Council discusses Fun Days logistics, fireworks procurement and converting tennis court to pickleball

Sunset City officials talked through logistics for the upcoming Fun Days event, procurement for a fireworks finale and a proposal to repurpose an existing tennis court into pickleball courts.

Event planning: staff said vendor booths will be located under trees near the main park restroom and that bands or concert staging would be placed just above the restroom area. Organizers discussed a finale fireworks display and agreed to solicit written quotes from three pyrotechnic firms because the expected contract value is under the city's $10,000 informal-bid threshold. "Let's send it out to the 3 of them, get the 3 bids, cc me on all of that stuff," one organizer said.

Pickleball proposal: a council member proposed converting the tennis court at Rachel Runyon Park (identified as a potential site) into four full pickleball courts. Staff provided a cost estimate that alarmed members: an estimate for a full epoxy renovation ran to roughly $24,000 (no lights) with lights and power costing more (quotes cited in discussion included figures of $13,000 for lights and $23,000 to run power). Staff said cheaper options could be to install three courts without lighting or seek corporate sponsorship for lighting. Coca-Cola and Pepsi were discussed as potential sponsors; staff said local park signage currently displayed a Pepsi sign at Central Park.

Why it matters: pickleball courts would serve growing recreational demand and could change planned Central Park investments; council members said reallocation of park capital money would require unanimous council approval because it alters the original appropriation plan.

Next steps: staff will gather formal quotes from pyrotechnic vendors, prepare written cost estimates and options for the tennis-to-pickleball conversion (including lighting scenarios and sponsorship proposals), and present those figures for council consideration.