Mount Pleasant may waive recreation fees for “fully disabled” veterans

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The Town of Mount Pleasant continues to work on a plan for lowering the cost for fully disabled veterans in the community.

In a meeting earlier this week, the town’s finance committee met and approved for this program to move forward into council.

“Councilman Carl Ritchie presented it to the finance committee – to be able to allow veterans, 100% disabled veterans to use recreation facilities free of charge,” Steve Gergick, recreation director of Mount Pleasant, said.

The plan is expected to include the waiver of most fees except for personal training and facility rentals.

“We have a fantastic senior center. Senior center is for ages 50 and over so I would expect to have several veterans that are eligible for that,” Gergick said. “Our tennis program, memberships will be waived for that. Our swimming pool, for lap swimming, any use of our swimming pool – they won’t have to pay any fees for that. And then just any participation in any of the programs we have, if they want to participate in a sport or activity and there’s a normal fee for that – they won’t have to pay whatsoever.”

While the criteria for interested veterans is still being worked on, Gergick expects that this fee waiver will be around for a long time.

“Well, we’re just really excited to be able to offer this. I mean these people have offered so much to our country; they’ve given service to our country. This is a nice thing we’re able to do to be able to offer this back to them.”

If the waiver is passed in a second reading in December, the program will become active immediately.