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Lake Elmo weighs Community Education partnership to expand recreation and keep middle-school sports affordable
Summary
Community Education proposed to manage recreation programming using city facilities under a joint powers agreement; staff estimated middle-school sport full cost could rise to $285 per participant absent subsidies, and council discussed limited city funding options to reduce fees.
Annette Solomon, executive director of Community Education, told the Lake Elmo City Council that Community Ed can run recreation programming using its registration system, staff and marketing while the city provides facility access under a joint powers agreement. "We already have the structure, the registration system, the staff," Solomon said, describing a model that would keep program fees lower for families by avoiding a separate city-run recreation department.
Council members asked how a joint powers agreement would affect existing user groups such as youth soccer clubs and ultimate-frisbee groups. Solomon said the intent would not be to displace successful community organizations: "I wouldn't want to supersede something that is already out there happening in the community that is successful," she said, and recommended agreements be written to avoid supplanting those programs.
Staff and Solomon also discussed middle-school sports funding: the school district is cutting budgets and has already charged $95 per student this year. Solomon said research shows covering free and reduced participants would push full-price participation to roughly $285 without subsidy. The superintendent, Solomon said, would like to see full price held at no more than $200 with external support.
Councilors explored funding mechanisms to keep costs down, including reallocating a portion of franchise-fee money already dedicated to parks, modest city contributions, leveraging private donations, or using future broadband or other fees — with some members concerned about "double dipping" where residents already pay school levies. Several members expressed support for exploring a modest city contribution or reallocation rather than a new levy.
No formal funding decision was made; staff were asked to continue the discussion during the budget process and return with proposals.
