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Heath park fee proposal, reservation plan prompt resident concerns over pickleball access
Summary
City of Heath staff outlined a draft fee and online reservation system for the new Town Center Park, drawing resident concerns that pay-to-rent slots and outside leagues could limit local access to pickleball courts. Staff said residency verification (city water bill) and rotation rules are options; no formal action was taken.
Unidentified Speaker 3, role not specified, presented a draft fee schedule and online reservation plan for the new Town Center Park and said the intent is to balance revenue generation with resident access. "We're not gonna allow people to monopolize the court," the speaker said, describing rotation rules and permit enforcement as tools to protect regular users.
Residents pressed the parks team about whether heavy rental demand—particularly for pickleball—could crowd out local families. "My family wants to go there. I can't get myself in," said an Unidentified Speaker 5, who asked whether the city could reserve days or times for residents. Park staff responded that an online calendar and permit system will make availability clear in advance and that rules would prevent long-term monopolization by single users or groups.
Staff identified concrete options under consideration: an initial $325 deposit for some reservations, posted online scheduling to reduce on-site paperwork and confusion, a 15-minute forfeit rule for no-shows, and the possibility of resident-only access periods verified by a city water-bill check. "We could make it where you don't have to pay that day if you have a water bill within the city of Heath," Unidentified Speaker 3 said, describing a technical approach to proving residency.
Speakers noted limits to municipal capacity: the city currently lacks a full recreation staff to run programming and may need outside partners (for example, YMCA-style organizations) to operate leagues or regular programs. They also cautioned that state or large tournaments would temporarily reduce open-play availability.
The parks representative emphasized that the fee schedule in the packet is a starting point and not final. "This is just the beginning platform," Unidentified Speaker 3 said, urging continued public input. After discussion, the group agreed not to take formal action at this meeting; staff will compile comments and return a revised proposal to the council for consideration.
Next steps: residents and stakeholders were asked to submit written suggestions to staff; council consideration was signaled as the subsequent procedural step.
