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(1) Approval of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department’s Recommendation to Convert all Existing City Owned Paddle Tennis Courts to Mixed-use Paddle Tennis and Pickleball Courts in a Multi-year Plan; (2) Approval of new Court Rules to Include a First Come and First Serve Self-monitored System for all City Owned Courts; and (3) Recommendation to PRCS Staff to Update the Rules and Etiquette Signage at all City Operated Courts.
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Meeting Date: March 9, 2023
Contact Person/Dept: Dani Cullens/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-6471
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: []
Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: (E-mail) Meetings and Agendas - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (03/02/2023); (E-mail) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (03/02/2023)
Department Approval: Armando Abrego, PRCS Director (03/02/2023)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission (1) approve the PRCS Department’s recommendation to convert all existing City owned Paddle Tennis Courts into mixed-use Paddle Tennis and Pickleball Courts in a multi-year plan; (2) approve new court rules to include a first come and first serve self-monitored system for all City owned courts; and (3) recommend to PRCS staff to update the Rules and Etiquette signage at all City operated courts.
BACKGROUND
Public Survey
At the June 7, 2022, PRCS Commission meeting, members of the public addressed the Commission about the popularity of the game of pickleball and requested that an agendized discussion be added to an upcoming meeting. A consensus was reached, and the item appeared on the agenda for the September 6, 2022, PRCS Commission meeting when a Pickleball Court Implementation Feasibility Study Ad Hoc Subcommittee was created.
On October 13, 2022, the Pickleball Court Implementation Feasibility Study Ad Hoc Subcommittee met with PRCS staff to approve a survey that focused on the usage of the various racket sport courts in Culver City. The survey was an online survey with 36 questions covering tennis, paddle tennis, and pickleball. If a member of the public did not have access to a computer, or if they needed to take the survey in Spanish, a phone number was provided to take the survey over the phone. The Ad Hoc Subcommittee requested that the survey close on November 20, 2022, before the Thanksgiving holiday.
In order to inform the public of this survey, park signs with site specific QR codes to the online survey were posted at each of the five parks on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. In addition, a GovDelivery email with a link to the survey was sent on October 31, 2022. 8,287 postcards were mailed to the residents, owners, and businesses within a ½ mile radius of Culver West Alexander Park, Fox Hills Park, Lindberg Park, Syd Kronenthal Park, and Veterans Memorial Park on November 16, 2022. Multiple Nextdoor, Facebook and Instagram posts were done before and during the community survey period, which was from Friday, October 21 through midnight on Sunday, November 20, 2022. The public was informed that they could only complete the survey once. At the close of the survey period, 864 people had participated in the survey.
Survey Results
The surveys were divided into six categories using site specific QR codes in order to determine the location that the QR code was being scanned. The first QR code is referenced as the “Outreach Link/ QR Code” because it was sent out digitally using email and social media as well as physically on a postcard mailing. The remaining QR codes were site specific for each of the five parks that have racket courts. Those parks are:
• Culver West Alexander Park
• Fox Hills Park
• Lindberg Park
• Syd Kronenthal Park
• Veterans Memorial Park
The response from the community is broken down as follows:
Within the survey, five (5) questions specifically asked participants if they would like changes to the tennis courts at each of the parks that offer them. Below is how the community responded:
Four (4) questions specifically asked participants if they would like changes to the paddle tennis courts at each of the parks that offer them. Below is how the community responded:
DISCUSSION
Conversion of Paddle Tennis Courts
At the February 7, 2023, PRCS Commission meeting, the survey results were briefly discussed as part of the receipt and filing of updates from the members of the PRCS Commission Ad Hoc Subcommittee and representative appointees to outside associations and city committees as part of agenda item A-4. It was recommended that the Pickleball Court Implementation Feasibility Study Ad Hoc Subcommittee meet with staff to finalize a recommendation based on the results of the survey, staff’s research of pickleball, staff’s research of the best practices of PRCS departments in other cities (including Garden Grove, City of Mountain View, and Mission Viejo), and past public comments and input. The Pickleball Court Implementation Feasibility Study Ad Hoc Subcommittee met with staff on Monday, February 20, 2023.
There are (12) Paddle Tennis Courts located at four (4) parks within the park system. With the guidance of the Pickleball Court Implementation Feasibility Study Ad Hoc Subcommittee, PRCS staff’s recommendation is to convert all Culver City Paddle Tennis Courts to mixed-use for Paddle Tennis and Pickleball. Since there are four (4) locations, the conversions will happen one location at a time over the course of four (4) fiscal years. The following factors will be considered during each location’s conversion:
• Evaluate court surfaces for damage and needed repairs
• Restripe and spot repair the current court or replace entire court surface with new floor and mixed-use lines
• Purchase and install nets with self-adjusting levers
• Design, create and install new signage
The City of Culver City has procurement policies for acquisitions and contractual services. Within this process, the timeline needs to allot for vendors to complete a Request for Proposals and/or for staff to obtain the necessary quotes for purchases. The creation of the timeline is essential as the procurement process will be built into the overall timeline.
If approved, staff will begin evaluating the courts in March 2023 in order to determine the best order of the locations for repairs and conversions.
Changes to Rules for Tennis Courts and Paddle Tennis Courts
Staff is also recommending that the rules established by PRCS at all City owned courts be adjusted to a first come and first serve self-monitoring system. Typical etiquette that is used for other racket sports will be observed. Groups will be required to rotate when their set of 3 game is finished if other people are waiting. The number of players in a group will not dictate priority. If the PRCS Commission is supportive of staff’s decision to alter the Paddle Tennis courts, staff will alter and adjust all signage accordingly.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) account dedicated to resurfacing and restriping courts (41980000.730100.PZ640) across all parks. Funds for this CIP is allocated from Culver City’s Park Facilities (419; Quimby) Fund and the CIP is dedicated striping, resurfacing and restriping sport courts at all Culver City parks for sports that include tennis, paddle tennis, handball, and basketball. At the June 27, 2022, City Council Meeting, City Council adopted the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year Budget including an additional $250,000 from 419 funds to be added to the existing amount of $18,104.12. The CIP has a revised budget of $268,104.12.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION
That the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission:
1. Approve the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department’s recommendation to convert all existing City owned Paddle Tennis Courts to mixed-use Paddle Tennis and Pickleball Courts in a multi-year plan; and,
2. Approve new court rules to include a first come and first serve self-monitored system for all city owned courts.
3. Recommend to PRCS staff to update the rules and etiquette signage at all city operated courts.