© 2024 WVIK
Listen at 90.3 FM and 98.3 FM in the Quad Cities, 95.9 FM in Dubuque, or on the WVIK app!
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Government

Close or Sell the Life Fitness Center ?

Bettendorf Parks and Recreation

Hoping to make up for some of the revenue lost to the pandemic, Bettendorf may close or sell its Life Fitness Center. That's on the Monday night's agenda for the city council to discuss at the recommendation of City Administrator Decker Ploehn.

Ploehn says closing the Life Fitness Center would save the city about 150,000 dollars a year, and a sale could generate some revenue.

"But more importantly, different than 30 years ago, there are plenty of fitness center environments inside the city that weren't available years ago. And our memberships have been pretty flat for a while."

Bettendorf bought the facility back in the early 1980's when there were very few, similar centers in the area. It now has a couple of full-time employees, and quite a few part-timers.

Ploehn estimates the city has lost about 2 million dollars in revenue in recent months due to the pandemic, and will lose another 2 to 4 million during the fiscal year that begins next month. His other suggestions to save money include postponing the hiring of new police officers and firefighters. 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.