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CA’s fiscal year 2006 third quarter report, for the period which ended January 31, 2006, was presented to the CA Board of Directors at the March 23 Board Meeting. Copies of the entire report are available at your local community center.
Based on the results through the third quarter the report projected that CA, as a whole, will end FY06 $2,179,000 ahead of budget. Income and operating expenses will total $52.2 million and $34.7 million respectively.
The Administrative Services reported that by year’s end income from the annual charge is expected to be $222,000 greater than budget primarily due to new construction property values being higher than anticipated and the timing of new construction being completed earlier than expected, such as the age-restricted apartments across from the Columbia Mall.
The Communications & Marketing Division reported that membership income is projected to end the year with ahead of budget $360,000. This is primarily due to the success of the multi-year campaigns surrounding the physical and operating enhancements at the Supreme Sports Club. As a result of the efforts to reach out to income qualified residents, as of the end of the third quarter, more than 5700 residents were participating in the income qualified program, which is projected to require a subsidy of around $1 million from the CA annual charge in FY 05.
Other significant accomplishments in the third quarter were the sales and service provided to thousands of residents who visited the Membership Service Center, the production and airing of Columbia Matters, CA’s television show, the production and distribution to 36,000 resident households of the winter issue of CA Activities, the third annual sponsorship in conjunction with Corridor Transportation and the Howard County Department of Public Information of the Images of Freedom Poster Contest. In addition, regular mailings went out to more than 1,000 new residents inviting them to Welcome Events like Dia de la Familia held in September and attended by more than 300 residents, the continued coordination for the sixth straight year of the CA Points Club, which will serve more than 700 Columbia school children this year, and the distribution of hundreds of Welcome Packets to new residents at the Welcome Desk and at Welcome Events and regular email outreach to a data base of approximately 3,800 residents and members. Email outreach has also been used to announce the availability of programs, tickets and services and to reach out to the corporate community and to non-members who have toured our facilities, to distribute newsletters to persons interested in specific topics, and to communicate with new members via the Member Assistant Program.
The Community Services Division finished the third quarter $ 806,000 better than budget and the division is projecting to end the year $ 547,000 better than budget. Many program initiatives were successfully implemented during the third quarter. The Columbia Art Center’s 7th Annual Singular Sensations was a success with more than 60 artists participating. The Columbia Teen Center served as a ‘Toys for Tots’ distribution center and teens and volunteers wrapped and distributed toys to more than 100 families. The Volunteer Center’s “The Season of Giving” was a huge success collecting clothing, gift certificates, toys, food and toiletries for young children.
Some of the important programs that are supported through the third quarter subsidy of $1,202,000 from the annual charge are the Summer Lakefront Festival, the Columbia Archives, the Sister Cities program, the International Day Festival, Art Center, Volunteer Center, Teen Center, covenant enforcement fees and access to camps and before and after school care for income qualified youngsters. In addition, it provides support to the village associations in the amount of $ 3,425,000 to fund village elections, covenant enforcement personnel, village board activities, community building maintenance and community-building programs and services that residents enjoy in the community centers.
All in all, the Community Services Division is poised to have an excellent year and meet or finish the year better than budget in all departments. Especially noteworthy is the fiscal performance of the School Age Services Department. The department is $ 290,000 ahead of budget through the third quarter primarily due to a greater number of participants than originally anticipated in the after care and full day programs.
The Open Space Management Division completed the third quarter with a favorable variance to budget of $1.35 million and is projected to complete the year with $262,000 in savings compared to budget in total operating expenses.
The RV Storage is better than budget through the third quarter in total operating expenses. All spaces are once again rented and it is expected to end the year on budget for income.
The current estimate predicts the division will end the year with a total of $11,058,000 of annual charge revenue being used to protect and maintain the environmental assets of Columbia, which include more than 3,400 acres of open space land, 93 miles of pathways, 167 playgrounds, three lakes and 41 ponds.
At the end of the third quarter the Sport and Fitness Division is projecting to generate $782,000 more revenue at year end than last year primarily due to the success of this year’s extensive membership marketing campaign.
The highest participation/usage levels ever at the Sport and Fitness facilities highlighted a very busy winter quarter. Additionally, at the end of the third quarter the new two-story addition to the Columbia Athletic Club opened. Both Howard County’s first hot water therapy pool and the new Package Plan Plus room with more than 50 new pieces of exercise equipment and windows all around, have been enthusiastically received by the membership. Other enhancements at the club include an expanded main exercise area with cardio-theatre, an expanded free weight area, KidSpace and member lounge, as well as a new yoga studio and a new international size squash court.
The Division is also projecting to have an increase in operating expenses at year end of $1,032,000. This is primarily the result of increased salaries related to enhanced housekeeping efforts and expanded KidSpace hours, increased operating supplies related to the enhancements and renovations at the Supreme Sports Club and Athletic Club, increased insurance costs, increased utility costs, and an increased allocation of Sales Expense related to the recent aggressive membership marketing and advertising campaign.
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