All or nothing: Community center fee structure leaves no options
Those who want to use the Glenwood Springs Community Center once the new pool opens might expect some sticker shock.Daily use fees, monthly and yearly memberships will increase sharply.For example, the adult daily use fee increases from $4 to $8. A monthly membership increases from $30 to $50.”We wanted to create a smorgasbord of opportunity with the one fee,” Glenwood recreation director Leon Kuhn said.That may be true. The center will have the new pool, a new workout area, an indoor running track, fitness classes and the ice rink. Here’s the big but: With the new fees, you’re paying to use all of those, even if you only want one.The smorgasbord idea is a nice one, but we think there should be options.If you don’t want to use the pool, you shouldn’t have to pay the higher fees.If you just want to swim, you shouldn’t have to pay to use the other facilities.The city should implement a new system that would allow people just to use – and pay for – what they want.True, Kuhn said he hasn’t heard many complaints. At least not yet. We think the potential is there, at least in the long run, for the city to lose business because of its pricing policy at the recreation center. We don’t really think the city will get too many daily drop-ins, especially at $8 per day.That would be too bad.Maybe the city is angling to ratchet up its long-term memberships.Kuhn said the higher increase isn’t necessarily to pay for the pool; the fee increase just happens to coincide the with opening of the pool.No doubt about it, Glenwood truly has a wonderful recreation complex that many cities would love to have.Now it’s just too bad you’ll have to pay to use all of it even if you only want to use part of it. Where are the options?Now it’s just too bad you’ll have to pay to use all of it even if you only want to use part of it. Where are the options?

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