Pickleball club, city sign five-year agreement for use of new courts

Pickleball players will be pleased to learn city hall and the sports club have signed a five-year agreement that governs all aspects of using the forthcoming courts — including future expansion.

During its April 11 regular meeting, city council voted to approve the licence agreement between the City of Moose Jaw and Pickleball Moose Jaw Inc. for the use, operation, maintenance and future expansion of the new outdoor courts at the Kinsmen Sportsplex site.

Council also agreed to waive participant fees for the new pickleball courts for 2022, authorize the mayor and city clerk to sign the agreement and establish a pickleball capital reserve fund as outlined in the agreement. 

The agreement starts May 1 and expires on April 30, 2027. 

During the 2022 budget deliberations, council approved a proposal to construct six new outdoor courts at a site adjacent to the Sportsplex, with money to come from the general parks dedication reserve.

“Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, and the construction of the new courts in 2022 will be a welcome addition to our outdoor amenities,” said Derek Blais, parks and rec director, during the meeting. 

Department officials have met with representatives from Pickleball Moose Jaw over the past three months to finalize a licence agreement and construction plans, he explained. 

The agreement creates exclusive use times and rates for the club while ensuring that city programming and public drop-in use are available, he continued. Meanwhile, both parties will partner on future capital expenditures through the capital reserve fund. 

Annual contributions from the club on a per-member basis will fund the reserve account, along with revenues from advertising, sponsorships and donations.

Starting in 2023, the per-participant fee will be $31.50 and will increase two per cent yearly. Meanwhile, over the five years, the annual capital contribution fee per member will be $30. 

There are about 120 members this year, while that could increase to 300 people in the future, Blais’ report noted. From 2022 to 2026, the expected revenue from annual participant fees is $25,230, while the expected revenue from annual capital contribution fees is $27,000. 

Pickleball Moose Jaw will be fully responsible for any extra costs for future court expansion, while re-surfacing or equipment replacements beyond the reserve account will be cost-shared 50-50, Blais said. 

“It is recommended that the 2022 participant fees be waived due to the uncertainty of when the courts will be operational and to allow Pickleball Moose Jaw to continue to grow their membership,” he stated. 

The parks department has issued requests for quotations for the surfacing and fencing of the new courts, with the department to award the project by late April, Blais said. The goal is to start construction this spring so the courts are operational before the end of summer.

“I think both parties are really excited with the design and feel that these courts are going to make event-hosting opportunities a reality,” he added. “We’re really constructing them the right way.”

Coun. Dawn Luhning was somewhat concerned with waiving the per-participant fee this year, pointing out that members are already playing their games elsewhere and paying fees to play there.

City hall is waiving the fees this year at the new venue because it will not be available for most of the season, explained Blais. Meanwhile, even though players are competing elsewhere — in school gyms, for example — they still pay fees to play at those places. 

“I think this is great. This has taken a long time to come to fruition,” said Coun. Kim Robinson, himself a pickleball player. “I still think we’re a couple years behind everybody else (though, especially) when we see courts in small places like Southy and Riverhurst.”

The next regular council meeting is Monday, April 25.