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Tennis advocates press for a say in Measure P spending as park maintenance concerns persist
Summary
Roding Park tennis advocates urged inclusion in Measure P allocations and raised safety and maintenance complaints at city parks; staff said some Measure P allocations originated from City Council motions and offered to provide budget reconciliation documents to the commission.
Several public commenters urged the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission to involve the Roding Park Tennis Club and local users in Measure P planning and to address maintenance at Roding Park and other sites.
Camilla Sutherland, representing Roding Park Tennis Club, described Roding Park as a "pillar of Fresno's recreational life" and emphasized its long history as a public tennis site dating to 1924. "Our vision is to honor the past, energize the present, and grow the future of racket sports at Roding Park," she said, and asked parks staff how the tennis club can be included in meetings about tennis, pickleball and the new futsal installation.
Karen Huebner, who said she is a historian and descendant of early tennis organizers, read from a minutes book documenting the club's founding in 1924 and urged continued public-court support.
Fred Wong, a retired civil engineer and longtime player, raised specific maintenance concerns, citing drainage and fencing problems that he said affect safety. "There's drainage problems. There's fencing problems," Wong said, and offered to meet with staff to review issues.
Adam Balakian presented survey data from 55 active participants at Roding Park showing 89% rated bathroom conditions 1 out of 5. He said he filed a report with parks on June 11 and had not received a response, and he requested clearer cleaning schedules and a plan for prefabricated restrooms slated next year.
At the hearing on Measure P allocations, Dr. William Con Concente (Roding Park Tennis Club) asked to meet with whoever is managing Measure P funds, requested representation or invitation to allocation meetings, and cited FY2024 budget figures (stated in the public comment as $75,200,000 with 46% directed to existing parks). City staff responded that initial Measure P spending decisions were adopted through City Council motions and offered to send budget reconciliation documents and the council presentation that reflected PRAC recommendations.
Commission members reiterated the advisory role of PRAC and requested staff provide a reconciliation showing which commission recommendations were funded by City Council; staff agreed to present that information at an upcoming meeting or by email. The commission and staff also discussed recent Roding Park capital work — staff said pickleball courts are under construction, restrooms will follow, and the park has received roughly $8,000,000 in improvements in recent years including court resurfacing in 2024 — and emphasized balancing deferred maintenance with new projects and community engagement.
No formal changes to Measure P allocations were made at the meeting; staff encouraged community members to submit recommendations and attend upcoming budget and PRAC meetings. The commission closed public comment and adjourned at 6:34 p.m.
