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Resident proposes $65,000 pickleball court upgrade; council OKs grant application
Summary
Resident Terry Hegeman presented a $65,000 estimate to expand and resurface courts and asked the council to pursue a T‑Mobile grant (maximum $50,000) and other funding; council approved moving forward with the grant application and installing temporary lines funded by a volunteer donation and park budget.
Terry Hegeman told the Buffalo City Common Council on June 9 that a Monarch Paving estimate puts a full upgrade and expansion of the city’s tennis/pickleball courts at about $65,000, and that the group is pursuing a T‑Mobile grant with a maximum award of $50,000 and potential support from the Prairie Moon Foundation.
Councilmembers said the city’s budget cannot cover a partial resurfacing. Councilmember George Fuller asked staff to confirm whether the T‑Mobile award would require a local match; Mayor Ben Holien said he would prefer using the skating‑rink area if the project requires tearing up current courts and reiterated that the city would not fund only half of the court surface. The council also said it did not want to eliminate the existing tennis court.
Given those constraints the council gave staff and the organizing group permission to proceed with applying for grant funding. In the interim the council directed that temporary pickleball lines be painted and additional nets purchased so more courts are playable; a schoolhouse volunteer offered a personal donation to cover the temporary upgrade and the City park budget will cover remaining costs. City Clerk Jenny Ehlenfeldt was instructed to order supplies and public works staff will handle lining the courts.
The council and presenters also noted related park maintenance needs: public restroom facilities remain closed until septic piping is repaired; Schaffner provided an estimate of $5,000 to address piping to the septic system. No formal funding commitment from the city was recorded in the minutes beyond the direction to pursue grant funding and the temporary, donor‑funded court markings.
The council did not take a formal vote on financing the full resurfacing at this meeting. Next steps recorded in the minutes are to confirm grant match requirements and for the group to continue pursuing external funding.
