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10. PRSR 07 14 2004Item #: 10 MEMORANDUM rto6s Orono ~'arkwa> TO: Park and Recreation Commission P:Ik River, MN 55330 FROM: Michele McPherso irector of Planning DATE: July 14, 2004 SUBJECT: Informational/Update Items for July 14, 2004 Meeting B. Park/Trail Developments 1. Park Dedication The month end balance fox June was $1,516,947.31. 2. Hillride Revenuer To date, we have received $1,572.66 in daily and seasonal passes fox Hillside Paxk. 3. YMCA Update Attached is the May YMCA update. 4. NAI Update Attached is the summary fox the NRI activities in June. 5. Article - "Oakr Folks" 6. Article -Sherburne County Park Survey Re rultr Phone: 763.635.1000 pax: 763.63S.io9o vrww.ci.elk-river. mn. us BALANCE SHEET CITY OF ELK RIVER JUNE 3Q 2004 Page: 1 7/z/zoo4 9:54 am As of: 6/30/2004 Balances Fund Type: 11 Special revenue funds Fund: 225 -PARK DEDICATION Assets Acct Class: 1000 Current Assets 1010 Cash 1,515,870.31 1012 Fair Value-Investments -3,282.00 li80 Interest Receivable 4,359.00 Acct Class: 1000 Current Assets 1,516,94731 Total Assets 1,516,947.31 Reserves/Balances Acct Class: 2400 Fund Equity 2400 Fund Balance 1,160,638.43 2600 Change In Fund Balance 356,308.88 Acct Class: 2400 Fund Equity 1,516,947.31 Total Reserves/Balances 1,516,947.31 Total Liabilities & Balances 1,516,947.31 Hillside Revenues and Expenditures ~ 4/16/2004 Fit~c~`..':, ~ Dail Pass ~!~FAS~.'. tiYt! $23.00 41:1.9~; f~ Ri~t~ i`~FP 17 R'{'I nv.i.._ i .5r t 4/26/2004 Dail Pass $126.70 412912004 Dail Pass $92.25 5/3/2004 Dail Pass $187.62 5/10/2004 Dail Pass $252.00 5/17/2004 Dail Pass $76.00 5/21/2004 Dail Pass $27.00 6/8/2004 Dail Pass $149.09 6/15/2004 Dail Pass $124.50 3/21/2004 Dail Pass $134.00 6/28/2004 Dail Pass $203.00 7/6/2004 Dail Pass $152.50 7/6/2004 Seasonal Pass $25.00 Total $1, 572.66 Expense Tracking Item 6.7. ver MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Patrick Klaers, City Administrator DATE: June 21, 2004 SUBJECT: YMCA Update The most recent meeting of the Noxthstax YMCA Community Board was held on May 20, 2004 at Lions Park Center. Attached for your information is the agenda from this meeting and the April 8, 2004 Noxthstar YMCA Community Board meeting minutes. Also attached are the Committee "Charts of Work 2004" and a June 8, 2004 Pioneer Press article on the YMCA project in Hastings. It is anticipated that Mayor ILlinzing will pxoaide this Council update as she was at the May 20, 2004 YMCA meeting. NORTHSTAR YMCA COMMUNITY BOARD MINUTES FOR MEETING OF APRIL 8, 2004 MEMBERS ATTENDING: Pat Klaers, Bill Helliwell, Tom McKitmey, Michele Bergh, Joni Lawrence, Arthur Jackett, Sue Kostanshek, Wendy Simonson, Arne Engstrom, Pat Klaers, Michelle Risting, Mary Eberley. Chair Helliwell called meeting to order at 7:05 .AM. Joni Lawrence presented opening thought. The agenda and minutes for meeting of March 11.2004 were approved. COMMITTEE REPORTS: 1) Program Conunittee-Tom McKinney offered report in Ken EbePs absence. Program activities and planning continues to be vigorous -senior activites are planned for this summer, Kids & Cops Program was discussed as there appears to be strong enthusiasm for this program especially among the police officers. Tom offered a brief overview of Summer Activities, reported that we may have as many as four groups of up to 30 kids for NYPUM this summer! Promotional materials are going out for summer activities and camps. 2) Public Relations Committee -Joni Lawrence introduced and welcomed Michelle Risting as new volunteer coordinator. She is eager to work with our board and the community, will maintain our databases, and assist with recruitment for volunteers and membership. Positive feedback from the conm~unity and visitors to our booth at Elk River Business Expo - volunteers are still needed for work at the Sherburne Co. Fair booth July 15-18. W e are checking the location and what the building has to offer. Business Expo went very well. The Y received positive feedback and a $6.00 donation. We had Y- Partner envelopes on hand and Camp Manitou flyers and interest in being a volunteer. Banners will be posted on Highway 10 at Kemper Drug and Highway 169 site very soon. Quarterly newsletter is being planned for disriibution to comnnmity about programs, progress on expansion & eventually a facility. Wendy Simonson has agreed to write this newsletter. Get E-mail address to: Arthur 7ackett Egg Hunt is coming up. Michele Bergh- Family Event on May 26 is at Lyons Park. The Y will be providing the food. If interested in having a Spring Social E-mail Joni Lawrence. 3) Finance & Y-Partners Committee - Chair Bil] Helliwell & Tom McKinney updated on Finance and Y-Partners. Y-Partner letters were given to Ron who is out of town. We have the instructions but not the letters. Tom will ghost write for Bill and get it sent out and people will receive it around Easter and a week later the letter will be sent. Elk River History flyer should be sent then a week later send out the Y-Partner letter. Introductory letter going out soon. Every effort will be made to expand the database for mailing. Current is only about 200 people. Group discussed other opportunities to distribute information/letters such as Chamber 7 City newsletters, as an insert with Elk River Staz News. These are economical and will reach more households. Committee will look into these opportunities. Nexf mailing will be ready to go soon and will be for purposes of soliciting the initial $20,000 goal. 4) Executive Committee -Has been meeting and finalized Strategic Plan and Action Steps or Charts of Work for remainder of 2004. Efforts will be made to find a temporary site that will allow greater visibility and help to establish a bona fide presence. Plans are being made to approach the city and county again for commitment and assistance. Next reasonable step to take will be to decide on a site. Boys & Girls Club summer partnership for camp and other activities was confirmed. Staff person to provide assistance to the NorthStar community group is Sabina Snvda. She lives in Elk River and was able [o join the group mid-point in the meeting. Tom McKinney made introductions. Sabina will assist with minutes, distribution, and communication and administrative assistance the committees may need. 5) NW YMCA Board Meeting: - Bil] Helliwell, Joni Lawrence and Mayor Stephanie Klinzing attended the NW Y Board Meeting. Bill gave an update on NorthStar YMCA and talked about the kick off of the Y-Partner Campaign. The NW YMCA discussed board development and the event for fundraising. They are planning a San Francisco-type Special Olympics and will put together teams in athletics events. They are planning twelve events to be held early to late fall (September). Tom described the cardboard boat race, stationary bike race, executive briefcase race. This is much cheaper to run. We need to invite families. The kids who benefit can help run. 6) Discussion Items: -Tom stated that the Boys & Girls partnership is complete and ready to support the summer camp program. Before care and after care bus will pick up. They will pay for a bus to take their kids out to camp for 3 hours, expose the kids to camp. A lot of kids cannot afford the camp. Bus will come @ 10; bring the kids back at 2pm. The Y-Partners campaign will scholarship some money. The group discussed facility location and cost. The original range from the previous work is $13-16 million, which maybe high in today's market. Wihnaz was $6-8M; smaller than what Elk River would want. Wilmar had significant donors from the community. Tom- Andover building project is $1M over. Stee] price is high at this time. We will stick with $13-16M for now. We would like to have 10- 12 acres. We discussed the fairgrounds as they maybe moving. City has looked at zoning. Pat -the City has a few options including first option to purchase property. Strategic plan- Chart of work by committee. Each group needs to put this in a time frame. Where you are at with each task. Helps build for the future, on going, etc. Helps us [o see what has been completed. The Chart of Work for 2004 was presented, discussed and adopted by the Community Board. A brief update on planned activities was presented. Would like to do something at Lyons Pazk to expose the community to camp. St Michael went OK. Sherburne County Fair July ] 5-18`". We have 4 boxes of popcorn left. Tom- W e have a fishing trip scheduled for Seniors in June. There was discussion about the Egg Hunt and the Aug 14`" Camp Manitou Event for Monticello and Elk River. NEXT MEETING MAY 13 2004 7 AM ** Changed to MAY 20t° Meeting was adjourned at 8:30AM. Mary Eberley Acting Recorder ~~ ~~~ NORTHSTAR COMMUNITY BOARD COMMITTEE CHARTS OF WORK 2004 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE • Decide on programming for 2005 (Program) • Develop partnership with Boys and Girls Club • Maintain and grow partnership with City Park and Recs (Program) • Staff Support through Northwest YMCA • Develop and maintain partnerships • Accounting and billing through NW YMCA (Finance) • One message being shared (PR) • Reach conclusion on site selections • Strengthen community board (PR) FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT/Y PARTNERS • Start a Kids and Cops Program (Program) • Accounting and billing through NW YMCA (Exec) • Raise $20,000 in Y Partners support and collect 93% • Develop a NorthStar Database • Establish a foundation for potential future capita]. campaign • Plan and start Y Partners for 2005 PUBLIC RELATIONS • Recruit youth from NorthStar Area for Camp - 100 • One message being shared (Exec) • Achieve Target enrollment in NorthStar Area (Program) • Strengthen community board (Exec) • Develop a list of volunteer needs and recruit volunteers (Program) • Ensure that PR events are well organized and staffed with volunteers • Establish a mazketing plan and timeline • Evaluate all Events Program Committee • Decide on programming for 2005(Executive) • Start YIG • Recruit 20 youth for NYPUM • Implement Continue Senior Programming • Start Kids and Cops (Finance) • Achieve Target enrollment in NorthStar Area (PR) • Develop a list of Need • Develop a list of volunteer needs and recruit volunteers (PR) • Maintain and grow partnership with City Park and Recs (Exec) Other Committees (as needed) • Volunteer Recognition Program, Diversity Program, Major Gifts Program, Capital Campaign Development NorthStar YMCA Community Board Meeting Agenda May 20, 2004 7:OOam LIONS PARK CENTER Informational Items ^ Welcome ^ Opening thought ^ Approve Minutes and Agenda Report Items ^ Committee Updates • Program Committee • Public Relations Committee • Finance/Y Partners • Executive Committee ^ NW YMCA Community Board Meeting - 4/29/04 New Business/Discussion Items ^ Strategic Plan ^ Board Evaluations UPCOMING EVENTS MATERIALS INCLUDED ^ Community Board Meetings ^ September 9, 2004 Committee Meetings ^ Communication -time? - NRG May 27, 2004 ^ Program - B:OOam -Senior Center May 26, 2004 ^ Finance/Y Partners time and date? ^ Executive Committee - 7:00 am -Embers May 24, 2004 ^ Special Events Sherburne County Fair Senior Fishing Event @Manitou -date? Camp Manitou Event - 8/14/04 4B C TU_S DAY. JUNE &. ?004 SUBURBS _ HASTINGS YMCA in works as fund-raising starts $2 million donation kicks off campaign BY SHANNON PRATHER Pioneer Press The YMCA of Greater Saint Paul could break ground on afull-service, $8 million center in Hastings as early as 2005. The Hastings Area Family YMCA launched its multimi]- lion~lollar capital campaign Monday. Hastings-based Smead Manufacturing jump- startedthe fund-raising with a $2 million contribution, mark- ing the largest single donation in the St. Paul YMCAs 147- year-history Hastings YMCA's 14-member Board of Directors and Y staff also have vowed to personally donate and raise $400,000. Regina Medical. Center, which is partnering with the YMCA, tentatively .has approved along-term agree- ment to lease land to the YMCA for $1 a year In return, the medical center will house its Healthy for Life wellness program in the new building. If organizers meet their capital campaign goal, the Hasting YMCA will be 65,000 square feet and include an aquatic center, gymnasium, fitness center, walking track, teen center, children's gym and playground. It will serve about 3,000 children and fami- lies. Monday, community mem- bers and YMCA board mem- bers, who started offering YMCA programs at local schools in 1999, said Hastings and surrounding communities sorely need a family and com- munitycenter. "We've refused to let this' dream die," said Dr. Lawrence Erickson, medical director of Regina Medical Center and Hastings Area YMCA capital campaign chairman. Erickson stressed the need for the new athletic and com- munity center. "Inactive lifestyle, obesity and lack of physical exercise has become the No. 2 cause of preventative death in theUnit- ed States, second only to ciga- rette smoking," Erickson said. Sharon Avent, Smead CEO, 'said she polled her employees before deciding to donate. "'Everyone said this is important to our community and our family life," Smead said. I think this is .an important project for Hast- ings. We need a family gath- ering place and we don't have that now." Market and feasibility stud- ies have concluded there is a community need and econom- ic support for a Hastings YMCA, said Thomas Brinsko, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Paul. The St. Paul Y operates 11 full- service sites, three overnight camps, five day-camps in Min- nesota and Wisconsin and provides childcare-. for 2,800 daily. Brinsko said most YMCA facilities open about 18 months after the start of the capital campaign. Page 1 of 2 Mcpherson, Michele From: Bockenstedt, Paul J [pbockenstedt@bonestroo.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 9:46 AM To: Mcpherson, Michele Cc: Gould, Elizabeth R Subject: NRI update for June 2004 Hello Michele, I hope you had a nice 4th of July weekend. I wanted to send you an email with a brief update of work on the citywide Natural Resources Inventory for the month of June. If you have any questions or comments regarding the update, please feel free to give me a call. Thank you, Paul Paul Bockenstedt Plant/Restoration Ecologist Bonestroo Natural Resources 2335 West Highway 36 St Paul, MN 55113 651.604.4812 www. bonestroo. com JUNE ELK RIVER NRI UPDATE Landowner post card responses for property access have slowed down considerably, with only a few showing up per week now. We continue to attempt to reach folks by phone who returned post cards asking for a call to get more information about the NRI. As a general approach, we are leaving repeat messages about once a week (or slightly more frequently) for those folks we can't reach/don't call us back. We have been in touch with the gravel mining folks, who have granted partial access and are sending an electronic map that shows where access will be allowed for the NRI. Also, Paul Bockenstedt attended the June Gun Club Board meeting and presented on the NRI. The Board made no decision at the meeting regarding access, but said they would get back to us. We have received no response on their decision so far. However, the Gun Club Board did express interest in having Paul Bockenstedt attend their August meeting as a representative of MN DNR Prairie Stewardship Planning Assistance to lead hikes and discuss the ecology and importance of the savanna at their site. Hannah Dunevitz of the MN DNR approved this activity, and thus Paul is slated to attend the annual Gun Club gathering on 15 August. The Gun Club Board and members expressed the idea that they understand that the savanna/prairie on their property is important and are interested in further understanding what steps can potentially be taken to steward these resources. Work also continues to progress on preliminary mapping/aerial photo interpretation. We are working toward the goal of having mapping/photo interpretation substantially completed, and landowner contact 7/6/2004 Page 2 of 2 wrapped up by the middle of this month to allow field work to begin in earnest in mid- to late July. 7/6/2004 COHIMONWFAL Oaks FOIkS Minneapolu' ruburbaniter nand up for a little stand of hardy hardwoods. WHAT WOI7LD YOU DO to save an acre of creel? Would you spend an evening testifying az a public hear- , ing, oe perhaps an akemoon solicit- ' ing donations door-ro-door? Would you spend actual money-say, $20? $100? How about $185,000? And how about guaranteeing chat amount , with your home? That's exactly what a small group of neighbors did in Hopkins, Minnesota. Down a narrow street seemingly for- R~~'RAP rhetoric or chaining themselves co the trees, however, a group of neighborhood residents of- fered anunusual alternative: Buy the land from the develop- erand give it to the city for a park. They offered their homes as collateral. "Our initial recommen- dation was `Don't do this,"' recalls Steve Mielke, city man- ager of Hopkins. It seemed a frightening price to pay for a mere sliver of land. Unde- terred, the Oala Folks, as the group came to De called, nego- tiated an arrangement in which the city would buy the acre and the group would re- pay is over a dozen years. Aker the developer's reduction of the selling price ro $185,000, some initial imbursemencs, and the ciry's forgiveness of the loan's interest, the yearly pay- ments came co about $11,000. Four brave families co-signed the loan, and each of the fami- gotten by city maintenance I crews is a wooded neighborhood of about 20 split-levels and ranch- ers, and right next ro that neighbor- hood is a well-loved (and expensive) little tray of trees. The Minnehaha Creek neighborhood ~`f , ~ is an isolated enclave surrounded by Min- ' ^eapolis sprawl apartments, highways, fast food, a regional mall, and more high- ways. An acre here, an acre there, the woods ~ and wetlands have disappeared over the i ~ `~~ years. By the early 1990s, the only remaining buffers from encroaching development were a marshy wetland co the east and a narrow strip of gnarled oaks co the west. So when a developer pro- posedputting up townhouses on that last wooded acre, a line was drawn in the soil. Rather than descending on city hall with lofty lies has donated more than $20,000 through the years. The Oaks Folks started up a web sire (wtrnuoaktfolkr.org) and a newsletter to get the word out and ask for dona- tions, and they collected alu- minum cans to offset printing costs. The stakes were high. Had the Oaks Folks failed to make a payment, the city could have assessed their prop- erties for the balance, poten- tially forcing foreclosure. "II seemed like a lazge amount of money for volunteers ro raise," Mielke says. But they did it. This September, the final few hundred dollars will be paid to the city, and the acre of corks will become a Hopkins city park free and clear. "In the long run, we were wrong;' Mielke chuckles, and he seems glad to be wrong. $185,000 raised over 12 yeazs by a handful of empcy- nesters to save an acre of trees: Now that's park dedication. -ADA~r REGN ARVIDSON. ASLA 1~4ru~sC~ 7~LENfr~GTL~C.E Y~~- t.tuE ~~T 'Lt~' E 0 * a a ~ a m /~~ y/ L U c ~ ^ N ~' N i. H I > ~ U (a N a w. m o ` ui m 'm a+ o ~" O ~ rn r m ~ _ c . °> p m _ . a w ! .V w N ~ j C ~ ~ O ° U L ~ p _ ~ m V E v E' ~ > ` ~ ~ ~ ~ d D ~ o m t ~~ ~~ ~ ~ G •L c > o O ° ~ ~ U a 3 ~ ~ fl. °~ = y° 7 a 'r ~, o y a c o ~ m N b d~ a ti "' L G fyl~~ ~ O Cl Q -" C. N O -~ L L N O 'o Z F- a~ f+ ~ N ~•~ L A~ •N W L O ~ L T •~ L O .~C N 1` •~ i.f. ~ 0 ~ \ y ~ p"°N ° icy ro.~'m-o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ c, ~ ~y~ N~~ ~'~'~ F~ U N m en o 3 ° aCi ~ ° ~ Fi m ., ~,., ro p'dW~ o '~ a,b .C ~ u ~° _m a a~ ~ a~ ,d ~ ~ ,x ~,~... ..~^d• O.~ ~ ~ ~ ~+ m m N .L^ 'O O (C m '~ CE ~~ 3Hw a~ ~ c~a.°oww a' Ul F' q ~ U 4l y O N OU 4'i N U~' '~ T rr1 U wa3 '°.~ ~ 3Q .~ ~"q d o ~rr~mo ~~7 °o ~ c+ q `-' >~> accs,, o ~ m o' N O.d ~ F. T"d ctl ~ aJ N ,~ ° ~°~~~ ~~a~~y y ~° c°~. a, ~~ o td W w P O U Ui O a> xJ ~ m ~ .C y ~ ~ ~ _ ~ ~ ,G r~ >U u,wbP', C 7 a' ya tim° >~,ax o z. ,., o °' o z. a'y act ~ ~ y ' 7 a'b U r" °~ am ~.~ p ~° o B p G"yy UP'' y, p m.d .d aoa~~ocmi`"~ c~i~j`~°m H mx a ~ m as ~ C'a m ~' NOF+ y+'FLW N~ uiNN C Uw a~ a~i N ~ ° cot,-o d.~.ti ~ Q~ H m Nib Na.~ 4i Fi N.O. 14 /Star News /Wednesday, July 7, 2004 Visit us on the web at www.erstarl SHERBURNE COUNTY Parks: Three county parks in early development "With all the growth and changes that we've had we thought it was time to look at that again," P]dgeton said. Three county parks Sherburne County cur- rently has three parks: •the Oak Savanna Land Preserve near Becker •Bridgeview Park Reserve near Big Lake •Grams Regional Paxk near Zixmnennan All are in the early stages of development. County Administrator Brian Bensen said county commissioners have had a desire to set aside land for parks. The way we're growing, there's been a lot of devel- opment," Bensen said. "They're aware that if we don't set it aside now it will be difficult and very costly later:" However, Bensen added, "There's not a very strong appetite to develop them as parks yet." As for trails, Bensen said most of the county's efforts have been concentrated on a proposed 20-mile recre- ational trail between Elk River and Princeton. Efforts are under way to acquire an abandoned rail- road bed for the trail. About 75 percent of it is in public ownership at this time, Edgeton said. "We're interested in work- ing with willing landown- ers," he said. The trail would be for non- motorized activities such as biking, hiking, inline skat- ing, skiing and walking. Edgeton said alternate routes have been planned in case the county is unable to use the entire railroad tred. But, he added, "We're cer- tainly trying to keep as much of the trail on the :(railroad) bed itself." Some survey results In addition to the three county parks, there is the state-owned Sand Dunes State Forest and the feder- ally-owned Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Sherburne County. In the poll, residents were asked, "Considering the county parks and other I~ ~ Palk ya~'Iatld~reS8tV8 t S a Oa . Pra' n Pro s••• I~COOpR 1{Ofl wlrrll •She ne unty •~Phea Dreyer I^nr+ac C Cd•pf•rl • Sher a SWC~ I . ncc~. • .~,.~_ .x i. y Prairie is being restored on part of the Oak Savanna land Preserve near Becker. (Photo by Joni Astrup) About Sherburne County's parks Bridgeview Park Reserve •Acquired in 1996. •The 29-acre park is located along the Mississippi f2iver, southwest of Big Lake. From Highway 25, go west on County Road ll and then immediately south on County Road 50. Go one-half mile and the park entrance is on the south side of the road. •A rnowed trail system allows For recreational activities. Grams Regional Park •Acquired in 2002. •The 114-acre park will be developed over time into a regional park for regional use. Currently, the park is in early development stages: It is located east of Zimmerman near Fremont Lake. Oak Savanna Land Preserve •Acquired in 1997 as a gift from the Cox family. •The 140-acre park is located near Becker approximate- ly one-fourth mile east of Highway 25. •Mowed trails during the summer allow for walking, hiking, biking, horseback riding and wildlife watching. Winter uses include groomed cross-country skiing, snow- shoeing and dog sledding. On the east side of the Oak Savanna Land Preserve is the Becker City Park. Trails from both parks link to one another. (Source.' Sherburne County) facilities that exist, do you feel the existing county parks are adequate for your household needs? Seventy- nine percent said `yes.' But the survey also found that: •71 percent would support a property tax increase to pay for acquisition of park- land along the Mississippi. •63 percent would support a property tax increase to pay for acquisition of park- land for a regional swim- ming facility with a fishing pier, beach and picnic shel- ter area. •81 percent feel establish- ing biking and hiking trails should be an important part of designing neighbor- hood developments. Taxes for parks Parks and recreation perceptions in Sherburne County 2003 Sherburne County study 1. County parks and trails are a very important aspect of my choice of residence and my quality of life. 2. Where available, more land along the Mississippi River should be acquired and used for parkland, trails and wildlife habitat. 3. The county should preserve corridors adjacent to waterways and wetlands as greenway space, not to be developed. 63 - 32 5 1r 85 t1 74 86 8 6 _.:: 75 14 11 50 a2 8 81 is 6 ~_, -~ Agree ~~ Disagree ~ ] Unsure Source: Sherburne County, Decision Resources Ltd. 4. The county should be more active in protecting sensitive plant communities and unique ecosystems. 5. The county should lake a more active role in acquiring land for motorized trails for ATVs and snowmobiles. 6. Establishing biking and hiking trails should be an important part of designing neighborhood developments. The survey also asked: "How much would you be willing to see your property taxes increase to fund acquisition; development and maintenance of county trails and parks in Sherburne County?" The results were: Notlxing .........22% $5 ...............7% $10 .............13% $15 .............10% $20 .............17°l0 $25 .............18% Don't know .......12% e use ... .......1'/0