By Lori EhdeAt their Tuesday meeting the Pool Commission approved a 3-percent rate increase for memberships at the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center.The rates, which will go into effect in 2006, will allow the center to keep up with its own rising costs, Pool Commission members reasoned.They cited a 3-percent raise for employees, recently negotiated by the city, along with projected energy cost increases for heat this winter."I think 3-percent is reasonable," said Commission member Karen Radisewitz, "especially if you consider a 3-percent cost of living increase."Pool and Fitness Center Supervisor Samantha Honermann said she feared the rate hike might be a hardship for some members, who are already paying higher gas prices to drive there.On the other hand, she and Commission members agreed that smaller, more regular increases are more easily tolerated than less frequent, larger rate hikes."Back when we had the 15-percent increase, there were over 100 opt-outs (members opting not to renew their contracts)," Honermann said. "We sure don’t want that again."The Pool Commission’s rate hike decision needs to be approved by both the City Council and the County Board, since the facility is a joint effort of the two governments.If approved, the rate change would increase a family pool and fitness membership from $380.19 per year to $391.60. An individual pool and fitness membership would increase from $243.19 per year to $250.49. An individual fitness only or pool-only membership would increase from $135.03 per year to $139.08. The Commission is comprised of representatives from the City Council, County Board and concerned citizens.In other business Tuesday, Honerman updated the Commission on memberships, which are holding steady at 1,067 contracts. "But we have a ton of renewals coming due in December and January, so we’ll see where we’re at after that," Honermann said.Commission member Linda Bakken asked Lois Nelson, a Commission member from Hills, if the fitness center there is used much.She said she often sees cars parked there, but said she’d look into it.Honerman said she’d watch the Hills residents’ contracts at the Pool and Fitness Center in Luverne to see if the Hills fitness center is affecting pool memberships.She also reported that the Blue Cross Blue Shield $20 premium discount for fitness membership has been good for the facility. "It has helped us, and I think it will continue to do so," she said.Last year the facility had 215 non-Luverne resident memberships, and this year there are 164.For promotions, Honermann said staff members are considering holiday promotions. "We were thinking about something along the lines of ‘Give the gift of fitness for Christmas,’" she said.That promotion may include a free month with a yearly membership.When she asked the Commission for other promotional ideas, Commission member Kraig Rust suggested a triathlon challenge."We’ve got people who swim, and we’ve got people who run, and we have bikes," he said.He said teams and individuals challenging each other could generate interest in both fitness and in joining the Pool and Fitness Center.Honermann said she liked the idea and would talk to staff about organizing it.