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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRB Meeting Minutes 5.7.25 FINAL 1 MINUTES West University Place Parks and Recreation Board (PRB) Meeting Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ______________________________________________________________________ Location: City Hall conference room Chair: Stephanie Magers Secretary: Richard Cunningham Board members present: Sarah Barnett, Rebecca (Beck) Brownlie, Richard Cunningham, Stephen Damiani, Maryann Grahmann, Laura (Lulu) Lopez, Stephanie Magers, and Arlene Wells Board members absent: Ryan Firth, Lauren Grifith, and Sami Morrison Staff: Brittany Bakes, Dr. Willette T. Middleton, and Susan White Council members: None Visitors: (Maria) Patricia Baroek, Sebastien Bombarde, Alida Drews, Hari Gopu, Lori Hill, Chantell Preston, Bill Ridgway, Karen Ridgway, and Margaret Salem I. Call to Order: Stephanie Magers called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. II. Citizen Comments: Alida Drews shared concerns over city services in general. (Other visitors asked if they could speak later in the meeting, when specific items were being discussed.) III. Approval of the minutes from the April 2, 2025 PRB Meeting: Lulu Lopez motioned, and Maryann Grahmann seconded. Approved unanimously. IV. Final Pickleball / Tennis Committee Recommendations: Nina Springer (online). After receiving public comments on previous recommendations and input from PRB members, Nina reported that the previous recommendations have not substantially changed. They are: 1) that the tennis courts at Wier Park be restriped to accommodate two pickleball courts per court, and that removable regulation nets be used; 2) that most of the separation fence will be removed; 3) that the removable pickleball nets be stored along the outer side fences of each court, and 4) to keep the current tennis court line locations and layout. Nina said the Pickleball / Tennis Committee considered three categories of opposition to additional pickleball courts: 1) Increased traffic around the courts as it related to parking and public safety; 2) reduced tennis court availability, and 3) increased noise. Two types of noise were mentioned, the noise of the pickleball itself, and loud music that some court users elect to play. The committee recommended taking no action on either of these points. V. Citizen Comments regarding the pickleball and tennis committee recommendations: Sebastien Bombarde suggested that pickleball players could be asked to use the type of pickleball that makes less noise, rather than requiring less noisy paddles as well. Requiring players to buy new paddles would be a burden for some, but switching to quieter pickleballs would be an easy fix. Patricia Baroek also spoke about noise levels based on her experience at a multi-court facility and with various types of equipment. 2 Chantell Preston spoke against requiring quieter paddles and balls. Let people make the shift on their own, but don’t mandate the change. Margaret Salem asked that the sport of pickleball not be singled out as a noise nuisance, since other sports, including tennis, basketball, or simply children playing in the parks are not regulated. She suggested leaving the issue of pickleball noise unregulated for now. (Nina Springer signed off from the meeting) Karen Ridgway suggested that it is not fair to single out the noise of pickleball when other sports and outdoor activities are just as noisy. Hary Gopu (a Tennis / Pickleball committee member) noted that the committee’s recommendations are unbiased. They summarized all the information that has been gathered. He suggested a balanced approach that stays away from mandating the use of particular equipment or focuses on one sport over another. Board members discussed Nina Springer’s presentation and the various citizen comments, then finalized their recommendations to City Council as follows:  Lulu Lopez introduced a motion to add two additional pickleball courts to the tennis courts at Wier Park. Stephen Damiani seconded the motion. Unanimous approval.  Arlene Wells motioned to remove a portion of the middle divider between the tennis courts. Beck Brownlie seconded. Unanimous approval.  Richard Cunningham motioned to table any noise abatement measures for six to twelve months and to revisit the issue if it is still a concern in 2026. Signs at the court and language added to the reservations page can be included to encourage pickleball players use quieter balls and paddles, but it is not a requirement. Beck Brownlie seconded. Unanimous approval. Susan White noted that recommended improvements to the courts in Wier Park should be completed by the end of May. She added that her department is still negotiating with the software provider on updates to the overall reservation system, which will include pickleball and tennis. VI. Programming Committee Recommendations / Update: Lulu Lopez reported on upcoming special events in the parks. Susan White read a comment from Lauren Griffith regarding holiday names and sensitivities to religious connotations. Lauren noted that non-Christians may feel excluded from events such as Easter or the Christmas tree lighting. Other names, such as “Spring Festival” instead of “Easter” and “Winter Festival” instead of “Christmas” could be used. Susan asked for consensus from the Parks Board. Sarah Barnett motioned to change holiday names to make them more inclusive of all people. Recommendations included “Holiday Tree Lighting” and “Spring Festival.” Susan will pass those recommendations on to the City Manager. Richard Cunningham seconded the motion. Majority approval. 3 VII. Friends Overview: Susan White (for Sami Morrison) noted that May 7 was the Citizens’ Award ceremony, honoring people who have done an extraordinary amount of fundraising for West U’s parks. She added that the net proceeds from the Park Lovers’ Ball was $352,000. Stephanie Magers will be one of the two chairs for the 2026 event. VIII. Parks and Recreation Update: Susan noted that we are in a holding pattern on the Master Plan due to the pending change in City Council and the vote on Proposition D funding for the Master Plan. Improvements to the Recreation Center are not tied to the bond issue. The Board consensus on the proposed plans was to make the priority the Rec Center plans expanding the cardio and weight room, adding a pool viewing room and aquatics office. IX. Park Ambassador Reports: Colonial Park West playground and decks – Lauren Griffith (not present). Stephanie reported that the West End opening ceremony was a success. Edloe Street Pathway – Richard Cunningham: no issues to report. Huffington Park – Ryan Firth: (not present) Friends Park – Sami Morrison: (not present) Judson Park – Stephanie Magers: no issues to report. Recreation Center – Beck Brownlie: playground looks great. Colonial Park East – Maryann Grahmann: no issues to report. Colonial Park Pool –Stephen Damiani: the pool is open. Wier Park – Lulu Lopez: recently noted an odor from a nearby sewer lift station in the park. Susan said she would mention it to the Sanitation Department. They have something they can put in the lift station to mitigate the smell. Jennie Hughes Park – Sarah Barrett: water feature may not be working. Whitt Johnson Park – Arlene Wells: no issues to report. X. Old Business: Stephanie Magers reported that City Council discussed the potential hazards of children riding motorized vehicles that can go faster than three miles per hour in the parks. Council agreed that the smallest of those vehicles should not be excluded, but that those capable of more than five or six miles per hour should be regulated. Richard raised the question of city liability if Council approves the use of motorized vehicles of any kind in the park. Options include banning motorized vehicles and bicycles from the track in Colonial Park East or allowing vehicles with a maximum speed of five miles per hour. PRB members agreed that the issue needs more study before making a recommendation to City Council. This will be discussed again in the May 28 PRB meeting. XI. New Business: The next PRB meeting will be on Wednesday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room at City Hall. There are no scheduled PRB meetings in June, July, and August. XII. Adjournment: By unanimous consent at 8:47 p.m.