Wednesday, May 21, 2014

How's the Event Center Doing???

Addendum May 22, answers to some questions included below
           (Apparently, It's doing "better than it was.")

After ten years and a several million dollar investment, many wonder how's it doing (for the taxpayers)?    (Click here to See Some 12 year old History)     (It wasn't several.  How much was it? Maybe a few.  How much is a few?  Less than several)

For many years, we've been told that the County Council (aka Parks and Rec SSD Board) receive periodic reports about the events.   For many years, a profit and loss or revenue and expenditure statement has been requested.    A few promises, but no results.

A couple of months ago, an additional request was made to get the revenues and expenditures for each event held over the last year of so.  The response was revenues would be easy, but expenses are harder to define to each individual event.   The request was modified to ask about providing it within six months.

About two weeks later, some revenues were given, with the comment that the public should really have all of this information and they would work to get it made available.   As usual, the data raised a few questions.     Data was provided for not only EVENTS, but, apparently, the entire Event Center/Rodeo Complex.  A summary of the data is presented here:


2012 2013 1st qtr 2014
Outdoor Facility $1,500.00 $3,900.00
Shavings $2,894.25 $1,940.00 $440.00
Stall Rentals $11,803.00 $28,306.85 $2,380.00
Ride Passes $192.00 $1,677.00 $1,175.00
Misc Revenue $1,535.00 $5,491.00 $1,964.05
Events $28,324.50 $77,994.50 $11,265.00
Cowboy City (RV park) $470.00 $6,005.00
Concessions $10,009.67 $5,384.72
Advert Sponsor
$7,418.00
Sponsorship & Advertising
$59,590.00 $7,812.00
Membership
$175.00




Totals $56,728.42 $197,882.07 $25,036.05

On May 4, this Email was sent, with a few of the questions:

"Thank you for the revenue data.  I had actually requested a profit and loss statement for individual events over the last couple years, but this was also of interest.

hopefully you can enlighten me, as I assume you would have an idea about these items:

  • If the revenues were only $57K in 2011, what  were they in previous years?
    1. The event complex was put into the parks and recreation department in 2011 and only have records from that time forward.
  • How much has been invested in the Event Center?  (They are working on that one, see the History 
  • What caused the LARGE increase from 2012 to 13?  What caused the event revenue increase?
    • More events, larger events. Started an advertising and sponsorship program for businesses to advertise at events and the Events Complex on a yearly basis. Wasatch County parks and Recreation received monies from TRRT for two (2) large events. The Wilderness Circuit Rodeo Finals and the Professional Bull Riders event along with percentages of tickets sales from these events.
  • What was the cost of the marketing?   Where are those cost in the budget?
    1. The cost are on an event by event basis. The Mountain Valley Stampede has an advertising budget the County Fair has an advertising budget. They are listed as advertising in the area of the budget listed Rodeo and County Fair. Events are required to pay for their own advertising for their specific event. Wasatch County Parks and Recreation does not pay for advertising for event that are not Wasatch County Parks and Recreation sponsored events. Events may apply for grants thru the Wasatch County Tax advisory Board for advertising their events.
  • Why did the concession revenue drop drastically? 12 to 13?
    1. The concessionaire contract expired at that the end of 2012. The previous concessionaire was paying 15% of gross income. An RFP was put out and the new concessionaire that received the bid is required to pay 8% in the new contract. Midway Food Services was awarded the bid from the Wasatch County Parks and Recreation Board and the new contract to runs thru December 31, 2018.
  • When was Cowboy Village enlarged or improved, is that the cause of the 12/13 increase?
    1. Cowboy Village has not seen any capital improvements since it was completed. The revenue difference is from the LDS church. We rent the village to the church camp missionaries when they are unable to get up to the camp due to weather. In 2012 they did not need the village and in 2013 they paid $5640.00 for the services.
  • How many people are involved with "Ride Passes"?
    • No response
  • What's the difference between the two 'advert sponsor' and 'Sponsorship and Advertising' categories?  
    1. 1 is for the Event complex and 1 is for the Recreation Center. We just started the Recreation Center this year. The $7418.00 was put into the wrong account number and has been transferred to the correct account. The Event Center total for 2013 was $67008.00.
  • Is the increase in stall rentals due to new construction?    At what cost?
    1. We have not added any stalls on the Events Complex recently. The revenue increase is due to added and larger equestrian events. 
  • What are the projections for 2014?
    1. The adopted 2014 budget has projections as followed
    Revenue: $2,434,361.00
    Expenditures: $2,351,062.00
  • Does the P&R 2014 budget include all expenses and revenue for the event Center? 
    • If not, where is the Event center budget?
    • If so, how can it be determined? 
      1. Yes, The Wasatch County Events Complex is part of the Parks and Recreation budget as of January 1, 2012. It also includes Parks, Recreation, Recreation Center, Wasatch County Fair, Demolition Derby, Memorial Day Celebration and the Mountain Valley Stampede.
In searching for more info, I tried Transparent Utah, SAO audits, UASD,  the county website and, even, the Utah Public Meeting Notice website..  Could you tell me why there is no information from the Wasatch Parks and Rec SSD?  

  ("We obey all the laws.  We trust our managers."   answer, Trust - but,verify.   We have payroll on utahsright.com.   answer, that's a private website.
I assume . . .  that you are familiar with the "Little Manual" for SSD's. "

Answers received May 22,  posted Above under each question :
  • PS: There ARE still 5 mos. to fulfill the 6 mo. request 
  • PPS:  The 2014 Parks and Rec SSD proposed budget is $2.4 Million (up 17% in one year) - For comparison, the entire COUNTY budget is $16.5 M (which does NOT include P&R, which is a separate government entity)
  • PPPS:   The proposed Aquatic Center will be under Parks and Rec. 


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