What We Are Up To
Following the advice of the town, boards and committees, RPPA has met with and will continue to work with:
Matt Kraunelis
Symond’s Way Exploration Committee
Select Board
Finance
Recreation Committee
Former Town Manager Fidel Maltez for advice on where to begin & throughout the process
In late September 2023, Fidel offered to discuss with:
Engineering
Planning
Conservation
What We Have Been Up To
See our proposed design for Symond's Way
January - May 2024
Symond's Way Exploratory Committee includes pickleball in recommendations to Select Board
Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Select Board members Carlo Bacci, Mark Dockser, Chris Haley and former Select Board chair Jackie McCarthy attend RPPA's Community Day Fundraiser
Planned and ran Second Annual Community Day Fundraiser. Open play sold out in a few days! Clinics sold out within a few weeks.
Continuing to work toward the mission, advocated with Recreation Department, Recreation Committee to keep courts open/open sooner in spring
Continued fundraising
December 2023 - January 2024
Community outreach - Voted Most Creative at the Reading Educational Foundation's 2023 Festival of Trees
Continuing to work toward the mission, advocated with Recreation Department, Recreation Committee to keep courts open
Continued fundraising
November 2023
Attended Town Meeting to withdraw citizen's petition. Prior to this, attended SWEC to discuss the withdrawal
Presented to Recreation Committee - revisions out of SWEC, Select Board, Finance - we are flexible to adjust based on RFIs
October 2023
Presentation to Symond's Way Exploratory Committee (SWEC) - revisions based on feedback from SWEC and other conversations with boards and committees since initial presentation to SWEC - we are flexible to adjust based on RFIs that come back
Memorial Park was named #6 in the US and Canada for pickleball sessions booked on Playtime Scheduler
Working to finalize date to present to Recreation Committee
Community outreach - RPPA asked by RMHS to provide paddles & nets for 160 students at RMHS-run spring Unity Day at RMHS
Refined presentation to Symonds Way Exploratory Committee and Recreation Committee based on inputs over the past few months
Continued fundraising
September 2023
Asked to be included on an upcoming agenda for Recreation Committee
Asked to be included on an upcoming agenda for Symond's Way Exploratory Committee (SWEC)
Fidel let RPPA know he would connect with Ryan (engineering), Andrew (planning), and Chuck (conservation) - Sep 22
Presentation at Financial Forum on Sept 20 - Presented revised proposal. Minor updates (certified Citizen's Petition, $16,000 contribution RPPA will fundraise for) Additional advocacy steps RPPA will take based on Financial Forum (present revised, temporary proposal to SWEC
Citizen's Petition submitted, certified and included as an article in the warrant for the 2023 November Town Meeting. Done at suggestion of Select Board Chair. Pickleball courts were in capital plan for Birch Meadow Phase 2, were removed from conceptual plan drawings Birch Meadow Phase 2 this spring/summer.
Refined presentation to Financial Forum based on inputs from Select Board
Asked to be included on an upcoming agenda for Finance Committee
Presentation to Select Board on Sept 12 - Presented same revised proposal discussed verbally with Rec Committee. Advocacy steps RPPA will take based Select Board meeting (Citizen's Petition, get on Rec Committee agenda, present to CPDC, Finance)
Recreation Committee meeting discussion on Sept 11 during SWEC update part of the meeting, not a formal presentation as we weren't able to get on the September agenda. Discussed revised proposal (RPPA had revised from permanent to temporary after feedback from SWEC. RPPA was advised to meet with the Select Board as a next step.
Community outreach at Reading Fall Street Faire on Sept 10
Continued fundraising
August 2023
Refined presentation to Select Board based on inputs from Symond's Way Exploratory Committee (SWEC)
Continued fundraising & community outreach
July 2023
Presented the need for courts as well as preferred location to Symonds Way Exploratory Committee (SWEC) - RPPA was advised by the town to first present to SWEC. SWEC recommended RPPA modify proposal from permanent to temporary courts. Next step recommended by SWEC - present to Select Board (Select Board has to approve RPPA's proposed location).
May/June/July 2023
Assessed potential locations for dedicated courts & drafted a design proposal
Discussed the high demand for courts
Additional fundraising & community outreach - RPPA met with the town about the demand vs. supply of courts, to understand pickleball-related challenges, and to talk about potential locations RPPA learned there's a committee exploring potential uses of the land at Symonds Way, and it was recommended as a next step that the RPPA present to them.
May/June 2023
Kicked off community outreach
March 2023
Kicked off fundraising
February 2023
Organized board, drafted mission statement, planned for how to achieve goal
January 2023
Established RPPA as a 501c(3) non-profit with a goal of raising funds for the construction of dedicated, lighted courts in Reading