Kenai parent asks commission to lower weight room age limit

A Kenai parent told the city's Parks and Recreation Commission Thursday that the Kenai Recreation Center's age policy for the weight room is pushing local families to drive to other communities for something their kids could be doing across town — and pointed out, sharply, that the gym her 16-year-old was turned away from was empty at the time.

"As you see tonight, there were three people using the gym," Angie Kramer told the commission. "When he was turned away to use the weight room, there were zero people in the facility using it."

The Kenai Rec Center requires parental supervision for weight room users between 12 and 16. Kramer is asking the city to drop the independent-access age to 14, in line with what nearby facilities already allow. By her count, Nikiski Rec Center allows independent access starting at 14, Black River Fitness at 13, Fitness Place at 14, and All American Training at 13 — leaving Kenai as the most restrictive option in the area.

"I'm frustrated that I have to send my family to neighboring communities to access opportunities that are unavailable here due to restrictive policies," Kramer said. "Many other Kenai residents are doing the same. Let's encourage participants and make the most of our facilities, not push young adults elsewhere."

Parks and Recreation Director Tyler Best told the commission the current policy isn't driven by insurance requirements but is "operationally mandated," and noted that past complaints about misbehaving youth in the facility had played a role in the rule's history. He acknowledged no major legal barrier to changing the policy had been identified, though he and Kramer disagreed on the operational side.

Best said he will include Kramer's formal letter and a motion in the packet for the commission's next regular meeting on September 3. The August meeting had previously been canceled, meaning the policy review won't take its next step for nearly three months.