City Council OKs Opening Community Center to ‘Corporate Memberships’

As a way to boost economic development, Brecksville City Council OK’d a proposal that will provide corporate memberships to the Community Center for taxpaying non-residents.

In other words, they are discount incentives for people who work here, but don’t live here.

Mayor Jerry Hruby introduced the proposal at a city council meeting earlier this month.

After some discussion, council agreed to cap the number of corporate memberships at 500.

“I talked to about a dozen people about and not one single person has an issue,” said councilman Rex Mack during council’s legislation committee meeting.

For the past year, the city has participated in a pilot program that opened up the recreation center to non-residents at $225 per member. Residents pay $195 per year, per person.

Hruby suggested making the pilot program permanent. And with three businesses in town asking about joining, Hruby said it makes sense.

“I don’t see this as having any kind of negative impact,” he said earlier this month.

“It’s a good economic development tool.” 

Tom Tupa, the city’s recreation director, recently told Brecksville Patch that there are about 12,000 total visitors to the Community Center each year. Between 600 and 1,000 people attend each day, he added.

Corporate membership will not apply to employees’ families.