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CA releases Annual Report for FY 2010
Click on a CA Division below or scroll down to read the full report.
Letter from the Council/CA Board Chair and CA President
July 2010
Dear Resident,
Columbia Association (CA) is pleased to present its Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Report. Columbia’s founder, James Rouse, envisioned a city where people of all races, religions and economic backgrounds could live together in harmony with each other and with the environment. He believed that “the most successful community would be that which contributed the most by its physical form, its institutions and its operation to the growth of people.” In support of Rouse’s vision, CA’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for people living or working in Columbia and to ensure that Columbia remains an open, integrated, and caring community.
At CA, we strive to tailor and create programs that meet the needs of our diverse community. The enclosed financial statements, noted achievements and milestones aim to explain how your annual charge helps to fulfill CA’s mission. Not only does this charge contribute to CA’s wide variety of programs, services and amenities, but it also maintains Columbia’s high quality of life – and sustains Rouse’s vision for generations to come.
Columbia has much to offer, from the beautiful open spaces to the first-rate amenities to the warm sense of community. If you are new to the area, we invite you to attend one of CA’s Welcome Events to introduce yourself to other local residents and discover Columbia’s history and vision. The next Welcome Event and the Annual Birthday Celebration will be held on International Day, July 24, from noon-10pm at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront.
As residents, you are the reason CA exists – and you are the pillar of our success. Please take a moment to visit our web site at ColumbiaAssociation.org to learn how you can be a part of all that our community has to offer. As always, we look forward to continuing to serve you and your family.
Sincerely,
Phillip L. Nelson
President, Columbia Association
Cynthia A. S. H. Coyle
Chair, CA Board of Directors
Still curious about CA’s annual charge? Visit WhyIPayCA.org to learn more!
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Year in Review
CA’s Fiscal Year 2010
May 1, 2009-April 30, 2010
Accomplishments & Initiatives
- CA President Phil Nelson completed his first year at CA, and what a successful year it was! Congratulations!
- The Open Space Management Division beautified the entrances to our communities and our facilities with more than 10,000 bulbs and annual and perennial flowers.
- Sponsored Get Active Howard County, a 10-week health and fitness initiative for residents who live in and individuals who work in Columbia, in partnership with several Howard County departments and organizations.
- Increased attendance at CA Welcome Events due to increased marketing activities in print, web and Village communications.
- Continued development and testing of the Customer Service System (CSS) to allow CA to better serve members, integrate technology and provide a foundation for future growth. Scheduled to launch FY2011.
- CA’s television show “Columbia Matters” (ColumbiaMatters.org) was awarded six bronze Telly Awards in the informational and entertainment categories.
- Held seventh annual Images of Freedom poster contest for Columbia’s middle and high school students in honor of Black History Month and seventh annual Día de la Familia event commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month.
- Columbia Art Center enhanced it service offerings for maturing adults through partnerships with the Office on Aging and incorporated daytime classes for home-schooled youth.
- Over 4,200 campers from pre-school through tenth grade participated in 24 different summer camps.
- The Bermuda grass fairways, installed at Fairway Hills and Hobbit’s Glen Golf Clubs in 2006, and the new greens, installed at Hobbit’s Glen in 2003, have fully matured and have created optimum playing conditions.
- Held seventh annual Hear My Voice Teen Idol event in which teens competed to win gift certificates, iPods and a feature on “Columbia Matters.”
- Supreme Sports Club was ranked the “Best Gym/Health Club in Howard County” by Howard Magazine with Columbia Athletic Club and Columbia Gym receiving Honorable Mentions.
- Partnered with Columbia schools for the ninth year so that nearly 700 children had the opportunity to earn access to recreational facilities for themselves and their families by bettering their academic and behavioral performance.
- CA’s print and direct mail campaign, “Baggy Pants,” won an Addy award.
- CA launched the Urgent Notification System, which informs residents of weather-related or emergency CA facility and program closings or delays via cell phone text message or e-mail
- Awarded Spirit of Columbia scholarships to six high school students.
- Produced and distributed CA Activities Guide to more than 54,000 households.
- Celebrated Columbia’s diversity with International Day.
- Columbia Archives hosted the popular annual BikeAbout historical tour and introduced the first-ever Walk & Wag.
- Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club was ranked “The Best Golf Course in Howard County” by Howard Magazine with Fairway Hills Golf Club receiving an Honorable Mention.
- More than 1,800 youth were served on a daily basis in the School Age Services program this year.
- IT team members implemented SharePoint websites for some of CA’s divisions to improve internal communications.
- Offered Second Sunday swim program, providing free access to CA’s 23 outdoor pools for all residents for one day in June, July and August.
- The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County expanded its social media capabilities and created a presence on Facebook and Twitter.
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Administrative Services
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
As Phil noted in the President’s Report, the Columbia Association finished FY 10 with an increase in net assets of nearly $5.9 million. Total income and total expenses were $59.7 million and $53.8 million, respectively.
Total Income was below budget by nearly $1.3 million, or 2.1 percent. The shortfall in Annual Charge revenue is due to fewer than budgeted property sales (based on the phase-in value and not subject to the cap) and lower than projected new construction, as the weak real estate market continued this year. The negative variance in Other Income is due to the intentional postponing of new financing, resulting in minimal excess cash to invest, and lower than budgeted rates of return on insurance and debt service trust funds.
Total Operating Expenses were under budget by about $3.3 million, or 6.1 percent, due to savings in a number of expense categories; the most significant of which was in Depreciation, which was under budget due to capital projects closing later than expected. The difference relates to the timing of capital projects compared to when they were budgeted to be completed. Projects that were expected to close in FY 09, for example, but are closing in FY 10 will only incur a half-year of depreciation instead of a full year as was budgeted. CA-wide Operating Supplies/Expenses were under budget by $967,000 due mainly to delays in implementing the Watershed Plan and CA staff’s concerted efforts throughout the year to reduce expenses. At the beginning of FY 10, team leaders were challenged to reduce operating expenses organization-wide because of concerns about possible revenue shortfalls given the broader economic conditions. CA-wide Insurance Expense was under budget by $442,000 and was $665,000 lower than last year because of decreased costs in the general liability self-insurance program.
Interest expense savings of $379,000 are primarily the result of lower than projected interest rates on credit line borrowings and the intentional delay in obtaining new financing. We deliberately postponed the issuance of new financing, primarily because of credit market considerations but also because of capital project delays, mainly lake dredging and the Customer Service System (CSS).
For further explanation of individual variances throughout CA’s operations, please refer to the FY 2010 Fourth Quarter Board Report and the Division Directors’ reports.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS
- The IT Department made significant progress with the virtualization and business continuity site in installing some of the required hardware; working with vendors to finalize the designs for CA and the remote site; and increasing the bandwidth at the headquarters building.
- IT team members implemented SharePoint websites for some of CA’s divisions to improve internal communications.
- The IT Department worked with a vendor to remove the old, nonfunctioning un-interruptible power source (UPS), re-wire the area and install the new equipment. The team accomplished this complicated job with minimal downtime.
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Communications & Marketing
Income from the sale of Package Plan and other memberships was 0.7% behind budget in FY10; however Package Plan sales for the fourth quarter were 149 units above budget. In F10, 20,988 memberships were sold and 5,979 families were issued Resident Cards. Though the annual results were behind plan due to current economic conditions, retention for the fiscal year was 84.4% and 1.0% above budget. This is an excellent outcome, and was due, in part, to the value of CA’s current programs/services; CA’s new programs; award-winning advertising creative; improved communications through CA’s enhanced web portal; and increased training.
Other significant accomplishments in FY10 include providing sales and services to thousands of residents who visited the Membership Service Center; producing and distributing CA Activities Guide to 36,000 resident households; distributing a newly-designed CA Monthly newsletter through the Columbia Flier and adding more robust content online; planning the seventh annual Images of Freedom poster contest for Columbia’s middle and high school students in honor of Black History Month; and hosting the seventh annual Día de la Familia and the fourth annual Dog Day Afternoon.
Additional highlights include partnering with Columbia schools for the ninth year for the CA Points program, which allows more than 670 children the opportunity to earn access to recreational facilities for themselves and their families by bettering their academic and behavioral performance; launching CA’s Urgent Notification System, which informs residents of weather-related or emergency CA facility and program closings or delays via cell phone text message or e-mail; continuing development and testing of CA’s Customer Service System to allow CA to better serve members; increased attendance at Lakefront Wednesdays due to increased marketing activities in print, web and Village communications; and continuing distribution of Welcome Packets to new residents at the Welcome Center. Additionally, CA’s television show “Columbia Matters” (ColumbiaMatters.org) was awarded six bronze Telly Awards in the informational and entertainment categories, and CA’s print and direct mail campaign “Baggy Pants” won an Addy award.
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Community Services Division
The Community Services Division finished fiscal year 2010, $862,000 ahead of budget and $369,000 better than the previous year. This positive fiscal performance is due to a reduction in expenses in all major expense categories.
All of the Community Services departments had a strong fiscal performance and finished better than budget.
SOME PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
More than 1,800 youth, an increase of over 5% from the previous year, were served on a daily basis in the School Age Services program. The program finished $305,000 ahead of budget. Because of this program, working parents have the security of knowing that their children are cared for in a safe environment before and after school. In addition, 90 participants have gained access through the Income Qualified program with a total subsidy of approximately $100,000.
Over 4,200 campers from pre-school through tenth grade participated in 24 different summer camps. More than 100 youngsters, who otherwise may not have been able, attended CA’s camps thanks to CA’s income-qualified program at a subsidy of approximately $75,000.
The Division received $103,000 in grants and program sponsorship during the fiscal year. This funding was received in support of important programs such as providing free transportation for seniors to cultural events, office space for the Columbia Archives, sponsorship of the Lakefront events, contributions to the International Exchange and Multicultural program, funding for Teen programs and operational support for the Volunteer Center Serving Howard County.
The Kidspace program at the Supreme Sports Club, Columbia Gym, Athletic Club, and Swim Center continued to be well utilized by the community. The programs averaged 150 participants per day at the Supreme Sports Club and Columbia Gym, and 60 at the Athletic Club.
The Columbia Community Exchange, Time Banking Program, registered 54 new members and facilitated 290 service exchanges.
The Art Center continued to meet the community needs and enhanced its service offerings for maturing adults through partnerships with the Office on Aging and incorporated daytime classes for home schooled youth. The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County expanded its social media capabilities and increased its presence on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, the Teen Center and Teen Outreach programs created opportunities for youth to be engaged in the community by implementing youth run programs such as Teen Band Nights, charity fundraisers, college fairs, environmental and recycling programs, and art programs.
Some of the important programs that are supported by the estimated year-end annual charge investment of $1,744,000 are the Summer Lakefront Festival, the Columbia Archives, the Sister Cities program, grants to community programs, Art Center, Volunteer Center, Teen Center, Columbia Community Exchange, 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 $4,896,000, 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.
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Open Space Management
The Open Space Management Division completed the year better than the budget in total operating expenses by $1,494,000 and with a decrease in net assets of $13,019,000. This represents a favorable variance of $1,528,000 from budget. The majority of the departments in the division had total operating expenses less than the budget through the year.
The Land Maintenance Department expenses were less than budget in nearly all line items through the year.
The RV Storage Park is better than budget through for the year in total operating expenses.
By the end of fiscal year 2010 a total of $9,576,000 of annual charge revenue was used to protect and maintain the environmental assets of Columbia. This includes more than 3,600 acres of open space, 93.5 miles of pathways, 171 tot lots, 258 footbridges, three lakes, 41 ponds, 34 miles of stream valleys as well as Symphony Woods Park, an extensive network of plazas, picnic areas, meadows, forestland, basketball and tennis courts, along with other recreational areas. Because of the annual charge paid by Columbia residents, Columbia remains a place where residents, surrounded by the natural environment and landscaped areas, can partake of this beauty as they go about their everyday lives.
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Sports & Fitness Division
Activity at the Sport & Fitness facilities was approximately 40,000 visits lower in FY 10 then in FY 09 due primarily to weather related closures of the facilities during the snowstorms of this past winter. In addition, the cold and rainy spring and early summer of 2009 also contributed to this decline. As a result, revenue, particularly on fee based programs and admissions experienced shortfalls. Overall, the Division fell short of budget by 4.1%
Several facilities performed better then budget at year-end. These include Administration, the Swim Center, Discount Buying Service, the Athletic Club, The Columbia Gym, The Supreme Sports Club, The Horse Center, the Ice Rink and the SkatePark. The Outdoor pools, Fairway Hills, Hobbit’s Glen, Tennis and the SportsPark failed to achieve budget. Those facilities that performed better then FY 09 include Administration, Outdoor Pools, Swim Center, Discount Buying Service, the Athletic Club the Horse Center, the SkatePark and the Ice Rink
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