After a discussion that lasted about an hour, Sachse City Council has settled on hours of operation, membership fees and reservation fees for the new community center.

Council fine-tuned these details during their July 15 regular meeting. The center is under construction and slated for completion in December.

They first discussed hours and fees in June, giving Parks and Recreation Director Lance Whitworth their opinions on what they hoped to see. Whitworth came back last week to present final options.

Hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday. The proposal passed 6-1, with Councilmember Brett Franks voting no – he preferred later hours and staying open on Monday.

Membership fees proved the most contentious topic. Whitworth proposed $10 a year for residents and $30 a year for non-residents, family rates of $25 a year for residents and $75 a year for non-residents, and senior and veteran discounts making it free for residents and $10 a year for non-residents.

In a 5-2 decision, council voted to double fees for residents – they will pay $20 a year, or $50 for family rates. Fees for non-residents increased to $40 a year and $100 for families. The reduced prices for seniors and veterans remained the same as in the proposal.

For the full story, see the July 25 issue or subscribe online.

By Morgan Howard • [email protected]