Residents press council to preserve racquetball courts as city approves Jimmy Floyd renovation

Residents urged the Lebanon City Council to preserve racquetball courts at the Jimmy Floyd Family Center Tuesday, but the council voted to approve a renovation plan and funding included in the adopted budget.

Chris Baragum, a longtime city resident, told the council the center is “family” to many users and thanked officials for follow-up on engineering questions while urging the council to keep the appropriation for renovations. Eric Lei, who described himself as a regular user, said the council was not simply approving a budget line but adopting a renovation concept developed around removing the courts. “Tonight, you're not simply approving a budget item. You're approving a renovation plan,” Lei said, and pressed the council to present alternatives that would preserve the existing courts.

Why it matters: Dozens of residents who use the facility turned out to ask the council to slow the process and show renovation concepts that retain racquetball courts. Supporters of preservation said the courts are used daily, draw multigenerational participants and that management or layout changes could avoid demolition.

Council debate and rationale: Councilor Joey Carmarmac moved to separate the racquetball question for separate consideration and to keep one court in an amendment that failed at a prior meeting; he and colleagues said the council held public work sessions and reviewed multiple options. Councilor Jerry Ashley defended the chosen plan, saying that “if we're going to spend $3.7 million in taxpayer money, we need renovations that are relevant to what the majority of society is doing” and that the plan was intended to serve the largest number of residents.

Vote and next steps: The council voted on second reading to approve ordinance 267433, which keeps funding for the Jimmy Floyd Family Center renovation in the annual budget. The motion carried by voice vote. Councilors and staff indicated cost estimates may be refined and the item could return for further review if more detailed figures require it.

Voices from the gym: Katie Chaffen, who said she is a regular gym user, told the council she was “really sad for the racquetball players” and described underused rooms upstairs that could be reconfigured to preserve court space. Eric Lei said no citizen survey or publicly presented alternative design that preserves the courts had been shown, and asked that the council delay permanent decisions until alternatives were studied.

What the council recorded: The renovation project was approved as ordinance 267433; funding remains in the adopted annual budget. Council members said they relied on work-session discussions and usage estimates in reaching their votes. The council did not adopt additional requirements to produce a new survey or guaranteed preservation plan at the meeting.

The council adjourned after completing the agenda; the renovation item may return if more precise cost estimates or member motions prompt reconsideration.