Residents press council for dedicated senior pickleball time and clearer communication

Multiple residents used the open forum to ask the council to restore or protect dedicated senior pickleball time and to improve communication about policy changes affecting the senior center courts.

Catherine Hartgrave, who identified herself as representing senior players and living on State Highway 20, said seniors were given two days' notice that courts would be opened to the public and lost previously reserved hours. "Our concern is not having dedicated time for seniors when the senior center was established to do that as part of their mission," Hartgrave said, noting safety concerns when older players mix with younger, faster players. She asked the city to consider options such as volunteer gate monitors, volunteers to lock/unlock courts, raising the membership age threshold from 55 to 62 to reduce membership pressure, or funding dedicated courts.

Josh Landon, a retired player who said he uses the senior courts daily and organizes groups through a messaging app, said the policy change had practical effects on play and raised concerns about the process. Robbie Greninger, another longtime user, urged that if the council limits membership to city residents, existing members who have been participating for years should be grandfathered in. Hope McKinnon described the changes as a miscommunication between staff and council and recommended improvements such as perimeter fencing to keep balls in play and permanent restroom facilities rather than portable toilets.

City staff listened and acknowledged the concerns; the mayor outlined open-forum procedures and said the council was in a receive-only mode during the session. Several speakers noted they were preparing a petition to present additional signatures to the council. No formal action was taken at the meeting; the comments were recorded for staff follow-up.