Ephrata council urges patience on pickleball progress

EPHRATA — Members of the Ephrata City Council told residents trying to raise money for a new, purpose-built pickleball court for the city to be both patient and persistent in their efforts even if it seems the city is not acting quickly.

Shelley Slininger, a long-time Ephrata resident, spoke to the council during a regular meeting on Tuesday on behalf of a group of citizens seeking to raise money for new pickleball courts. Slinginger said she was frustrated at how slow the city’s process has been, especially given that the citizens group approached the council in February for help in applying for a Lauzier Foundation grant with a deadline of April 30.

“Obviously, we missed that deadline,” she said. “The current state of our proposal is waiting for approval from the Parks and Recreation Commission, and they have had it on their agenda for two meetings so far and they plan to make a decision at their next meeting, which will be on May 25.”

“What a long process,” Slininger added.

“I’d really like to see this encouraged,” responded Council Member Kathleen Alstott, citing the example of Lion’s Park. “You’re taking on something with maintenance, but what is it that we do in the city that doesn’t require maintenance? Our streets, our pools, everything requires maintenance.”

“I don’t think that pickleball courts are going to break our backs,” she added.

Both Mayor Bruce Reim and Parks & Recreation Director Traci Bennet both said the city needs to take its time in planning any kind of project — even one with privately-raised funding — because laws and regulations are complex. No one in Ephrata is saying “no” to the project, both Reim and Bennett said, given Ephrata’s need for new city parks. The city, however, is just being cautious and methodical.

“Once the money drops into the city’s lap, we have criteria that absolutely we have to adhere to,” Reim said. “Sometimes it can be a little cumbersome and sometimes not. But that’s something that we have to take a good hard look at.”

“A project of this size, we have to make sure it is done properly, and that’s very, very time-consuming,” Bennett said. “I think the Parks Commission is doing their due diligence just trying to gather all the information before the city commits because, as the mayor implied, once our name is on the grant, it changes everything.”

Bennett also said no matter how the project is funded, it will be built by Public Works Department staff and eventually managed by Parks and Recreation Department personnel to both city and state construction standards.

“Of course, we will listen to the wishes of what the pickleball group wants,” Bennett said. “But it’s our project to manage, what we have to do from beginning to end.”

Slininger responded, saying she appreciated the information and wanted to know if there was anything else the group of residents can do to help speed the process along. However, she also reminded council members that in the past, other groups have approached the city with projects and gotten them built.

“Interest groups have come to you and we have a skatepark. Interest groups have come to you and we have Splash Zone. Interest groups have come to you and we have a soccer complex,” she said. “We’re coming to you and we’d like a pickleball court. Or maybe four.”

“Don’t get frustrated,” said Council Member Matt Moore.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.