Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee - Regular Meeting

Okay. We got a quorum. We're ready to rumble.

I don't

know if

you can discuss that, I agree.

Okay. Go on.

No. I'll open that with

Good afternoon.

Welcome

to the Parks and Rec meeting. It's time, girls and boys.

Hey, guys. We're starting.

It's 03:30, and it's time again for the Parks and Rec Advisory Committee meeting. We're welcome. We welcome you all. We're glad you're here. I am Dolores Siegel, and we've got a quorum, and we're ready to go. So, Claire, can you call the roll?

Member Hanaki?

Here.

Member Spindler? Here. Vice chair Lynch?

Here.

Member Aegis?

Here.

Member Kramer? Here. Chair Siegel?

Here. Can we all stand for the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic I would like for the committee. I want to do the approval of the agenda, but there are a couple of items that we I would like to take out of order because one of our members, Darren Spindler, is going to be late, and we're gonna try and accommodate him to be here for most of the meeting. So, Ken, if you approve of the agenda, can I have someone who makes a motion to approve it?

Move it. And a second?

I second.

Terrific. And I'm sure that you spent a lot of time reading our minutes of the December 16 meeting. So if you've read them and you approve of them, can I have a motion of approval?

Motion to approve. And

a second? Terrific. We're moving right along. Okay. Now, we have on our agenda, one of our members has, a questionnaire that he would like to have presented, but he's gonna present it to us and, you also. So, John, wanna talk about it?

Absolutely. Do we have a way of putting this up on the screen for everyone or no? Is that something is IT here, if I can help it?

He's back here. Perfect. There you go. There you go. Here it is.

So I guess after the last meeting, I guess one of the things that was on my mind was, you know, we've been talking about data to support some of our decisions and direction that we wanna go. And so when I went home that night, I started punching out some ideas and some questions that I thought would be a good start that we could go to the prospective Racket Center members that are on this list of five zero five five zero five people, I believe it is. Right?

Well, right now, we have a few we have some less than that.

So, you know, I mean, of course, the first thing I wanna do is validate how many of that list is still even actively seeking to join the Racket Center. And of course, wanted to collect some more data so we could better slice and dice it to understand more of the demographics of of are they Marco Island residents? Are they not Marco Island residents? Are they looking to play in the morning? Are they looking to play in the evening?

Like, sort of things like that. So I put this brief list together, and it was suggested that maybe we even expand it to existing members of tennis and at Bovie and that we are looking to consolidate everything into one single membership. So that's something that I think we could kind of modify this to better collect. But I'm not thinking that this would be very difficult to collect. I understand that we have a lot of phone numbers rather than email addresses, but I volunteered my time as the city's okay with accepting that.

And if anyone else at the committee here would wanna help too Okay. We would, you know, I I would be happy to sit in the back of park or wherever it would be acceptable to make the phone calls and collect the data and and, and track it and and collate it and provide it to back to this committee for for, for good decision making.

I think it looks terrific. Is it possible for us before we start voting or talking about it, is it possible to get this printed out and, distributed? Guess I stumped them.

Well, you're both you're looking at setting up a questionnaire. Yes.

Yes. But that is okay. That is something that can be done. We don't have to take it to anybody else, but we decide we wanna do it, and you'll help us implement it. Am I correct?

Go ahead.

I think we will need to get the approval of the questions and stuff. So there'll be a couple of extra steps. But once you guys decide on the questionnaire and the format and all of that, then we'll bring that to probably our legal counsel and just make sure that that's okay. I don't know if this is something that city council has to okay. But this is the first time this has come, you know, forward. So there's a couple of the steps. And, John, I do apologize. I know that you did give this to us. I just have not had the opportunity to find out what the next steps were. But if this is something that you want to pursue and you guys come up with the questionnaire, then I will find out exactly the next steps that we need to do.

And I do appreciate, you guys offering to assist, with the communication and and making the phone calls because, I will accept that help because we don't have the staff to do it. So I definitely appreciate that.

But you have, how do I say this? The membership, it's not an it's not a question as to distributing this. We are willing, once it's distributed, to make follow-up calls and and do everything it takes. Okay. So your part is good. Okay. So are there questions? Brian.

If when this is approved, we could just, because the pickleballers have to check-in when they come to play. Right? We could just give this to them, ask them to fill it out on that on each of their visits, then we'll

For the existing member. For the

existing member. Yes. Okay. Absolutely.

Perfect. That would definitely, you know, make that easier to collect right now. Okay. Brad, what do you think about this?

The only question I have then is if you're looking for input from the rest of us, how do we get input to you with the sunshine law?

For those of you who don't know, the sunshine law says that we may not speak to each other about except how do we feel, or else we could go to prison. And, you know, it isn't that we don't love each other, but a felony is a felony. So we we are unable to discuss this or anything about pickleball, tennis, Mackle Park, anything. You can't talk to another member on of the committee or it's a crime. It's not a misdemeanor. It's a felony. So we're trying to watch ourselves. Alright. So we can't talk. But

Just for clarity here, because I'm reading these questions. It sounds like you're not even ready to make based on this questionnaire, you're not even ready to make a recommendation to the city council regarding fees. Is that correct?

Well, we'll talk about that today. We can change the number.

Well, based

on this questionnaire, you're asking for numbers.

That was already approved the last meeting to go to

That was Right.

That's what I'm saying. They're those were already approved. So Yeah. Based on this questionnaire, now you're bringing up fees again.

Well, as are you aware, it's climbing to haven't been approved yet, but

we we Well, my understanding is this meeting was for making a recommendation to city council regarding fees and memberships. But based on this questionnaire you're asking, now you're not ready to make if you if you implement this forward, now you're not ready to make a recommendation for fees and and membership then.

I'm confused. We did that last meeting.

Right. But what I'm saying is now you wanted to put a questionnaire that now you're asking certain people what what should the fee schedule be.

So I just you aware

of It it doesn't it says, are you aware rates might be climbing to $3.39?

Right. What

Well, my question is is what is

It's just asking them, are they aware? It's a questionnaire. Are people are people knowing what's happening here in these meetings about pickleball? That that's what he's asking. It sounds like.

It's a valid question, I think.

He Darren says that

Excuse me. You know, excuse me. This isn't this isn't this is not this is not audience at this time. No. I'm I'm just trying to figure out what you're trying to do because if you're based based on this, it sounds like you're not ready to make a recommendation to city council at this particular time.

Oh, he's talking about the whole thing.

I'm talking about the

whole the whole.

Remember? Okay. I understand what you're saying.

Yes. I guess, I guess my question was if are the prospective members still gonna be interested if it should go up? If it does pass that it goes up, are they still gonna be interested? That's my question. I guess, I thought that was a valid question at this point in time being that it has not been approved yet.

Pardon me? I'm sorry. I had somebody in my go ahead. What what did you say?

I said I said my my question about the rates might be climbing is geared towards the prospective members. Are they still going to be interested in joining if the rate climbs? It's irrelevant if it's climbing or not. So I want to know if it does climb, are they going to then decide they don't want to join? I guess that's really my I'm trying to do a discovery here of the prospective people that are on the list.

Again, the previous workshop was you to make a determination if you are increasing fees and expanding or changing membership. At that meeting, you guys made a recommendation that we're gonna be here, but now you're bringing something else up. No. I Well, no. I'm I'm I'm way the way I'm reading this is it sounds like you're looking at other options now.

And I'd rather, instead of even going down the road of discussing fees, then we would stop this. If you prefer to send a questionnaire out, then you send a questionnaire out. But what I didn't want happening is you're you're gonna be making a recommendation for fees and and membership to the city council. In the meantime, you're gonna wanna put a questionnaire out which is gonna cover some of the stuff that you're supposed to be making a recommendation to.

So I understand.

I think it's gonna be confusing. Either you stop what you're doing now and decide you wanna do a questionnaire, and then we can just stop. We won't even discuss the eSCA until we get that information.

Well, looking at looking at where we are on the calendar right now, we're towards the, you know, January. I don't even think if we do get, if we do present this to city council at all. So, if we if we do present and get the fees increased, it's probably not going to take place for at least several months. So we're already missing season for that, aren't we? Wouldn't we? I don't understand how

So If you if you give a recommendation today Mhmm. Then that recommendation will be forwarded to next city council meeting.

Right. Which would be next month. Right?

When was next month? It would be next month.

And then we'd have to pick a a start date, I guess, for that new rate. But But by that time, we could probably already have collected some of this data. I guess that's what I'm looking at. But I mean we could strike the rates from the questionnaire, if you'd like, but I thought it was a valid question to the prospective clients if it's going to impact their decision to join or not.

I guess the question is, if you guys want to do a questionnaire, what are you looking to get from it? And is this something that has anything to do with are you looking to get information from here that has some that pertains to the membership fees and the waiting list? Because those are the two items that you're talking about today, and you plan on making a recommendation to city council that would go sooner than later.

I guess what I'm looking to collect here is I wanna be able to properly forecast how many people are really gonna play at this racket center. And and and, of course, that does depend on cost if they're going to be showing up or not. So to properly forecast demand is requires data, and I guess that's what I was trying to collect.

So then as a committee, you guys would decide, are you guys ready to talk about the fees to make the recommendation in regards to the fees and the waiting list? If you say yes, then we don't do the questionnaire. If you say, I wanna wait and put that on hold and do the questionnaire first, I think that's a decision you guys need

to make. Why don't we think about this for the moment? Let's have the meeting today and see how we feel at the end of today's meeting.

Okay.

How would that be? Is that okay with everyone? Fred, are you good? What do you think, Fred? Okay.

Nice for you.

Brian? Yeah. Matt?

So we make the decision

at the end of the meeting. Uh-huh. Let well, so let's talk let's bring this up again at the end of today's meeting. How's that?

Okay? A by the end.

Yeah. Yeah. Hopefully, we will.

And just real quick, Chuck. I forgot to mention, we do have a city council meeting today, so we have to end preferably by 04:55 if we can. That way everybody can be out of the room by 5PM because they have to start setting up for the city council meeting.

Okay. I don't know what they do differently for city council, but we'll be gone. We promise. Okay. Did you wanna tell us what was going what what you've had for the month and and your report your Parks report now so that

Because we're on limited time, and, I did do a report. If there's any questions about the report, I'm happy to talk about that. But then we can continue with do you guys have any questions about what Parks and Rec is up to?

Okay. I

have spent the last month not on the pickleball court, But, it turns out pickleball is my life. And, can you imagine what kind of life the seagulls have? But, I think possibly I have another idea. And, I'd like you to listen to it, and then we can discuss it. We If you want to play pickleball anytime between 8AM and 8PM, we could be charged $460 a year to play pickleball.

You can play all day. You can get here at 8AM. The daylight hours are up to you. And this would be open at this time to those of us who are members in good standing and play pickleball right now. So if you are a member and you wanna play from 8AM to 8PM, you can come anytime. Don't call anybody. Don't make a reservation. Get here. Look for your friends. Don't play with that guy because he's not as good.

I know how that works. So come on, and you can be here whenever you want.

Dolores.

Uh-huh.

Darren Spindler is online.

Okay. Good.

You do an agreement to have him, participate online?

Is it, it's up to the committee. Is it okay if Darren Spindler joins us now?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. He's allowed. Now, going on. If you don't wanna play until 10:30, and you you may come and you are a member now, you may pay us $360 a year so that you can come at 10:30, and your little card says, come on in, but don't come before 10:30. So that you we've got two levels.

We've got the eight to 10:30 and the 10:30 on. Eight to 10:30, no calling, no reservations, nothing. Just come on in. Right now, here, we have 355 active pickleball members. Tennis, give or take, we've got 54.

So that gives us 409 members, and tennis and pickleball will be the same. You are a Racquet Club member. So the Samantha and her staff feel that we can handle 450 people as members. So that would give us 41 people who are on the waitlist now. Now I'm assuming we have records of the top 41, and maybe they won't even wanna join.

But they can they can now become racket, racket club members. And they can decide, do they wanna pay 460, or do they wanna pay 360? So this is it's another idea. It takes a little it's the same amount of money, but it takes a little of it takes, I think, the step away from we don't wanna make reservations. It's a way to do it. It's exactly the same as it is now. Be with your friends. Play. You've got it. So I would like, the committee.

What do you think? Is this is this an option for us that makes it easier? It's the same amount of money as before, as we had discussed before. It turns out the number we had written down was $3.39 plus a $100. They tell me this is tax or whatever it is.

Somehow, it went from $3.39 to, $3.60. God knows how it got there. But it's from $3.60 plus the extra 100 makes it $4.60. So we have gone up, I don't know, several $100. And you tell me, what do you think of this idea?

I apologize. I'm not sure I understand it.

Okay. What we're saying is, if you wanna be a pickleball player here at hide at hide here on Marco Island at the Racquet Club, if and you wanna begin playing at 8AM, and you can play from 8AM to 8PM, that costs you $460 a year.

I apologize. How's that different from what was approved last meeting?

Well, before, we we called it 03:39. But let's say before, we didn't exactly know how the people who wanted to play from eight to 10:30 could get on to the pickleball courts. We talked about making reservations and calling in. Well, we aren't equipped to do that. This is a way to make it exactly as it was before, but it's gonna cost you an extra $100 to be here a year. It'll cost you a 100 a year to be here from eight to 10:30. Does that answer my quest your question?

I thought there was a $100 premium for that right already.

No. That this is including it was $3.60, and now the 100 is built in right there. If you wanna pet play after 10:30, then it costs you $360 a year.

She meant $4.60.

I no. Well, after after 10:30 Right. It's $3.60. Before 10:30, it's $4.60. Yes. That's the bottom line.

If you take a look at the fee schedule that's on the screen, that might help you.

Okay. I I just have

one one, input on that, if it's okay. I'll ask Samantha maybe to help me help me with this. I do think we have to allow, like, I know we allow free play. Don't we have to allow some public time? It can't be members only, right? It has

to Free play is from 4PM to 6PM.

Right. So we have to have some sort of carve out for that in your proposal. You know what I'm saying?

Well, you we you could play also. It doesn't matter. It's any it's open to anybody.

Eight to ten.

Right. Eight yeah. The only thing that makes it any different now is if you pay $4.60, you can play from eight to 10:30. No reservations. Nothing. Come on. Mhmm. It takes a little of that fight out of there.

What happens Again, we're talking what if what if a what if 300 members wanna play at 08:30 and they

all show up and wanna play? What happens? Think they're they're now. But we talk to each other and we like each other and we think about lunch.

But when we're okay with that.

Right. I don't think that's I

a don't think people are okay with that. And that's why they're that's why they were trying to get with the reservation system. So the number of parking spots allowed to play matched the number of players there. And with the reservation system, they play, people leave, the new ones can play, they leave, and that's how I think that was the design of why we brought up reservations.

Well, right away, we can't do the reservations because I do not believe that we are equipped. Am I correct? We don't have a reservation system.

That's Darren was looking into that.

Well, looking into and it costs money. I know. And the town of Marco Island, if I'm not mistaken, we don't have any.

Okay. So that was decided that we're not so it was decided that that's not happening.

Yeah. Yeah. You know,

we When was that decided? Well, We had that conversation.

Nobody. They don't have to say one word to us about it. But am I correct? A reservation system is not gonna happen in the in the real near future?

Yep. That is correct. We don't have any way to do reservations.

Mhmm. I I understand that you're saying that, but as of the last meeting, you guys were looking into it with Darren.

We did. And and Darren is on here, so I think he can speak to that. But we've done research, and we've looked into it. And it's not something that staff supports.

Okay. So we'll have to come up with a new proposal then. So I don't think we're gonna be ready to to send anything to the council with all these extra changes. Yep. Just

my thought.

Does dare is Darren does Darren wanna talk about the reservation system? Darren, are you here?

I I am here if if you can hear me.

Yes. We can.

So thanks again for letting me come in virtually here today. I had something I couldn't get out of. But so after a long conversation with Samantha, long conversation with some of the pickleball community, long conversations with the neighbors next door. I think, Dolores, what you've presented today encapsulates the direction that we should move forward. I think it takes into account for a number of things.

One, the neighbors don't want additional noise until there is a solution. And I'm happy to share later that I've I've made arrangements for some pickleball players, the neighbors to go with me on a little expedition to a place that has some noise cancelling stuff. In fact, we're gonna do that this Saturday. So we're gonna try to bring the two parties together and and come up with workable solution. But in the meantime, we want to keep the number of members, I think, roughly where we're at and, you know, with Samantha's input saying, you know, we can't go further than four fifty because, one, we won't have the court space and two, we don't want the noise issue.

And three, we don't want to have the pickleball players that are currently playing unhappy, because we we we send a bunch more people in. So I think the proposal at 04:60 for the morning hours, 03:60, for the the other hours, I think is something that, you know, I I'm happy to support. And that after speaking to the pickleball players, they're perfectly okay, you know, with the current system where they're just showing up, they sort it out, they know who's coming. And because we're not going to put hundreds of new people into the facility, the need to have a reservation system at this time to accommodate that is not necessary. And hopefully over the next six or eight months, we can get these two groups working together and we come up with a long term solution here that that benefits everybody including other members of the community.

And so so that's where I I I'm at, but I I I'm happy with the way you encapsulated the new proposal, Dolores.

Thank you. Thank you, David. It's wonderful to do. Appreciate it. Any other discussion on this? So we're removing the cap that we've loaded on. Oh, we're we're putting the cap back on, but we're going to. Right?

So the goal, I think, is to have the cap in this another discussion after we talk about the fee, Brian, so that we can, have that as two separate pieces. So I think the the goal is let's wrap up what the fee discussion is and then the, cap I think is a secondary discussion to that. And at the direction I think of both players in the community, the neighbors and staff, I think we can come to an agreement here that will be suitable to all with our current situation.

Okay. With that, do we have to revote on keeping them? We had to vote to keep the money that we're collecting into that particular park. So is any of that changing?

Once you guys make changes No. I'm just starting that.

I'm just asking

was discussed.

There's been a lot of changes that since the last meeting, so that's why I'm asking. No. I think the money

Thank you.

Thank you. I think where the money goes, state that it's Okay. Nothing changes. I'm just Basically, the only change is from eight to 10:30, there is really not a reservation system. And, I think I have been to the pickleball courts, and those I who I have spoken to want it that way.

They don't want to make reservations. They don't wanna have to be there at 08:20 or 09:13. They wanna get there between eight and 10:30 when it's when they've got when they can be there. And that's how they wanna do it. And I think this is a way for us to to accommodate them.

We're not having any more people coming. It's the same 450 members, and that's it. It's capped at four fifty, and we'll talk about if anything else ever happens. But right now, what I would like us to decide is, do we want to say yes to four fifth to $460 for you to be able to play pickleball at the Racquet Club from 8AM to 8PM. If you don't wanna spend the $4.60, then it will cost you $3.60, and you can play anytime between 10:30 and 8PM.

I think the numbers stay the same. And this all we're deciding now, we're not talking about fencing. We're not talking about making it quieter. This is just so the pickleball players understand and are happy with what we have decided. I've never seen a lot of people. They kept found me everywhere, and they're not happy saying they play at 09:23 in the more in the, in the morning. I gotcha. So I this is what we came up with. And, hopefully, you approve of that. We up here approve of it.

I think we're making it kinda simple. I used to teach kindergarten. And this is the way we've made it simple, and everybody can understand, and everybody will wanna hold miss Dolores' hand again. Now, did you Listen.

I just had a question

about Real quick too, and I'll figure out how to write this on the fee schedule. This doesn't include tennis. So tennis play can be from 8AM to 8PM at the 03:60. I just have to make that adjustment on there. So if there's tennis players out there that are looking at it, we're not going to charge them an additional $100 from what they're paying. Okay.

Is the is the free play is that mandatory because it's like a city park or a county park? Do we have to do that? Or can

it It's just be an agreement that we have with Collier County.

Okay.

Are there any They pay

no money for that one. Right? So the guest this this non member fee of 14 or 17, you don't pay that in the free play?

Yeah. Correct.

Correct. Okay. Correct.

So there's two hours a day that and there are a lot of people here then. There's a goodly number. So is there any more discussion? Do we wanna talk about anything else about this? Are you ready to vote on whether you wanna have the 04:60, 03:60, and the time frame that we have. And I think that's really our question for today. Anybody else have questions?

I can ask one more question. Sorry.

Anything.

This, these per game fees, roughly, it takes 25 games to equal the annual membership. Are those gonna stay the same? No thought to, I guess, keep everything in mind?

Not understand what

I'm just so it's per game to play or per visit is 14 or $17 if you do not or not have a membership. So my question is

Those were actually increased too.

Oh, those were. Okay. I'm so sorry. Thank

you. Yeah.

Now, Samantha, do we want before we vote, do we want to hear what the public has to say? Yes. Okay. So unless there's any if you wanna if you're about ready to vote and there's no discussion, then do you want to hear before you vote what the members have to say? Yes. Okay. I know you. So, Claire, can you start?

First off, have David Cadwell and then Detlef Rethage.

I hope I don't get called out because it doesn't hit the mark on the messaging. But David Cadwell, 90 Marco Villas Drive, resident of Marco Island. I'm speaking on behalf of the residents of San Marco Villas. Many of them are with me today. We are rec we are asking the city to recognize the significant and growing impact the Rackett Center is having in our neighborhood. When I purchased when we purchased our home in November 2019, the facility was nothing like what it is today. Within a few months, COVID shut everything down.

Play was extremely limited. Real quick. That that would be something you'd wanna do when we do have something that's not on the agenda. This is just the fees. If you have questions regarding fees and membership but what you're talking about right now is not on is something that's not on the agenda. So you'd have to wait till we get to that portion.

Well, then I guess I'm done. We'll call you back. It's hard to get your voice across in this a lot of times because there are things we wanna talk about that are outside of what's going on but affect the community around us, and you're not giving us a chance to speak about that.

Well, before the meeting's over, Dave, you'll have your chance.

Thank you.

Don't don't burn your papers. Okay? Right

now, we're discussing just the fees portion.

Right. My name is Edelope Reitager, 206 Waterway Court. Thank you for your proposal. Just an observation that you increase the fees, the pickleball people will not be happy. You increase the count of players, the residents will not be happy.

And it's not balanced because tennis player from eight to eight don't get an increase, one of two comments. The second comment is I am would like because you seek a fair solution, I'm convinced you seek a fair solution, and I would like to provide some relevant information. With 185, Marco Island is the most expensive public pickleball field in Southwest Florida. My membership at Naples, which is a significant better facility, better surface, more barriers, more playtime because the ratio is. I brought you for your benefit the schedule.

An annual membership is $100 for a better facility. This is my membership. They save money by not having people running around. You check-in electronically. Expensive.

The $200 membership provides me clinic for free, parking at the national championships for free and several coupons for equipment worth $100 So the $200 membership is less than $100 So there's no, you increase the price 150 percent from $185 and you reduce the play time because you allow more people. I believe there's still a little bit work to do to come to a fair solution. Thank you for your time.

The other speaker we had was Carla Cadwell, if it's relating to fees.

It's not related to fees, so I'll wait until the end. So

no one else has then are we ready to vote on this $4.60 or $3.60 price point to, to present to the council that this is what we think we this is how we wanna begin?

May I make a comment?

Yes. Absolutely.

With that then, at the last well, the last meeting as well as the the open discussion we had, the workshop, I don't recall anybody in the audience, any citizens coming forward to say that they wanted this two tier system, and that's why I voted against it. I just haven't heard the basis for it yet. Okay? So that explains why I'm going to vote the way I am, and I just wanted to make that comment.

Well, I well, I don't know. It it's I I don't hear any of them talking, but I had understood that the two tier system would give those who play it would give more play I don't know. They would be there would be fewer players from eight to ten thirty, and that would give those that were willing to pay the extra $100 a little step up. And number two, I was thinking that I've heard mister Cadwell, and it would maybe be fewer people and less sitting around time and talking loudly. And hit and pickleball players have a good time, and they laugh and they talk, and it's fun.

And I kept

explain why I was gonna vote the way I'm going

Well, no. But

other reason was because people wanna play in the morning, less sun, and then they wanna be done. Yeah. So that's why they were gonna pay a premium for that 08:30 to 10:30 slot.

Right. I agree. I have a question as well. Anything.

I'd still like to, depending on how this particular vote goes, I think it's irrelevant as compared to the questionnaire. I still would like to We'll get to that. Questionnaire. Yeah.

We'll get to that.

I I would just like to make that point.

Okay. Matt, did you have anything you wanted to add to

this? Nope.

Okay. Then let's see how we vote. And do we need a motion for this? Or how does that how's that gonna work?

Yeah. You're gonna make a motion to whatever you're discussing right now with the second, and then you'll you do the vote.

A motion to do the fee increase approval.

Okay. And we're saying move to $4.60 for eight 8AM to 8PM and 03:60 from 10:30 to 8PM. Is there a second?

Dolores, before you do that, can we make sure that we again reiterate that the fees remain in the, Rackett Center, facility to further improve the facility just so that we make clear that that's in this motion as well.

Okay. I know what I'm gonna say again. I I did it last Okay. Let's do it. Okay. I'm gonna make an a motion to do the fever change request again. 360 for ten thirty AM or yeah. 10:30AM to 8PM. Mhmm. 460 from 08:30AM to 8PM. Oh, 08:00.

Sorry. That's it.

K. Also, I guess in this, we we're gonna keep the cap at 450, and no reservation system. Mhmm. And these fees stay within that park along with the request that the budget and the maintenance is all done. So you know that it is kept up to date going forward versus waiting for it to fall apart and not have any money to fix it or too late to fix it and it's gotta be replaced. Anything else I should add into that?

I think you got it. Okay.

I think you covered it.

Thank you.

Okay. Matt, you wanna second that one?

I second that.

Okay. Claire, do you wanna call for the role to vote?

Vice chair Lynch?

Yes.

Member Hanaki?

Yes.

Member Spindler? Yes. Member Aegis?

Yes.

Member Kramer?

No. Chair Siegel? Yes. Hey. Alright. We are now can we now

Yes. Yeah.

Close enough to 04:15.

Yeah. Well, wait. But can we now you will now present this to the council? Is what what is the next step for this?

We will get the chair of the, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting, get the chair of PRAC on the next city council meeting that we're able to, And whoever is the chair because I'm I'm saying whoever because next month, you guys vote on a a new chair.

Okay.

So whoever the chair is for this committee will be the one to present, your recommendation to city council.

Okay. So we are ready for that. We've got our fees, and now it is time for us. Do we want to offer this questionnaire and see and just change the numbers in there because the numbers would be different instead of and do we want to ask those if you look at the can we put that up again to look at the questions?

Dolores, do you wanna do the, the public comment?

Oh, forgive me. Public comment? Come on up, honey. God.

We have David Cadwell followed by Carla Cadwell.

Set that clock to three minutes and thirty seconds.

Gonna get the full four minutes. Come on.

Okay. Like I was saying when we per well, Dave Cadwell, Marco Island. Like I was saying, when we purchased it in 2019 and the reason I mentioned this is the comment was made several times that we knew what we were getting when we moved in by the, tennis courts. Well, if you look at the timeline associated with that, pickleball didn't start picking up until 2023 is when it really took off and really started becoming an issue for us in the neighborhood. I attended several meetings, city council meetings at that point and spoke up in regards to that because the financing, it was tabled, we hadn't dealt with them anymore.

Then I picked up with you on the PRAC committee as things have kinda swooled spooled back up. Today, the noise carries into our homes from early morning through evening. It affects the basic peaceful enjoyment of our property. This is not a minor inconvenience. It is a daily intrusion that has fundamentally changed the character of our neighborhood.

Under Florida law and the city's own nuisance ordinance, residents have the right to be free from unreasonable, excessive, and repetitive noise that interferes with the use and enjoyment of their homes. What we are experiencing meets every definitions of a nuisance. We are also dealing with overflow parking congestion that create safety concerns and blocking access. These impacts have intensified without any zoning ordinance governing high impact recreational uses and without the noise traffic or compatibility studies that should accompany them. Meanwhile, the facility itself is invisible disrepair.

The combination of noise, traffic overflow, safety hazards, and deteriorating conditions reflects a pattern of unmanaged impacts that would not be tolerated from any private property owner. Yet residents have been asked to absorb these burdens without relief. I wanna emphasize something off that often gets overlooked as well. Residents are being forced to spend their free time defending their right to quiet enjoyment of their homes instead of spending our evenings and weekends doing things we choose to do. We are writing letters, attending meetings, documenting impacts, and trying to get the city to acknowledge a problem that it created.

This is the very definition of a nuisance, an ongoing avoidable disruption that shifts the burden onto the people who did nothing to cause it. We support rec recreation. We support community amenities, but they must be managed responsibly and with respect to for the surrounding neighborhoods. The current location is simply too close to homes to be viable long term. We are asking the city to take meaningful action.

Relocating the facility or building an indoor facility would resolve the noise issues, improve safety, and allow for proper planning that benefits both players and residents. This is the responsible path forward. And I had one other thing I wanna say real quick, Dolores, and I don't wanna offend you because I think you're a very nice person. I've and I enjoy what you do for the community. But is it a conflict of interest that you're on the committee for the foundation committee along with the PRAC committee? Because don't they elevate issues that they want PRAC to vote on?

Well, it it turns out the person who is on the Parks and Rec Committee is really not a voting member

Okay.

Of the foundation. Okay. They are all there are seven other members. Okay. I'm just there breathing.

Okay. Okay. Well, like I said, I don't mean that personal. You're a very good person. So I appreciate you. But I just wanted some clarity on that.

No. Appreciate your am not no. I am not I have I don't vote.

Okay. Thank you. Appreciate your time. Uh-huh.

Come on up, Carla.

We have Carla Cadwell followed by Sheila Yawitz.

Hi. I'm Carla Cadwell. 90 Marco Villas Drive, San Marco Villas. I just I sit here, and I look at all of you. We've been hashing this out for two to three years now. Again, we'd like to know where the impact studies are. We've not seen anything regarding nuisance. We've not seen anything regarding parking, traffic, noise coming into the community, trying to hold any kind of workshop or anything for us to voice our opinions. Yes. It's been it's it's all just been really sneaky.

It it all seems like from the beginning, it's all been pushed in on us in this little community. We are less than 50 feet 50 feet from the noise, and it just continues to get louder and louder and louder. We currently have nine courts. We're looking at 36 people playing at a time, 36 people holding on the side, maybe another 36 waiting in the parking lot. I'm I'm so confused as as to what you said as far as we're gonna cap it to 450 people.

What if all 450 people wanna play from eight in the morning till eight whatever? How do you where's where's the limit? We've asked for how many people can specifically be there? Where's the fire hazard? What's what's the limitation on it? We never get any answers in the three years that we've been doing this, that we have been saying it's getting ridiculous in our community. It's becoming a nuisance. We can't go outside. We can't sit. We have people with heart problems.

We have people that have seizure problems. My daughters both have seizures. I have a young grandson that has spina bifida. I'm gonna make it real personal here. They could not sit outside of my lanai and have a cup of coffee in the morning or any of that because it would throw my kids into a seizure. It would affect my young grandson, Victor. He would end up with headaches. Once this starts and if they have to be rushed to the hospital, I can tell you where this is leading. I'm coming back. And I'm saying, I I will come back and say what has thrown them into seizures.

It's the loud noisy noises, the ponging. We have 22 buildings. 22 buildings, a 148 condos in this little community that is so tight, and it's it's just a unity. It's a beautiful place to be. That's why we picked living there.

We have 27 condos owners that are directly adjacent to the wall, to the l, backward shaped l, from the East side to the West side. We have a 104 condos that receive the noise. And I'm talking a 104 condo owners that it goes out to. It actually distributes to 17 buildings out of our 22. If you'd come over and rock the walk the property as we've asked many of you to do, but there's been a couple of you that have done that.

You would see. It wouldn't be a question as to you would see the suffering that we are going through as your paying citizens and residents of Marco Island. I don't believe the 405 people, the 900 people are all gonna be Marco Island residents. We pay the taxes here. I think it's a shame that you don't come into the community and find out truly what's going on. I feel it's I I feel it's just all undermining. You just keep shoving it down our throats and shoving it down our throats. And everybody says, well, you better get on board because it's coming. What's the limit? Where are the studies?

We've asked over and over and over again. We've asked city council. We've asked the city manager. No studies have been done. Why is that? Are we not important to you? I'm asking because I'm looking at all of you, and and there's very few faces I've seen walk on our property and see what we go through. Very few. And I'm I'm just asking that that you do it, that you become a part of our little community.

I'm sorry, but you're at your time.

Of course. Thank

you. Thank you.

We have Sheila Yawitz.

Sheila Yawitz. 100 North Collier Boulevard. And I'm saying this in a general statement, and we have several members of the city council here. Why aren't we complying with our state statute, which requires an annual an annual level of service update? We haven't done one since 2012, and it's beyond just traffic. I know there's been some traffic studies, but it also includes parks, sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, etcetera. It needs to be done before any other decisions are made. You need the data. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you.

That's it for the public speakers. Okay.

Just so I can add about the level of service study. One was done for parks, roughly not more than two years ago. The level of service study was there, and it was given direction on exactly funding for parks and how they should be funded. So that that has been done.

Okay.

Thank you. Do we want to discuss, this, questionnaire? How do we wanna how do we proceed with this?

Well, I think we could, modify some of the wording and the numbers on it as per our previous vote and, decide if there's any other data we'd like to collect. How do we wanna go about do we wanna come up with those questions now, or is

that something that we could Can we put is it can we put it off till next month, or are we waiting too long? Because there with this presentation won't be made Right. Before the city council till, I would think, February. Am I correct?

Yep. We just have to see when we can get it on the city council agenda.

Okay. I would think it would be probably probably end the second meeting maybe in February. So we might have so we would have one more chance. Let can we rework this and bring it up? And let's, you know, and let's talk about it at our next meeting.

Is it something that we're permitted, with the Sunshine Laws to do, like a, back and forth if we use Samantha as a point person, like, give it to you, and then you'd redistribute to the committee. And then, you know, in that way, we come to the next meeting a little more prepared and don't waste time because we always seem to have a very limited amount of time here.

Unfortunately, we can't do back and forth No. Because that's almost like you guys having a conversation, you know, outside of the public forum.

Mhmm.

But but we can work on it. And if any of the members have specific ideas of that you wanna include, you can send that to me. And then we'll work on it. And then we can put that on the agenda for next month.

Okay. Could you could you do us a favor, In the meantime, I guess, the coming month is maybe just discuss this with the city legal counsel and see if there's anything that he does have concern about that we should remove or reword specifically. That way, we just save a little back and forth time that way.

Of course.

All right. Thank you.

Could John rework some of the questions, send it to you, and then you share just that with us? Is that okay? One go round? Okay. So let's do it that way. At least we'll we'll be ahead right there.

Okay. Yeah. Just trying to save time. Know because we always seem to be very limited here.

Okay. Can we call on someone has their hand up. That's what I'm trying to ask.

You have to speak in the microphone.

Come on up.

The questionnaire is a good idea. If you use an online tool as SurveyMonkey, you have all the email address in your database, you have all the results in one week.

Thank you. You. I if I am I have I think we have covered our our agenda. But

Dolores, this is this is Darren. I do have a couple of updates on old business that I would like to share and then also get some feedback or direction.

Mhmm.

Would you like me to share that now?

Right now.

Okay. So Beautification was able to secure $19,000 for us out of the Tree City USA money. That has been forwarded to both Sam Samantha and Dan. And I just wanted to get feedback from them because we need to move that forward. We need to know if they need any assistance from Linda or I in taking the next step to make this come to fruition because we need to get these trees in the ground before September 30.

And I don't know with hurricane season and rain season and all that stuff, how that all comes in. And, the the days go fast and with months between our know, a month between our meetings, we got we gotta make sure we keep moving here.

Okay. Now, Samantha, do we I thought it was I didn't realize you had to do anything. Is is this a done deal? Do we have to do anything else to get this project finished?

I I apologize. I'm not, I'm not ready to give. I haven't had a chance to really work on that. We've been really busy with some other matters. So I have not had a chance to work on that, but I'll take a look at it. And then I'll get in touch with Darren.

Okay. So, Darren, you're kind of on hold there.

Okay. Okay. And and then the last thing I just wanna share is, you know, I have had conversation with both the folks from the pickleball group that want to raise funds to improve the the noise situation. And and they understand that this could be, you know, everything from sound blankets to sound walls to indoor pickleball facility. And I have I have communicated that also with the neighbors.

So I we are this Saturday. Mister Cadwell, mister Annette, myself are gonna go to a facility in North Naples where they installed some sound blankets that were recommended through a couple of different sources that we had conversation with. And it would turn out that this guy in Naples has installed these at over 200 locations throughout The US and actually had previously had a conversation with the city of Marco Island. And I'll be happy to bring some feedback back from that. And it's my hope that, you know, going together with both sides of this conversation, we can start working together and and find a solution that is good for both, you know, the the neighbors and the the players and really the city at whole.

So, you know, I don't I don't think that we're sitting on our hands, I I I feel like we do here. And, hopefully, we can we can bring everybody together here.

Thank you. Thank you. One last thing before we leave. Tim Arnett is here. Thank you.

And, indeed, the Parks Foundation is meeting tomorrow. And at that meeting, I am sorry that we didn't we didn't look at sound barriers and sound screens because there's money there. And if we find something that really works, let's see if we can't get that make your life not as not as difficult as it is now. And also, if you wanna hear Tim Arnett speak, he is going to make a presentation before the Parks Foundation tomorrow. And you just maybe, between all of us, things will look better, and things will be better, and things will be happening.

So if you have nothing to do tomorrow afternoon at 01:30, we aren't serving anything, but do stop by and listen to what's going on. And be there. Be there or be square. So I think we've done it. And, Samantha, did you have anything else to bring up for us today? And members of the committee, have we done it? Okay. See you tonight, maybe, at the town council meeting. It's at 05:30. And, again, thank you for being here.

We really love to have the seats filled up. Thank you so much, and see you next month. Motion to adjourn. So moved. Alright. And so done, and thank you. She looks so good.