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Local organizer asks Stevensville to take over pickleball courts; council asks staff to study costs
Summary
A longtime volunteer who installed and maintained portable nets asked the council to transition the courts to town ownership and install permanent nets. Council directed staff to meet with the organizer and provide cost and process information for future action; no formal transfer or funding decision was made.
Rick, a resident who has run the Bitter Pickleball effort in Stevensville since 2018, asked the council to consider transitioning the town’s outdoor courts from volunteer-managed portable nets to town-maintained permanent pickleball courts.
Rick gave a history of the volunteer program: he painted lines, resurfaced the courts in 2019 at his own expense, sold memberships and organized play. He said membership and volunteer management have declined as more indoor courts opened in nearby communities. He proposed reconfiguring the existing surface so two permanent pickleball courts would sit on the north end of the park and moving basketball hoops to create a more usable multi-sport layout.
Council members thanked him for the history and asked staff to set up a follow-up meeting. Public-works Director Steve Lassiter (referred to as "Steve" in the meeting) and Rick agreed to meet to review condition, costs and options; Rick offered to contribute equipment and some funds. Council did not vote to transfer ownership or allocate funds at the meeting. The item will return as unfinished business after staff compiles cost estimates and options.
