Communication sent Tuesday, January 26th

 

Dear Members,

 

On behalf of all at Stafford Hills Club, THANK YOU for your support and patience during these very challenging times.  We assure you that the Club continues to use hospital grade disinfectants and protocols to ensure your safety and the safety of our staff.  Please take a few moments to read the entire message as there are many important items to update you on and the state of Stafford Hills.

 

Good News:  Indoor Fitness will be allowed in a limited capacity beginning Friday January 29th.  Access will be by reservation only, through the APP or your account online.  Masks for indoor fitness will be required and Group Exercise will continue to be outdoors, until further notice. More information can be found HERE.

 

We truly appreciate your words of encouragement, support, and participation to help us keep our doors open. The Club and our community will be stronger and safer in the long run because of what we learned in 2020.  We have gone to great lengths to remain mostly open while retaining as many employees and services as possible.  As a result of sound business planning over the years, the Club has been able to manage the substantial operating losses with emergency reserves on hand.  Every attempt has been made to reduce expenses, without sacrificing quality.

 

We understand that some services such as court reservations, lap swim and aquatics classes are in high demand, however, the harsh reality is overall membership numbers have decreased by 40% since March of 2020.  In short, existing members are using the Club more than ever and we will take steps to create more equitable solutions for all members regarding Advance Reservations.  We appreciate your understanding and support for other members as we strive to provide vital services for as many as possible.

 

As we reopen different facets of the Club, we will need your full support in 2021.  With membership numbers drastically reduced, we ask you to refer your friends & family to help us rebuild the membership.   We promise to do our part to remain the premier Full-Service Club in the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on quality vs. quantity.

 

Below are the recent improvements in 2020 around the Club, critical membership information and scheduled upgrades.  Our most significant and exciting upcoming improvement will be our Club Software and APP upgrade coming at the end of February.  More details to come soon!

 

Membership

• Tennis membership has decreased 15%
• Fitness/Aquatics membership has decreased 45%
• Overall membership has decreased 40%
• Current members have increased their usage averages, resulting in high demand for reservations
• Guests are prohibited at this time

 

Club Software

• Upgrading February 23rd (Detailed software upgrade FAQ’s and instructions will be emailed throughout February)
• Improved functionality for you, seamless reservations and simpler account management for members

 

Kids Club

• Substantial remodeling is now complete!  For your children’s safety, more square footage and security doors were added.
• Kids Club will reopen on a future date to be determined.  Please sign up to be notified of future reopening dates HERE

 

Aquatics

• New pool heaters have arrived and are scheduled to be installed in early 2021
• Pool mechanical room will be re-engineered to increase efficiency and maintain exceptional water quality and temperature
• Our Club goal is to increase lap lane availability in 2021

 

Fitness

• All new Technogym cardio equipment has been installed and is ready for use when our Fitness Floor reopens
• State-of-the-art UV air filters were installed on the Fitness Floor and Group Ex rooms to provide extra-safe and clean air
• Over 300 Virtual Fitness Classes have been delivered and we offer new MyWellness APP for Live Streaming
• Skybox Fitness will continue to be available for reservations
• The renovated fitness floor now provides more space for functional training

 

Tennis

• New easy-to-use account and court management tools are coming with software upgrade – more info to come in February
• Men’s Night & Ladies Day/Night to resume in February
• Our Club goal is to increase court availability in 2021
• Private lesson pricing updates here
• Ball machine usage updates here

 

We look forward to brighter days ahead and we continue to be optimistic about the future.  With your help, we will rebuild our SHC community, and we are grateful and proud to have you as members.

 

Regards,

Evan Zupancic, COO/General Manager

 

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SHC Reopening Thursday 12/3

 

Dear Members:

 

We truly appreciate your support as we temporarily closed in compliance with the Governor’s Executive Order.   Last Wednesday, the Governor issued new reopening rules that will allow some parts of our campus to reopen on December 3rd while others must remain temporarily closed.

 

In general, SHC outdoor activities will reopen.  Our Team has made great effort to relocate some of our fitness equipment so that it can be used safely in compliance with government guidelines.  If the reopening rules allow for your chosen activities, you may make reservations for those activities via your online account or SHC APP.  Note:  All Club usage now requires a reservation.  Please continue to follow all our safety protocols and be respectful of others.  If you have questions, please feel free to email us at info@staffordhills.com or call 503-612-2400 (phone lines will be open Wednesday 9AM-5PM).

 

Our Team remains absolutely committed to your health, safety and wellness.  We will continue to sanitize, disinfect and follow proven hygienic practices to keep our staff and members safe and well.

 

It is an understatement to say that 2020 has been a challenging year. Because of your loyalty and support, and the incredible efforts of our Team Members, we are weathering the storm and will emerge from this crisis stronger and wiser.  The FDA-approved vaccines and other medicines are coming, and we are hopeful that our indoor activities will be allowed to resume very soon.  In the meantime, please accept our thanks for your continuing confidence, trust, and willingness to adjust.

 

2021 will be a great year for rebuilding and personal recommitment.  Be assured we will be there with you every step of the way.  Like many other locally owned family businesses, we will need your support to help us rebuild the community we have spent the last 8 years developing.   May we be among the first to wish you Happy Holidays and a Healthy COVID-free New Year.

 

See you at the Club very soon,

 

Evan Zupancic

General Manager and COO

 

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PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION

Dear Stafford Hills Club Members:

 

On Monday I sent you an email explaining how we planned to comply with the Governor’s directive as it relates to Stafford Hills Club.  On Tuesday, we were served with an OSHA complaint filed by a complainant citing language from my email.  Later on Tuesday, the Governor issued Executive Order 20-65 (the “Order”) specifying that all “Gyms and Fitness Organizations” are to be closed until December 2, with no definition of what constitutes a gym or fitness organization.

 

The Governor’s Order is very confusing and ambiguous.  The OSHA Complaint against us is even more confusing and vague.  In general:

 

• the State incorrectly lumps us into the generic “gym and fitness organizations” category even though we have a multipurpose campus with many outdoor activities;
• guidelines issued today by the Oregon Health Authority allow “Outdoor Recreation Organizations” to continue to operate; and
• other exemptions for activities like outdoor recreation and outdoor sports, youth programs and food service apparently do not apply to us.

 

In sum, we feel that the State is trying to do surgery with a shovel.  Unfortunately, unless we comply by shutting the Club down, we risk huge financial fines and possible criminal prosecution.

 

Therefore, we must close the Club through December 2, 2020, and we will work to obtain clarification on why we cannot operate in the safe, limited and reasonable way as we proposed.   Again, based on the science and the data, Stafford Hills Club has proven to be among the safest venues in the state.  Over the next two weeks, we will do all we can to convince the Governor that we are a safe, responsible and disciplined community.  Our Stafford Hills Club is not part of the problem, but instead is a part of the solution.

 

What can you do to help?  Please email the Governor and your State Legislators and tell them why you believe Stafford Hills Club should remain open under the clear and reasonable limitations we established.  Your voice matters and we urge you to write today to express your views.  The email contact information is:

 

Governor.Brown@state.or.us

Sen.RobWagner@oregonlegislature.gov

Rep.RachaelPrusak@oregonlegislature.gov

 

Sadly, many of our employees will need to be furloughed during this temporary closure.  Live Streaming and On Demand classes will continue to be available at www.staffordhills.com/shcmobile.  If your personal trainer or instructor plans to offer private virtual sessions, they will reach out to you.

We thank you for your continued support and help.  Be well, stay safe and please do your best to stay active during this temporary shutdown.  We will get through this together.

 

My grateful regards,

 

Jim Zupancic

Chairman and CEO