SPRINGDALE — Jim Humphreys spends a lot of his time at the Springdale Youth Center walking around the track and working out.
“I don’t want to spend my time laying on the couch and not be able to do anything,” Humphreys said.
Humphreys, 86, won’t have to wait in line to renew his membership anymore. In fact, he won’t even have to pay for it.
At A Glance
Springdale Youth Center
Yearly membership fees:
-18 and younger: $12
-19 to 54: $24
-55 to 79: $20
-80 and older: free
-Family: $60
Source: City Of Springdale
Memberships at the Youth Center will now run for 12 months from the time of sign-up rather than following the calendar year, said Rick McWhorter, parks and recreation director. Memberships are also free for those 80 and older.
The Youth Center policy was to provide those 80 and older with free memberships, but it didn’t have council approval, McWhorter said. The resolution approved by the council Feb. 5 corrects that, he said.
“There are a lot of people 80 and over that come in,” Humphreys said.
The change to the staggered membership terms came after the center purchased and installed new computer software, said Andrew Proffitt, center director.
“That gave us the capability of a 12-month membership from when it was purchased,” he said.
Previously, those who purchased a membership after the first of the year paid a prorated rate, McWhorter said. For the first three months, new members paid 100 percent of the cost. The amount was reduced by 25 percent every three months, meaning a person who signed up for the last three months of year, paid 25 percent of the fee.
“If someone joined near the end of March, they would pay the same as a person who joined the first day of January,” McWhorter said. “If they came in a week later, they would pay less. It didn’t seem fair.”
The new software system includes photo IDs, which are scanned for each entry. An employee sees a green or red light after the scan. Red means the member needs to renew.
Previously, one or two extra workers were needed in January to handle the volume of membership renewals, McWhorter said.
Humphreys said sometimes he had to wait in line.
The Youth Center includes basketball and volleyball courts, a fitness center, a track and a game room. Each year, 3,000 to 3,500 join the center, McWhorter said.