Ken Yeager asks Albert Balagso about YPT

At the Council Study Session - 2006/2007 Budget on May 15th 2006, Ken Yeager spoke to Albert Balagso, acting head of PRNS about YPT:

1. Councilmember Yeager: And I guess for you Albert on young people's theater, my understanding is it's the same budget recommendation for the organization this year as last year?
2. Albert Balagso: That's correct. 100% cost recovery as directed in the June budget message last year.
3. Councilmember Yeager: How is that going to be tracked? I know they didn't get quite to 100% this year. With all the food they were able to collect and all that other kind of stuff, I guess is it a flexible amount? Is it sort of hoping to get to 100 but if it's 90 it's okay? I'm just trying to figure -- I know they're very nervous about their funding and I wasn't quite sure what we could tell them to make them feel more reassured.
4. Albert Balagso: We have been tracking their cost recovery and they are doing very well. They're very close. In the end our budget balances. We make up from some other part of our overall budget. Over the course of a couple of years or three years, establish a baseline and establish exactly where that is going to be. I'm reluctant to lower the bar and try to get it to 100% because that might be achievable. Staff has worked with the group to see if we can look at revamping some of the services that are out there. Maybe we're doing too much and spending too much versus the return we're getting. So these are things that we're looking at to tighten the strings and try to make it work a little bit better. But they need to take several years of trying to establish exactly what is the capacity and the baseline of what they can recover.
5. Councilmember Yeager: So you'll continue to work with them next year
6. Albert Balagso: We'll continue to work with them on grants and other things as well.
7. Councilmember Yeager: Many of us know it's such a great program and again, it has such great community support and they're trying to do what they can. Oftentimes it is difficult to get to 100% cost recovery. Thank you.

Video of Ken Yeager and Albert Balagso

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