11-06-2023 Park Commission Meeting Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 6,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. through the data from the open house. There were a range of comments from wanting the maximum number of courts to wanting the most possible while not impacting the Donation Garden to wanting to add nothing more to the area besides the Garden. Carter asked about data on pickleball needs. Rasmussen highlighted the number of courts and usage from neighboring community and said no community has as many courts as needed but it does come down to costs. She noted that the costs can vary widely depending on amenities added, such as lights. She said what they are hearing from pickleball players is more courts are needed rather than amenities. She urged the commission to involve the pickleball community in the decisions as even something like court color is important to players. Duval said she likes the options and the pairing but wanted to make sure the logistics of access to the Donation Garden is considered. Roath pointed out that the Donation Garden is also important to the community. He opened up the discussion to public comments. Janie Delaney, 1315 Woodhill Ave., said she thought pickleball and the garden are a good combination but was concerned about all the new hardcover and how run-off might affect the garden. She said she has visited other communities like Victoria to see their courts and noted outdoor courts generally close down for the winter. She also said wind fences might be needed because the site can by windy. She asked about fundraising for the project. Lemons said it is early in the planning process but that Bolton and Menk thought they would be able to create enough of a holding pond to deal with any run-off. Rasmussen said the pickleball players have formed a West Lakes Pickleball Club that could include fundraising and she has been looking at possible funding sources. She suggested the project start with a pledging process and when enough money is pledged,move forward. Lemons said they would continue to study grants and other funding sources. Jack Reily, 2130 Shadywood Road, said he supports the project, noting that there are pluses and minuses to each proposal. He said he thought 12 courts was going too far but that the City should settle on nine. He said he felt it was incumbent on the City to come out of the January work session with a proposal and costs so the pickleball community can get to work. He also said it would be important to the consider the needs of the Donations Garden so there would not be opposition from those interests going into fundraising. 4. 2024 PARKS COMMISSION MEETING CALENDAR Lemons said the calendar for 2024 had been tweaked from previous years. The draft calls for four quarterly meetings in February, May, August and November plus two work sessions in January and June. Porter said the work session in June would be the last work session of the year and with the need to talk about CIPs it may be necessary to add another work session in October. Page 2 of 5 4