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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2008 0917 CC REG ITEM 10N rimm 1D . A. City C'Nnicli Meeting it --------1-17-2#4 _ ACTION: W 41 MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Mary Lindley, Parks, Recreation & Community Services Director DATE: September 9, 2008 (Meeting of September 17, 2008) SUBJECT: Consider Revised Tennis Court Rules DISCUSSION At it meeting on September 8, the Parks and Recreation Commission considered revisions to the City's tennis court use rules. The rules had not been updated since prior to 1996 and recent feedback from tennis players suggested that some minor rewording and clarification would reduce the likelihood of use conflict. The City has 13 tennis courts with one additional court planned for construction by the summer of 2009. The court locations are as follows: Park # Courts Li hts Arroyo Vista 8 yes Tierra Rejada 3 no Miller 2 yes Future— Mammoth Highlands 1 yes The courts at Arroyo Vista Community Park (AVCP) are the most heavily used. The Moorpark Unified School District (District) partnered with the City on the construction of the courts. The City has a use agreement with the District which gives the High School priority use of all eight courts at AVCP from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for physical education, and up to six courts from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for tennis team practices and CIF matches, Monday through Friday during the school year. The City blocks out times on evenings and weekends to conduct recreational tennis classes for youth and adults. Honorable City Council September 17, 2008 Page 2 In addition to the City and District, the Moorpark Tennis Club, comprised of about 400 members, holds its games and social events at AVCP. With the exception of their twice-yearly social events, they do not rent the courts for their tennis matches, which usually take place most Saturday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., but rather rely on court access on a first-come-basis, along with other members of the general public. Sometimes this creates conflict when Club members are under the misunderstanding that they have priority use of the courts and attempt to displace other players and/or monopolize the courts by holding them in a manner inconsistent with the court rules. This has become a greater issue, leading staff to evaluate the City's tennis court rules to see if they can be made clearer and easier to enforce. Attachment A of this report lists the City's current tennis court rules with the Parks and Recreation Commission's recommended changes in legislative format. The Commission's discussion focused on a perceived conflict in the rule that identifies the amount of time teams can use the courts to play tennis. The City displays two separate signs at its tennis courts; one listing the general court rules and the other, a reservation board, where players hang their rackets to indicate that they wish to play next on the court when the current players leave. The court rules sign states that "Play shall be limited to one hour, or completion of a game, when players are waiting to play." The reservation board states that play begins and ends on the hour. "choice" policy, which is to wait and start precisely on the hour, or choose to use an open court of your choice and play the remaining minutes of that present hour. Staff surveyed surrounding jurisdictions and found that half restricted play to begin and end on the hour when players are waiting for an available court. Conejo Recreation and Parks District also includes a provision for courts that become available before the top of the hour that states "players have the option of using the remaining minutes in the present hour and vacating the court on the hour if other players are waiting, or wait to play at the top of the hour". The remaining jurisdictions simply restrict play to one hour. The Commission heard from two tennis players who advocated on behalf of restricting play to begin and end on the hour and including the additional Conejo provision identified above. Players can anticipate when courts will open up and can plan to be present to secure a court shortly before the top of the hour. They believe that this rule prevents conflicts and is easy to follow. The Commission concurred with this language. SACommunity Services\ADMINISTRATIVE\CC Reports\2008\9-17-08(Tennis Court Rules).doc Honorable City Council September 17, 2008 Page 3 Additionally, staff recommends the addition of a new rule regarding the use of the courts for tennis lessons. Currently, the City will rent courts, with the payment of a fee, to individuals teaching tennis, although the rules do not specify that fact. Staff proposes adding the following language: "Only authorized persons, with an approved permit, are allowed to teach lessons on the City's courts." The recommended revisions include other minor clarifications. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Approve the tennis court rules revisions. Attachment: A —Tennis Court Rules S:\Community ServicesWDMMISTRATIVE\CC Reports\2008\9-17-08(Tennis Court Rules).doc J. .~ Honorable City Council September 17, 2008 Page 4 ATTACHMENT A CITY OF MOORPARK TENNIS COURT RULES AND RECOMMENDED REVISIONS 1. Tennis shoes must be worn at all times. NO black soled shoes. ^r am hFe feet. 2. Wheelchairs must be equipped with special soft sports tires or rubberized stops that will not damage courts (NO urethane or dark tires). 3. Tennis courts shall be used for tennis only. NO bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, rollerblades, strollers, tricycles, remote controlled or motorized toys/vehicles or inflatable attractions are permitted inside the fence area. 4. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all times. 5. NO food or glass beverage containers are allowed on the courts at any time. 6. Do no pull, sit on, or stretch the nets. 7. Animals are not permitted on the courts at any time. 8. Children not playing tennis must be properly supervised at all times. 9. NO professional private lessons/instructions are permitted without a rental permit issued by the City. 10. Tennis courts may only be reserved with a City issued rental permit upon payment of rental fees. Persons with reservations must have the approved rental permit with them during the reservation time. Individuals must honor approved court reservations. 11. NO amplified music or radios are allowed in the park or on er-aFeUnd the courts without prior written City Manager or designee approval. 12. Play shall begin and end on the top of the hour be limited to one (1) h^,�r fGr when others are waiting to play. If a court opens up prior to the top of the hour, players have the option of waiting to begin play precisely on the hour, or using the remaining minutes in the present hour and vacating the court at the top of the hour. 13. When all courts are in use, the waiting party must place one racquet on the Court Hold Te6°eFvat*en board of the court of their choice. Individuals waiting to play must be present when their court is available. Courts shall not be held waiting for players to arrive to play. S:\Community Services\ADMINISTRATIVE\CC Reports\2008\9-17-08(Tennis Court Rules).doc Honorable City Council September 17, 2008 Page 5 14. Players playing are not permitted to "Hold" FeseFve a court at the same time. 15. Players waiting to play may not hold a court for a player already engaged in tennis play. 16. An individual Person using a tennis court for practice must relinquish theiFSSUrt it to either a singles or doubles group immediately upon request if no other courts are available. SACommunity Services\ADMINISTRATIVE\CC Reports\2008\9-17-08(Tennis Court Rules).doc