Ojai City Council adopts interim hours for City Hall pickleball courts after heated public comment

The Ojai City Council voted 3–2 on Tuesday, Dec. 17, to adopt interim hours and mitigation measures for the City Hall pickleball courts, directing staff to pursue a sound-mitigation plan and return with a report in three months.

The action implements temporary rules while the council and staff work toward longer-term options after voters approved Measure O (the Ojai Pickleball Act). Supporters of Measure O urged the council to open the courts “dawn to dusk” as other city parks are open; opponents and nearby residents pressed for limits citing persistent noise. The council adopted a compromise schedule, authorized recommended equipment lists and asked staff to explore sound walls and signage.

City Manager Harvey opened the special meeting by telling the council that the certified Measure O left the courts’ hours unspecified and that, under the municipal code and past practice, final authority on hours rests with the council. City Attorney Summers advised that commissions are generally advisory and that, while commissions and staff can make recommendations, appeals and certain disputes ultimately come to the council.

Public comment filled the meeting. Brad Hertz, the attorney for Measure O’s proponents, warned the council that “Measure O ... is now the law of the land” and said the…