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Rawlins staff pitches revenue plan for recreation: golf, rec center targets and $95,000 for modernizing software
Summary
City staff proposed shifting parks maintenance to public works, new marketing and membership goals for the golf course and recreation center, and $95,000 in software and tablets to modernize work orders, timekeeping and strategic planning.
City Manager Tom Sarvey and recreation staff told the Rawlins City Council the city will seek to increase revenue at recreation facilities and invest in software tools to improve operations.
Sarvey described a strategy to improve the golf course and rec center's financial performance: move parks maintenance staff into public works so the recreation director can focus on marketing and revenue generation, pursue membership and program marketing to raise revenue coverage, and pursue a contractor or RFQ/P to operate the golf clubhouse restaurant.
“We feel the golf course should operate by covering at least half of their operating costs,” Sarvey said. On the recreation center, staff said the target is for the center to cover 30% of operating costs through memberships and programming; Februrary-to-date figures showed coverage closer to 16%.
Software and equipment
Staff proposed roughly $95,000 for a set of software and field devices: a work-order system, time-and-attendance software with payroll interface, a strategic-planning/project-tracking package that includes financial ties to budgets, and tablets for field crews. Sarvey said the software would allow supervisors to assign work orders to field crews, track time and costs, and reduce manual payroll entry.
“Capture that clock in data and clock out data, and it interfaces with the payroll system ... it would be beneficial,” Sarvey said, explaining staff expectations for improved labor tracking and reduced manual entry.
Golf and clubhouse
Staff said they expect a moderate revenue increase for the golf course through marketing and rate changes (a roughly 24% budgeted revenue increase was shown in the packet). The city is preparing an RFQP (request for business plans) to solicit contractors to operate the clubhouse/restaurant; if a contractor is found, food-service sales and direct operating responsibilities would shift to that contractor and the city would record rental income.
Rec center and shooting range
Staff proposed marketing and programming increases to raise the rec center revenue coverage from about 16% toward a 30% target and set a revenue margin target of 35% for the shooting range. Staff also budgeted capital and maintenance items, including floor repairs and batting-cage nets.
Grants and capital
Staff noted two recreation-related grants: a $50,000 matching grant for cart path repairs at the golf course and an $80,000 grant for ballfield improvements at VFW Park; staff said those grants will appear in the final budget packet.
No vote was taken; staff asked council for direction on priorities and to approve inclusion of the software and operating targets in the preliminary budget.
