Kristin Christenson has watched the Timbers of Eureka thrive over the last 10 years.
The current Eureka Parks and Recreation Department director was a recreation supervisor in the department when the city’s recreation center opened its doors in October 2013.
She has overseen the daily operation of the Timbers.
“I remember the day we opened coming in (that) morning and thinking ‘OK, is anyone going to come?’ and the city has really embraced the Timbers,” Christenson said. “I definitely see the value of it, so it’s really exciting to have been there when we opened and to still be here 10 years later.”
The Timbers, 1 Coffey Park Lane, features a large outdoor pool, fitness center and gymnasium for members and one-day guests to use to exercise and stay healthy.
“This was something that the community had wanted for a really long time,” Christenson said.
Beginning this month, the Timbers will start celebrating its 10-year anniversary, building up to a celebration when the facility officially turns a decade old in October.
“We’ll have something special each month leading up to October, and then in October, we’re going to have a big Timbers birthday party,” Christenson said. “For example, (in) January we’re going to have a fitness challenge.”
The details for each month are still being finalized, but Christenson said March’s event will be geared toward March Madness, the nickname for the NCAA men’s basketball national championship tournament. She said there will be a members-only pool party in June, and pickleball will be highlighted in August.
“In October, we’re going to do kind of like an open-house-style event with giveaways and different activities going on throughout the facility,” Christenson said.
Growth
The Timbers had 300 members when it opened, and membership has ballooned to 2,342, with four different membership options for residents of Eureka and non-residents.
The membership has continued to grow despite the challenges brought forth from the COVID-19 pandemic, which Eureka Finance Director Barbara Flint said shut down the facility to the public for about four months during the summer of 2020. She also said the rec center’s revenue stream was impacted by the pandemic.
The Timbers collected $909,497 in various fees from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019. The largest revenue source was $561,636 from membership fees, according to city records.
The Timbers generated $618,951 in revenue for the next 12 months and only $484,843 during the stretch from July 2020 through June 2021, highlighting the impact that the pandemic had on the facility, Flint said.
“(The Timbers) revenue has been increasing since COVID,” she said.
Covering costs
The revenue does not cover all of the costs to operate the facility, as expenses for 2018-19 were $1,124,351. The pandemic decreased the expenses to $1,005,495 in the next budget period and $840,757 from July 2020 through June 2021.
That difference between revenue and expenses is made up through proceeds from the city’s sales tax for parks improvements and stormwater control as well as governmental and non-governmental grants, community events and other sources.
The 1/2-cent sales tax was approved by voters in November 2000 and first collected in May 2001.
A 2008 survey of residents indicated that they would most like to see money from the sales tax used for a recreation center and trail system. The Board of Aldermen voted to approve using the tax to cover the cost of the Timbers.
Along with covering the Timbers’ operational budget, the tax also generated revenue to pay the Certificate of Participation Obligation, the bonds used to construct the Timbers. The payment for the most recent year (July 2020 through June 2021) was $125,109.
There were two bonds used to construct the Timbers, with one taken out in 2011 and the other in 2012. Flint said both were paid off in August 2022 using proceeds of the utility sales.
The recent upward trend financially, coupled with the payment of the bonds, signals the sign of a good investment for Eureka, officials said.
Current revenue and membership also display indications that the Timbers is positioned to continue its success, Christenson said.
“Our numbers are back, higher than they were pre-COVID,” she said. “I think part of that is people just wanting to get back out of the house again, but I think people really missed having this place and having that community of people to kind of rely on and to communicate with.”
Membership
Christenson said that there are currently 149 adult memberships, 169 couples memberships, 457 family memberships, 106 senior memberships, 26 youth memberships, 1,327 SilverSneakers and Renew Active memberships at the Timbers.
The SilverSneakers and Renew Active memberships are for Medicare-eligible adults, who are usually 65 and older but some can be younger if they qualify for health reasons, according to the Parks and Recreation website. These memberships are the same as basic memberships to the Timbers, giving the person free fitness classes, use of the facility and the lowest cost on programs and rentals.
Those eligible for SilverSneakers and Renew Active do not have to be residents of Eureka.
“A lot of those people who are on Medicaid could not afford the monthly fee, so this is a way for them to utilize the facility, not only for health and for exercise, but for the socialization aspect for the programming,” Christenson said.
The SilverSneakers membership accounts for more than half of the memberships, and Christenson said there also has been an uptick in these numbers since COVID restrictions were lifted.
The Timbers offers four other membership plans with different rates for residents and non-residents as well as adults, families, couples and youths and seniors.
An adult, 18 to 59 years old who is a resident can purchase a membership for $32.50 monthly, while a non-resident adult can buy one for $40.50 per month.
A family membership, which can include up to five people with two adults and dependents under the age of 24 living in the same home, costs $49 for residents and $65.50 for others. Additional dependents cost $50 per year.
The senior membership, for those 60 years of age and older, costs $24 for residents monthly and $32.50 for others. These same rates apply to youths (12-17 years old).
Couple memberships are offered for two people living in the same residence, one of whom must be at least 12 years old. The cost for this membership is $40.50 monthly for residents and $57.50 for others.
Eureka businesses can offer employees three plans, with adults able to join for a monthly rate of $36.50, or couples can join for $49.50 monthly. Families can join for a monthly rate of $57.50.
Christenson said a discounted membership geared toward students, educators, military and first responders was eliminated because of the strict qualifications that needed to be met. The 39 current members under this plan will continue, but it will not be offered to anyone else.
She also said the Timbers made a shift to eliminate annual memberships, opting instead to primarily offer month-to-month memberships.
“We’ve actually found that (the change) has increased our numbers as far as memberships go,” Christenson said.
All welcome
The Timbers also offers daily passes, with 20 passes for a year available at three different price points for residents and non-residents. A Eureka resident adult can buy 20 passes for $110 with a non-resident paying $135; a resident youth pass is $95 with others paying $105; and a senior resident 20-pass plan costs $85 with others paying $95.
Christenson said the daily rate for member check-ins is 228 people, with the summer months being the busiest.
The Timbers also offers rates for those looking to visit for a single day: Residents who fall under the youth category can use the facility for $6, adults $7 and seniors $5, with non-residents charged $2 more.
“Year-to-date, we’ve had 5,595 people pay the daily rate to use the facility,” Christenson said on Dec. 28.
That number amounts to slightly more than 15 daily rate users per day, an increase of three people from 2017.
The Timbers attracts a good mix of age groups, and Christenson said a main reason for this is the different programs offered, ranging from pickleball to daily fitness classes to recreational basketball leagues.
“I think we have a really wide variety of classes,” she said. “We stay pretty busy around here.”
Activities
Senior activities, including lunches twice a month, are offered alongside camps, athletics, a beginner bridge class, a chess club and bingo, Christenson said.
She said those activities can be offered because of the staff.
“The two things I strive for are you know, good customer service and a clean facility,” Christenson said. “My staff is really great, and I can just let them do their jobs. And that’s a great place to be, especially as boss, just having people that you trust completely and you know that they all have the best interest of the city at heart.”
Looking to the future, Christenson said city officials currently have no plans to expand the facility.
“Everybody always wants bigger and more,” Christenson said. “No plans at this point, but you know, (expanding is) always a possibility.”