Council asks staff to return with policy after early experience operating new storm courts

Tiffany (recreation staff) briefed the council on early operations of the city’s new storm courts and said scheduling is currently guided by an informal priority: city recreation programs first, then residents, then school district needs, and lastly clubs or outside tournament organizers. Tiffany said staff are intentionally leaving one court open for walk‑in residents and are limiting large club requests while they learn demand patterns.

Council members raised concerns about tournaments claiming large blocks of weekends and crowding out local use. Tiffany said tournament directors sometimes request multiple courts for a weekend; the city has used a range of rates and approaches during the facility’s early use, including a proposed tournament hourly rate ($50/hour suggested in discussion) and resident hourly rates (drop‑in rates as low as $1/hour were mentioned for casual use). Tiffany said staffing time to manage tournaments can be significant and that she will include staffing and operating‑cost information in budget requests.

Council direction: members asked Tiffany to develop a written scheduling policy with concrete limits on outside tournament bookings, differential rates for local versus out‑of‑town organizers, an hourly accounting approach for tournaments and a plan to protect resident access. Several council members recommended outreach to local club leaders to give locals a window to secure dates before outside promoters reserve multiple weekends.

Why it matters: The new facility offers local benefits but also draws regional tournament interest; council seeks a balance between community access and revenue generation while protecting residents and school programs.

Next steps: Staff will return with a written scheduling policy and fee recommendations, including staffing needs and suggested booking windows, after three months of operational data.