Proposal for more Pickleball Courts considered at June Board meeting

Pickleball has recently become a hot new sport to try, and with its rising popularity, the need for dedicated space to play has become a hot topic. In 2020, the Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Board of Directors approved the conversion of a tennis court at North Creek Community Center into dedicated Pickleball courts, which have been utilized heavily ever since. With a growing number of pickup games, instructional classes and interested players, residents have asked for additional Pickleball courts to accommodate the increase in play.

Beginning in March, staff gathered input from a community survey and community forum, and analyzed the findings. At its June meeting, the MVF Recreation Committee used these findings to make a recommendation to the MVF Board for additional courts at North Creek Community Center, Apple Ridge Recreation Area and Ed DeSimon Recreation Area, in various forms. Director of Recreation and Parks Duncan Mullis noted that upon further investigation, it was found that the surfacing at the proposed North Creek court performed differently under varying weather conditions and was not ideal for Pickleball.

In response to resident input and requests for additional Pickleball courts, and given this new information about the North Creek location, the Board authorized staff to begin the bidding process to convert one tennis court at the Apple Ridge Recreation Area into dedicated Pickleball courts, and to add dual-purpose courts at Ed DeSimon Recreation Area. The dual-purpose courts would consist of blended lines (when the courts are relined) and having Pickleball nets available for players at that location.

The Apple Ridge project would be funded by Capital Contribution Fees, and the relining of courts at the Ed DeSimon courts would be covered by Designated User (DU) Reserves, as the courts are already in need of repair and resurfacing.

Other Agenda Items
The Board awarded a bid of $45,000 from DU Reserves to All Pro Recreational Services for tennis court resurfacing at Stedwick Community Center, Watkins Mill Recreation Area and Ed DeSimon Recreation Area. All courts are in need of repair and resurfacing due to age and condition. Per the action to initiate the bid process for additional Pickleball courts, the cost of lining the courts at Ed DeSimon Recreation Area to include Pickleball was included in this bid.

A policy to review resident appeal of an Activity Card suspension was also adopted at the meeting. Processes to appeal Architectural Review Board decisions, as well as a Dispute Resolution already exist, so a similar process was established for residents who may have lost longer-term Activity Card privileges. The focus of the policy is to provide a timely hearing before the MVF Executive Committee, in recognition that the pool season is approximately three months. This process affords residents with a long-term suspension of privileges the potential to regain access to the pools. The full policy can be found online at www.montgomeryvillage.com/mvf/mvf-policies.

Mullis reviewed the process to update the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan for 2024 – 2028; based on the steps he outlined, an updated plan would be adopted in fall 2023, with implementation to start in January 2024. Mullis said to update the plan, data would be collected from: the 2020 Census; a community survey; 5-year participation/usage statistics; review of best practices and cost comparisons; and a visioning exercise. Analysis of the data would be used to update or create new strategic priorities for aquatics, facilities, parks and programming.

President’s Remarks
Board President Scott Dyer was excited about the recent ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated North Creek Pool, thanking the Board members, staff and local elected officials who were able to attend the event. He was thankful for the number of activities available to residents during the summer season, and noted the work staff put in to make the offerings possible.

Dyer also noted that at the recent Presidents’ Council meeting, it was agreed that a Parking Subcommittee would be formed to discuss parking issues throughout the Village. An initial meeting will be held to define the committee’s scope, goals and schedule, to eventually bring potential solutions to both HOA/condominium boards and the MVF Board of Directors. The first meeting is scheduled virtually for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13.

EVP Report
Executive Vice President Dave Humpton noted the new features available at the North Creek Pool, including the waterslide, Wibit inflatable obstacle course, basketball and volleyball and the 25- and 50-meter lanes for swimming. He said this was a major project, as would be the next pool, Stedwick. Humpton also said that Bloom Village was well underway, with 88 homes already settled. The total 514 units will bring a new revenue stream of assessments, helping to keep services across the board for all residents.

Humpton mentioned that a Public Safety Meeting with 6th District Police Commander Eric Stancliff and other staff was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 25, and would be held virtually. Connection details will be available online at www.montgomeryvillage.com in the near future.

Treasurer’s Report
MVF Treasurer Stephen Taylor presented the Treasurer’s Report for the year-to-date (YTD) and the month ending May 31, 2022. Taylor reported that overall, all MVF funds were behind budget projections by approximately $488,000, predominantly from Investment Income, which was down $890,000. Net Income was reported unfavorable to the budget by $31,000, but offset by Capital Contribution Fees (CCF) which were favorable to the budget by $107,000, and Pool Membership and Fees, which were up $32,000. Additionally, Taylor said Personnel and Operating costs were lower than expected by $108,000 and $73,000, respectively.

Total Revenue through May was reported at $3 million, which is 19% lower than the budget. Operating Expenses were reported at $3 million, which is favorable to the budget by 7.2%.

He said the Balance Sheet continues to reflect MVF’s strong financial position with over $10.5 million of its assets held in Cash and Investments. Assessment Receivables reported an overall decrease of $478,000, which shows that the collection process is working and payments are being made on time.

The Delinquency Rate for May was reported at 9.6% (812 units), which is lower than both the 5-year average and last year at this time.

Next Meeting
The next MVF Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, as a conference call/Zoom meeting. Residents are invited to join the call; full meeting details, the meeting packet and/or participation instructions will be posted online at www.montgomeryvillage.com the week before the meeting.