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Residents urge repairs and clearer contracts after heavy festival use; sports complex scoreboards flagged for safety checks
Summary
Residents and staff reported high festival attendance, praised pickleball growth, and urged city action on court maintenance, stadium lighting under contract with KU and scoreboard electrical issues; staff pledged contract review and an electrician inspection for scoreboards.
Residents and staff told the commission that recent events drew substantial crowds and that recreational facilities need maintenance and contract follow-up.
A staff report covering May 21–25 said roughly 21,000 adult visits were recorded in the festival area, with average dwell time of about 138 minutes; individual turnstile counts included 3,190 for a K-pop event, 5,362 for Hank Williams Jr., and 1,199 for a George Sturgill show. The city’s events staff said site work should be completed this week.
Resident Denny Hughes praised the pickup in youth use at the pickleball courts — "there's 50 to 80 kids up there almost every night" — and asked the city to address trash, damaged fencing and net replacement. He and others also raised concerns about stadium lighting installed under a KU contract, saying the lights did not meet the initially discussed lumen levels and that the city may need to review or enforce contract terms.
A separate speaker identified as McD reported repeated scoreboard malfunctions at Bradley Field and said the breaker behavior (partial trips) could present a fire hazard. City staff said they would have an electrician inspect consoles and breakers and would review contracts with KU and the lighting vendor as needed.
Commissioners said they would follow up and consider whether maintenance, replacement equipment or contract remedies are appropriate.
