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Stevensville council discusses possible town takeover of pickleball courts from Bitter Pickleball organizer
Summary
A longtime volunteer who runs local pickleball activities asked the council to consider converting the volunteer‑managed courts to town‑maintained public courts; council directed staff to meet with the organizer to get cost estimates and report back.
The Stevensville Town Council heard from a volunteer organizer who asked the town to take over maintenance and management of the pickleball courts currently run by a local group called Bitter Pickleball.
The speaker, who identified himself as Rick and described starting the courts in fall 2018, told the council he resurfaced the courts in June 2019 and ran a membership program that charged $20 per year. “I started back in the fall 2018. I just bought a stencil and painted stripes and put up nets and started teaching. And then June of 2019, I self funded resurfacing the courts and putting up the nets and all that stuff,” Rick said.
Rick said membership and play have declined since several indoor facilities opened nearby and proposed the town reconfigure the area to provide two permanent public pickleball courts with permanent nets. He offered to help with equipment and to contribute some funds: he said nets cost about $150 each and he could provide the first three or four nets. He also suggested moving existing basketball hoops to reconfigure the layout.
Council member Parker moved that the council discuss transitioning maintenance from Bitter Pickleball to the town; Council member Smith seconded the motion. Rather than make a decision at the meeting, the council directed staff to meet with Rick and Public Works Director Steve Lassiter to develop cost estimates and implementation options and to return to the council with findings.
No formal vote to transfer maintenance was taken. Council members said they wanted a cost estimate and a staff assessment before any action to change management or maintenance responsibility.
The council asked staff and the organizer to schedule a site meeting to review court conditions and provide numbers for council consideration at a future meeting.
