NEW ULM – New Ulm Park and Rec chose to raise the fee Lutheran Social Services (LSS) pays to rent the Community Center kitchen from $52.53 to $54.11 per day at Monday’s Park and Rec meeting.

LSS is a major user of the space. They prepare and either serve on-site or deliver off-site meals to the elderly in the Brown County area. Approximately half of all the meals made are sent outside of New Ulm. To adjust for inflation and recoup city costs, a price raise was proposed.

The rate was last raised in 2023. The fee raise will go into effect starting Jan. 1, 2025.

Board member Kurt Johnson asked if LSS gets money from towns like Springfield or Sleepy Eye since meals are delivered there. LSS representative Christy Elton said they get a little bit, but don’t want to take too much.

“We get administration costs from all of the other communities we help service,” she said. “We try to keep their revenue in the communities we’re getting those donations from. Since we work with local grants specific for those communities, we ask for just grant money.”

Elton said they are facing challenges, as some of their major funding is decreasing.

“Our biggest funder is through the Older Americans Act,” she said. “We are seeing a 5% cut from federal funding they give our program. It’s really going to affect us. We’re starting to look at more of the frail individuals who need the line of service, compared to the folks who like the meal because they like the meatloaf. We really want to look at serving the hungry.”

Given this funding decrease, and recent struggles receiving grants, Elton said their finance department would like to see no fee increase for 2025.

“They are suggesting we’re uncomfortable with an increase,” she said. “They would like it to not be an increase at all this year, just looking at the overall expense of transport. Transportation cost is going up, employees and our food costs are pretty high right now.”

Board member Dave Christian asked if Brown County provides any funding for the service either. Elton said they don’t provide any direct funding, though if someone uses a waiver program with Brown County then the county covers their meal cost.

Board member Jeff Gulden said they hate to put the burden on LSS, but otherwise it would have to be shifted onto the taxpayer. He said hopefully they won’t have to raise it next year, but for now, a 3% increase to $54.11 is necessary.

Gulden made the motion to approve a rental fee increase from $52.53 to $54.11 per day starting Jan. 1, 2025. Board member Jim Jensen seconded the motion. The fee raise was approved unanimously.