Council schedules cemetery sprinkler workday, discusses pickleball courts and vandalism response

Council members spent substantial time on parks and recreation items at the March 13 meeting, focusing on a proposed cemetery sprinkler installation, a community cleanup plan and amenities for the new pickleball courts.

Council discussed replacing a single annual citywide cleanup with targeted projects led by city staff and volunteer groups. Members proposed inviting community groups (church groups, school groups, civic volunteers) to adopt projects and suggested a “cleanup week” followed by a focused workday to install cemetery sprinklers. Council set a start time of 9 a.m. for the workday and discussed candidate dates; transcript references show the council agreed on a “20 ninth at 9” as the meeting record of the chosen workday. Members discussed practical details: city staff or trained volunteers to install sprinklers, the number of sprinkler heads (the transcript references “close to 200 sprinklers”), and the need for supervision and experienced installers for technical tasks.

Council members also discussed the recently installed pickleball courts. Members reported strong community interest, ongoing fundraising, and potential for tournaments linked to local events. Councilors debated how to manage public access and security: some favored locking the courts until cameras and a controlled-access system are installed, while others favored daytime unlocking with periodic code changes. Staff said Wi‑Fi equipment for the cemetery has arrived and the city expects to order cameras using a homeland-security grant to address vandalism at parks.

Council asked staff to prepare volunteer coordination, advertise a cleanup week, and confirm the exact workday date and logistics. No new budget appropriation was adopted at the meeting for these projects; members discussed using existing beautification funds and donation programs for planter adoption and other amenities.