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Shawnee County Commissioners voted Thursday to resurface 12 tennis courts after being assured those courts will be used in a reasonable manner.
Although the similar sport of pickleball has grown in popularity considerably, tennis remains “a lot” viable, said Tim Laurent, director of parks and recreation for Shawnee County.
“The two have to coexist,” Laurent told county commissioners Kevin Cook, Aaron Mays and Bill Riphahn at their morning meeting Thursday.
Commissioners voted 3-0 to solicit offers from anyone interested in signing a contract with the county to resurface two basketball courts at the Hillcrest Community Center and 12 tennis courts in Lake Shawnee, Shawnee County North Park and Aquarian Acres.
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Thursday’s vote came after a discussion in which Cook raised questions about the continued viability of tennis and noted that the county maintains 18 pickleball courts, which were previously tennis courts, in Hughes Park, 725 SW Orleans Ave.
The total estimated budget is $ 98,004.50 for the resurfacing project approved Thursday, Laurent said.
The costs will be paid for using some of the money left over from the $ 3 million surplus reserve commissioners earmarked in 2018 to meet deferred maintenance needs in parks and recreation, he said.
Pickleball, a paddle sport derived from tennis, is rapidly gaining popularity
Pickleball, a tennis-derived paddle sport that also includes elements of badminton and table tennis, is the fastest growing sport in the United States, according to The Economist weekly. It is played on a court that is about a third the size of a tennis court.
Some Shawnee County tennis courts that are only used for recreational play and that were approved for resurfacing on Thursday will be marked in a way that allows people to play pickleball or tennis, Laurent said.
This type of arrangement is “largely done”, he said.
The Shawnee Lake tennis courts will not receive pickleball tagging because an organized and sanctioned tennis competition is taking place there, Laurent said.
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Commissioners also voted 3-0 on Thursday to abandon the county’s purchasing policy and enter into a contract with locally-based Restoration & Waterproofing Contractors Inc. to complete a restoration and waterproofing project at the All Veterans Memorial .
This memorial stands in front of the County-owned Great Overland Station, 701 N. Kansas Ave.
Mays said he was “shocked” to see the condition of the memorial when the county took possession of the subject property last year. He said he hoped to see the restoration project completed soon.
The contract approved Thursday provides for the county to pay for labor, equipment and material costs in an amount not to exceed $ 19,500 and granite panel costs in an amount not to exceed $ 9. $ 075.
The project will be funded with money specifically earmarked by the county to cover the costs of the Great Overland Station.
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The county received no response after soliciting proposals in June from anyone interested in a contract to do the restoration and waterproofing work, Laurent told commissioners in a memorandum earlier this month.
RWC contacted the Parks and Recreation Department on the day the proposals were due, saying they were interested in completing the project but had just been notified of the RFP and would not be able to meet the deadline. , indicates Laurent’s note.
County parks and recreation officials have met with people from RWC for a long time and are confident that they can carry out the project effectively, according to the memo.
Towards the end of Thursday’s meeting, the commissioners took no action after spending 30 minutes behind closed doors in executive session to receive legal advice regarding employment contract negotiations and possible pending litigation against the county. .
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