RE_ a vote for boulder tennis courts 6_RedactedFrom:Rhodes, Alison
To:Thornton, Jonathan
Cc:Schuttenberg, Scott; Briggs, Tina
Subject:RE: a vote for boulder tennis courts
Date:Thursday, September 14, 2023 4:06:00 PM
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Hi Jonathan,
Edits in text below. I’d love you to take this response and any others that come in unless they’re
uniquely challenging or political.
Thank you!
Ali
From: Thornton, Jonathan <ThorntonJ@bouldercolorado.gov>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 12:00 PM
To: Rhodes, Alison <RhodesA@bouldercolorado.gov>
Cc: Schuttenberg, Scott <schuttenbergs@bouldercolorado.gov>; Briggs, Tina
<BriggsT@bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: RE: a vote for boulder tennis courts
Here’s a draft email to send:
>>
My name is Ali Rhodes and I’m the Director of Boulder Parks and Recreation (when we get a draft
response, I’d love for you to take these if/as they come in unless there’s something unique or
especially political about it). Thank you for writing to us about your passion for racket sport courts in
the city. Members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) and City Council have
received your message and you might hear from one of them individually.
We understand the concerns and questions you have related to racket sport courts in the city.
Participation in both tennis and pickleball has increased in recent years and as a result, we have
work underway to identify solutions to the demand for courts.
We are working on a Court System Plan that will outline our system-wide plan for racket sports. By
the end of this year, we should have two items ready:
1. A management plan for our existing inventory of courts that will include use distribution
(which are shared and/or dedicated for tennis/pickleball) and how we use distribution
amongst reservations, drop-in use, lessons, and more as we try and balance all of the
competing demands. The management plan will also prioritize investments in existing courts
and inform how we spend $2M over the next five years to ensure they are all in good
reservations, drop-in use, lessons, and more to try and balance all of the competing demands. It will
also inform how we prioritize investment in the current courts. Prior to 2023, we budgeted $65k/year
for court maintenance. This year we will spend $200k. The budget that City Council will consider this
week for 2024 has us spending $400k/year for the next five years so that the courts we have are in
better shape.
2) Locations where additional funding would allow for construction of new courts. We do not have
money in our current budget for new courts and the 2022 Parks and Recreation Plan directs us to
prioritize dollars on taking care of what we have, however, we know there are opportunities for other
funding, such as grants and philanthropy, and want to be ready if/when funds are identified for
additional courts.
The third and final deliverable will be ready in 2024 and will inform if/how BPR partners on a
potential court facility.
The note can finish with a link to sign-up to receive email updates from us and to be notified of
opportunities to provide input.
Thank you!
Ali Rhodes
Director
she/her
O: 303-413-7249
rhodesa@bouldercolorado.gov
Parks and Recreation
3198 N. Broadway | Boulder, CO 80304
bouldercolorado.gov--
From: PRAB Admin <PRABAdmin@bouldercolorado.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 9:15 AM
To: PRAB <PRAB@bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: a vote for boulder tennis courts
Dear Members of the PRAB,
I am forwarding an email that came to our Parks & Rec email box. Thank you for all you do.
Rosa Kougl
Executive Assistant
O: 303-413-7223
KouglR@bouldercolorado.gov
Boulder Parks & Recreation
3198 Broadway | Boulder, CO 80304
www.boulderparks-rec.org
My typical schedule is M-F 7:30am – 4:30pm and emails will be responded to during those hours.
External Sender
From:
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2023 10:05 PM
To: parks-rec <parks-rec@bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: a vote for boulder tennis courts
Attention Parks and Rec Advisory Council,
(Please don’t delete,, Please send to Advisory Council, if this is not the correct email,,
thx!)
Thanks for your work!
I just wanted to add a voice (per recent Boulder Daily Camera Opinion Piece, on the
state of city tennis courts).
I am an avid tennis player, and I have traveled extensively through the U.S. for work...
I am continually surprised by cities the size of Boulder (or smaller!), and generally less
wealthy, by how much money and energy and time they have put into tennis courts! In
many cases, including actual public tennis centers (covered courts, groups, lessons,
etc.).
OK, got it,
Pickle Ball is all the rage!--- and it may continue to rage, or it may not.
But tennis has been hugely popular for decades and decades, and it is renown as an
exceptionally beneficial athletic and mental pastime...for participants, aged 8 to 80 (if
not some on either end!).
Go ahead--> invest in pickle ball courts,
but please, don't usurp our tennis courts for Pickle usage,
please,
please,
continue to build and maintain tennis in Boulder, Colorado.
Thanks