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Buffalo City committee approves temporary pickleball lines, backs grant pursuit for rink-area courts
Summary
The Buffalo City Recreation Committee authorized short-term pickleball improvements — painting four courts and obtaining three temporary nets — and agreed to help a community group pursue a T‑Mobile grant for a potential permanent court on the hockey area of the ice rink; no construction vote was taken.
The Buffalo City Recreation Committee agreed on July 15 to short-term steps to accommodate a local pickleball group while continuing to explore a permanent court at the city’s ice-rink area. Chairman George Fuller said the city will have Public Works paint lines for four temporary courts on the existing court area and obtain three removable nets to supplement the group’s one net; the nets will be stored in the existing locker at the court site.
Fuller, who called the meeting, said the council does not want to “tear up and work on half of a court,” and instead prefers exploring the hockey-area portion of the skating rink as a potential site for a new cement court. Mayor Ben Holien said a rink-area court could serve both pickleball players and help form a winter ice rink, giving both hockey and pickleball users dedicated surfaces.
Committee members and residents discussed funding. The community group reported it is pursuing a T‑Mobile grant with deadlines this fall and plans to seek donations to cover surfacing, fences and nets. Fuller recommended developing two permanent courts initially, with room to expand later if more funding becomes available. The committee noted limited discretionary funds in the city budget but expressed willingness to collaborate with the group on design and site preparation if outside funding covers the bulk of construction costs.
City Clerk Jenny Ehlenfeldt was directed to work with a member of the community group on the grant application, and Public Works was tasked with painting the temporary lines and procuring the removable nets for community use. The meeting concluded when Kim Beseler moved to adjourn and Holien seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
The committee did not take a formal vote to construct a permanent court or commit city capital funds for construction; the discussion resulted in directions for staff support and community fundraising. Next steps are the grant application work and the implementation of the temporary courts by Public Works.
