Two Carroll business owners came forward at Monday night’s city council meeting on a proposed change at the Carroll Rec Center that they believe creates competition between the government-led organization and their private enterprises. The council had been discussing rate increases for members, but they were also working on a move toward offering 24-hour access to a limited portion of the facility for a nominal, $10 per person fee over and above the regular rate. Council member Mike Kots says he is a proponent of the plan and glad to see it moving forward. However Clay Haley says he has heard some feedback from the community on this topic.
Council members debated the premise of unfair competition, with Kots saying it is a fine line. “Why do we purchase state-of the-art equipment then?” he asked. He says this is an additional service to their members and it is hard to quantify how much of what they offer is a want versus a need. Jen Macke, owner of Anytime Fitness, says there are people that use both the Rec Center and the private businesses, and the ability to access the gyms at any time is a luxury that private business capitalizes on. One member lost to the Rec Center is revenue lost, and she has already been told of the potential loss of future clientele.
Tony Wernimont, owner, manager and head trainer of Platinum Fitness, says he elected to move to and operate a business in Carroll because of their staunch support of small business. The community is blessed to have access to the Rec Center, he says, and he believes the private sector and city can coexist in a complimentary way, filling the gaps in needs the other cannot meet. However, 24-hour service is not a compliment.
Kots again stresses he does not want to compete, but he also does not want to limit the services offered Rec clients. Mayor, Eric Jensen does not like the idea of competition either.
The council is seeking public input on the proposal, and will bring the topic back at future meetings. In the interim, they did move forward with the adoption of new membership rates and a resolution for policy change for membership and admission fees on unanimous votes. They then accepted a bid from Drees Company for the purchase of 24-hour access cameras and control technology on a vote of five in favor and one, Haley, against. Copies of all the supporting documents and the full discussion can be found with this story on our website.
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