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Rohnert Park foundation budget approved; council splits over $2.1M courts repairs
Summary
The Rohnert Park Foundation adopted its FY2025–26 budget but council declined to approve a $2.1 million allocation to resurface Magnolia tennis courts and rebuild Sunrise pickleball courts after a contested vote and discussion about foundation reserves and competing infrastructure needs.
The Rohnert Park Foundation board—convened during the June 10 council meeting—approved an operating budget that projects roughly $1.5 million in foundation revenue for FY2025–26 and a projected ending fund balance of about $2.4 million. The measure passed after discussion of donations, support for youth sports programs and seasonal public‑works staffing.
Staff recommended $925,000 in foundation expenditures: Junior Giants program support ($10,000), community services and performing arts center subsidies and concessions (about $280,000), public‑works beautification and seasonal positions (approx. $53,770) and other grant and program support items. The foundation budget was adopted by the board.
Separately, the council considered using foundation resources to repair two aging recreation facilities: Magnolia Park tennis courts and Sunrise Park pickleball courts. Staff had previously received bids that re‑engineered the two‑court package to a current cost estimate of about $2.1 million. After public appeals from players and user groups asking the city to honor prior promises to repair the courts, a motion to authorize a $2.1 million allocation failed. The motion to approve a direct $2.1 million allocation to those CIP items did not obtain a majority and a subsequent vote rejected the bids for CIP 237 (Magnolia/Sunrise) and directed staff to continue working with community groups.
Public commenters and local sports clubs pressed the council to use foundation funds—accumulated partly from tribal community benefit contributions—to complete the work. “This foundation money is supposed to be spent on community improvement projects,” Brooke (a local resident and tennis/pickleball club participant) told the board. Council members split on the risk of drawing foundation reserves down to the level required for the full repairs, while some urged staff to keep working with clubs to identify lower‑cost, phased or matched approaches.
After debate the board adopted the foundation budget. Council later rejected the bids for the combined Magnolia/Sunrise project and asked staff to continue negotiating with user groups on viable scopes and funding pathways.
What happens next: Staff will continue discussions with tennis and pickleball groups and return to council/foundation with recommended options (phased repairs, lower‑cost scopes, or matched funding) and report back with potential funding strategies. The rejected bids remain rejected; no contract was awarded at the meeting.
Provenance: Foundation budget adoption and board discussion (SEG 6024–SEG 6140). Court bid rejection and council action to reject bids (SEG 7452–SEG 7488 and SEG 7472–SEG 7488).
