverside for social, recreational, and human-service related programs. This lease lays out the obligations of the MPRB to the Brian Coyle Community Center, which includes funding for maintenance of the facility gym and adequate program staffing. As of now, the MPRB has ceased allocations to the Coyle Community Center for the 2008 budget year. The partnership is being re-evaluated by the MPRB under the MPRB comprehensive plan. Research was conducted within the Minneapolis park system on recreation centers that were similar to the Brian Coyle. This research is intended to aid in the search for adequate funding and to provide comparative budget/program information for program efficiency and future expansion of youth programming in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. A basic questionnaire was created from questions generated by the Brian Coyle staff in regards to other park and recreation facilities in staffing, programming, budget, and facility maintenance. The following centers were identified by current Coyle community Center employees as facilities that were similar in design and program delivery: Farview, Folwell, Kenwood, Northeast, North Commons, and Van Cleve. Several other recreation centers were suggested to be reviewed, but communication with each center was difficult due to the staffing demands and time availability at each center for summer programming. II. Background Information The backbone of the Minneapolis park system is its 49 full service neighborhood and community centers, which provide decentralized and diversified delivery of recreation programs and services for all age groups and abilities. Every neighborhood has at least one park, which ensures that no Minneapolis resident is more than a few blocks from open space and its benefits. The recreation centers are a kaleidoscope of park facilities that range from one room shelters to full service Community Centers, where a menu of program services are offered for neighborhood residents.i Since the early 1980's, the MPRB has provided a tax supported basic set of municipal recreation program services designed to meet four basic recreational needs of community residents of all ages and abilities. Each neighborhood helps to decide which recreation programs will best meet the needs and those services are offered using Minneapolis tax dollars. A special emphasis is placed on providing a basic set of core programs for children, offering a wide variety of instructional programs which promote positive experiences of belonging and contributing to a group as well as supervised self-directed programs that reinforce positive use of leisure time.ii The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has $217 million dollars of physical improvements that they maintain. The capital program to renovate and replace the improvements is $1.5 million in 2007 and budgeted to be about the same funding level for the next 5 years. To adequately keep up with the system improvements, they need to spend $9 million dollars annually. Over the next 5 years, there is a deficit of $37.5 million dollars in what MPRB will be spending compared to what they should be spending.iii 1 The Cedar-Riverside (West Bank) neighborhood is one of the most densely populated areas in the state, with approximately 1,800 apartment units on two city blocks. The neighborhood is named after the intersection of the two main avenues of the neighborhood, Cedar Ave South and Riverside Ave. It is triangular-shaped with three definitive boundaries: the Mississippi River on the east side, Interstate 94 on the south side, and Interstate 35W on the west side. Cedar-Riverside‘s history is nearly as old as Minneapolis’. In the late 1890s, the neighborhood was known as "Snoose Boulevard," with a thriving community of Scandinavian immigrants, many of whom worked in the milling and lumber industries on the Mississippi River. In the 1960s and 1970s, Snoose Boulevard turned from a quaint neighborhood to a beehive of hippies, intellectuals, actors, artists and musicians. Presently, the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood boasts the largest community of immigrants in the Twin Cities, continuing a long history of ethnic and cultural diversity. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the City of Minneapolis, Cedar-Riverside neighborhood was younger in 2000 than it was in 1980. The population of children increased by 18 percent and adults increased 6 percent, while the senior population decreased 36 percent.iv All racial groups except for whites increased in population between 1980 and 2000. White residents accounted for 82 percent of the population in 1980 and 41 percent in 2000. The racial group with the greatest increase was blacks, from 7 percent of the population in 1980 to 32 percent in 2000.v The proportion of families with children in Cedar-Riverside was similar to the city’s proportion in 1980 and 1990. In 2000, the percentage of families with children under 18 was 5 percent higher in the neighborhood than in the city. Cedar-Riverside’s unemployment rate was consistently higher than Minneapolis’. When unemployment dropped citywide in 2000, the neighborhood rate exceeded it by almost three times.vi III. Data Analysis Six recreational facilities were visited and reviewed for this research project using a questionnaire designed by Brian Coyle Community Center staff. Although each recreation facility was reviewed, data for each varied in availability. Farview Recreation Center is located in the Hawthorne neighborhood in North Minneapolis. Farview is a large (13,370 sq. ft.) well-structured and very well maintained building. The first full-time recreation program was offered at the park in the summer of 1969 (minneapolisparks.org). In 1992, the Gary Wilson gym (4,264 sq. ft.) was built to accommodate neighborhood youth. A rehabilitation of the center was completed in 2006. The initial development of Folwell Community Center started in 1970. Folwell is located in the Folwell neighborhood in North Minneapolis. The physical condition of the Folwell gym (1,171 sq. ft.) and overall facility is average. The Northeast Recreation Center is located in the Northeast-Park neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis. The center features a craft room, computer lab, meeting rooms, kitchen and 1,143 sq. ft. gym. Northeast is connected to Putnam School and leases space from the school district to provide a venue for recreation programming in the currently unused school's lunchroom. Besides indoor facilities, thirty-five acres is included with the facility for various outdoor sporting events. Physical Conditions The physical condition of the Farview gym and overall facility is impressive. There are mats located on each wall with personalized details, such as sports team mascots and colors. High ceilings allow for volleyball teams and light guards are in place on the gym lights. Wireless scoreboards are located on the gym walls and lightweight aluminum bleachers allow for flexible seating for various sporting events. Wood floors allow for regulation sporting events to be held within the gym. The floor is well maintained and is personalized with facility team colors. 2 There are mats located on two of the four gym walls at Folwell. Light guards are in place on the gym lights and a portable scoreboard is owned by Folwell and available for the various sporting events held at the gym. There are no bleachers or space for bleachers in the Folwell gym. The gym is rather small, with only enough room to hold an event, but no real seating for spectators. Those spectators in attendance must stand against the walls to watch a game or activity. Wood floors allow for regulation sporting events to be held within the gym. Northeast has a gym of similar size as compared to the Brian Coyle Center. There are no mats on the walls or bleachers available for indoor sporting events. Flooring in the gym is tile, not wood like many other centers. Rooms within the facility are available for rent, with a fee structure similar to other recreation centers. Kenwood leases a gym facility from the attached school in partnership. The walls currently have no mats, but light guards are in place. The flooring is again tile, similar to the Brian Coyle Center and there are no scoreboards or bleachers. The North Commons facility has a well maintained facility with mats on each gym wall and guards on both light fixtures and backboards (which are glass). The facility owns a portable scoreboard and is equipped with stationary wooden bleachers. Van Cleve also has mats on the gym walls, but there are no bleachers or scoreboards. Lights, again, are equipped with light guards and the gym has a wood floor, which is better for playing and hosting sporting events. Hours of Operation Hours at the Farview recreation facility, like all facilities included in this research project, vary throughout the year. During the summer (Memorial Day- Labor Day), Farview is open 11am-10pm Monday thru Friday. For weekends in the summer, this facility is open 12pm-5pm on both Saturday and Sunday due to additional monetary aid from General Mills. There are extended hours on Saturdays from 7-10pm for youth ages 12-19 to play basketball, depending on available staff and demand. School year hours (Labor Day – Memorial Day) consist of 1pm-9pm Monday thru Friday and 9am-4pm on Saturday. Farview is closed on Sundays during the school year. There may be instances when the Farview facility is open, but the gym is not. This occurs mainly when there is not enough staff to properly operate the gym. A three person minimum for staffing the facility is required before the gym can be opened. The gym, however, can be rented during non-program hours, excluding dances. A $15 an hour staffing fee is charged when rentals occur outside of regular operating hours. See Table 1 for additional rental fees. Non-residents refer to those groups that consist of less than 50 percent of Minneapolis residents. This term also applies to a business which does not have an office or branch located within the corporate limits of Minneapolis. School year hours for Folwell are 1pm-9pm Monday thru Friday and 10am-3pm on Saturday. During the summer, the facility is open 12pm-9pm Monday thru Thursday and 12pm-5pm on Fridays. There are no weekend hours provided for activities during the summer and the gym is not open if the facility is not open, although any part of the facility can be rented. See Table 2 for fees collected for rental use at the Folwell facility. Special events for the summer at Folwell include “Live on the Drive”, which is a neighborhood event involving a series of outdoor music events. An ice cream social is also an annual event in the summer at Folwell. Hours for Northeast vary between the summer and school year. During the school year, Northeast is open 2pm to 9pm Monday thru Thursday, 2pm to 8pm on Friday and 9am to 8:30pm on Saturday. Preschool is also available during the morning hours during the school year. Summer hours are Monday thru Thursday 11am to 10pm and Friday 11am to 6pm, with no hours of operation on the weekends. 3 Kenwood holds hours during 2:30pm to 9pm Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm on Saturday and the facility is closed on Sunday during the school year. Hours during the summer include 12pm-9pm Monday thru Thursday, Fridays 12pm to 5pm and the facility is closed on the weekends. The gym at Kenwood is never open at times that are different than the overall facility. Van Cleve and the North Commons facilities offer similar hours to their communities as that of the Kenwood facility in both the summer and school year. Staffing Staffing for Farview is flexible and varies between the school and summer programming. Depending on the sports season, 8-10 part-time employees are on staff along with numerous volunteers. Coaches for sports are typically volunteers. Staff structure consists of a full-time center director (Paul Jaeger), a parttime receptionist and part-time employees for programming and outdoor activities. Staffing at Folwell can fluctuate depending on the activities currently being offered and the time of year. During the summer, there are about 12 paid employees with a decrease to about 8 paid employees during the school year. All coaching positions are occupied by volunteers. Teen gym nights are offered twice a week and consume, on average, 6 hours of staff time. Maintenance for the facility, including utilities and phone service, is carried out and paid for by the MPRB under Operations department. Folwell’s park allocation from the MRPB is $48,286 for programming and staff. Center director, Jamie Neldner, is the only full-time staff employee. A receptionist and other part-time paid (General Recreation Specialists) staff members complete the facilities staff structure. The Northeast recreation facility has a staffing structure that consists of over 70 volunteer coaches throughout the year. There are typically 12-15 paid part-time employees throughout the year, with the center Director, Heidi Miller, employed full-time. There are a few contracted employees to lead programs at the facility. Heidi estimated that her employees spent roughly 35% of their time in relation to gym use and programming. Volunteers during the summer at the Kenwood center range from 50-60 for athletic programs to 3-5 for non-athletic programs, unlike Van Cleve and North Commons who average 10-20 volunteers per program for athletics and 1 to 2 volunteers for non-athletic programming. Staff structure in Kenwood, North Commons and Van Cleve is equal to that which has been described in Farview, Folwell and Northeast. No organizational charts are available for recreational centers within the park system; however, the MPRB has an organizational chart available for public viewing on www.minneapolisparks.org. Programs Each center had similar programming to that of the Coyle, with variations in programming due to neighborhood demands. See Table 1 for programming at each center. Programming offered by the Coyle is unique in that partnerships within the community are used to offer programs instead of existing partnerships established by the MPRB, such as the Art in the Park program offered in partnership with the Minnesota Institute of Arts. Music lessons offered at Coyle are in partnership with the West Bank School of Music. In partnership with Bedlam Theater, a Youth Drama Club is offered and girls groups are offered in partnership with the Girls Scouts of MN African Women’s Association. Throughout the year, the Brian Coyle center is able to offer field trips in partnership with the Confederation of Somali Community in MN. Other youth programs at the Coyle Center include: a reading program, tutoring, summer day camp, Youth Council, Jump Start, Step Up, FANS, and a mural project within the community involving multiple community stakeholders and community youth. 4 rt B rian C oyle x x x x x F arview x x x x x x F olwell x x x x x x K enwood x x x x x x Nokomis x x x x x x North C ommons x x x x x x x Northeas t x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x P earl S tewart Van C leve x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Y out h li n e Y out h Sp o r ts ic s ly m p te r ia l O S p ec x x x x T h ea p s /B oys G ro u nas t ps ic s In fa n ts /T o d d le r s /P r Mu s e -s c ic L e hool s s on s O pe n Gy m R ec P lu s S e n io rs G ym G rou G ir ls F ie ld x x x x x T r ip s C ou g Mu ltip u rp o s A du e Ro lt s p om o r ts A e ro b is /F itn e s s A fte r S ch ool A r t in th e P a rk A r ts & Cr a fts B oo k C lu b C e ra m ic s /P o tt e ry C oo k in g Danc e Me e tin or B as ke tb a ll /V o ll en ey b a ll K itc h In d o G ym r L ab t Ro p u te C ra f C om om R ec reation C enter Amenities and Ac tivities x x x x x x x x x x Table 1: Programming source: www.minneapolisparks.org Each facility offers unique programming created for the demand of each neighborhood that is being served. Facilities also offer printed program brochures for seasonal programs, along with posting information online through the MPRB to advertise program information. Farview sports programs offered at the facility include: Track ages 9-16, baseball ages 8-13, soccer ages 6-15, Tackle football ages 8-13, flag football ages 6-8, and basketball ages 12-19. Staffing for programs vary, and are often supported by volunteer teenage staff members and volunteer coaches for organized sports. Other programs include crafts, cooking, gymnastics, dance classes and video games. See Table 1 for further activities and amenities that are provided at Farview by the MPRB. Overall attendance at Farview can be estimated at an average of 100 students a day during both the summer and school year. Adult attendance is lower, although an “adult night” is held during the winter months during the hours of 8pm-11pm with a charge of $3 to participate. Farview also has a new system for systematically recording youth who enter and exit the facility. A device has been purchased which works similar to devices used in the Boys and Girls Clubs. Each youth purchases a photo identification card for $3. This card can be programmed to contain information, such as guardian contact, home address, and emergency contact information. This system allows for facility staff to know who has entered and exited the building and allows staff to make contact with family members during the registration period. This also acts as a safeguard in the event of an emergency at the facility. An accurate headcount can be made in moments to ensure a safe building evacuation or identification of those missing if needed. Another helpful tool used by Farview staff is that of a “bagging” system. Youth who wish to use the gym can not wear jeans. A bag is provided by front desk staff for the youth to place belongings in before entering the gym. This bag is then stored at the front desk until the user is ready to go home or has finished using the gym. Programs at Folwell are offered in partnership with other facilities under the Camden Community Centers (Creekview, Folwell and Webber Community Centers). Summer youth programs currently offered at Folwell only include: Art Zoo (in partnership with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts), City Children’s Dance in the Park (in partnership with the Minnesota Dance Theater and Dance Institute), bike rodeo, and naturalist round-up. A special program through the MRPB and Special Olympics of Minnesota offers Bocce Ball to youth and adult athletes with intellectual disabilities. Trips for seniors are also offered, 5 such as a cruise down the St. Croix River with lunch. See Table 1 for further activities and amenities that are provided at Folwell by the MPRB. During the summer months, an average of 100 students a day enter Folwell. Attendance drops to around 50 students per day when school is in session. Adult attendance is constant throughout the year with around 60 adults attending the facility per day. Adult activities, such as various card clubs, keep attendance steady. Northeast, Kenwood, North Commons and Van Cleve achieve the same reported levels for attendance from youth in their respective neighborhoods. Budget Budgetary items of concern for the Brian Coyle Community Center, in relation to the current lease obligations from the MPRB and future Coyle Center activities, focus on operational costs, staffing costs consistent with other recreational centers with gyms, the cost of gym maintenance, and actual costs for recreational centers, which include direct and indirect costs. Throughout this research, data was difficult to acquire, but an attempt has been made to effectively present what data has been collected. Yearly appropriations are made for each facility within the park board system. Previously, the Brian Coyle has expected, due to lease requirements, similar appropriations in regards to lease stipulations. The last few years, appropriations have been locked at $39,000. The 2008 MPRB budget provides no allocation of money to Coyle, due to a new discussion of lease requirements and possible changes in the future partnership. Other facilities, such as Northeast, for example, are allocated an estimated $68,000 for programming and staff. This does not include costs for maintenance or utilities for facilities or gyms. Farview’s 2008 operating budget reflects an estimated expenditure of $105,624 for salaries and wages. The park allocation from the MRPB is $49,864 for programming and staff. Besides yearly appropriations by MPRB tax-based allocations, many facilities are able to generate revenue by using universal fees for facility rentals. Each facility has a fee schedule for indoor room usage and for outdoor field rental if applicable. See Table 2.1 and 2.2 for indoor and outdoor rental fees charged by park and recreation facilities. Staffing for events is $30 an hour, regardless of which field is requested for use. Lighting fees, applied only if the usage is outside of recreation center business hours, are $25 an hour for residents and non-MPRB youth teams, and $30 for non-residents. If a group would like to set up tents for an event, a $20 a tent fee is assessed for those tents under 10’ x 20’. All tents larger than this would be assessed a $60 a tent fee. Occasionally, MPRB facilities subsidize operations with grants. Farview, for example, subsidizes weekend operations with funding from General Mills. Table 2.1. Room Rental Fees. Gym MultiPurpose Kitchen Other $25 $0 $0 $0 $37.50 $0 $0 $0 $75 $40 $35 $25 $112.50 $60 $52.50 $37.50 $35 $20 $5 $10 $52.50 $30 $10 $15 Non-Profit Org. Resident NonResident Private Org. Resident NonResident Individuals/Groups Resident NonResident Source: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board www. minneapolisparks.org 6 Table 2.2. Athletic Facility Rental Fees Baseball & Softball Fields Resident/Adult/Use by College $25 NonResident/Adult/Commercial Use $40 Non-MPRB Youth Team & Associations $8 Football Soccer Cricket Ultimate Frisbee Rugby Lacrosse $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $8 $8 $8 $8 $8 $8 Source: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board www. minneapolisparks.org Overall maintenance for facilities varies, but so do the accounting practices found for each building. At Farview, electricity and natural gas are on separate line item than overall utilities, but Folwell only has utilities listed as one category. Spending for utilities varies from $671.28 at Kenwood to over $15,000 at Farview. Repair and maintenance services, under contractual services, range from $687.25 at Kenwood to $5,333.44 at Farview. Overall operating costs for maintenance include agricultural supplies, operating supplies, repair and maintenance supplies, small tools and minor equipment, uniforms and clothing, and taxes, licenses and fees. These again range from $3,426.17 at Van Cleve to $15,313.49 at Folwell. In total, each facility reviewed spends an average of $100,000 on maintenance alone, far above the average of allocations in previous years of $39,000 for both programming and gym maintenance at the Brian Coyle Community Center. IV. Conclusion The following findings have resulted from this research: 1.) There is currently a lack of adequate support from MPRB to offer adequate programming for Cedar-Riverside youth at the Brian Coyle Center. The MPRB has currently suspended all support for programming, staff and gymnasium maintenance at the Brian Coyle Center in an attempt to review the benefits of maintaining a partnership between the park board and the Coyle Community Center. This is a direct violation of the lease between the Brian Coyle Center and the MPRB. 2.) Community members, including the Coyle Youth Council are unaware of the current lease situation and unfulfilled obligations from the MPRB. In the past, decisions surrounding the creation of Brian Coyle were guided by public participation. The current lease situation is only now coming to public attention. 3.) Possibilities exist for alternative summer programs for Cedar Riverside youth that could be pursued by the Brian Coyle Center to increase youth safety. Safety mechanisms in place at similar facilities, such as member tracking and counting via a computerized system, have aided in maintaining safe environments for youth and staff at facilities. These initiatives, partnered with expanded programming through new partnerships, could alleviate fear currently experienced by some neighborhood youth. Recommendations: With the possible renegotiation of the current lease with the Minneapolis Park and Recreations Board, the following recommendations are offered for consideration: Advanced Fundraising Initiatives: Pursuing partnerships beyond those that currently exist at the Brian Coyle and the MRPB will help to provide programming dollars for youth that will lead to a positive impact on the community youth. Long term benefits of seeking private funding and cost saving program partnerships would allow for sustainable programming without significant 7 reliance on the MPRB. Negotiations should be discussed with the MPRB to discuss illegal budgetary actions that have occurred in this years budget allocations and lack there of to the Brian Coyle Community center in order to rectify lease noncompliance. Actively engage youth and community members in long-term planning: Youth can play a significant role in upcoming planning and discussions on the future of the Brian Coyle Community Center. Tours may be conducted for both community members and youth council members to the recreation facilities in Minneapolis explored in this report. This would help the community and Coyle staff to create a facility that better serves the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. In the short term, an informational session to discuss the current lease and obligations unfulfilled by the MPRB should be held to clarify the situation to community members. This knowledge can help to motivate participation in future planning discussions. Youth safety through programming: Current community discussion has focused on the need for increased safety in the neighborhood. The Brian Coyle Youth Council has discussed the need for greater attention to programming for older (12-18) youth to help keep them engaged in positive activities within the community. Staff and community members are also concerned about young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who seem to have “fallen through the cracks” and hang out with nothing to do. Long-term goals for the community center could include adopting programming similar to other park and recreation facilities that address neighborhood specific needs. A re-evaluation of programming needs for youth could be completed on a yearly basis to maximize the current staff and budget, given the current constraints on spending that exist at the Coyle Center today. Input could be sought from all aspects of the community to increase the likelihood of overall participation in programs offered. Short-term goals to alleviate current needs for programming may be to expand weekend programming. Although difficult with current budget issues, this could be a priority for future budget planning. Long term goals for safety in the community center could include new ways to adequately track youth entering and leaving the facility, as seen at the Farview recreation facility. Similar attempts in surrounding neighborhoods have proved beneficial to both youth and staff. Overall, without consistent support from the MPRB in program staffing and gym maintenance as required in the lease, it appears the neighborhood and Coyle Center face many challenges in meeting the recreational needs of the community. The need for a functioning recreational facility is necessary in a community with the diverse needs of Cedar-Riverside. Current programming at other recreation centers is offered in similar partnership styles as that of the Coyle, but with no current funding or recognition by the MPRB. If a partnership is continued, adequate funding, in relation to other recreation facilities within the park system, including both gym maintenance and funding for programming and staff, must be provided by the MPRB for sustainable service to the Cedar Riverside community. i www.minneapolisparks.org www.minneapolisparks.org www.peopleforparks.net iv www.minneapolisparks.org v www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us www.census.gov vi www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us www.census.gov ii iii 8