Brandon Twp.- An aquatics and fitness center rate increase that surfaced in September is giving a sinking feeling to some facility users.
‘I thought the increase was substantial and my biggest concern is that while some people can pay for it, a lot of seniors need the pool for health reasons and it will be hard for them to cover,? said township resident Cathy Genovese, who has a membership at the Brandon Aquatics and Fitness Center, 1025 S. Ortonville Road.
Her feelings were echoed at the school board meeting on Nov. 10, with one senior noting, ‘We are seniors are on a fixed income and don’t have a 60 percent increase in our budget.?
While membership rates vary and include individual, family, couple, and senior rates, an across-the-board increase raised the senior couple annual rates from $260 to $420, a 61 percent increase. The rate increases were implemented two months ago by Donna Wagner, the director of the center, and Brandon Schools Superintendent Lorrie McMahon, and take effect when memberships come up for renewal.
On average, Wagner said none of the rates went up more than $90 per person. She defended the increase, saying that the school district, which funds the aquatics and fitness center, is just like any other business in this economy, trying to do more with less.
‘The school district’s back is against the wall and we have to do something,? she said. ‘We considered cutting the hours the pool is open and turning down the water temperature, but then you’re just changing the faces of the people complaining and swapping one problem for another.?
Wagner did some comparisons with other area aquatics centers and the Brandon Aquatics and Fitness Center, open 52 hours a week, far outpaces Lake Orion (20 hours a week) and Clarkston (16 hours a week). Brandon also keeps the pool temperature at a toasty 82 degrees. To save money on heating, a major cost, the temperature would need to be dialed down to 77 degrees, but that would likely be uncomfortable for pool users, particularly seniors.
Heat and lights for the pool, which holds 300,000 gallons of water, are the biggest annual expense for the center. Pool chemicals are also pricey, more than $1,000 per month. Last year, the center paid $13,000 for chlorine, and so far this fiscal year (which began July 1 and ends June 30), $9,800 has been spent on chlorine. The center had an additional challege of two major repairs this year? a filter replacement that cost $11,000 and the replacement of heat exchangers at a cost of $10,000.
The center has about 80 members and the recent rate increase is only the second since it opened in October 1999, but after hearing concerns, Wagner and McMahon said they will look at fees and costs again and discuss if there are any other ways to save.
‘There will still be some kind of increase,? McMahon said. ‘We’re not looking at rolling everything back… People don’t realize, the district underwrites the cost of the pool.?