By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
After sending a request for information on pricing from area fitness
centers, the City of Great Bend is ready to change how they offer gym membership
benefits to employees. For the past couple of years, the city has paid for a
single gym membership for all employees to Club 1 Fitness. The employee is responsible
for the $128 gym tax taken out of their paychecks once a year whether they use the fitness center or not. The gym membership with Club 1 was set to terminate
at the end of June.
Recognizing approximately 80% of the city’s 160 employees do not make
use of the benefit, Great Bend Human Resources Director Randy Keasling said the
new option will be paid entirely by the employee only if they want the
membership.
"This would be voluntary," said Keasling. "If you wanted to sign up you could. We would sign up people if they want to stay with Club 1. It wouldn't be a mandatory thing like it is right now."
RELATED STORY: Gym manager looking to renew City of Great Bend memberships
If an employee wants to continue a gym membership with Club 1, the city will
allow payroll deductions. Going forward, staff will have an option of signing
up for the membership as a new hire or during open enrollment of benefits in
October. The city will also inform employees of the other local fitness center
options.
"The other facilities in town offer some great things as well," said Keasling. "Whether it's a 24-hour access or a place that charges $50 a year for a single membership. I've already started working on a memo that we would send to staff that explains all of this very clearly. It lets them know what options are out there for them."
Keasling said three of the four fitness centers that responded stated they
would offer city employees a membership discount. Club 1 offers city employees
an $11 discount per month for a single membership plan.