Thursday, OCTOBER 30, 2025 |
Photo – Saratoga Rec Center gym – Courtesy Platte Valley Community Center
In Saratoga, The Saratoga Recreation Commission is considering a policy that would require members to pay for gymnasium key FOBs.
During the October 15th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Recreation Director Carter Edwards said the Recreation Commission is reviewing gym membership rates at the Platte Valley Community Center. As part of those ongoing efforts, Edwards said the Commission would like to begin charging lower-tier members for their security access devices. The Recreation Director said the FOBs have gotten more expensive to replace.
Edwards said he would like to purchase 50 additional key fobs.
The Saratoga Recreation Department offers three membership levels: One Star, Two Star, and Gold Star. One Star members over the age of 13 receive unsupervised access to the gym and sports equipment. For an additional fee, Two Star members are eligible for unlimited access to the weight room or complimentary town-hosted fitness classes. Gold Star members enjoy all the benefits of the lower tiers, including access to both the weight room and fitness classes.
In addition to asking One Star members to pay for their initial key FOB, Recreation Director Edwards said the Commission is planning to require all members to pay a $7 fee to replace lost access devices. Edwards said the price increase will only apply to new One Star members.
Councilman Bub Barkhurst asked if people typically return their key FOBs when their membership expires. Since the town doesn’t require the FOBs to be returned, Edwards said most people simply keep them.
Councilman Jerry Fluty asked what prevents former members from using their FOBs to continue accessing the gym. Edwards explained that the devices automatically expire when the membership ends.
Edwards said he can reset the FOB when a person renews their membership.
Mayor Chuck Davis suggested tracking down former members to collect expired key FOBs so they can be reused.
Rec Director Edwards said he isn’t concerned with retrieving old FOBs. Instead, the Recreation Commission is trying to recoup the town’s increased overhead costs through membership fees.
Mayor Davis instructed Edwards to order new key FOBs and work with the Recreation Commission on the new membership rates. Once the fees are set, the Town Council can vote them into effect.
Edwards said he’ll have the key FOB purchase ready for the next Saratoga Town Council meeting on November 5th. In the meantime, the Rec Director will coordinate with the Recreation Commission on the new gym membership rates.
