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Council approves tiered membership pause fees, doubles reactivation fee formula for Russell Sports Center
Summary
After staff proposed a $15 pause fee and $100 reactivation fee for the James E. Russell Sports Center, councilors debated hardship waivers and equity concerns and approved a tiered pause fee ($10 city, $15 county, $20 nonresident) with reactivation set at twice the member's monthly rate.
The City Council voted Feb. 18 to amend the James E. Russell Sports Center fee schedule to add a tiered membership pause fee and a formulaic reactivation charge.
Director Jason Welker told council the center had about 790 active members and had generated roughly $19,000 for February to date. Staff proposed a $15 membership pause fee and a $100 reactivation fee to discourage repeated cancellation and re‑enrollment that staff described as a ‘‘loophole.’’
Councilors questioned whether a flat pause fee would be proportionally harsher on city residents, discussed hardship waivers for members who lose jobs, and debated whether the reactivation fee should be proportional to membership type. Councilor Kyle Schreiber moved to direct staff to amend the resolution to set pause fees at $10 for city residents, $15 for county residents, and $20 for nonresidents, and to make the reactivation fee equal to twice the monthly membership rate for the annual membership; the amendment was seconded and passed on a roll call vote.
Staff said policies will include implementation details on the membership options page of the sports center website and that a hardship waiver mechanism could be developed administratively. Director Welker and councilors emphasized outreach and member education about pause and reactivation mechanics before the fees go into effect.
Next steps: staff will update the fee schedule and public membership information, write implementation guidance (including a proposed hardship waiver), and return any procedural adjustments to council as needed.
