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Residents raise safety, litter and court‑condition concerns; city says tennis-court repairs will be bid
Summary
Two residents urged the council to address motorcycle use and litter along the Haines Avenue dike path and reported cracking at Leslie Groves tennis courts; city staff said tennis-court repairs are permitted and will be put out to bid and staff will follow up with the resident about Haines Avenue issues.
During the public-comment portion of the April 1 meeting two residents raised safety and maintenance concerns for city public spaces and paths.
Ken Peterson (1311 Haines Avenue) told the council he had photographed a neighbor’s yard and described a recurring problem with people camping along the dike path and a motorcyclist operating on the footpath at high speeds. He said he had called authorities multiple times and described trash, human waste and needles along the path. Peterson asked for more no‑parking signage at a curved stretch of Haines Avenue and suggested installing cameras on streetlights to capture speeders and individuals who leave litter or create safety risks.
Manuel Bernard, a resident of The Commons in North Richland, told council the tennis courts at Leslie Groves have numerous cracks and are unsafe for play; he asked the city to address the court surface condition for public safety.
In the reports section City Manager Emmonson responded that the tennis-court repair project “has been permitted through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers” and that the city is preparing to put the repair work out to bid. Emmonson also said staff would contact Mr. Peterson to update him on Haines Avenue and the dike path concerns. Council members commented that motorized vehicles capable of higher speeds are not allowed on the path and that enforcement and signage are limited by current code and patrol resources.
No formal motions, ordinances or contracts were made during public comment; council and staff assigned follow-up tasks and staff committed to pursue repairs and communications with the residents.
