[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6200673,"mediaKeyId","3806749-cd6ec8b159e7a68b019932e0f51e5548","parentId",3806749,"title","Park board hears pickleball scheduling request; staff updates members on Keller Sports Park construction and KDC budget","audioSeconds",2486,"startMs",4387000,"endMs",6873000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806749-cd6ec8b159e7a68b019932e0f51e5548&start=4387&end=6873","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806749-cd6ec8b159e7a68b019932e0f51e5548/thumbnail_4387000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6200673/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Park-board-hears-pickleball-scheduling-request-staff-updates-members-on-Keller-Sports-Park-construction-and-KDC-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200673-be1c1bb029d6078e3ff18e628ea18134/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137067&Signature=elgXJksAtiCytBYWRKzOGAlffM7X0iwCSUIdke0OWV2O0YXjh0BCNHVq3SNG4LrcwKkZc~C-ICwqfN9s1tpjhyZ62YpmKdl80D4gpENfr4c18K-jF6iKqaio3aeBb1OyfC8B6AG-7L~eEY3j3CqR9OWG8Q1uGFhPtIMc2WlQHg2IY1o1Xj3TXlOE0mYTMIstpuhKfd6CNfiKkQ3KuZ3Z3Kp~KVVLFNgyCb7DQ1xZbgrCz7jsSEQ3M4mrKnCC231dvQmDUKfpXNBQBcRZIeYRBgK7dfNIOhfKE~IksFrbqfjT2v74l03GDDb3CdZLfyA3ANrUS5j9Gzk40koux79dSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Keller TX","date","2025-06-13T13:11:58Z","article","A Keller resident requested the Park and Recreation Board reconsider start times for a net mixed pickleball league so weekend matches can begin earlier in the morning to avoid afternoon heat, and Parks and Recreation staff updated the board on the Keller Sports Park construction, trail bids, playground shade options and a multi-year KDC capital plan.

David Ahrens, a Keller resident who said he lives on Talbot Street, asked the board to “have this topic revisited” and requested Saturday match starts of about 9 a.m. for four weekend matches in the fall season to avoid high temperatures. The board could not discuss the item in detail during the public-comment portion due to the Texas Open Meetings Act, and staff said the request would be referred to staff and council for research and possible future action.

Parks staff gave a multi-part construction and capital update. Key project status items included: the Keller Sports Park is about 70% complete; synthetic turf had been installed on four new baseball infields and irrigation work and sodding were underway; the equestrian restroom, storage building and press box should be complete mid- to late July pending resinous-flooring work and ADA inspections; and playgrounds at the sports park passed inspection and are ready for use.

Staff reported two new multipurpose fields at the sports park, with the north multipurpose field expected to be ready in September and the second multipurpose field later in the year. The board and staff stressed that the park’s primary priority remains recreational youth sports, and that out-of-season rentals may be possible if they do not conflict with the fields’ intended seasonal use.

On trails, staff said 15 bids were received for the Mount Gilead–Roanoke connection; the low bid of $567,000 came in under the staff opinion of $799,000. Staff also reviewed a quote and layout for shade structures at Keller Point’s playground; board members asked staff to change the recommended blue fabric to green to blend with landscaping.

Budget and capital items presented to the Keller Development Corporation included funding allocations for the water feature and parking-lot improvements tied to the sports park project, $400,000 for trail system expansion and $100,000 for playground shade structure work (24–25 year), and a larger capital plan in 25–26 that includes vehicle and equipment replacements and future playground projects. Staff said KDC will present the proposed budget at city council in July and that council adoption of the KDC budget occurs with the city budget in September.

Operational questions raised by the board and public included goalpost procurement for the new multipurpose fields (discussed earlier in a pre-meeting presentation by Alliance Rugby Club), storage and movement of heavy posts, the possibility of centralizing irrigation controllers to reduce water usage, and the ongoing effort to rewrite user agreements and rental rules for associations and multipurpose fields. Staff said the irrigation central-control rollout will begin with Town Hall and the sports park and noted that connected controllers can save water by responding to weather or evapotranspiration data.

Minutes for the April 10 and May 8 meetings were approved by the board during the session. The board heard additional updates: the city’s recreation center membership is at a five-year high, the facility hired a new aquatics director, summer camps are active and city special events (Color Summer Nights and Keller Lights) were promoted.

Ending: Staff said they would refer the pickleball scheduling request to staff and counsel per Open Meetings rules, circulate details on upcoming events and follow up on the sport-association and arena user-agreement refinements at a later meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Keller Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - June 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident asked the Park and Recreation Board to allow earlier Saturday start times for a mixed pickleball league; staff briefed the board on the Keller Sports Park construction schedule, trail bid results, playground shade options and the Keller Development Corporation budget.","taxTitle","Keller, Tarrant County, Texas","taxId",54069,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6200680,"Alliance Rugby Club seeks regular use of Keller Sports Park fields, raises safety concerns about new goalposts",3669,554000,4223000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806749-cd6ec8b159e7a68b019932e0f51e5548&start=554&end=4223","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806749-cd6ec8b159e7a68b019932e0f51e5548/thumbnail_554000.jpg","/articles/6200680/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Alliance-Rugby-Club-seeks-regular-use-of-Keller-Sports-Park-fields-raises-safety-concerns-about-new-goalposts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200680-cc01face6f499b9e18e39048de4447ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137067&Signature=bXNsrypWbbiK4QzAiqsxyZxDQVrIZimD2DHoVT~tHncT76b5bs4APNs06fWboSKQBaFitiKPkGOyi9vMmKHc8ibRjQdZpyjXeoqvNGaeol~vP0f0fOS9WaLRhbiKVe7zeHkGKzfYSrEY9dPzEJTXSf0xkDbdnDg0Ahd9J6wJlGABA0XLo~6QlN1S5AjyHz2BjKnWGSS0erQMEpXHFW~faM38i3Dr6BigSrEtMSBvAXVWcG8yTwRdgJmbGm3vRx6-EL0JLksAdAfpOE8dRKE7fK77v3ghUlE2nkpouS8ce90nXmOp3tcvRHEEOOPh7S-gRGXIqMBJXUoMKtKnk6Q8bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Alliance Rugby Club met with the Keller Parks and Recreation Board on June 12 to ask for regular access to the newly remodeled Keller Sports Park for youth programming, college and adult tournaments and camps, and to raise safety concerns about recently ordered “combo” goalposts for the multipurpose fields.

The club’s Brad DeLong, an organizer who said, “I’ve been with the rugby club for 22 years,” described plans to restart youth programs now that new fields are coming online and to pursue hosting youth, college and adult regional tournaments. He told the board the club had about 75 young players across age groups before play stopped when the park was under construction.

The request matters because Keller’s new sports fields, park maintenance rules and scheduling will determine whether multi-sport events can be accommodated without harming turf or conflicting with priority users. “Youth recreational sports. Youth sports,” a Parks and Recreation official said during the meeting when explaining the park’s primary priority.

Club leaders described several near-term asks: permission to hold a 7-on-7 adult tournament on Sept. 13 if the field is available; clearer scheduling and usage rules; access to multipurpose fields in out-of-season periods on a rental basis; and storage or handling arrangements for goalposts and other equipment.

They said the club already uses Bear Creek Park for training with temporary lights and wants to transfer youth practices back to the sports park once the north multipurpose field opens in September and the second field later in the year. DeLong and other club representatives said they have coaches lined up, interest from parents, and outside groups (college and adult organizers) interested in bringing championships to Keller.

Club speakers described past flexibility at the site — moving posts, cooperating with football, and bringing temporary bleachers — but emphasized that hosting sanctioned youth and college events requires compliance with national safety and competition rules. They noted that organized rugby programs require annual background checks and SafeSport training for coaches and administrators; the club also maintains USA Rugby registration and secondary insurance for players.

A central point of disagreement concerned new goalposts the city reported ordering for the multipurpose fields. Club members said the “combo” posts include a frame near the ground that could create a hazard for players who dive or slide to ground a try, and that traditional rugby posts allow players to ground the ball beneath the uprights. City staff said the posts were ordered to provide a multipurpose solution and pointed to concerns the task force and council had raised about heavy, hard-to-move traditional posts and liability if stored or moved improperly.

City staff and the board confirmed the posts had been ordered but said they would refer the safety concerns to staff, council and the Keller Development Corporation for further deliberation. Staff also reported looking at lighter materials and alternatives and said they had researched available post types and did not find a single combination product that meets all needs without trade-offs.

Other operational items discussed included field lining (club members asked the city to consider purchasing or renting a striping robot used by other local sports groups; the club reported a quoted rental price of about $7,000 for a three-year arrangement), storage options for heavier equipment on the park’s west side, and the schedule-submission and enforcement process for popular fields. The board emphasized that the park’s first priority is youth recreational sports and said rental or additional event access would be considered around that priority and existing season dates.

No formal board action was taken during the conversation. Board members asked club leaders to provide research and vendor options for goalposts and lighter materials, and said staff would present the post/safety options to council and KDC. The club offered to support research and to have club leadership join any future council briefing.

What happens next: staff said they will refer the safety and equipment questions to council and KDC for further review and that the park board would continue to act as a sounding board on usage agreements and scheduling. Club leaders said they will follow up with documented research on alternatives and with a draft schedule if they seek the Sept. 13 rental.

Ending: The club invited board members to attend upcoming matches and said it would provide contact and schedule information once details are finalized. Board and staff thanked the club for the presentation and said they would relay the concerns to council and KDC for additional deliberation.","Members of Alliance Rugby Club asked the Keller Parks and Recreation Board to allow youth programming and host tournaments at the newly remodeled Keller Sports Park, discussed field lining and storage, and raised safety and liability concerns about the city’s ordered combo goalposts.","actionData","errors"]

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Park board hears pickleball scheduling request; staff updates members on Keller Sports Park construction and KDC budget

Alliance Rugby Club seeks regular use of Keller Sports Park fields, raises safety concerns about new goalposts