OCEAN CITY — Passionate pickleballers prevented proposed proliferating pay for paddle play on Ocean City’s courts with a pre-emptive push against the plan.
Substantial increases in pickleball court fees were part of an ordinance that featured a wide range of fee increases for services throughout Ocean City. The ordinance was up for second reading April 10 at the City Council meeting, after being approved two weeks earlier on first reading.
In the interim, members of the paddleball community not only inundated their City Council members with calls, but also met with Mayor Jay Gillian to show their opposition to the proposed fees.
The cost for a 2024 season pass good for May 1 through Oct. 31 is $60.
The new fee structure proposed in the ordinance was $225 a year for use of the outdoor courts at 18th Street and indoor courts in the Civic Center, $150 a year for outdoor only and $100 a year for indoor only.
After the pushback from what Gillian said were members of the “passionate” pickleball community, he proposed making the fees $100 a year for unlimited indoor/outdoor play, $90 a year for outdoor only and $25 for indoor only.
Multiple pickleball players showed up at the City Council meeting to speak during public comment, but did not after the mayor made his comments about the revision to the ordinance that council members later approved.
Pickleball has ballooned in popularity across the country in the past few years and incredibly so in the resort. There are 16 courts at 18th Street next to Ocean City Intermediate School, the first 11 constructed in 2017 and another five added in 2023. They are well used.
Gillian noted City Council approved the new capital plan that includes $1 million for adding 12 new courts at 18th Street. The city has applied to Cape May County for Open Space funding for renovating the 34th Street recreational complex. Part of the renovation would included adding five courts there.
Overall, he noted, that would bring the number of pickleball courts to 33 in the resort, not including the ones in the Civic Center at Sixth Street and boardwalk open during the offseason.
Ocean City, Gillian said, is committed to making the resort’s pickleball offerings “the best that they can be.”
City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said many ordinances are fairly routine, but the one with the municipal fee increases was not. She told City Council members they “rolled up their sleeves” and worked with senior staff on the multitude of fees in the multi-page document, changing some fees, arguing about others and coming to an agreement.
“As the mayor indicated, work continued after first reading,” McCrosson said.
She noted how the vocal pickleball community contacted council and the mayor after the ordinance was first voted upon and now, even though it was second reading, they had the opportunity to make small changes to the ordinance.
The administration was only suggesting the changes to the pickleball fees — all downward adjustments. No other fees in the ordinance were proposed to change.
Those fees included what the city charges for ambulance service, use of the Music Pier and its loggia, use of the Civic Center, playing fields, Carey Stadium, the golf course and tennis courts, ticket prices for concerts and First Night buttons, the Aquatic and Fitness Center, pool parties, the skate park and boat ramp and airport, among others.
Second Ward Councilman Keith Hartzell said just because one set of constituents called to complain about a set of fees that prompted a change he then had “zero confidence” any of the fees made sense. He asked for a vote on the ordinance to be tabled until he was confident of the other fees.
Councilman Sean Barnes said the pickleball fees were the only ones that made him uncomfortable and he was glad they lowered them. The other fees were akin to what other communities charged.
Councilman Tony Polcini said he got a lot of calls about pickleball and said the amended fees are fair.
Council President Pete Madden said the city had to ultimately raise fees to keep up with changing times. Many of the fees had not been changed in years. He said in the future they would try to do it on a more gradual basis, but he was good with moving forward.
Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow and Council Vice President Terry Crowley Jr. were hesitant, saying they wanted to make sure they were getting things right.
Winslow added he was concerned there wasn’t a consistent methodology with the way the fees were reduced. McCrosson noted there had never been any fee for indoor-only play.
The solicitor told members of council they could adopt the ordinance as written, adopt the amended version, change it again, table it or vote it down. She also said they could approve the ordinance now and always come back to tweak some of the fees later if they chose.
Council voted 6-1 in favor of the amended ordinance with the lower fees for pickleball. Hartzell was the lone objection.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
