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New London rec center marks first year; council presses administrators to publicize scholarships and study SilverSneakers access
Summary
At a finance committee presentation, New London Recreation Center director highlighted program growth and a 78% member satisfaction score. Councilors pressed administration to make hardship scholarships and discounted rates easier to find and asked for a feasibility update on SilverSneakers by September.
Steve Jerasdes, director of the New London Community Recreation Center, gave a year-one presentation to the finance committee highlighting membership growth, partnerships and programming and a Net Promoter Score of 78%. “Our NPS score at the end of the survey was 78%,” Jerasdes told councilors, comparing the center favorably with other managed facilities.
The committee focused on access and affordability during a question-and-answer session after the presentation. Councilor Hart pressed the administration to make the scholarship and financial-hardship waiver process “front and center” on the website and to ensure staff tell callers about discounted rates. “That’s not happening,” Hart said. “I really need you to fix that.”
Director Reyes and Jerasdes said the center will continue to work with Power Wellness and the recreation department on scholarship outreach and will assess options for SilverSneakers participation, a federally supported program that some councilors said many seniors rely on. Reyes told the committee staff and partners are evaluating administrative capacity and cost impacts and said an update on feasibility and budget implications could be prepared by September.
Councilors also confirmed that the family membership cap remains at $100 and the child rate will remain $20. The administration said most of the rate increases being proposed are targeted at nonresident fees to keep family caps and resident access stable.
Why it matters: Councilors framed the questions as budgetary and equity concerns: they want discounted rates to be clearly advertised so low-income residents can access programs intended for them, and they want the city to evaluate SilverSneakers to avoid leaving seniors without affordable options.
What’s next: The community center rates will come back to the full council; finance committee members asked the administration to report on scholarship outreach steps and the SilverSneakers feasibility analysis at or before the council’s September meeting.
