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Port St. Joe approves $50,000 city contribution for pickleball courts at Washington Gym; county to match
Summary
The Port St. Joe City Commission approved a $50,000 city allocation toward new pickleball courts at the Washington Gym complex, with a commissioner saying the county will provide a matching $50,000. Commissioners and residents discussed site impacts, roof repairs and budget tradeoffs.
The Port St. Joe City Commission approved a $50,000 city contribution toward constructing pickleball courts at the Washington Gym complex, with the commission noting the County intends to provide a matching $50,000.
Commissioner Hawken moved to allocate $50,000 for pickleball courts with matching county funds; Commissioner Langston seconded the motion. After public comment and discussion of budget tradeoffs, the commission approved the allocation.
The vote followed a budget review that showed about $286,000 in the city’s recreation budget for the fiscal year and competing needs including gym roof repairs and the Stackhouse rehabilitation. City Engineer Jim told commissioners the gym roof project has the lowest bid of roughly $101,330 for the reading room and kitchen portion of the Washington Gym project. Commissioners discussed prioritizing the gym roof if funds fell short.
Christie McElroy of Port St. Joe questioned whether the $50,000 is for two courts and whether the county match would be advertised via the county’s tourism development channels. "So is it $50,000 for two courts?" McElroy asked. Commissioner Hawken replied that the total cost for two courts would be about $100,000, with the city paying $50,000 and the county expected to provide the other $50,000.
McElroy also raised concerns about proximity to neighbors and durability of courts near the bay. Commissioners said the courts would be located near Washington Gym and likely not close to many residences. Several commissioners emphasized finishing the gym roof and other prioritized maintenance work if bids or change orders increased costs.
The commission directed staff to continue planning and to carry the item forward for further discussion at the next meeting with community outreach and coordination with county partners.
Community input at the meeting included supporters who said local players need courts and that existing facilities were overcrowded. The commission did not adopt a construction schedule at the meeting.
The commission recorded the motion as approved and moved on to the next agenda item.
