Last increase in 2009
By Bert Lehman
The cost of a membership at the Clintonville Rec Center will increase by 15%.
Special programs offered by the Rec Center will also increase by 15% or to a comparable rate to other rec centers based on research done by the Clintonville School District.
The Clintonville School Board agreed to the rate increases at its April 8 meeting.
During the discussion, Rec Center director Ashley Flanagan recommended a rate increase of around 10%.
Board member Jason Moder asked when the rates were last adjusted.
Flanagan said the last rate increase was around 2009.
Board member Kris Strauman asked if the increase Flanagan recommended was enough.
Flanagan said the increase could be higher, but ultimately the amount of the increase would depend on how much revenue the district wants from the Rec Center.
“Are we trying to make more money and lose a lot of members who can’t pay those rates, or are we trying to keep bringing in more people at a more reasonable rate that everybody can afford?” Flanagan asked.
Even though the rates have not been increased in about 15 years, Board President Ben Huber recommended gradual increases in the rates, and not implementing a huge rate increase at one time.
“But it has to be revisited on an annual basis,” Huber said.
Since the rates have not been increased for many years, Moder said the council also needs to consider how the costs to maintain the Rec Center have increased during that time.
“I’d be willing to bet it (maintenance costs) went up 400% in the last 15 years,” Moder said.
He added, “It (Rec Center) hasn’t been able to be redone and reupdated because there’s no money there to redo it or upgrade it. So, there’s a million different ways to look at this, and every way I look at it, that 10% (recommended increase in rates) ain’t near enough.”
Huber said he agreed that a 10% increase may not be enough, but recommended a more gradual increase each year.
“But 10% is at least a reasonable number,” Huber said. “I think your users expect prices to go up along with everything else, but they don’t want it to double all in one year.”
Board member Glen Drew Lundt asked if the Rec Center membership has increased since the expansion of the Rec Center.
Flanagan said she thinks that memberships have been increasing since before the expansion.
Huber once again said that a 10% increase would not be unreasonable, adding that a 15% increase in rates also wouldn’t be unreasonable.
“I don’t think that 15 years without it being raised, I don’t think 15% should be out of the question,” Moder said.