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FAIRMONT-- The topic of pickleball returned to the Fairmont City Council on Monday as consideration of base material options for the pickleball court project was on the meeting agenda. Four new courts are expected to be placed at the Fairmont Soccer Complex.
Public Works Director, Matthew York, said that each of the courts will have an acrylic overlay but that they need to know what material will go underneath that. He said one option is asphalt, at an estimated cost of $280,000, and another is post-tension concrete at an estimated cost of $340,000. The first has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years while the second has a lifespan of 30 to 40 years.
"There's additional cost for concrete and some more design work that needs to get done for that, but there's twice the length of lifespan for it. It's a little bit more money now, but over the course of the lifespan of the courts, it should be less expensive in concrete than it is in asphalt," York said.
Mayor Lee Baarts asked York what material other courts in the area are and York said there is a mix.
"It's up to the council what we want to do. We have four courts. We're planning space for an additional four courts," York said.
Council Member Jay Maynard asked how frost heaves would affect the courts in either material and City Engineer Troy Nemmers with Bolton and Menk explained that both surfaces would have similar frost protections. He said both materials would crack but the post-tension would hold the cracks tight so water can't get in.
"You'll still have some crack sealing, but it won't be the same on an asphalt court where things will open up and you'll see a quarter to a half inch crack over time as things move," Nemmers said.
Maynard said he was already looking at doubling the life for a 20 percent increase in cost but was now more in favor of concrete.
Council Member Britney Kawecki asked what the budget was for the project. York said there's $191,000 for the project and it hasn't been increased yet and Kawecki said she thought that should be done.
"Shouldn't we be setting a budget for this?" she asked.
York said they should, but without knowing what the cost would be, it's hard to set a budget. He said once a material is chosen then can adjust the draft budget and look for additional funds.
Kawecki took issue with the lack of a budget and said, "I feel like the major concern was that these pickleball courts were getting out of control with cost and now you're bringing $346,000 in concrete and we haven't seen any designs."
York said it's not $340,000 in concrete, but that amount for the project. He said staff has included everything in the project that has been asked by the council including vegetative screening, light prep, four courts, benches and other small amenities.
"Everything that was asked by the council is included in this project," York said.
Kawecki asked for confirmation from Nemmers that the $346,000 includes everything for that cost and not just the courts.
"It includes fencing, sidewalks, the landscaping... I'd have to look at the exact details," Nemmers said.
York said that the benches were asked to be donated by other groups and reiterated that everything council has previously asked for is included as part of the project.
Kawecki questioned why all of that information wasn't included in what council was given as it only said four courts. York said there is not a drawing of what it would all look like.
"I'm not sure why a picture of what it's going to look like is going to make a decision on whether or not we have asphalt or post-tension concrete," York said.
He said that is what council needed to decide before they can put the project out to bid.
Kawecki said she got a call from pickleball players who were concerned with the cost because she said she felt like their ultimate goal was to have indoor courts.
"Their concern is, when you start looking at $400,000, that we're spending a lot of money... they have been asking me for a design and I said we haven't had it," Kawecki said. "Even the pickeball association would like to know what $340,00 includes and I don't think that's an odd question to ask when we're being asked to approve something."
York was able to display a basic design of the courts for the council to view.
Council Member James Kotewa asked if they could put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for both concrete and asphalt and York explained that it won't be an RFP process, but that the city would be going out for bids.
Lubenow said he thinks that concrete is the best option. He made a motion to approve concrete as the base material, which Maynard seconded. In a roll call vote, the motion passed unanimously.