Richardson City Council approved a new age-based tier structure for annual memberships by a vote of 6-1 during its May 3 meeting. Council Member Ken Hutchenrider voted against the revised fee structure.
While there was no discussion about the fee structure during the meeting, Hutchenrider said during council's April 26 meeting that he believed the nonresident membership price should be $50 per year for all age categories.
"I don't think that our residents should be subsidizing nonresidents," he said during the April 26 meeting.
The new fee structure will see those ages 50-54 paying $25 per year for a new resident membership or $50 per year for a nonresident membership. Seniors ages 55-79 will be charged $15 per year for a new resident membership or $30 per year for a nonresident membership. Those age 80 and up will be charged $5 per year for a new resident membership and $10 per year for a nonresident membership.
Seniors who previously purchased a $5 lifetime membership for the center before it closed last year would not be charged any fees for their continued membership.
Voters approved nearly $5 million in renovations to the senior center as part of Richardson’s 2015 bond package. Construction began in the early spring of last year, shortly before the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The renovated center is slated to open June 1.
The center, which is located at the corner of Arapaho Road and West Shore Drive, has served Richardson residents age 55 and older since 1993. Updates to the building will improve services, safety and efficiency in the aging building, city staff said last year.
"Your action tonight will let us go on with other kinds of outreach and [promotional] information that's important for us on our schedule of reactivation [of the senior center]," City Manager Dan Johnson told the council.
When the senior center reopens, it will have modified hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Smeby told council during its April 26 meeting.
