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23. Grace and Tony Toy CITY F CUPEIQ"INO Parks and Recreation Department CITY COUNCIL ST AFF REPORT Agenda Item Number ;)3 Agenda Date: 3/28/07 ISSUE Subject: Response to Comments made during Oral Communications, March 20, 2007, by Grace and Tony Toy BACKGROUND Attached is the written text of the Toy's comments, which they provided to the City Clerk. Their four proposals to greatly increase revenue at the Cupertino Sports Center are: . "Open up the reservation sheet, which is a business journal, · Court Use Agreement with L~fetime Tennis should be disclosed and monitored, . Do a cost/benefit analysis for the subsidies to the Cupertino Tennis Club, as 80% of the members do not live in Cupertino, . Rotate in new staff for management. " DISCUSSION The staff response to each of these issues is as follows: . Open the reservation sheet, which is a business journal. Attached is a copy ofa memo from the City Attorney to Tony Toy, dated December 10,2003, addressing this issue. . Court Use Agreement with Lifetime Tennis should be disclosed and monitored. The City Council reviewed and approved the agreement with Lifetime Tennis in March 7, 2006. A copy of the staff report is attached. . Do a cost/benefit analysis for the subsidies to the Cupertino Tennis Club. as 80% of the members do not live in Cupertino. All nonresident pass-holders, whether they participate in the Cupertino Tennis Club or not, pay a nonresident rate. Tennis Club members must purchase annual passes. Printed on Recycled Paper ;;)3-/ March 28, 2007 Page 2 of2 A copy of the most recent profit and loss statement for the Sports Center, prepared by our finance department, is attached. . Rotate in new staff/or management. Staff assignments are under the purview of the City Manager. Also attached is a memo from Colleen Ferris and Don McCarthy, addressing a number of misstated facts in the Toy's Oral Communication. Attached is a copy of one of the earliest communications from Grace Toy that we still have on file. It is dated October 16,1997. The Toys have had issues with the management of the facility since 1992, but we no longer have the correspondence files. Staff will be in attendance at the meeting to address any additional comments the Council may have. RECOMMENDATION This is not an action item. Council Member K wok asked that we respond to the comments made under Oral Communications. Respectfully submitted: Approved for submission to City Council: ,.~~ ,. Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director Parks and Recreation Department C!ft/~ {l/u,t-zm-Il .eLm David W. Knapp, City Manager () - ( a 3~0l Four Proposals to Increase Revenue at Cupertino Sports Center We have been passholders at the Sports Center since our City purchased the complex 15 years ago. We would like to report to City Council members that the operation of the Sports Center only benefits Lifetime Tennis and the Cupertino Tennis Club. Taxpayers have been shortchanged millions of dollars. We have four proposals which will greatly increase our revenue: 1) Open up the reservation sheet, which is a business journal. 2) Court Use Agreement with Lifetime Tennis should be disclosed and monitored. 3) Do a costlbenefit analysis for the subsidies to the Cupertino Tennis Club, as 80% of the members do not live in Cupertino. 4) Rotate in new staff for management. Let us explain how our proposals will increase revenue. The Center has 17 courts. Lifetime Tennis rents a few courts for teaching. The rest of the courts are for passholders like us. A major source of revenue is selling annual passes. All passholders pay approximately $400 annually, including Tennis Club members. Private clubs, such as Courtside, charge $2000 per year plus $1000 initiation fees. They are close to full capacity with very steady membership. Staff reports that we have over 1000 passholders. They include a 12-month span when 300 passholders dropped out. They also include tryout special promotions, City employees using City dollars, etc. These are not profitable products. The truth is that the Center never has enough business because passholders' courts have been taken away. In the old days, the court reservation sheet was open to the public and kept in archives forever. Lifetime Tennis had three courts. We saw many students use up passholders' courts which were reserved without any passholder's name. On top of that, during high season prime time, Club President and Team Tennis Coordinator also reserved many courts through Team Tennis Priority Reservation to play personal matches. Five years ago when we proposed court time management, the reservatiop sheet was covered up immediately and shredded shortly thereafter. What was troubling was just how easily Lifetime Tennis and Club officials can get courts. For example, on a quiet Saturday evening, front desk staff told us that all courts were fully booked. Planning Commissioner Cary Chien overheard our conversation. The three of us went out to the balcony but we did not see even one player out on the courts. It was spring break for students but "John Doe" had forgotten to cancel his weekly reservations. On another Saturday afternoon, Vice Mayor Kwok was surprised that there was hardly any passholder using the facility. The following month after a bogus survey, staff announced extended weekend hours due to overwhelming requests from passholders. When tennis parents pay a hefty $400 for each session, taxpayers have to pay for staff overtime. Council may ask why the Toys are the only ones who speak up. It is extremely ~ "3~3 complicated and cannot be explained in one minute. We'll try: - Our annual fees are only 20% of the competitors but we have the highest drop out rate. From a business perspective, you know the level of satisfaction is extremely low. - Staff has too much power. We have seen many unhappy customers being ignored, bullied, and punished. The persistent ones receive a full year's refund and are happily playing tennis somewhere else. - The public assumes that all proceeds from lessons benefit our City. We know this is not true. - Staff irresponsibly passes out false information. For example, a senior staff member told us that the Club pays extra court fees. We know this is also not true. - Since no accounting has been released, residents do not know how much they are subsidizing the Center and how much economic opportunity has been missed. - Furthermore, 99% of Cupertino residents have never been passholders. Among the 1 %, they simply do not have the insider information of how courts are being fixed when everything is covered up. - A few Club officials have been around as long as we have. They absolutely know more than we do. They often speak up at Parks and Recreation meetings, taking a lot of credit. They claim to represent all the passholders to thank staff for doing a great job. In return, they were granted free courts to play with outsiders. They share joint ventures and business referrals with Lifetime Tennis. They are allies who benefit from our system. We have spoken up many times because we care about the economic well-being of our City. We sincerely ask Council to accept and implement our four proposals. 1) There is a pot of gold on every court. The reservation sheet is a cash register which has the sales record. Please open it up. 2) Lifetime Tennis is a renter. Their court use agreement should be disclosed and monitored to keep them honest. 3) 80% of Club members are nonresidents who overly use and underpay our City. Council should conduct a cost/benefit analysis to see why taxpayers should subsidize them. Without their Prime Time Priority Reservation, the Center would be able to accommodate hundreds more annual passholders. 4) Most managing staff have been holding the same position for over 10 years. There are just too many loopholes. It is time to rotate in new staff and ov.:,erhaul the system. Finally, here's a bonus. 15 years ago, the complex was leased out for a million dollars per year. For two years, the Parks and Recreation Dept. never collected a penny. Tennis is such a profitable "Lifetime" Business that we have seen the owner of Lifetime Tennis for 15 years, consecutively. Thank you very much. Please contact us at emai195014@yahoo.comif you have further questions. ;;;3-'1 C TV OF CUPEIUINO Office of the City Attorney 10320 S. OeAnza Blvd., #10 Cupertino, CA 95014 Ph: (408) 777-3403 Fax: (408) 777-3401 Charles T. Kilian City Attorney Eileen H. Murray Assistant City Attorney December 10,2003 Mr. Tony Toy 10130 Crescent Road Cupertino, CA 95014 Re: Cupertino Sports Center Reservation Sheets Dear Mr. Toy: I am in receipt of your letter to me dated December 9, 2003 wherein you requested information regarding your ability to inspect Sports Center daily reservation sheets. As you are aware, the city uses reservation sheets for the purpose of reserving tennis courts at the Sports Center. These daily reservation sheets are in fact public records which are available for public inspection and for duplication (at the requester's cost). All public records requests must be specific and focused. The city may take up to ten days from the receipt of a public records request to decide whether to make such records available. Under "unusual circumstances" this ten-day period can be extended for an additional fourteen days. Inasmuch as your request appears to be one of an ongoing nature, rather than require individual requests to be made, the city will arrange to have the last seven days reservation sheets available for your inspection at City Hall (Department of Parks and Recreation). Your contact person is Marie Preston at (408) 777-3200. You should contact her approximately a week in advance so that she can obtain the last seven days of reservations sheets. If you want other reservation sheets, you need to notify Ms. Preston at least a week in advance as well. ;;l "3 ~S Page Two If you wish copies made of any reservation sheet, please let Ms. Preston know so that the Department can prepare an estimate of the direct costs of reproduction. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. Charles 1. Kilian City Attorney CTKldej Enc. -./ cc: Vfherese Smith Dave Knapp Marie Preston Don McCarthy ;}. 3-& CUPEIUINO Parks and Recreation Department CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item Number JJe Agenda Date: March 7, 2006 ISSUE Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Lifetime Tennis BACKGROUND In 1994, The City of Cupertino solicited proposals for professional services in support of a tennis instructional program at the Cupertino Sports Center. This recruitment was done after a staff analysis concluded that contracting the program out would be more cost effective than managing it in house. The original agreement was crafted to achieve certain goals including: . Developing a tennis program to serve beginner through expert skill levels, starting first with a beginning tennis instructional program, then developing additional programming; the early contracts were written to provide incentives for program growth. . Utilizing the courts for instruction during non-prime time hours, . Developing a partnership that allows City staff to participate in the evaluation of employees, and . Providing revenue in support of programming at the Cupertino Sports Center. The original contract was successful, achieved the objectives stated above, and resulted in a fine tennis instructional program for all levels of play. Cupertino now boasts about 7000 lessons per year and offers instruction in seven languages. The terms of the original contract were favorable to the growth of the program. The City received 20% of gross revenue the contractor earned up to $300,000, 10% of gross revenue for payment received between $300,000 to $500,000 and 5% of gross revenue over $500,000. In addition the City received five dollars per registration transaction and Print6d on Recycled Paper ;:J3-; March 7, 2006 Page 2 of2 rent on the tennis pro shop. Please refer to the attached spreadsheet detailing 2004/2005 revenues. For the full year 2004/2005, the City received $141,856.80 on $1,056,203.38 in gross revenue, including $29,855.00 in registration fees. Under the tenns of the proposed agreement the City will earn: . 20% on revenues up to $1,000,000.00, and 5% after that, . A $5 per transaction administration fee, and . $1 O,OOO.OO/yr for the tennis pro shop rental. · Lifetime Tennis will continue to pay for all material and equipment relative to the instructional program, and · City will continue to schedule the courts to the greatest benefit of Sports Center programming. Based on current trends it is expected the revenue from this service agreement will equal $250,000.00 per year. FISCAL IMPACT If executed as detailed above, the proposed service contract is expected to provide $250,000.00 in revenue to the Sports Center in the coming fiscal year, compared to $141,856.80 last year. A Sports Center profit and loss analysis prepared by our Finance Manager, and requested by Councilmember Wang, is also attached for your infonnation. RECOMMENDATION Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Lifetime Tennis per tenns outlined within this staff report. Respectfully submitted: Approved tl submission to City Council: ~ Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director Parks and Recreation Department d3-B LIFETIME TENNIS TOTALS COMPARISON 200412005 & 200512006 ;~'~~~;{~'~j~{ ;~f;::to:~~ !~~~ }~~~~~~, ~~,'; :,~W~ 1 $ '....71.00 1151003.21 . 1527.21 111.,2IU7 1115,5lS7.12 1 1,2l1O.15 . 35,111.53 . 35,_.&& 1 2.7.13 ~'" ,:.1::::::' ~ : :=,., .,~::::: ,lll2,11Llh 1,.:::0 :,.::::: :.'::~~ :...:::.. '~:'==" ~ ,:~=:'C ,,~70~ 11112t00,71115"':'7\";-'; 'E!8lM. ,'.. '11"'.711S11'~I.~"~I.r ~~~::.....,: ..237'.'.:. 4 1 111A01.32 11018,310..12 1122.010.901 '114.5 ,II ~ ~ _.. UOll.05 . 2,71...4 SUBT11;:;,. ...., M7U1U7 ,~, NU,022.1"" ilZII. .1,.t2,1MM. .t1..-;t1.;. ,-...011,.: 1 . 23.521.36 . 37131.25 . 13.511." '20.' ,II 1 32,507.2' 1 11..33 . 2,5M,~ . 4.&30.11 1 2.lIlllI.5& SUBTTL.'. :s'AI;4IU2' .111.......11,. 1I11,Jt2.1l1..,., 1 Ill" .M1u:aA1\ ~rn4.~m';2' 's. _.10 . ".AT"'" 7 "- 1 '1.DZM'. -'. . 1 45,III.7lI . ,2111.11 . 7,322.32 1 ~.__,' $ .1,352.70 . 1,1I14.52 . 5.217.'1 1 5.NU1 1 837.10 7 ~.'m~,~. 2,121.50 S( ....U6j... .~:: - :i:::~:.1 ''':'::::=''-C; 'f~~~~oz.;:::" ,~I::) lIUBTTL': ,,,,,_"'UI' .._1t1.A" '. 1I12,l11.23J';' .' '-{ ...101.107.....:. 1 '.1.. . . 11',OII.ca 31..12 117.IIU-4 $101,112..' 1121.173.57 117.311.11 . HII.07 . ',lI!l3.35 $ 57UI BlIIITTL}; '1.,711_'; $ 1.12I.2t..,. '" __.... - ..- "'1;121.III'., ('i.'.i:l,01UT'" ;'''11.221.11.., 1113,3U.N';c S :2;1M.K......" . . 3O.l1V.1IZ $ 21,011.19 . 2,IOU3 IUI!I1'TL ',S'- ,. SI1U74.ZZ....... '. '. . . ,. $114,_,., . 10 . ",383.50 , _,.. $ 5,301.51 .lIUBTTt::.- ,.S. II:...... .....IM.21" "" ;S11U2U1.' 11 1 7.1.1.13 I 1,511I"1 . 1.211.11 SU81'T\.' IC1I1,1U.7lI" ' , :-.-u-' " , .."' .121....11.", . 12 . 143,217.0-4 1130157.11 . 12,2A.l1 SU81'TL. . '\III.I7I.a": ' _A1N ...,. ,'., ,,". ....._.... n . 11,__73 . 62.23:UI . .,2.7.31 ,-.;........ Aft.7K.II' .... ,.' ,.,.1.IK_ \4 1 58.3-42.12 1 M,ClO." 1 ..122.14 ..TOTAL" $1,D11,21J;Jl1. - . 111'-' " , , .' ,.1<<_.11 . ' .:,~fEES;.'". '~RU... j!~~'~~2Io4IiooI~!:~":< ;~ f 200fi20ii;.~~ $ -4585.00 1 4 -485.00 1 130.00 . 1 010.00 '.1~1IA16.OO'..:,. ',. ..,.S, 1 2 HO.OO . 3480.00 '\:.. J 1 ..375.00 "'''2.no.oo.: S eeo.oo " S13.MlUll1'< . 2.215,00 '," .11--.00.: '. S 106.00 S 3 -485.00 ';".~'.' S 195.00 S -4 380.00 :f. UJe~:.'. 1 5.00 1.00" S 1 005.00 .' ",I2ItJISLIlII ".' ",.~ '0 I . 31120.00 . ,12.1OI.Ot S 770.00 .lu:&7lUllI' 1 2 -4-45.00 ,11L1~. $ 10.00 1 1 S 41-45.00 . 52D.32Ll1O:' :j,=: S 103,07 12.00 S 1 ,118 '. "'s ~ 7lI $ -4004..' S 3.lI3lI.K . 175'.1' . S 1.HW.41' . 1 a15.51 . I' 7AN.12 o . :'ST~ S MUS ....'......77 o 77 12.11II5.. . $ 83. 1 1 832.24 .11Z;I5lIiIl' $ 1011.00 'S1~ . 000.-48 11~.35 S 27-4.00 1 134.11 ,c=~~ ",CT,WS!t;.. CT"W$H.,. ,~~ fIEIfT ~2OINI2llIf. . .' ZooIi2Ios . 2iIIII2lIOI $ 288.00 0 0 S 708.:13 1 750,00 0 0 . 750.00 0 0 .00 , 0 S 711.00 S 7OU3 $ 710.00 S 5537." 0 0 $ 701.33 $ 750.00 , SI.IN;D, . '.-- . .. ? $07_ ,..1.1.... 11101..IO $ 155.25 $2.250,00 0 $ 701.33 $ 750.00 L7lI1.U' ;'.1I2.2IIlUlIl S 710.... I' 12.1:&4... . 1Z.2III.oo 5'11.5-4 0 0 . 701.33 S 750.00 1:un.a . . 12.2!IlI.lID' S 71O.eo .00 137.150 0 0 . 701.33 1 750,00 1UtO; 1'" .00 7_ 1M. A.7IO.OI 0 0 0 701.33 S 710,00 .1uto.tt '1Z:2IO.IO. S. 7 . 1 171,00 0 .1 750.00 0 $ 750.00 .13.....11 2l1O.OO. 10, " M.ZCUI A.2lIlI.OO 0 S 701.33 . M.IR31 0 $ 701.33 '. 1Z.2III.GI. .. ....... 0 1 701.33 S2.2IIl.GI' . .. U1' 0 1 701.3S 12 000.00 . 701.33 .lIO ' R'.m,u 0 S 750.00 . M.ZSI.lIO "Mt,u N01Ea: 1. Coo1tractor'I PGIflon . CIly'I _ . Gi'oII _IlL 2. __ F_. ReIuncII, Court W.....IIlI.1I1d _ 1M __ coI....na; 1lley..1or InfonnGIon PU'JlO+M onty; _ now-..... &InIlIy _ _ 01"'- _ !be ConInd..... _ ond the Clty'1 PorIIon. 1111'" c;u 0.\ I ...() Cupertino Sports Center Enterprise Fund 570 Profit & Loss Statement by Activity Fiscal Year 2004-2005 QJ U.l I - o Activity: Activity: Activity : Pool, Building, Court Total Lifetime Tennis Membership Rental "loot %ot "loot Amount $ Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue OPERATING REVENUES Conference Room Rentals $1,799 $1,799 Court Rentals-Members & NonMembers $15,056 $15,056 DACA Rent $44,593 $44,593 Tennis Shop Rent $8,542 $8,542 Tennis Administration Fee $29.855 $29,855 Court Washing Fee $4,250 $4,250 Total Rent & Admin Fees $104,095 $42,647 $0 $61,448 Resident Tennis Lessons $1.039.988 $1,039,988 Resident Day Passes $11,933 $11,933 Nonresident Day Passes $4,455 $4,455 Monthly Passes $37,370 $37,370 Annual Passes $202,526 $202,526 Personal Training $5.880 $5,880 Aquatics $10.871 $10,871 Taxable Food & Beverage $9.263 $9,263 Guest Pass $600 $600 Child Watch $1,500 $1,500 Total Program Sales $1,324,386 $1,039,988 $284,398 $0 Total Operating Revenue $1,428,481 $1,082,635 76% $284,398 20% $61,448 4% STAFF AND SERVICE PROVIDER EXPENSE Sport Center Staff Salaries and Benefits $189.993 $37,999 3.5% $126.535 44.5% $25,459 41.4% Fitness instructors & trainers $39,283 $39,283 13.8% Lifetime Tennis revenue share before deductions $956.994 $956,994 88.4% for rent, admin fee & court washing Food & Beverage Sales $5.127 $5,127 1.8% Total Staff & Service Provider Expense $1,191,397 $994,993 91.9% $170,946 60.1% $25,459 41.4% I Gross OperatIng Profit $237,084 $87,842 8.1% $113,452 39.9% $35,989 58.6% INTEREST REVENUE Interest Earnings Cupertino Sports Center Enterprise Fund 570 Profit & Loss Statement by Activity Fiscal Year 2004-2005 Activity: Activity: Activity: Pool, Building, Court Total lifetime Tennis Membership Rental %01 %of 0/. of Amount $ AmountS Revenue Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue $8,615 $6.529 0.6% $1.715 0.6% $371 0.6% $40.237 $10,495 1.0% $28,011 9.8% $1,731 2.8% $4,301 $3,260 0.3% $856 0.3% $185 0.3% $9.250 $7.011 0.6% $1.842 0.6% $398 0.6% $197,543 $69.140 6.4% $108,649 38.2% $19.754 32.1% $251,331 $89,906 8.3% $139,358 49.0% $22,068 35.9% SUPPLIES AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSE Supplies Bank Charges Information Technology Utilities & Maintenance (exel capital outlays) Total Supplies & Maintenance Expense CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS EXPENSE Spread of capital costs (depreciation) $5.953 $2.084 0.2% $3.274 1.2% $595 1.0% Court resurfacing 5-year cost spread $7.710 $3.710 0.3% $4,000 1.4% Facility Improvement $8,374 $4.000 1.4% $4,374 7.1% Total Capital Improvement Expense $22,037 $5,794 0.5% $11,274 4.0% $4,969 8.1% Net ProfttILoss after Ca -0.1 % -$35,465 -12.5% $9,322 15.2% ~ t>\\ \ - - Cupertino Sports Center Enterprise Fund 570 Profit & Loss Statement by Activity Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Activity: Activity: Activity: Pool, Building, Court Total Lifetime Tennis Membership Rental "10 of "10 of "10 of Amount $ Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue OPERATING REVENUES Conference Room Rentals $1,661 $1,661 Court Rentals-Members & NonMembers $4,800 $4,800 DACA Rent $45,208 $45,208 Total Rent & Admin Fees $51,669 $0 $0 $51,669 Resident Tennis Lessons $1,036,995 $1,036,995 Resident Day Passes $13,729 $13,729 Nonresident Day Passes $4,340 $4,340 Monthly Passes $53,640 $53,640 Annual Passes $216,923 $216,923 Personal Training $14,235 $14,235 Aquatics $15,421 $15,421 Taxable Food & Beverage $9,935 $9,935 Guest Pass $0 Child Watch $2,790 $2,790 Total Program Sales $1,368,008 $1,036,995 $331,013 $0 Total Operating Revenue $1,419,677 $1,036,995 73% $331,013 23% $51,669 4% STAFF AND SERVICE PROVIDER EXPENSE Sport Center Staff Salaries and Benefits $181,065 $36,213 3.5% $120,589 36.4% $24,263 47.0% Cost allocation % 20% 67% 13% Fitness instructors & trainers $49,155 $49,155 14.8% Lifetime Tennis cost after deductions for rent, $910,008 $910,008 87.8% admin fee & court washing Food & Beverage Sales $5,224 $5,224 1.6% Total Staff & Service Provider Expense $1,145,452 $946,221 91.2% $174,969 52.9% $24,263 47.0% I Gross Operating Profit $274,225 $90,774 8.8% $156,044 47.1"10 $27,406 53.0% \J ~ , ........ '-> Cupertino Sports Center Enterprise Fund 570 Profit & Loss Statement by Activity Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Activity: Activity: Activity: Pool, Building, Court Total Lifetime Tennis Membership Rental %of %of %of Amount $ Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue Amount $ Revenue INTEREST REVENUE Interest Earnings $6,421 $4,690 0.5% $1,497 0.5% $234 0.5% SUPPLIES AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSE Supplies $39,011 9,495 0.9% 28,096 8.5% $1,420 2.7% Bank Charges $4,587 $3,351 0.3% $1,070 0.3% $167 0.3% Information Technology $10,170 $7,429 0.7% $2,371 0.7% $370 0.7% Utilities & Maintenance (excl capital outlays) $179,661 $62,881 6.1% $98,814 29.9% $17,966 34.8% Cost allocation % 35% 55% 10% Total Supplies & Maintenance Expense $233,429 $83,156 8.0% $130,351 39.4% $19,923 38.6% I Net Operatina Profit/Loss $47,217 $12,308 1.2% $27,190 8.2% $7,717 14.9% CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS EXPENSE Spread of capital costs (depreciation) $5,953 $2,084 0.2% $3,274 1.0% $595 1.2% Court resurfacing 5-year spread from 04-05 $7,710 $3,710 0.4% $4,000 1.2% ADA pool upgrade design 05-06, full expense $56,479 0.0% $56,479 109.3% Facility improvement, non recurring $6,735 $2,357 0.2% $3,704 1.1% $674 1.3% Total Capital Improvement Expense $76,877 $8,151 0.8% $10,978 3.3% $57,748 111.8% I Profit/Loss after Capital Projects -$29,660 $4,157 0.4% $16,212 4.9% -$50,031 -96.8% QJ w 1 - u) To: Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation Don McCarthy, Recreation Supervisor From: Colleen Ferris, Recreation Coordinator Subject: Response to the Toys Oral Communication at the City Council meeting on 3/20/07 Date: 3/26/07 Background: Grace and Tony Toy have been members ofthe Cupertino Sports Center for approximately 15 years, and on numerous occasions they have addressed the City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission regarding management of the facility. Most commonly they speak against: the reservation system, court one policy, Cupertino Tennis Club (CTC) and Lifetime Tennis (LL T.) A committee was formed in 2003 to address their concerns. Tony Toy served on the committee. Passholder regulations were revised and implemented in 2004. The Toys were not satisfied with the outcome. The following are staff responses to the numerous complaints and accusations made during the March 20, 2007 Oral Communications. Toys would like the Reservation Sheets open Response: The reservation sheets are put into a binder in summary form, which can be viewed at the City Clerk's office with an appointment. This was instituted because of Grace's continued attempts to take reservation sheets and view them during operating hours, interrogating the staff as to why reservations were made. This became disruptive to the operation. Toys would like to know the Court use agreement with Lifetime Tennis Response: L TT has access to Poolside courts from April- September. From October - March they use Courts 9-12, Monday-Friday from 5-10 pm. During non-time prime time hours the City has the right to prioritize court usage. If a passholder needs a court, Lifetime Tennis will condense classes to accommodate the passholder. As per contract, L TT has access to courts 5 & 6 at Memorial Park. In addition to expanding the tennis program, L TT pays the city a percentage of gross receipts. Toys state the City pays for L TT expense for balls, carts, and snacks for students. Response: L TT pays 100% of the expense associated with conducting classes. Toys would like a Cost/Benefit Analysis for the subsides to the Cupertino Tennis Club. Toys state 80% of the members do not live in Cupertino Response: Anyone that does not live in Cupertino pays a non-resident rate (with the exception of specials) ;13 -Ii Toys would like to rotate in new staff for management Response: The Toys have been dissatisfied with management of the facility since it was acquired. Who is staffing it is no consequence. Toys state CSC is not profitable because 300 passholders drop out, City staff use REC bucks and CSC offers specials. Response: Anyone purchasing a membership cannot drop out. We have a no refund policy. REC bucks are a benefit to city employees. Specials bring in new members on a regular basis. Toys report Club President and Team Tennis Coordinator reserve personal courts through CTC. Response: Matches are booked on a seasonal basis, not as individual reservations. Individuals can only schedule make-up games for rain dates. Toys report a problem with reservation sheets and open courts being booked upon cancellation. Response: CSC has a 24-hour court cancellation policy (which is found in the new member packet.) Toys report extended weekend hours result in taxpayers paying for overtime. Response: Staff are part-time and are not paid overtime. Sports Center hours were extended to allow more tennis, badminton, and table tennis classes, along with the extended member benefit. Toys state CSC fees are 20% of the competitors but we have the highest drop out rates Response: Membership continues to grow: 2007 1200 members 2006 1080 members 2005 1015 members 2004 925 members 2003 358 members 2002 630 members Toys state staff has too much power and give full refunds to unhappy customers. Response: CSC does not give refunds. This is stated in the membership contract and on the receipt. The only people ever offered a refund were the Toys, by the Director of Parks and Recreation, after it became apparent they would never be satisfied with the operation. The Toys refused the offer. Toys state the public assumes that all proceeds from lessons benefit our City and Lifetime Tennis has been at CSC for over 15 years Response: In Spring of 2006 City Council approved the L TT contract; the City will receive approximately $250,000 - $280,000 per year for the next 6 years. The anticipated profit to the City is approximately 1.5 to 1.7 million. It is worth noting that L TT and the ;;J3-J!5 City have an extremely positive partnership, which provides lessons to over 8,000 individuals per year. Toys report staff told the Toys the CTC rents courts. Response: CTC does rent courts for special events. As approved by City Council, CTC members must be annual passholders to play at CSC. Toys would like to know: How much do residents subsidize CTC? Response: $0 Toys state 15 years ago CSC was leased for a million dollars per year and for 2 years Parks and Recreation never collected a penny Response: This information is not accurate. The City did have a management company who leased the building from Spring 1992-1994, for well under $100,000 per year. ~ 3-/&J .:~.~ +:9.~J;" -., "."'\~I,,~!-'~., ;:8< ...... .~; ;;f; :.)i' t...f/IJIi;-..,:~~", ,.,,.,, ....~.-..,. ',_.JA,"9 OQ~- r, '-( . L . City of Cupertino City Hall 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014-3202 (408) 777-3110 Fax: (408) 777-3366 PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT December 10, 1997 Grace Toy P.O. Box 1914 Cupertino, CA 95015-1914 Dear Mrs. Toy, I have spent time reviewing your numerous communications regarding our tennis court reservation system at the Cupertino Sports Center. I must say that I am concerned that you and your husband have recently found our service not to your liking, particularly in light of the years of support you have given to the Sports Center. None-the-Iess, after reviewing the information you provided, speaking with several staff members, observing the procedure first hand on two different occasions, and talking with other passholders, I have come to the conclusion that your claims of staff manipulation of the reservation procedure are unfounded. I concede that minor procedural errors may have occurred over the past several months; but those errors were not committed deliberately to single out an individual passholder. As you know the first ten minutes of the daily reservation process are intense and competitive, and our system attempts to provide equal access to all passholders. I regret that the procedure cannot always meet your needs. I would like you to know that the management staff will continue to monitor the reservation procedure and make adjustments where necessary. Thank you for your support of the Cupertino Sports Center. Sincerely, ,.,."......~..._~".~ ~~j' Stephen G. Dowling Director of Parks and Recreation cc Don Brown, City Manager Don McCarthy, Recreation Supervisor CJ3-/7 Prin/ed on Recycled Paper OCT 16 '97 10: 54PM St1:C SV SOOTH SALES P.1/5 To: Don McCarthy Fax: (408)777-3137 From: Grace Toy P.O. Box 1914 Cupertino, CA 95015-1914 (408)257 -9900 Subj: Staff Misconduct Incidences Total # Pages: 5 (including cover sheet) Date: October 16, 1997 /-rAC.KH-r" 'AA~l o I~(zl e /UtJd",., A.:;So/S,4..J ,', ;~.l.~,uI15 d 3 -/8 OCT 16 ' 97 10: 54PM SMCC SV SOUTH SALES P.2/5 To: Don McCarthy City of Cupertino Parks and Recreation Quinlan Center Cupertino, CA 95014 Fax: (408)777-3137 Cc: Richard Gonzales Cupertino Sports Center Facilities Manager From; Grace Toy P.O. Box 1914 Cupertino, CA 95015-1914 (408)257-9900 Subj: Staff Misconduct Incidences Date: October lS, 1997 Thank you very much for your attention regarding staff misconduct yesterday. This is a written statement of bits and pieces of my experience at the Cupertino Sports Center (CSC). I will point out a few incidences which lead me to believe that since June, Ms. Susan ofthe morning staff has been treating me differently from other passholders. This letter will serve you with a better understanding of the ~sues sO that you can investigate and evaluate your staff performance. I have also enclosed a copy of the previous letter which my husband and I submitted to you on March 27, 1997. During our visit to your office, both of us expressed our appreciation for your quality staff operation. We were happy to be treated just like otherpassholders. Each and every member of your staff really "made our day." I always respect and abide by CSC policy. In the Spring, I often times arrived at CSC before 8 am for court re~elVations. I stood at the end of the counter so mat I would not block others when they check in. At 8 am, Ms. Susan would assign a court to me. It worked out just fine. In June, my husband and I went on vacation. CSC changed its policy and assigned the fIrst caller priority in court reservation. When we renuned, I still arrived early and waited at the end of the counter. At 8 am, after the first caller, Ms. Susan booked a court for someone who came in after me. She took another call and tended to the third person. She totally ignored me. Afterwards, she informed me tha.t I had to tell her that f came in to make a court reservation. The next morning, I was the first one again. I infonned 1Ier that I came in to wait to make a court reservation. At 8 am, she repeated herself as the previous morning. She did not help me after the first caller. This happened a few times. I reported to Mr. Gonzales that I thought she did not recognize me after my vacation. A week later, Mr. Gonzales told me that he had brought it up during the staff meeting. He advised me that Ms. Susan would only take reservations from whoever stood ;;J. 3 -jq OCT 16 '97 10: 55PM SMCC SV SOUTH SALES P.3/5 in front of her Even though I did that, she would look up, search around and behind me, and yell out "Who's next?" She still could not see me. If someone else stood in front of her, she would take his/her reservation right away. This did not affect me. However, I still mentioned this strange scenario to Mr. Gonzales. Monday, September 1, was Labol Day. My husband and I arrived at ese early to make court reservations and play tennis. Since aU court reservations start at 8 am, I looked at the chaIt and informed Ms. Susan that I would take court 17 at 8 am, which was the only vacant court. After the fu'st caller, I booked a court for next Monday evening and informed her that I would head for Court 17. She insisted t.~at since there were too many people waiting in line, she would only take care of one thing for each person. 1 was somewhat anxious because Court 17 was the only court available. She helped the second passholder book a court for next Monday, switched courts for him in the morning, checked ill his guest. and patiently instructed her to sign in properly. Both of them headed to the court while my husband and I still waited at the end of the line. 1 reported this to Mr. Gonzales. He brought it up during the next staff meeting and he assured me that CSC service policy applies to every passholder. Inconsistencies like this should not happen. Occasionally, Mr. Taylor would show up earlier than I would. If he was the first one in line, Ms. Susan would ask the caller ifhe/she prefer Court 1 or 2. Some members are more comfortable with Court 2. Mr. Taylor would get Cow1 1. Whenever I was the first one in line, she would assign Court 1 immediately to the first caller. On November 9, I told Mr. Gonzales about that. It was very obvious that Ms. Susan manipulated her position. After I have witnessed all this, I have no confidence that she would handle court reservations according to cse policy if I were not around. On October 13, I told Mr. Gonzales that the court reseI>"ation chart looked very questionable. I did not go to CSC on October 9 and D. On both days, Mr. Taylor had Court 1 reservations at 7:30 pm. Unless the first caller booked a court at 6 pm, the first person in line should not get Court 1 at 730 pm. I believed that I was the fIrst caller one day. Ms. Susan claimed that Court 1 was already taken at 7:30 pm. It is very easy to figure out the daily reservation pattern. It was late and Mr. Gonzales had had a long day. He said that he understood that I did not like the reserva- tion policy and he was tired of all the complaints from the Toys and Mr. Taylor. He would change the court reservation order beginning with Court 5. He strongly believes the honesty and integrity of his staff. As a passbolder, I want to see a prosperous future for CSC. It is my responsibility to report to the manage. ment any suspicious staff conduct. These mishandlings happened too often with me. It is not my speculation that Ms. Susan treated me differently. The management has its hardship. It is very diffIcult to train a morning staff. However, simply by switching around court designation cannot solve th~ problem of staff m anipulation. The management should not tolerate and cover up an incompetent staff. I am writing this letter with a lot of IO.\ie and a lot of good wish for ese. As my husband and I stated in our tirst letter, we remain the 1110st loyal advocate ofeSe management. We appreciate your hard work. Thank you very much reading both of my letters. ;;; 3~ ;)0 OCT 15 '97 10:55PM StiCe SV :;OUTH SALES P.4/5 To: Don McCarthy City of Cupertino Parks and Recreation Quinlan Center Cupertino, CA 95014 Cc: Richard Gonzales Cupertino Sports Center Facilities Manager From: Grace and Tony Toy P.O. Box 1914 Cupertino, CA 95015-1914 (408)257-9090 Subj: Suggestion to Resolve Complaints From Dave Taylor Date: March 27, 1997 We have been informed by Rich Gonzales, Facilities Manager at the Cupertino Sports Center (CSC), that passholder Dave Taylor has had numerous complaints regarding the Toys. Tennis is very competitive. We feel that his complaints have no basis and are personal. This letter serves you with a bette. lmderstanding of the issues. Please consider our suggestion in resolving the complaints. Both of us are very active tennis players and we have friends who belong to different clubs. CSC provides some of the best facilities. We have been members for five years. We appreciate its manage- ment, staff, facilities, proximity, and cost. We purchase many guest passes, Along the way, many of our friends also become long term members. In fact, the majority of the Mens' 5.0 team are our friends. When CSC had a membership drive at the San Jose Arena a few years ago, we volunteered to introduce CSC to prospective members. A few months ago, Grace informed the Director ofthe Cuper~ tino Parks and Rec Department that we appreciate the CSC management; no one could have done a better job. We thanked him for his leadership. Previously, lil{e all other tennis facilities, tennis coun reservations begin at 8 am, first come first served via telephone. It worked out flne. Last year, CSC began to open at 6 am on weekdays. For two weeks, Dave Taylor came in early (before 8 am) and reserved court #1 (best lit court) every evening. Other passholders called in before 8 am Within a short period, the management received numerous complaints regarding unfair court reservation policies. We are not whiners and thus, did not complain. The management immediately responded and produced a clear court reservation policy. A copy was mailed to every passholder and another copy was posted at the CSC counter. Not to anyone's surprise, Dave Taylor criticized the new policy and wanted to eliminate the "walk on" courts. The policy clearly states that a match with the same players can reserve no more than 1 1/2 hours of court time for that match, However, players can reserve different courts if they change the ;) 3 -;;)..f O~T 15 '97 10:55PM SMCe SV SOUTH SALES P.5/5 combination, e.g., we play 1/2 hour of Singles followed by 1 1/2 hours of Doubles (this is what we usually do). We abide by the policies. On the other hand, on at least two occasions, Dave Taylor had back to back court reservations for the same group of players. We saw Dave Taylor and the same group ofplayers move to another court after having already played on a court reserved for 1 1/2 hours; this court was reserved by one of the members of his group. From time to time, Rich Gonzales would go through the reservation sheet and check on every court. For example, a few months ago, Tony reserved court #1 at 6:30 pm for one hour and Grace reserved the same court at 7:30 pm for I 1/2 hours. At 7:30 pm, Rich checked the court and questioned us as t() why we had back to back court reservations. We directed his attention to Neil, who was packing his bag. Neil said that he was hitting with Tony for an hour and was ready to leave. In fact, Rich Gonzales had discovered a few extensive court reservations from other groups but never the Toys. Recently, it is harder to reserve courts because the league season is just about to begin. This happens to all the clubs in the Valley. For example, it is extremely difficult to reserve courts at Almaden Valley Athletic Club, Decathlon Club, and the Las Palmas Tennis Center; all the members know about the court Limitations and cope with it just fine. At CSC, prime time is very short, approximately between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Furthermore, there are many "last second: cancellations and "no shows." CSC has a very fair and thoughtful court reserva. tion policy. Passholders who really want to reserve a court can come in early, such as Grace and Dave Taylor who wait at the CSC counter before 8 am. Other passholders who master the clock can call in at 8 am to reserve courts. Some passholders would come in for "walk onll courts. If they do not get it right away, they would work out or attend an aerobics class for an hour prior to playing tennis. The majority of the players do not want to take on the responsibility of reserving a court; thus, the names on the court reservation sheet are limited, as those players who are willing to make an effort in reserv- ing a court are Limited. Some players avoid the prime time and come in either before and after; these players either make "last second" reservations Or do not make reservations at all. We are two individuals with different passholder nlUubers. We book different courts for different match combinations. We always cancel one court if we are late or if there is any change of plan. We do not abuse the system but instead, just simply abide by the policies. As in any organization, there is always people who complain about different issues. In the past, Dave Taylor has had numerous complaints and holds a record of misconduct. Since he was not reprimanded in the past, he continually complains unreasonably and stirs up trouble by manipulating others into following him, In our opinion, the CSC court reservation policies are very fair and reasonable. Any further change would create chaotic situations; the people complaining cannot suggest a policy more fair to everyone than the one in existence. CSC should uphold its policy and the management group should hold their ground firm. Those not happy with the policies are more than welcomed to join other clubs. This is the easiest way to create a scenario that would please everyone. . d 3-;),r NOV 11 '97 10:28AM SMce SV SOUTH SALES P.l To: Don McCarthy City of Cupertino Parks and Recreation Fax: (408)777-3137 From: Grace Toy P.O. Box 1914 Cupertino, CA 95015-1914 (408)257 -9900 Subj: Cupertino Sports Center Incident Date: November 11, 1997 Total #Pages: 3 (including cover sheet) ;;; '3 - CJd- ... NOV 11 ' 97 10: 28A'1 SM:e SV SOUTH SA....ES P.2 To: Richard Gonzales, Pacilities Manlser Cupertino Sports Center 21111 Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014 Cc: Don McCarthy, City of Cupertino Parks and Rec:reation Steve Dowling, Direc;tor of Parks and Recreation From: Grace Toy P.O. Box 1914 Cupertino, CA 95015-1914 (408)257-9900 Subj: Fill-in Detail. on CSC Staff Report Date: November 10, 1997 I was surprised to receive your call on Friciay. November 7, regarding the incident that happened the previous night. Your staff made a false report. I asked you to list the jobs done by your staff member alonl with the Toys' wrongdoing. You said thlt it was not necessary. I also asked you not to accuse Lifetime Tennis. Their staff had nothing to clo with this cue. As per our conversation, you said that your staff reported the Toys' pressuring her to turn on the lights for courts 1 and 12 on Thursday night even though court 12 was dry. She said that the Toys played on court 1, which was very wet and dangerous. You reminded me that once the staff had made an ...ess. ment and decided that the couna were not playable, I should abide by her decision. I totally agree. Unfortunately, she did not do her job. During the rainy season, court conditions change frequently. The staff should IlseSI the situation just before d.ecidinl on cloling the courts. She should not rely on her assessment a few hours earlier. The Toys arrived at CSC at 8:30 pm. Court 1 wal absolutely playable (a standard tennis court has 16 feet between the baseline and the back fence. On court 1, there was 21 feet between the baseline ancl back wall. There were a few small puddles just next to the south wall. The rest of the court was dry.). As we entered, two staff members were on duty while one mile mend was at the lobby. As we were ready to go onto the courts, the light was turned off. The Toy. went out to the lobby. One staff member wu behind the counter. We told her that court 1 was all dry and playable. The male friend came into the lobby from outside. He had a camera. While I turned around, he took a picture with a flashbulb. I was not lure whether I was in the picture or not. He then left right away. We then continueci our conversation. The staff said that it was wet earlier. However, she could not recall when she lilt checked the court conditions. Obviously, she did not check it just before she turned off the lighm. At 8:30 pm, she did not access the court conclitionl. d 3-;)3 NOV 11 '97 10:29AM sr1Ce SV SOUTH SALES P.3 . . It wu a very peaceful, friendly c;onversauon. There was no argument. Jeannine (of Lifetime Tennis, not sure of her nll11e) was about to leave. When she overheard our discussion, she saici that she ju.t came in frgm outside and tOurt 1 "as rompletely dry. I also casually mentioned that when I drove by, it seemed that court 12 was OK. Jeannine confirmed. my observation that Lifetime Tennis dried out court 12 at 5 pm and conducted leSions the whole evening. After the CSC staff obtained sufficient, reliable court conditions from the Toys and Lifetime Tennis, she decided to open up the courts. She then uked UI which court we wanted to play on. We asked her to twn 011 the lightl for courts 1 and 12. Since we hac! new balls, we did not want rollina balls to get wet on eourt 1. We waited on court 12 for the lights to come on. A few minutes later, only courts 1 and 11 were lit. We then moved to court 1. At 9 pm, CSC staff came out to lock the doors (we do not know when me doors should be locked). Ten minutes later, lishts on coW't 12 came on. If court 1 had been wet and danSefOU11I claimed by staff, we would have moved to court 12. We stayed on court!. CSC staff did not report that Jeannine c;oncUlTeQ with our observation. When 1 t~ld you, you were very upaet and you claimed that you hact to tell Lifetime Tennis to "mind their own bUlinesl" and that they were intervening with your staff operations. I reassured you that Jeannine had just joined our friendly discussion reiardinl court conditions. However, you were very upset that Jeannine had sided with the Toys. I also rec:.a1la Friday NiJht Tennis Social incident a few months bac:k. Lifetime Tennis usually reserves eight coUl18. Sin" it was along weekenci, participants were sparse. At 7:05 pm, the Toys were headins to a baek court. Prom the balcony overlooking court I, we saw that all the players for the Friday Night Social were leaving court 1. When we asked John of Lifetime Tennis, he laid that he did not need court '1 for the r8st of the evening. Playets would use courts 2. 3. and 4. It just happened that you had overheard our conversation. You questioned John rilht away. He explained to you that since there were only twelve players. they chose to uae courts 2, 3. and 4 so that it would be euier to switch every half hour. He wu accommoc1atina the playets. You then gave him a lecture. While we walke4 away, John asked you why you especially gave him a hard time. Since the social players refused to use court I, he wu helplesl. A few minutellater, someone was playing Siniles on court 1. They played for more than an hour; they were not there for the Friday Night Social. We understand that Lifetime Tennis is under your roof. Their staff is very friendly to the Toys. but we've never as.kecl for any privileges. Pleue do not Sive them a hard time when the Toys just happen to be there. With all the staff incompetence on Thursday nisht. the Toy. did not complain to you. The staff report was a falae accusation. You elected to trust her and pointec1 your tinier at Lifetime Tennis and the Toys. Please reconsider all the info we have submitted and use it to your best judgement. The TOYI still remain the bigtat CSC fan. Thank you very very much for your attention to this mattel'. JJ';;4 C.tlT or c'\Ip':'J:Uno ultrniOL H/elm-JU' on FFDBlHl m:rORl' f'tlt'Jes un:! Recreation lJepilrbne.nt \'1 ;'y' '1'.111" ] , q- " Cnlll:"'I" . C .L.\rll.~~ -,~_....;SPJ)(U~ ~J!:- Lute of Inciuellt_~ 11-~ /0,7 'l'lll~ of InciueJ1t--KA.,",,(AP4Q6IC~ I1d~r :;l'.,I'n\l"-.'lIl: or J'lublf>m or- Jl1cideJlt: {f"'eporcrel) no' /,ICz 7 ) CD . fl~{T .. 40__.c?.~~__1'!"'--"T 6AJ rlJ....n I '31L~ C.4.U-, <0 (vU..) i.!' _~~J~~V~.:t"l_~~." G. ..Di~ .,A)~T.._u,AC.t.(..~6~\..e.(.L~E'_To-J.r" To,y b~jtJb ,"-.1 I- I~C :.___.____.____ @)..c "'I..h....l.~~..__..!~!_::\w. .....k::!.~.~~_k.~Ou.. ~ us A,v I ~ t...J(y-lLtl.J<-. (!YFF 4.~ :_____ ~__rP.tLl.u~__~~.@.~'tAT~L.._~~ 7:.f<1.'4u ;....Jj.e..4/l 6~ !? ~-=-_____ ~. 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("I 'l' ., y.... ~lFO" 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 252-4505 Memorandum To: Steve Dowling, Director of Parks & Recreation CC: Don McCarthy, Recreation Supervisor From: Richard Gonzales, Recreation Coordinator Date: December 9,1997 Subject: Grace Toy complaint of staff manipulation of court scheduling. Grace Toy submitted the following complaint to you on December 8, 19~7: My husband was the only caller around 8 am this morning. She told him he was too early. After he asked her what time it was, she switched to the computer clock. It read 8:00:07. She reluctantly assigned him the first court. I spoke with the Susan Flores, who was the staff person in question, about the incident. According to Susan, Tony Toy called a little before 8 am. He asked if Grace had made a reservation? Susan replied that Grace had not because it was too early. He then asked what time it was now. Susan checked and it was now several seconds after 8 am. Even though Tony called before 8 am and nor- mally we would ask him to call back after 8 to make the reservation Susan took the reservation at that time because there were no other callers. Sport Center policy does not allow us to put people on hold prior to 8 am or engage in conversation with the person calling so that their call will become "eligible" to make a reservation when 8 am rolls around. However, I support Susans' decision to take Tony Toys' reservation even though he called before 8 am because there were no other callers at 8. This situation is sometimes difficult because prior to 8 am staff answers the phone by saying, "Cupertino Sports Center this is speaking, how can I help you?" Because we do not know if someone is calling for a reservation or some other business. After 8 am, and through our morning rush period, staff has been instructed to simply say, "Cupertino Sports Center, please hold." Prior to 8 people will sometimes engage in conversation with staff until 8 and then get upset when asked to call back. If there were other calls coming in at that time Susan would have asked Tony to call back. a 3 ~;;;ft;