At the July 10 meeting board members debated three related proposals to manage court access and usage: gate/lock installations, monitoring systems to collect usage data, and a reservation system. The discussion focused on whether these measures would address non-resident use, heavy demand at pickleball courts, and enforcement challenges.
Staff said the objective behind the gate and monitoring items is to “know who's on the courts and how often people are using the courts.” Directors asked for clearer cost estimates and operation implications before committing. Staff noted the gate and monitoring proposals were intended to meet the same goal and that counts and per-location pricing would be clarified in the next budget packet.
Several directors voiced concern about a full reservation rollout. One director suggested a pilot limited to pickleball-heavy sites such as Autumnwood rather than system-wide implementation, and staff agreed to pursue a pilot approach and discuss operational options with the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC). Directors also raised the idea of a swipe-entry system to address non-resident usage; staff said a swipe solution could address access control but would require enforcement and monitoring resources.
No binding policy change was adopted July 10; instead, directors asked staff to return with a written operational plan that included a pilot proposal (site, rules, enforcement model and estimated costs) and to present the plan to PRAC for input. Directors stressed any reservation or gated access approach should include clarity on enforcement, signage, and how to handle nonmember users.