Membership Fees For Whitney Senior Center Approved By St. Cloud City Council

ST. CLOUD - Want to use the Whitney Senior Center next year?  It will cost you.  The St. Cloud City Council has approved a new membership plan and fee structure.

The annual fee will be $50 per person.  For St. Cloud residents, the city will pay down $40 of the fee, for a net cost of $10 a year.  Residents outside of St. Cloud will also be charged $50.  But, the city council says other area cities and counties have the option of a similar pay down for their residents.

St. Cloud residents are also able to apply for a scholarship to help cover the fee.

Councilwoman Carol Lewis was the lone council member who voted against the fee structure.  She says running and maintaining the Whitney Senior Center just comes with being a regional center.

The city has long looked for a way to create new revenue to operate Whitney.  They've reached out to the other metro area cities a number of times, but never heard back from them.

Officials say the membership fees are expected to generate about $50,000 a year.