City reports new pickleball courts and launches Metro Connect SoMi

Staff reported two new retrofitted outdoor pickleball courts at Marshall Williamson Park — bringing the total retrofit courts there to four — and said the courts use portable nets allowing courts to be converted back to tennis as needed. Deputy manager also announced the launch of Metro Connect SoMi, a transit service powered by Via, and outlined recent outreach including mailers, press releases and a resident‑newsletter pop‑up.

Commissioners asked about reservation procedures and weekend ridership statistics; staff said courts are primarily first‑come, first‑serve but can be reserved by contacting parks staff and that ridership data for the transit launch will be requested after the initial weekend. The report closed with an invitation to the next "SoMi 2nd Saturdays" event and a request that staff provide usage metrics as they become available.