Tennis‑instructor registration begins Oct. 1; committee discusses enforcement and access

Committee members received an update that, following a city commission resolution, Atlantic Beach began requiring tennis instructors to register with the city as of Oct. 1. Staff told the committee there is one completed registrant (Bill McConnell) and one inquiry in process.

Members raised enforcement questions: how the city will respond to complaints about instructors operating without registration, whether to set up a complaint hotline or log, and whether enforcement should be reactive (respond to complaints) or proactive. Staff said the first step would be for city staff or the manager's designee to contact an unregistered instructor and provide instructions; further action would depend on the nature of the complaint.

Committee members noted that the USPTA certification and insurance requirements (cited in the meeting at roughly $600/year) may be a barrier for smaller or informal instructors and discussed whether the city should maintain a vetted list of registered instructors on the website to increase access for residents.

Staff agreed to keep a log of complaints, to publicize the registry and to consider whether the city should contract enforcement or rely on an official complaint process. The committee said it would look for ways to increase access while preserving safety and liability protections for the city and the public.

Next steps: staff will maintain a complaint log, publicize the current registry, and return to the committee with any enforcement recommendations.