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Hopewell staff propose sliding-scale memberships for city community center, flag need for verification staff
Summary
Hopewell staff presented a sliding-scale membership proposal for the Hopewell Community Center that could expand access but would require a dedicated staff position to verify incomes and handle sensitive documents; council asked for a financial analysis and recommended studying an enterprise-fund model.
Miss Martinez, the community center presenter, told the council the center’s current resident monthly membership is $10 and the nonresident rate is $25, with youth membership free and discounted rates for seniors and active-duty military. She said the center currently brings in roughly $28,208 from standard memberships plus about $7,822 from SilverSneakers/RENEW through June 5, for a combined membership revenue near $37,000.
The presentation proposed several fee scenarios, including a modest increase (resident monthly $10 to $13) that Martinez said could yield roughly $40,000, and a third option that would mirror YMCA income-based tiers (higher prices; not recommended). Martinez said the sliding-scale model would increase access and community engagement but poses administrative and privacy challenges because income verification would require handling sensitive documents such as tax returns, pay stubs and bank statements.
"We would need someone essentially dedicated to just that service," Martinez said, describing either a customer service supervisor or a customer engagement manager to oversee verification and front-desk operations. She told the council that alternative verification approaches used in other localities — for example, accepting a public-housing lease as proof of eligibility — could reduce the need to collect sensitive financial documents.
Council members pressed on operational details: when the pool would be available (Martinez said hiring lifeguards is in progress so pool downtime should be limited), how many members use the facility (monthly membership counts were provided), and how a sliding scale would affect revenue stability. One councilor suggested treating the community center like an enterprise fund so user fees would be reinvested directly in facility capital and maintenance. City staff accepted a request to prepare a financial analysis and bring back recommendations for phased increases and options for returning fee revenue to the facility.
The council did not adopt a fee change that night; staff said they would return to the council in July with a formal fee proposal and additional financial detail. The discussion ended with council direction to study the enterprise-fund approach and to provide clearer proposals showing how any revenue increase would be used to address capital needs (HVAC, pool maintenance and equipment).
