Council Talks Community Center Future

Shorewood contracted for an operational analysis of the Shorewood Community & Event Center (SCEC), as part of planning for the facility’s future. A study group worked with Park & Rec Director Mitch Czech and a consultant, to evaluate all facets of current use. The group identified opportunities for expanding use.

A work session is an informal City Council meeting where council members and staff discuss a topic in more depth than a regular agenda allows. Work sessions are open to the public. The council asks questions, shares views and gives staff direction. Items discussed at a work session typically come back to a regular council meeting for a final decision

Attending: Council–DiGruttolo, Gorham, Sanschagrin, Labadie

Staff: Nevinski, Czech

The Proposed Plan presented by Mitch Czech

• Mitch Czech reported the city will take over senior programming from the South Shore Senior Partners at the end of 2026.
• The 2027 operations plan is divided into quarters: stabilize (Q1), evaluate and begin controlled growth (Q2), grow and optimize (Q3), and review and plan ahead (Q4).Four focus areas: senior services, staffing, rentals and facility operations, and marketing.
• Marketing was the #1 need identified by the task force. Proposed steps include a marketing plan (possibly with Minnetonka’s Vantage program), an improved website and senior newsletter, new photos, and targeted campaigns such as graduation-party rentals.
• Some proposed rental improvements include standard room setups, tracking how many inquiries become rentals, partnerships with local businesses, caterers and venues.
• Staff will give the council quarterly and annual reports.

Discussion of SCEC Membership and Senior Services

• The Senior Partners charged $30 for a single membership and $50 for a double, with about 74 paying members. Membership is not enforced. Weekday activities are free.
• Staff proposed keeping resident rates the same, adding non-resident rates of $40 and $60, and keeping membership voluntary at first.
• Enforcing membership at the door is difficult. It would require card readers, membership cards and staff to process them.
• Staff also proposed donor-sponsored memberships for those who can’t afford one, and a senior advisory committee.
• Other Senior Partners revenue comes from bakery sales and a card group. Whether the city can continue the bakery arrangement still needs review.
• Staff asked the council whether the center should prioritize utilization or revenue. There was no decision.

Council Questions and Concerns

• Fees: Council member Sanschagrin asked about raising fees to $100. Czech said membership will never cover costs and a large increase would likely cause a significant drop in members. Staff prefers to raise fees as the city adds value.
• Vision: DiGruttolo asked whether this is a community center or a senior center and what it offers youth and other residents. She noted cost recovery is 44% before any renovations or investments. Czech said there will be a senior advisory committee at the start, and the park commission will gradually take over other age group programming. He said right now the seniors are the target market during the day. Starting the year, management will continue to do what it has always done rather than blow things up with change. As things continue services will be gradually ramped up.
• Pace of change: DiGruttolo asked what will change between Q1 and Q2, and argued that if participants leave no matter what, changes should start now. Czech and Administrator Nevinski said stabilizing first avoids a COVID-style loss of participants who never return.
• Senior input: Building on the senior advisory committee concept, DiGruttolo countered that all taxpayers fund the center, not only its users. Sanschagrin suggested building community engagement to pick up the energy and enthusiasm to generate more activity.
• Partnerships: Czech said Minnetonka Community Education is open to partnering on programs and events. It already rents the center two to three weeks each summer.
• Accountability: One councilmember called for a business plan with milestones, metrics and a sustainable subsidy level before adding services.

Staffing the SCEC

• Staff recommended expanding the current half-time recreation specialist into a full-time recreation coordinator, as recommended in ISG’s operational analysis.
• The preliminary 2027 budget includes up to $67,000 for the position, plus $2,500 for program supplies.
• If approved, about half of the coordinator’s time (roughly 20 hours a week) would go to senior services. Daytime front desk coverage would still rely on volunteers.
• Gorham questioned whether one person can handle the heavy workload in the job description, and whether the job should be filled by internal promotion or an open search.
• Thone said full-time positions are easier to recruit for than part-time ones. The five staffing options include splitting the role into two part-time positions.
• After hearing staff’s explanation, Gorham and at least one other councilmember said they could support a full-time coordinator.

Outcome

• This was a work session and no vote was taken.
• The council will continue the discussion at a future meeting. Councilmembers will send specific questions to staff ahead of time.
• The final 2027 budget is due for approval in December.
• Mayor Labadie said she wants the position filled by Jan. 1 to avoid a gap after the Senior Partners leave.

Summary

With the Senior Partners leaving at the end of 2026, the city is preparing to run senior programming at the SCEC itself, starting with a cautious first year meant to keep current participants while laying groundwork for growth. Staff will bring back a time study of how many hours the coordinator would spend on desk duties. The council raised unresolved questions about the center’s purpose, its cost to taxpayers and how success will be measured. The council will take up the staffing decision again at an upcoming meeting, ahead of final budget approval in December.

Sources

City council work session packet/background (start at hr. 01:00:00)

Watch the work session here

Read more about the SCEC operational analysis