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Parks Commission shifts pickleball league start to 5:30 p.m.; mayor to discuss fee-sharing with schools
Summary
After lengthy public discussion and a formal motion, the commission moved league start times Monday–Thursday to 5:30 p.m., kept Saturday morning reservations, and recorded direction for the mayor to discuss possible sharing of rec fees with the school district to cover maintenance.
The Parks Commission voted to change the Franklin Rec Department’s league reservation start time from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and to keep Saturday reservations from 9 a.m. to noon, commissioners decided at the meeting.
The change followed a sustained public and commissioner discussion about peak usage, resident complaints and access to newly built courts. Alderman Eichmann, who said he receives the bulk of constituent calls about access, argued the later start gives high-school players time after school and eases conflicts for casual players. "I'm the one that gets the complaints when multiple residents try to go play pickleball. Everyone's excited about the new courts... That 05:30 time, I think, is wonderful versus the 5 that's an extra half hour," Eichmann said.
Commissioners described the request on the agenda as the Franklin Rec Department’s reservation request for the new Lions Legend Courts, with seasonal blocks: spring outdoor April 21–June 7, summer outdoor June 9–August 30, and fall September–October (exact dates in rec materials). The commission noted the rec program gives residents priority in registration windows; staff said the city currently lacks a full online reservation and payments platform for parks and relies on the rec department's registration system for organized programs.
As part of the motion to set the 5:30 start time, commissioners added direction that Mayor Nelson will continue conversations with the school board about whether some rec fees could be returned to the city for court maintenance. Mayor Nelson said he will pursue that discussion with the school board; the commission also asked staff to put clearer reservation signage and schedule information on the Parks Commission web pages so casual users are aware of reserved blocks.
The motion to change the start time passed; the meeting record shows the motion was made, seconded and approved with the chair calling for "Aye" votes and the motion passing. The commission also approved league reservation dates and the parks marketing/website updates elsewhere on the agenda.
Commissioners and staff discussed operational options including leaving some courts open for walk-up play, dedicating courts for open play, portable nets for courts painted for dual tennis/pickleball use, and whether to locate paddle-holder boxes at the new courts or keep them in storage. Staff and commissioners agreed to post clearer scheduling information on the commission’s web pages to reduce confusion among residents.
