The Madison City Commission voted Monday night to put $40,000 toward upgrades to the Community Center. That money will come not just from members but from all taxpayers.
Included in the planned upgrades for our town's best exercise facility: possibly as much as $14,500 for television screens... because heaven knows you can't exercise without watching TV. The Community Center Facilities committee wants 15" TVs in front of all cardio machines and bigger TVs for viewing from the stationary bikes and weight machines. They also want big screens in the lobby to "connect and interact with patrons/students by providing scheduling information, compelling announcements, snapshots/videos of the action, and much more."
I'm curious what those hi-def announcements will compel us to do... and just whose "action" the community center staff will be snapping for broadcast.
Meanwhile, I'll keep bicycling and running outside, with no TV, no radio, no iPod... and no membership fee.
We should expect more from ourselves when we look at these sorts of 'wow factor' costs, and how they impact far too many families and members of our community, often referred to, and probably least acknowledged, the working poor.
We should be finding ways to greatly reduce the costs for such facilities, and increase the usage of the Community Center, as its been pointed out before on Madville by previous comments, its benefits are indeed positive and healthy. With that in mind, its not only reckless and self-centered to be concerned with 'wow factors', it may just be morally questionable.
Madison has a lot going for it, but a culture of serving the best, i.e. prospective business owners over the workers which they may employ, that's not a progressive or healthy path for a successful and diverse community.
Although, I'm sure we could program those flat-screens with info-graphics and charts saying how great we are, and how fortunate we are to have drawn some millionaire business owner's low-paying jobs, maybe even with charts from the infamous LAIC Housing Study (that's why they've been holding back our information, waiting on those flat-screens to be installed, then in that case, let's get those screens up today)
To take taxpayer dollars, in the wake of the education disaster, and give it to the Community Center is as absurd as giving Keystone money to build their pipeline through SD. For one thing, the CC is a luxury, not a necessity; for another, they're not very responsive to the taxpayer or the member. I had a membership at the Community Center, but I quit. I found them completely unresponsive regarding classes (there have been repeated requests over years for yoga, tai chi, and other classes, and from more than me - result? nada). I have heard repeatedly from teachers and former teachers that they don't pay squat. And their whole focus re training, equipment, and fitness, seems to be primarily on the young. (There's only one exercise class for "active and ageless".) So I bought a treadmill for those winter days, and the rest of the time, I walk outside. If the CC wants $, let them get members the old fashioned way - EARN THEM. Provide what we want, instead of what they think we need.
Giving money to the community center is in no way like giving money to Keystone, but nice overreaction.
We can debate the merits of the new TV's, I'm open to that discussion. I guess if they buy them in town... whatever. We're talking about $15,000. The City's share of that we be what $9000? Don't we have that in a shoebox somewhere?
At any rate, Cory and Chris probably have a point there.
Eve, however, does not. The CC is not some faceless corporation. It's us. It's Madison. We built it, so it is right that it is up to us to maintain it. If it needs new paint, carpet and tile, then by god we need to put it in. A $60,000 renovation every ten years for a heavily used, building. Seems resonabile to me.
And my apologies for misspelling reasonable. I don't know what was going on there.
Always willing to be unreasonable when I feel like I'm getting fleeced. On the other hand, what's unreasonable about asking the CC to be responsive to the needs and desires of the people who use it? What's unreasonable about not being happy about $40K going for "wow" factor for a place that charges $505 per family, $425 for a couple, etc.? What's unreasonable about being sick of hearing about how "it's our community center" when we who were here know that the voting for it was manipulated and most people in Madison didn't want it? Oh, well, back to lurking.
I wish our city parks had more "Wow" factor. I wish our bike trial had more "Wow" factor. I want to live in a community that has enough common sense and pride to say, "If the floor needs to be fixed we'll fix it, and to heck with the those who say we shouldn't."
Family memberships for fitness centers is Sioux Falls are far more expensive than Madison, and offer far less in terms of product. Some family memberships are over a thousand dollars a year in nearby towns! Seems like Madison is affordable.
Now I can't speak to problems you've had with the staff or programs. I do know plenty of people who enjoy the classes offered, and I myself have always felt well treated. But I suppose it would be inappropriate to make blanket statements based on my own personal experience. That would be unreasonable, don't you think?
The funding used for these improvements is coming from a reserve account specifically set up for capital improvements to the community center. You can question the need for televisions in a fitness center, but this is the community center coming forward asking to use the funds for specific improvements. I agree with Matt, we need to continue to make improvements to our community facilities.
Coming from Sioux Falls, I paid close to $50 a month for use of the YMCA for a single. A Family membership is over $100. That equates to over 1k a year for a family. You can find cheaper facilities if you are just looking for exercise equipment. I think $505 per family per year is a steal for what you are getting even if you didn't have the classes. Throw in 60k every 10 years and Madison has a really nice facility for everyone at a decent price.
It seems no matter who or what tries to keep something that is good for the community there are always debates. It seems to me if the high school would have made improvement every ten years rather than just get by we wouldnt be in the situation we are in now. If you didnt like the center it isn't mandatory to join. Sit in front of computer and complain.
Quick point:
The money does come from the CC maintenance reserve. We also have to replace it by state law, within the next year. Somewhere, 40K will be coming out of the City budget next year.
Joyce, it's too bad it's mandatory that I contribute tax dollars (and tuition!) to support the community center. I am happy to sit at the computer and complain... especially a nice jog outside, no price of admission.
$40K here, so much there - it's amazing how much money there is for various odds and ends. Except education. That's it, my bitch for the day.
Cory, congratulations on having the gumption to exercise outdoors in all kinds of weather, but some of us don't have that inclination when the wind is blowing 30mph and gust pelt us with sand, nor does running when it is around a 100 degrees or 5 degrees seem like much fun. Rain and snow may be celebrated in poetry, but for routine exercise not so much.
We find an exercise bicycle in front of a TV results in consistent exercising and less of the syndrome with nylons drying on the exerciser. Some things that may seem like extravagance may actually be worth the money.