GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Clay County Pickleball team comprised a large chunk of the crowd during the last Board of County Commissioner meeting. One by one, with fervor, they expressed their enthusiasm for their sport and asked the BCC to consider funding the construction of more highly anticipated pickleball courts.

“Think of the kids and all of us old folks,” said one team member.

Pickleball, which is the “fasted growing sport in America,” has been shown to have broad appeal among all age groups and fitness levels. With millions of new players nationwide every year, the new sporting sensation isn’t fizzling out anytime soon.

“I’m not at all a pickleball hater… but I am concerned about the money,” said Commissioner Mike Cella.

Earlier that day, the BCC was accosted by a disgruntled resident to balance the budget. The resident was dismayed the county’s growth did not correlate to an increase in funds.

“(I know it looks like) we raid the piggybanks to find loose change. But we (the BCC) don’t print money,” said Cella. “People on Facebook say we do,” he joked. 

Commissioner Betsy Condon said that the county’s budget was readjusted to match a $7.8 million price tag for road improvements along Russell and Sandridge roads, a public safety project that will benefit more than 20,000 residents.

Ultimately, the BCC said the funds must come from somewhere else. BCC cited rising inflationary costs and a historically high-interest rate as other confounding variables.

The proposed pickleball courts in Green Cove Springs were estimated to cost the county $464,830.31. The city has offered the land and contributed $28,324 to the project and an additional $15,000 for designs.

A resident found the site’s location, which is proximal to a nearby gym, favorable to spur greater youth participation. The commentator argued that costs will increase if the project is delayed.

Many youth teams across the county have taken the year off. Last April, Tessa Wilson and Ahmed El-Zarif participated in the U.S. Pickleball Open in Naples, which qualified them for the recent Nationals in Dallas.

Condon expressed a concern that Green Cove Springs would be the sole beneficiary of the project. She cited the pool in Springs Park as an example. The county helped fund the pool in Springs Park, but it is not a county asset. Therefore, she said the county does not have influence over it.

“The facilities we have in the city are in the county,” GCS City Manager Steve Kennedy said.

Kennedy affirmed that the pickleball courts would have a “first come, first serve” policy and be entirely open to the public. Furthermore, Kennedy assured that the city would maintain the courts’ electricity and amenity needs.

“No one will be using headlights to play in the dark,” he said.

With a few stipulations – an assurance that the pickleball courts would be open for the public, a “do not exceed clause” that would cap the amount of funds the county will provide to what was estimated, and a provision that would allow the BCC to have influence over the courts for county events or tournaments – the BCC voted to unanimously approve the motion that would fund the pickleball court project.

The pickleball team was tremendously grateful. They cheered and clapped as the members exited the meeting.

“The county is working on an amended interlocal agreement with Green Cove Springs, which is still under discussion. A timeline for construction will follow that final agreement,” said Jessica Barreto, Clay County Public Information Officer, in an email on Dec. 18.

Until then, the ball is in the county’s court.