Commission approves MLK Jr. pickleball tournament, turf-field rental policy and membership promotion

The Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission voted on several items during the November meeting. Motions passed by recorded roll call votes were summarized as follows.

MLK Jr. indoor pickleball tournament (Patterson Park Community Center) The commission approved staff's proposal to host an inaugural MLK Jr. indoor pickleball tournament on Jan. 16–18 (Friday–Sunday as needed) at Patterson Park Community Center, using six indoor courts and a pool-play format with divisions for female doubles, male doubles and mixed doubles across skill levels. Staff proposed a $40 per-team registration fee. The recorded roll call during the motion recorded "Aye" from Dr. Gloria Bonner, Mr. Miller, Mr. Shacklett, Mr. Seiler and Mr. Wright; the motion passed.

Turf baseball field rental policy (Old Fort) The commission approved a new rental policy for the city's first turf baseball field on Old Fort. Key policy elements presented by staff include a $120 per-hour rental fee, a cap on repeat rentals (maximum two dates per week and a maximum of four times per calendar month), and a requirement that a team may not hold the same prime-time slot repeatedly. Tournament rentals will be permitted on weekends under the same hourly rate. The commission voted to approve the policy by roll call with the same recorded "Aye" votes and the motion passed.

Buy-one-get-one membership promotion (annual pass BOGO) Commissioners approved an 18th-year membership promotion that offers a buy-one-get-one free option for sports-center and Patterson Park passes. Staff proposed sales to start Dec. 15, 2025, with redemption through Jan. 18, 2026; senior discounted age was stated as 60. The motion passed by roll call.

Approval of minutes and other routine votes The commission also approved the minutes from the prior meeting and passed a routine two-month financial report noting no current concerns.

Vote details (roll call summary) All recorded formal roll-call votes in this meeting were unanimous in favor among the commissioners present: Dr. Gloria Bonner, Mr. Miller, Mr. Shacklett, Mr. Seiler and Mr. Wright. Where a mover or seconder was audible in the transcript, the transcript did not consistently record a full-name attribution for the mover and seconder; roll-call tallies are recorded as presented by the meeting clerk.