Council adopts pickleball fees but fails to change Kelly Courts reservation policy

Hermosa Beach on June 9 adopted a new fee structure for the Kelly Pickleball Courts while stopping short of a policy change to eliminate walk-on play on most days.

Staff asked the council to update the master fee schedule to reflect fees the council previously approved at its May meeting — a $25 annual resident membership and a $12-per-hour reservation rate for residents — and to clarify the Kelly Courts use policy. The staff report recommended keeping the operational approach that allows walk-on play during periods that are not reserved, arguing that an operationally strict reservation-only regime would be difficult to enforce without staff permanently assigned to the facility.

Councilmembers asked detailed questions about how walk-on play is tracked and how disputes between players would be handled. Staff said there is currently no sign-up clipboard or app; walk-on play is first-come, first-served when courts are unreserved, and staff does not perform continuous monitoring.

On the motion to reaffirm the policy as reservation-priority with walk-on play allowed during unreserved times (and Fridays remaining walk-on only) the roll call failed: Council member Saman and Mayor Pro Tem Keegan voted in favor, Council member Francois abstained, and Mayor Detoy and Council member Jackson voted no. Later, when the council moved separately to adopt the fee schedule (the annual membership and hourly reservation fees), the motion passed 4–1 with Jackson voting no.

Council instructed staff to implement the adopted fees upon the courts’ reopening; staff also said the courts are tentatively scheduled to reopen in August subject to contractor scheduling and a 30‑day curing period after grind-and-overlay work is complete.

The action leaves operational details — including dispute resolution procedures for walk-on play and whether to revisit a strict reservation-only regime — open for future consideration.