Rec center fees inching up

The city’s Abe Montoya Recreation Center is implementing a new fee structure next week, which means higher prices for some people using the facility.

Art Trujillo/Optic photo

The Abe Montoya Recreation Center uses high-tech equipment to promote health and wellness. Here, Franchesca Flores (left) and Jazmine Harge, both lifeguards and fitness technicians, display a piece of equipment, resembling a regular bathroom scale, that measures body weight, fat and water content.

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Among the changes:

• Day swimming and gym passes will jump from $1 to $3, making the prices consistent with current charges for the fitness center and racquetball.

• Senior Circle swimming prices will go from 50 cents to $1.50.

• Monthly passes will cost $32, a $2 increase

• A new three-month, six- month and annual pass will be available at a cost of $86, $167 and $329, respectively.

• New $15 passes will be available for government employees, students and members of the military.

• New family passes will be available, allowing up to six members of a family residing at the same address to use the recreation center for $50 a month, $140 for three months, $275 for six months or $545 a year. The pass covers up to two adults and four children.

• And rental fees are being implemented for those who borrow the recreation center’s tables, chairs and its pitching machine.

“We’re still the lowest in the area, and we have one of the best facilities,” said Loretta Martin, the city’s recreation director.

The City Council unanimously approved the changes last week. The new fee structure will go into effect on Nov. 1 and is expected to generate up to $20,000 in additional revenue, Martin said. If the revenue increase materializes it could mean a slight drop in the general fund subsidy the recreation center currently receives.

“We’re just very excited to be implementing these changes because it does help our revenue, but it also helps us with consistency, and we’re trying to improve our fee structure and still accommodate the community,” she said.

Councilwoman Tonita Gurule-Giron told Martin earlier this month that she appreciated the fact that the fee structure is considerate of children and seniors. The new fee structure allows children to pay $1.50 for swimming and the gym, and it allows Senior Circle members to pay $1.50 for a day pass and for swimming. The monthly pass for seniors remains unchanged at $25. And students will now be able to buy a monthly pass for $15.

Martin said the recreation center is also implementing a new policy on the use of its lockers. Regulars currently aren’t charged for keeping a lock on the lockers they use for long periods of time.

Beginning Nov. 1, the recreation center will charge $10 a month for those who opt to keep a locker.

She said there would be no charge for those who use lockers just while they’re at the recreation center. In fact, the recreation center is encouraging everyone to lock their items up because of the vandalism and theft that has occurred. Those who show up at that recreation center without a lock can rent one for $1.