New Tennis Courts Proposal
The city council is considering a joint development and use agreement between Sugar City and Sugar-Salem School District for 6 new tennis courts (including line markings for 12 pickleball courts).
Background
It's been some 40 years since Sugar City got new tennis courts. Many residents and school students have enjoyed the two courts at Smith Park and the two courts at Veterans/Neibaur Park. The courts have long outlived their safe use, and the city plans to tear out the courts at Smith Park and last month locked up the gate for the courts in Veterans Park.
In the years I've been serving on city council, I've seen at least three major presentations made to the council regarding the need for new tennis courts.
The tennis program in the school has expanded dramatically over the last several years. Somehow the tennis players have managed to practice on the two beat up courts in Veterans Park. But that really isn't a viable option.
The mayors and city council members in the past have known what a great recreational resource the courts have been for our city and school district, and they, and the community, were willing many years ago to build them. They have also realized the cost associated with the instillation and maintenance of the courts. And over the years, the city has not kept up.
I agree with Mayor Adams who has said that the city should maintain whatever facilities we have invested in. We don't want to have unsafe and unsightly parks or equipment or facilities. The current city courts are a liability for the city. They cannot remain as they are.
The school district needs tennis courts for its growing tennis program. If they can have six courts, they would be able to host home matches and tournaments. Currently all school tennis matches are played outside of Sugar City.
The Challenges: Location & Cost
The two biggest challenges for new courts are location and cost. Up till now, none of the city or school district properties have had readily available space to add tennis courts. Over the years, many various possible locations have been discussed. The new junior high property has opened up additional options.
The cost for new courts runs about $150k per court. That's a lot. If the city were to keep its four courts in our two parks, we would need to come up with ~$600k. If the district were to install six new courts on their own, it would need to come up with ~$900k. Neither the city nor the district could make this happen at this time.
After a careful review of budgets, and some very generous donations from interested residents and businesses, the city has come up with a plan to invest $300k and the school district has come up with another ~$500k to build six new courts. Together they can pull off what neither entity could probably do on their own. And both would have access to all six courts through a shared-use agreement.
Agreement Information
The agreement between the school district and the city establishes priorities and general use schedules for the courts. The courts will not be open for other uses such as skating. The schedule would be maintained by the city with a to-be-determined online scheduling system. The exact times will need to be determined, but here is the current version of the use times schedule being considered:
Q&A
Below I try to answer a few questions I've been asked. I'm not speaking for the council or the city as a whole. I'm speaking as one member of the council, and I can't speak for the school district.
Q: Can the city afford to do this?
A: Yes, the city can afford this. We've been saving money for capital improvements in our parks and for other purposes for relatively minor contingencies. This is a great opportunity for the city to have use of six courts for the price of two. I can't see such an opportunity coming along again. Our investment in these courts should not affect any basic city functions or responsibilities. Here's the breakdown of where the money could come from:
Parks & Rec Capital Improvement...$144k
Future Legal Reserve...$80k
Contingency Fund...$60k
Engineering Budget...$16k
Q: What about our upcoming responsibility to pay for sewer line upgrades? Won't we need the money for that?
A: Yes, we will need money to fix or replace the wastewater lines running from Sugar to Rexburg for processing. The cost of that project will be several millions, most likely. I have written about the upcoming wastewater line costs in other posts. In brief, the money for the tennis courts is not necessarily money that can be directly or effectively used for the sewer line project. Our contribution for the six courts is a bargain for the city, in my opinion, and is an investment that will pay off dividends for residents for decades to come. The wastewater lines will be paid for and the difference in that cost versus that cost minus the cost of the tennis courts would be very small for individual residents.
Q: Why is this proposal being pushed through so quickly?
A: The topic of tennis courts in the city has been on the city council meeting agenda many, many times. The city, the school district, and many residents, including student-athletes, have been searching for a solution for many, many years. This proposal is the furthest we've ever gotten to solving this issue, and it has taken years to get here. Wisely, the city council delayed a vote on this proposal for an additional two weeks to allow time for residents to understand and comment on it.
Q: Why should residents who don't play tennis or pickleball subsidize courts for those who do?
A: This is a more complex question than it might seem. Currently, residents are already subsidizing those who use the courts and all of the city parks and recreational areas. Residents are also on the hook for any liability the city has for the current courts. This proposal would greatly reduce the city's liability. As for the question of public park space and use, that is a quality of life question. I've found most residents are open to a minimum amount of tax dollars being used for such facilities that are open to all "free of charge." And while their may be a need to charge a minimal use fee if some organization wants to hold a pickleball tournament or something on the new courts, in general, the courts will not have a use fee. If we were to use public funds to build the courts and then charge the public again for their actual use that would be a cause of major concern for me, as it would make the courts not universally public use, but rather public use for those with more money.
Q: Why did it take so long for the city to come up with a proposal like this?
A: The city didn't come up with the proposal. And neither did the school district. A group of city residents wanted to make something happen, they got involved, they were formed into a committee, they worked long hours researching, they worked with city and school district representatives, they negotiated, they planned, they talked back and forth with contractors and donors and lawyers, etc. They have done a great job doing something that probably would not have happened without their efforts.
Q: Are you for or against this proposal?
A: As things now stand, I'm for it. The vote will most likely be at the next council meeting on Thursday, Nov 9th.