(The Center Square) – The city of Spokane is seeking bids for around $3,000 worth of gym equipment.
While the request for quotes may seem unusual to local taxpayers who aren’t allowed to use the equipment, Public Works Director Marlene Feist said it’s about retaining good employees. Spokane published the RFQ to the city’s procurement portal last Wednesday, with those bids due by this Friday.
“The City of Spokane Wastewater Maintenance department is seeking quotes for gym equipment. All pricing shall include assembly, delivery, and installation of the noted equipment,” according to the brief description online. “Delivery time, in addition to price, may be considered in award determination.”
According to the procurement dashboard, the city is seeking quotes for three pieces of equipment: a Schwinn Airdyne AD7 Bike, an adjustable weight bench from Hoist Fitness and a leg press/hack squat machine from Body-Solid. Communications Director Erin Hut said it all costs about $2,000 to $3,000.
The bike retails at roughly $1,099 on sale, the bench at $675 and the combo leg machine at $1,735.
Feist said Spokane has gyms that city employees are allowed to use on their lunch breaks and before or after work. There is a gym at City Hall, the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility, Wastewater Collections on Sprague Avenue and another at the Spokane Central Service Center on Nelson Street.
The city’s fire stations also have gyms, and Fiest said, “I believe the Public Safety Building has one, too.”
City Hall uses its gym, the wastewater team uses the Riverside Park gym and the other gym off Sprague, and the solid waste, fleet, and streets employees use the gym on Nelson Street.
Fiest told The Center Square that the RFQ is to replace some older equipment at the gym off Sprague.
Hut said the money is available in the Water Division’s annual operating budget of roughly $60 million.
Taxpayers will ultimately pay for the equipment through their utility bills for water services, she said.
“We do support healthy life choices for our employees for their own benefit, of course, but also as part of work to try to manage our health benefit costs (the City is self-insured), reduce absenteeism and retain good employees,” Feist told The Center Square in an email.
