Are you subsidizing a privately run and elite ski program?

Even if Team Gilboa is a not-for-profit entity, this does not give them the right to benefit from the sale of a public asset, especially when this "arrangement" results in safety issues, overcrowding, and egregious discrimination against 1,000 children each year, plus taxpayer subsidization (see above).

Each year, Team Gilboa takes in an estimated $1.1 million ($27.5 million over 25 years) because it can sell preferred access to the hills and exclusive access to a warming hut with its own car drop-off. The team also gets other benefits at no charge, which the general public must pay for.  Team Gilboa pays Hyland $1.00 for this access for 20 years.   

Friends of Hyland is not opposed to Team Gilboa being at Hyland. However, we believe that if Team Gilboa receives certain subsidies and benefits, all teams and patrons will receive them, and the allocation of public assets such as ski hills and start ramps should be done fairly.   We do not believe that the public - or other children - should be treated as 2nd class citizens at Hyland or be required to pay for a private elite ski club. 

Friends of Hyland welcome updated figures from the Park District for these estimates.

It is the position of Friends of Hyland that if one groups gets favoritism, subsidization or breaks on costs of services, then all groups/patrons should have access to the same subsidization opportunities.  After all, all the ski race programs at Hyland are non-profits and 15 are high school programs.  However, the treatment of most teams is grossly unfair  at Hyland - all because of how Team Gilboa is favored. 

Since the Team Gilboa members receive up to  4 to 16X  (TIMES) the facility usage as a non-Gilboa members, the Team Gilboa families actually pay lower usage fees on a pro-rated basis than the non-Gilboa families.  

• This favoritism comes at the expense of the majority of children who also participate in ski racing programs at Hyland... because they get less access as a result!
• Is this fair?  First off, the majority of children get less, and they also pay more for less access on a pro-rated basis.  
• The kids most able to pay (they can afford $ thousands to join Team Gilboa), actually pay the least... because of the way the park favors them.

Is it fair or right that families should be required to pay a premium to a privately run program just to get access to prime facilities and access to publicly owned facilities? These premiums are $1,000s of dollars per child!  It does not seem right that a private organization can keep these premiums for themselves. 

This entire situation is unequal, unfair, inequitable and inadequate for the majority of children ski race training at Hyland on the 16 other teams.

If Team Gilboa was held to their operating membership number of 275 instead of 550, and lanes were rotated fairly amongst all teams, this problem would be fixed.  It's not that hard to accomplish this - in fact, it would be simple. 

TPRD FUNDING

Three Rivers Park District receives funding primarily through property tax levees from the citizens in Hennepin County . It also receives funding from the State of MN and user fees.

Here is a link to the TRPD finance page:  https://www.threeriversparks.org/page/finance

Here is the budget:  https://www.threeriversparks.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/finances/GeneralFundBudget_2023.pdf

The Park District’s largest revenue stream (81% of $48,725,797) comes from the property tax levied against all property in suburban Hennepin County.  15% is from User Fees.  TRPD receives $1,258,146 from MN state sources.

Commisioners  receive stipends of  $234,186 or approx. $33,455 each, per year.

Please note:  The first letter with questions was delivered in May of 2023.  As of January 2024, eight months later, no information that counters anything we have presented to TRPD has been given to Friends of Hyland by TRPD.   We welcome any information that would provide better insight to these issues presented.