PRC meeting summary 05052021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Meeting Summary- Parks and Recreation Council Meeting, May 5, 2021 Virtual Meeting Members Present: Haywood Rhodes (Chair),John Greeson (Vice-Chair),Andrew Landstrom, Bob Smith, Mikki Fleming, Cecily Kritz, Gina Reyman, Chris Colvin,Xilong Zhao. Chapel Hill/Carrboro Greenways Commission rep: Alice Armstrong Members Absent: Tim Tippin Staff: David Stancil, Beth Young Guests: Kathleen Beech,Tim Spruill, Ed Cox and Bruce Betz Chair Rhodes opened the meeting. The March 3 and April 7 meeting summaries were reviewed and accepted. New member Chris Colvin (Carrboro Town representative) was introduced and each board member introduced themselves. Rhodes discussed the remaining vacancy in the PRC and suggested tabling any suggestions for appointments to the BOCC until after their summer break. Stancil stated that the BOCC may not get to appointments until after their break. The council agreed to wait until BOCC reconvenes. New Business: Pickleball Needs: Chair Rhodes turned the floor over to several guests on the meeting to discuss pickleball. Bruce Betz spoke first and expressed their concern about the lack of pickleball courts in Hillsborough and the county. Currently only one court that is temporarily taped for Pickleball on the tennis courts at Fairview Park. Indoor courts at the SportsPlex are limited hours due COVID and indoor courts. Best solution would be to have outdoor courts opened year round. Fastest growing sport in the US today. Ed Cox spoke next and noted he was the organizer of play at the Passmore Center and at the Fairview Park court—three days a week for two hours at a time. The priorities they see at the moment are permanently marked courts at Fairview—three of them. Kathleen Beech spoke of the group's dedication. Tim Spruill noted lots of Hillsborough people are forced to drive outside of Hillsborough to play. There is a great demand for outdoor pickleball courts in Hillsborough. John Greeson asked the group if they have approached the Town of Hillsborough Park and Recreation board with their concerns. Spruill stated that Cox had talked with the Town of Hillsborough but stressed that it is a minimal amount of space dedicated to pickleball. Greeson stated that he wanted to make sure their concerns had been presented to all of the Parks and Recreation boards in the county since we are in a somewhat unusual configuration with multiple jurisdictions. Stancil stated that the Fairview Park tennis courts are the only ones that Orange County has in its system. In the past the tennis courts are Orange High were administered by Orange County, but years ago Orange County Schools took over the management of those eight courts and reservations now go through the school system. Stancil explained in regards to the lack of courts in the County system that until about a year ago he had never been approached about pickleball. Because there was no funding to address the need that was raised, he had initiated a pilot project taping lines for pickleball on one of the tennis courts at Fairview Park. The County does have on going license agreement with Orange Tennis Club for the use of the tennis courts at Fairview.There are funds to resurface and reline the courts at Fairview and there may be an opportunity there to permanently line those courts for pickleball and tennis. Stancil stated that we do have funds in the Capital Investment Fund for future tennis courts at Cedar Grove Park and Soccer.com Center but those funds have been pushed out to 2026 at the earliest. Rhodes thanked the pickleball guests and Stancil