NATCHEZ, Miss. – The city board rejected the mayor’s behest to convert part of Duncan Park’s tennis venue into pickleball courts.
Following the Board of Aldermen’s 4-2 vote, Natchez Parks & Recreation Director Ryan Porter indicated he might resign as arguments continued over the management of the Duncan Park courts.
Mayor Dan Gibson on Tuesday urged the Board of Aldermen to approve Porter’s plan to convert three Duncan Park tennis courts into 10 pickleball courts. The proposal failed after they debated whether the growing popularity of pickleball outweighs the need to have so many tennis courts.
Duncan Park pickleball players currently use tennis courts that are reconfigured as needed for their smaller playing space. Porter presented the plan for making three of the 10 tennis courts exclusively for pickleball at a cost of about $31,000 – with half funded by private dollars.
Alderman Valencia Hall expressed concerns that having only seven tennis courts would be insufficient for high school tennis tournaments. However, Gibson maintained that such tournaments are rarely held while local pickleballers play year-round.
While the six-member board was divided along racial lines – four Black aldermen versus two Whites – in the pickleball dispute, Frazier said it’s “not about race.” He said the mayor and aldermen should get more feedback from tennis players about their concerns for having fewer tennis courts. “The public should’ve had input,” he said.
Gibson and Moroney said they did hear from tennis players and high school coaches along with pickleballers. The plan voted down Tuesday is “the best compromise,” said Moroney, who noted there would still be seven tennis courts at Duncan Park with the 10 smaller courts dedicated just for pickleball.
Gibson expressed concerns Duncan Park will lose pickleball players who’ll be attracted to Vidalia’s new recreation facilities at Polk Park.
After the board’s 4-2 vote against the pickleball court proposal, spectators walked out of the meeting complaining about the decision – prompting Natchez police Commander Shane Daugherty to usher out one critic taunting the board.
In another testy exchange, Porter expressed frustrations as Irving sharply questioned his proposal to take over day-to-day management of the Duncan Park tennis center in place of tennis instructor Frankie Spence.
After the board did approve Porter’s management plan, he said: “I will stick around for the baseball season and additional 30 days to get this underway. I’m not going to leave the job undone, but I can’t promise after that.”
The debate over refashioning Duncan Park tennis courts for pickleball comes as surfaces on the older westside courts have severe cracks that need to be mended. Tennis courts at North Natchez Park also have cracks that Porter presented plans to repair for $10,000.
Tuesday’s meeting of the Natchez Board of Aldermen and mayor can be viewed at:
www.facebook.com/cityofnatchezms/videos/1331968105416730
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