Scio council hears pickleball funding request

On Aug. 7, Scio resident Lorri Phillips appeared before Scio Village Council seeking help to purchase equipment for the pickleball court at the Barr Memorial Center.

Phillips said the issue stems from donated money being earmarked for the park, which under law must be spent there. Because the Puskarich Library owns the Barr Memorial Center, the village cannot direct park funds to that facility.

She told council that she and other players had tried setting up a court at the park, but the surface caused problems.

“The location was the wrong material, making the balls pop all over the place,” Phillips said. She commended council for its support but added, “It's not workable for us.”

Phillips said their annual tournament, scheduled during the street fair this August, is struggling because of the lack of air conditioning in the center. She requested permission to use the donated funds to purchase a $179.99 fan and a $214.99 net, noting concerns about player safety in the heat.

She also said there has been pressure to move the court to Jewett but prefers to keep it in Scio because of its central location for the players she knows. Fiscal Officer Renea Riesen told her the funds were specifically designated for the park fund. Village Solicitor Jack Felgenhauer said that was the only way the village could accept the donation.

“And unfortunately the money can only be spent on the park,” Mayor James Clark said.

Felgenhauer emphasized that park money must be used in the park, acknowledging it may not be the answer people want to hear. Phillips reiterated that the donation was intended for pickleball, but Clark said the village has no pickleball line item “in the general ledger so it had to go somewhere.”

“If it's not directly for the park, we can't spend park funds on non-park designated items,” Clark said.

When Clark asked if there was a way to move the money out of the park fund, Felgenhauer said the center's library ownership prevents the village from “buying stuff for the library.”

“I'm not aware of any legal way for the village to buy fixtures for apparatuses …” Felgenhauer said before clarifying they cannot use the funds to buy nets for the building. When asked if the donation could be returned and reissued for the center, Felgenhauer was unsure.

Clark said the matter would be reviewed. Phillips noted the group is a nonprofit and expressed hope that a solution could be found.