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Home My WebLink About03 - Junior Lifeguard Registration Guidelines & Fee AdjustmentJanuary 11, 2000 Council Agenda Item No. —3 TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: Timothy Riley, Fire and Marine Chief SUBJECT: Junior Lifeguard Registration Guidelines and Fee Adjustment RECOMMENDATION: Approve a motion to support the registration guidelines developed by the Fire and Marine Department for the Junior Lifeguard Program, and Adopt Resolution # 2000 - amending the City's Fee Schedule for Municipal Services pertaining to fees paid by participants of the 2000 Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program. BACKGROUND: The Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program is one of the most successful community programs offered by the City of Newport Beach. In fact, over the past four years the enrollment has swelled to reach our capacity of 1,200 participants each summer, with many more hopefuls left on a waiting list. Due to the overwhelming popularity of this program, we need to clarify some of the registration practices and adjust the fees to continue the high quality of our program. REGISTRATION PRATICES: Ordinarily, we would make ministerial changes to our. program without seeking council approval, as this is a normal city staff function. However, due to the high popularity of this program, we feel the City Council should be aware of these ch uiges. These are our recommendations: Enrollment Limit of 1,200 Participants each Summer: Each year we establish a limit based upon a delicate balance between the large number of enrollees, the availability of Junior Lifeguard Instructors and our ability to provide a safe level of supervision.. We have established an enrollment level of 1,000 each of the past three years and allowed it to grow to the current level of 1,200 due to the overwhelming demand. We have looked at the possibility of creating two different programs or going to three sessions per day to expand the number of participants and feel this would compromise the quality of our existing program. We now feel that 1,200 is our maximum and plan to use this as our absolute, no exceptions, limit. Pro am Information Mailed b the End of Janu : Our past participants have found it desirable to have the program information as early in the year as possible to provide for advance planning for the upcoming summer. We wish to clearly establish the registration and fee information so that we may get this information out in a timely fashion. Pass a Swim Test Each Year Prior to Re istrn: In the past, we have sent out and accepted registration packets or participants only to atio d out first -time participants were unable to pass the required minimum- proficiency swim test. We also not did require persons who were previously enrolled to re -take the swim test prior to registration and acceptance. We can cite some examples where a participant's swimming ability had changed over the course of a . year, creating some safety concerns with our staff. For safety and ease of registration, this year we will require each person wishing to enroll in the program to pass a swim test prior to getting a registration packet. In fact, we will only pass out registration packets at the swim test venue. Provide a Two -week, Advance Registration Period for Newport Beach Residents and mho ewes: During the adoption of the KPMG Master Fee Resolution, we were directed by City Council to develop a tiered, fee system that favors Newport Beach residents and employees as well as provide preferential registration for Newport Beach residents and employees. We have done so and will continue to do so unless directed by the City Council to discontinue. this practice. It would be our preference to discontinue the preferred registration period only because the Junior Lifeguard Program does act as a feeder system into our seasonal lifeguard recruiting efforts. Many of our current seasonal lifeguards came through the Junior Lifeguard Program; a limited number of them were Newport Beach residents. If we experience the same level of recruitment difficulty experienced by other lifeguard agencies, we may return to the City Council with a stronger recommendation to discontinue the preferential registration period for Newport Beach residents. In- person Registration Only: We have allowed persons to register by mail in the past. This has led to disagreements regarding late registrants and/or persons attempting to register for other than their own children/grandchildren. In- person registration would allow us to validate a registrant's residency, collect the registration fee and confirm each participant on the spot. This creates a true, first -come, first -served system that eliminates any question of timeliness, ability to pay or qualifications to participate. Require Fu11�Pa orient Upon Re istration/ Acceptance into Program: Currently, registrants pay an initial holding fee until they pass t e swim test and are assigned a slot in the program. They then have to submit the balance prior to starting the program. If someone does not qualify or is unable to participate in the session they are assigned, we process a refund. Our new registration system would eliminate the need to maintain this type of accounting system since they would be confirmed at the time of payment. FEE ADJUSTMENT: The current Junior Lifeguard registration fees, established in 1996, are $325 per resident and $357.50 for non - resident. We recommend a new fee structure of $400 for residents and $480 for non - residents. Based upon 1,200 participants, these fees cover the entire cost of the program, as required by the Municipal Code, and provide for some much - needed improvements to keep the Newport Beach program the best anywhere. Even at these increased fees, we are well below the costs of other similar programs in the area. 0 0 Proposed Junior Lifeguard Budget: 1999/2000 2000/2001 REVENUE $345,000 501,000 EXPENDITURES $376,104 $499,058 Personnel Costs $203,818 $232,549 Maintenance & Operations $161,436 $201,340 Capital Outlay $10,850 $19,800 * *Administrative Overhead 10% $0 $45,369 * includes %2 of Marine Training Coordinator costs for first time in history of program ** covers other department costs not previously covered in history of program 40 1 RESOLUTION NO. 2000- 0 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH ESTABLISHING A REVISED SCHEDULE OF RATES AND CONFU01ING THE CITY COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO GIVE PREFERENCE TO CITY RESIDENTS DURING REGISTRATION FOR THE JUNIOR LIFEGUARD PROGRAM. WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to maintain the City's Fee Schedule in order that is complete and up -to -date in accordance with Chapter 3.36 of the Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach adopted Resolution 97- 15 on February 10, 1997, establishing a fee schedule for municipal services; and WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to consolidate all fee for services in a single fee schedule of municipal services; and WHEREAS, the fee schedule included in this resolution recovers 100% of the costs of the Junior Lifeguard Program; and WHEREAS, upon the adoption of Ordinance 97 -8 establishing Chapter 3.36 of the Municipal Code, titled Cost Recovery for User Fees, the City Council directed staff to give preference to residents of the City of Newport Beach when accepting and processing applications for the Junior Lifeguard Program; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, as follows: Section 1. The City's Fee Schedule pertaining to the Junior Lifeguard Program is amended to read: Participant Fee, Newport Beach resident and/or City employee ............... $400 Participant Fee, non - resident or non -City employee .. ............................... $480 Section 2. These fees shall become effective upon adoption of this Resolution. Section 3. The City of Newport Beach will provide a two -week, preferred registration period for Newport Beach residents and/or City employees prior to accepting applications from non - residents and non -City employees. Passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach at the regular meeting held on the 110' day of January, 2000. MAYOR ra _.YID CITY CLERK