Sponsored banners will be dropped off at the Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association pickleball court. If the POA promises to pay for a blank banner, it will be replaced with a blank windshield brought in at the owner’s expense.
To do so, the spending must be approved by the POA Board of Directors in the Parks and Recreation Department budget for 2023, which has not yet been approved, and then the department staff must approve the payments.
The club will be billed for the remaining balance of $7,300 estimated from contributions to the windshield sponsorship, with the property owner paying the remaining costs.
According to a letter dated July 28 from Corporate Board Chairman Joanie Corrie to HSV Pickleball Club Treasurer Charles John, the POA Board has advised clubs to “exist for all new contract signings and/or placements. immediately suspending and canceling contract renewals.” Advertising on windshields owned by POA. ”
“I was shocked when I received the letter, because it seemed very hostile to the defenders of the pickleball community. We are here today,” said HSV Pickleball Club President Greg Allen. Documentation is available at www.hsvpickleball.com/windscreens.
Club officials say the issue could have been resolved by now if POA staff and the board had informed clubs of the 2018 ACC permit requirements earlier in the process.
Earlier this year, former club president Jim McPherson told the board that he hopes the board will support pickleball amenities more. He also states that a wind shield is a must-have for pickleball, as it blows light targets away.
Pickleball president Greg Allen and vice president Holly Harck met with Village Voice last week to discuss the issue. Representing the POA and Board was Jama Lopez, Director and Treasurer.
The sponsorship program allowed the club to pay free banners to property owners to improve the pickleball complex owned by POA. This includes a $25,000 shade cover, picnic tables in the DeSoto recreation area, and equipment (blowers) to clean the courts. and squeegees), and other items. A new ball machine for shot practice is available free of charge to players.
Shade is important to protect local attendees and attract tournament players, they say. Tournament players who have had bad experiences, such as not being protected from the sun and weather, are less likely to come back.
Hark said the sponsorship program would benefit the club’s plans to cover the cost of replacement shade shelters, ongoing improvements such as additional courts, and coverage of at least some courts at some point. said to be essential. tournament play.
Tournaments have been beneficial in attracting outsiders to see the village, she said, causing people to migrate here and players to take advantage of restaurants, housing, shopping and other amenities. rice field.
On August 10, the Pickleball Committee met with directors and GMs to discuss “why POA wants to stop a program that has been so successful and has saved residents thousands of dollars in valuation dollars.”
Club officials said POA verbally on August 10 allowed the windshields to remain until the sponsorship contract expired, at which point POA would remove each windshield and replace it with a blank windshield. agreed with
The club subsequently sent a draft contract containing these commitments, but the POA refused to sign.
On October 4th, the Club Treasurer met with the POA Board of Directors and GM to put together a spreadsheet of all windshield-related income and expenses for the past four years. The spreadsheet showed a balance of about $7,300 in donations from windshield sponsors.
“Let’s compare the impact to the other signage. Down DeSoto Boulevard, there’s the big green sign for Regional Banks, the big white sign for Eye Specialists, Re/Max, Woodlands for the Coronado Tennis Center. There are often big posters advertising bingo events,” the club told Ad-Hoc. Rules Committee November 16th.
Boyce also identified trash cans in a business complex near the intersection of DeSoto/Ponce de Leon Drive on Friday that may have violated the Safeguards Code. Tucker Omohundro, a board liaison for the Building Control Board, told the ACC last Thursday that he had previously had to screen trash cans out of sight.
“Of course there will always be disagreements,” the Pickleball Commission said in a Nov. 16 presentation to the Rules Commission. “We hear how professional the screens look, with a two-color theme consistent with the design. I’ve also heard some comments that it’s an eyesore.Section 3.65d.”
Harck said the upcoming improvements are essential for tournaments that meet the Village’s growing demand for pickleball and can be funded by sponsors.
“Pickleball is the hottest sport in the country today,” the club’s board of directors wrote to the POA.
Like HSV, pickleball is growing nationally, according to club officials. “To date, there are 453 club members, other his POA players and PB visitors. At prime time the courtroom is full and people are refused entry into the courtroom.”
Bentonville, Arkansas, like Dallas, has a large pickleball complex. According to reports, on Dec. 20, a Sebastian County quorum court will vote on him spending $350,000 to turn his old go-kart track into a pickleball in Benjerren Regional Park.
In a memo to Judge Sebastian of Peace, Jay Randolph, county park manager and golf course manager, said the Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s 2022 Topline Participation Report was the highest in the past two years. It announced pickleball as the fastest growing sport in the United States. He reportedly increased 39% over that period to more than 4.8 million attendees.
“The sport of pickleball is a mashup of tennis, badminton and table tennis,” Randolph wrote.
Randolph told a quorum in November that pickleball courts also provide another opportunity for seniors to engage in physical activity. , and tennis for people in good physical condition”.
Arkadelphia, Bella Vista, Danville, Hot Springs, Little Rock, Pearcy, Plainview, Rogers, and Russellville are other Natural State communities that offer pickleball courts.
Director and Treasurer Jama Lopez answered questions on behalf of the Board and POA. Earlier last week, General Her Manager Kelly Hale asked Her Village Her Voice to contact her for comment on the matter.
Why was the sponsor’s windshield approved by POA in 2018, but it took until 2022 for POA to determine that the banner violated its protection clause?
Since 2018, complaints have been coming from the new board, new general manager and property owners, Lopez said.
During a board public comment session on March 16, the property owner opined that the pickleball windshield “was the biggest eyesore in the village.”
This comment prompted POA management to investigate the windshield issue further.
Two HSV pickleball club officers attended an informal meeting on May 16th. In attendance were the GM and Company Treasurer, Greg Allen, President of the Pickleball Club, and Charles John, Pickleball Treasurer. Two club officials were told the windshield was in violation of the HSV protection code by advertising.
“They said, ‘We think they look great,'” she recalled.
Lopez said club officials said the pickleball club wasn’t set up as a non-profit organization and didn’t answer when asked if they had an IRS tax identification number.
Lopez said that by changing the font to larger letters, passers-by started noticing the banner.
“I think that’s why people started noticing,” she said.
The club was told at its May 16 meeting that the matter would be brought up to the board.
“We told them, ‘Please do not renew or sign up with new advertisers for the time being.’ They agreed,” she said.
POA has sent a letter of suspension to the HSV Pickleball Club dated July 28th.
“We do not know if they signed new sponsors or renewed existing contracts. A full audit of receipts for donations and expenditures received was not provided to the board or POA.”
According to Lopez, the November 13, 2018, sponsor banner permit was very specific regarding the size and color of the banner. The permit says that for each 34-inch-wide, 6-foot standard windshield, ads can’t exceed one-third of the size of the screen.
“In all communications between the POA GM, the Board and the Pickleball Board, this permission was never shared. If so, President Greg Allen said, this issue could have been easily resolved together. Said he couldn’t.
The image of pristine nature has always been loved by the villagers. “That was the image of Cooper. [Communities Inc. HSV’s developer] I think that image drew many of us here. “
As a compromise, POA informally agreed to pay for the new windshield when the contract expired. Funding comes from his POA’s Parks and Recreation Department budget, and Pickleball is charged against the balance that exists in the sponsor account. The club considers these donations he PB club not POA.
However, the club wrote that it would pay for the new banners out of its account to ensure windshields were provided if needed.
Is that consistent with the board’s pledges and subsequent policy on spending on amenities?, Boyce asked.
Lopez said the board has pledged not to spend money on new amenities, and the windshield payment falls under infrastructure maintenance.
If this is a protection clause compliance issue, will there be any changes to the compliance department to expedite violations such as pickleball banners?
“Overall, I think we are all much more aware of the rules, regulations, bylaws, and governing documents. Three of our directors meet each week to scrutinize these documents and review the governing documents. We ensure a clear understanding and consistency of relevant policies,” says Lopez.
Are there compromises, such as planting a vegetation screen to hide the windshield? Lack of visibility is good, but does it really meet the protection code?” asked Lopez.
Looking to the future, members of the Pickleball Club volunteer to teach the sport to Jessieville High School students.
Lopez said the POA will release a statement on pickleball today, Monday, December 5.
