REPORT TO BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
SUBJECT
Title
Review of Municipal Fee Schedule and Room Rental Rates Proposal
Report
BACKGROUND
As part of the Fiscal Year 2019/20 User Fee Study (Cost of Service), the City is reviewing and providing opportunities for additional public input on Phase II Community Room Rentals. User fees charged by local public agencies may not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged. The Cost of Service Study identifies the full cost (direct and indirect) for staff and overhead associated with fee-supported services and the associated revenue gaps if less than full cost recovery is implemented as a policy. The analysis helps inform staffing levels, explore preferred service delivery models and highlights any opportunities to streamline fee schedules and/or eliminate outdated fees or inefficient practices. The Study also ensures compliance with State and local laws (e.g., Prop 218 and 26). During the current Study, inconsistencies were noted in facility rentals across various City Departments in the amount of fees charged, staffing levels, restrictions on room use, guidelines for food and beverage, and the categories/types of users. Council has also noted the interest from various community groups for free or lower cost facility rentals where feasible.
DISCUSSION
The City contracted with Matrix Consulting Group to study facility rental fees. A working group of consultant and staff from Finance, Parks & Recreation, and Library Departments reviewed current room rental rates, trends and practices. In an effort to standardize rental fees and practices, rates were evaluated on two attributes--type of use and user group. The two main types of use are Meetings and Events. Meetings usually last up to three hours, have minimal participants, and are less dependent on amenities and location. Events are longer than three hours, have numerous attendees and require specific amenities and/or locat...
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