Carver County Commissiner Gary Delaney, left, dropped by the Victoria City Council meeting on February 26th.  In the audience that evening he visited with Tom Vogt, a member of the Victoria Planning Commission.  Gary Delaney was a member of the Victoria Planning Commission when he ran for Carver County Commissioner.  Tom Vogt replaced him.

MATCHING REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
VICTORIA FIELD HOUSE REQUIRES $1 MILLION
Councilmembers and staff held a workshop on February 12th to review the 2004 budget of the Victoria Field House.  The approximate $1 million in projected expenditures and revenues is roughly comparable to that of 2003.
In comparing numbers, Mayor Jerry Bohn pointed out, "Original projections were for an ice arena.  We've added a lot since then, including the fitness center and gymnasium.  We've made it more of a community center."
The field house budget for 2003 listed $1,025,632 in projected expendi-tures and revenues.  The 2004 adopted budget lists $1,050,620.
Expenditures:
Operating expenditures are projected to be $450,978 while debt service expense amounts to $599,642.
Among a long list of items, some op-erating expenditures include $235,00 for wages, benefits, and insurance; $12,000 in concession supplies; $6,700 in repair and maintenance of equipment; $8,135 in re-pair and maintenance of building; $11,650 in contractual services; $12,000 for insur-ance; $60,000 for electricity; $40,000 for natural gas.
Some other expenditures are for office supplies, cleaning supplies, motor fuel and lubricants, safety equipment and programs, communications, postage; ad-vertising, newsletters, pest control.
Mayor Bohn pointed out that the city is also spending $60,000 to purchase open time at the facility for Victoria residents and public use.  He said the city funds a lot of recreational facilities for its resi-dents such as ballfields, soccer fields, tennis courts, trails, and tot lots.  "Buying ice time and gym time is a service to the residents," he said.
Revenue:
The mayor stated that user fees are covering 52% (or $550,350) of the corresponding revenue.  "We're generat-ing a lot more ice dollars than our neigh-bors because we charge $175 an hour,"  he said.  The budget line item for ice rental revenue in 2004 is $316,250. 
Some other projected revenue in-cludes $102,800 in memberships; $18,000 in concessions; $12,000 in daily passes; $20,000 in gym rental; $44,500 in adver-tising receipts; $25,000 in contributions.
Additional revenue sources include facility fees, gate receipts, skate sharpen-ing, and daycare.
Approximately half of the projected revenue will come from tax levies of $225,919 for payment of equipment certi-ficates over each of the next five years, $32,668 in park improvement fees for such items as the parking lot, lighting, and site improvements, and $242,682 from the General Fund. 
Mayor Bohn pointed out that when the equipment certificates are paid up in five years, the debt service will decrease substantially.
Councilmember Terry Bishop stated that the field house is such a nice facility, that when people use it they like it, and more memberships will be sold.  He said that Parks & Recreation Director Tammy Abrahamson was conservative in her rev-enue projections.  "My opinion is that the revenue will grow with continued mem-berships," said Terry.
City Planner/Acting Administrator Mark Kaltsas reported that staff is current-ly putting together job descriptions for field house people.  "We've been in the field house a little over a year now," he said.  "We want to implement new re-sponsibilities.  The way we've been doing it is a learning experience.  We'll bring back proposals in the pretty near future on how we can reorganize and maybe bring all contract positions internal."

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