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Pickleball association and park users ask Carbondale trustees to restore shade, seating and sand; items added to Dec. 9 agenda
Summary
Representatives of the Roaring Fork Pickleball Association asked the board to restore shade structures and seating removed from the budget and MOU; a parks user asked trustees to re‑add $30,000 for beach volleyball sand. Trustees agreed to add these items to the Dec. 9 agenda and requested staff context on process and timing.
Leaders and users of Carbondale’s recreation facilities pressed the Board of Trustees on Nov. 25 to restore small but visible park improvements to the 2026 budget.
Nanette Weinhold, who said she is transitioning into the leadership of the Roaring Fork Pickleball Association, told the board she was surprised to learn that funding for shade structures and seating had been removed. "It seemed to me like it was an agreement that was made, and it was in our MOU," she said, and asked trustees to re‑consider including basic shade and seating as capital improvements.
An association representative who spoke after Weinhold outlined the club’s contributions to local facilities: the club has over 500 members, the original courts were built with town‑donated land (an approximate value cited of $300,000), and the club has spent roughly $50,000 in the past 18 months on improvements, including about $40,000 to refinish the Darien courts and roughly $10,000 on nets and seating.
Tristan Purdy separately urged the board to re‑add $30,000 for beach‑volleyball sand at Coke Park, calling that sum "effectively 0.2% of the estimated ending fund balance for the general fund" and characterizing it as a modest, high‑use expense. "If the general fund was a dollar... the baby lamb is effectively a fifth of a penny," he said.
Trustees did not restore funding that night but instructed staff to put both the pickleball shade/seating request and the volleyball sand item on the Dec. 9 agenda. Trustees asked that Parks & Rec director Eric Grunlinger provide context at the session — including how capital requests move through the budgeting process, what the MOU specifies, and whether the request must be addressed before finalizing the 2026 budget.
Why it matters: Park amenities such as shade and seating affect everyday use and accessibility for residents and visitors. Trustees flagged the need for a broader discussion about how recreation items are funded out of the general fund versus a dedicated parks fund before committing money.
Next steps: The board added the recreation items to the Dec. 9 agenda and requested a brief staff overview of prior agreements (the MOU), project costs and timing.
