TO: Parks and Recreation Commission

FROM: Robert A. Walker, Director of Parks and Recreation

SUBJECT: Tennis Lights

At your April 14, 1999, meeting, Commission heard testimony from two residents regarding the night lights associated with the Las Palmas Tennis Center. While their comments were made in response to staff's status report regarding the Council-approved expansion of the Tennis Center, their concerns extended to current Tennis Center operations. Essentially, they indicated that the tennis court lights were left on too long, often times well past the stated 10 p.m. policy, and that this has had a negative impact on their quality of life.

The purpose of this memo is not to debate the merits of the Tennis Center expansion project that was approved by Council years ago. Nor is it intended to evaluate the wisdom of the City's current policy dictating that the Tennis Center's lights be shut off by 10 p.m. This is an operational policy developed well within existing Municipal Code, and any change could have a significant impact on customer service to Tennis Center patrons, as well as impact the Community Recreation Fund. Were the Commission to wish to study this issue, the City's formal Study Issue Process would be the proper vehicle.

Rather, the purpose of this memo is to address the City's level of compliance with the stated 10 p.m. "lights off" policy. Especially troublesome was the testimony of one resident who indicated he had alerted staff to no avail on several occasions when the lights were left on well past that hour, and confirmation by one Commissioner who indicated he had seen the lights on at 11:15 not so long ago.

This issue has been revisited with both Parks Division staff and the operator of the Las Palmas Tennis Center. The Tennis Center operator indicates that in past years there were complaints received, but that these were generally related to noise associated with tennis play and not the lights themselves. As a result, Tennis Center staff occasionally used the lights after 10 p.m. to wash the courts. However, this practice is no longer in effect--courts are washed during the day, and the lights are turned off at 10 p.m. each night. Furthermore, staff is able to get some sense of when the lights are turned off via the Tennis Center's security system. Since the lights are centrally controlled from the main building, and since the security system documents the time at which Center employees vacate that building, staff can readily discern a time beyond which the lights could not have been left on. While none of this guarantees that lights will not be left on past 10 p.m. in the future, there is a very clear understanding on the part of both staff and the Tennis Center operator that this will not be tolerated, and there is reasonable ability on the part of staff to confirm whether or not lights were actually on past 10 p.m. should they receive complaints. Lastly, the Tennis Center operator is aware that the City will require the dismissal of any Center employee who does not comply with the 10 p.m. lights-off policy.

Commissioners with any information regarding the future operation of these lights (whether that is to confirm compliance or non-compliance) are asked to contact this office directly at 730-7516.

c. Superintendent of Parks
    Las Palmas Tennis Center