Concerns over a recent local spike in coronavirus cases have city officials recommending the cancellation of fall youth and adult sports and continued restrictions on public tennis and pickleball courts. 

City Commissioners will weigh whether to open up facilities to fall sports at their remote meeting Wednesday, following the suit of County Commission colleagues who approved only reopening cross country last week.

City Parks and Recreation staff analyzed different fall sports – tackle and flag football, cheerleading, volleyball and upper level baseball and softball – using federal health guidelines.

Risk for transmitting the virus increases from team-based practice, a moderately low risk, to full on competitions with teams from within a local region. The highest risk, according to city documents, is full competition between teams from different areas.

“By their inherent nature, these sports require close contact and sharing of equipment. Also, it would not be practical or realistic to offer sports activities without spectators, especially youth sports,” staff wrote. “Given the inability to adequately enforce social distancing requirements and restricted viewing areas for spectators, there would be additional exposure risks.”

Counterpoint: It’s time for safe return of youth recreational sports | Opinion

Staff cited the high positivity rate in Leon County, which on Monday was at about 8.75%. In early September, the positivity rate was nearly 15%.

Additionally, top health officials across the globe indicate that a second wave of viral infections could be much worse this fall.

Staff is recommending canceling organized youth and adult sports at city facilities, and keeping closed The Meadows, a rental-only soccer facility off Millers Landing Road.

The modified use of pickleball and tennis courts – allowing play on every other court – will remain in place. Currently, Forrestmeadows and Tom Brown courts are only available by reservation. All other courts at parks are available first-come, first serve.

Local tennis players say the every other court requirement is only a recommendation by the U.S Tennis Association and unique to Tallahassee. Many are calling for full play to resume.

“We have contacted every facility within 250 miles, including: Dothan, Alabama, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Altamonte Springs and none of them have imposed an every other court limitation,” wrote Jim McCloy in an email to commissioners. “All tennis players in Tallahassee are very frustrated at the arbitrary and unnecessary Parks and Recreation policy of only allowing use of every other court, limiting play for all players.”

Meanwhile, the city’s swimming facilities have been operating under strict guidelines, but Leon County Schools has requested use of the Trousdell Aquatics Center to host eight dual competitions and the area district swim meet.

The recommendation is to suspend consideration of such requests citing concerns over how many people could be in attendance for a meet – each swimming team has roughly 20 to 40 members and includes coaches, volunteers and aquatics staff required to run the meets – which could be present on the pool deck.

NextEra agreement amendment

City officials are looking to amend their agreement with NextEra to allow more time for Tallahassee to decide how to interconnect with a large-scale powerline project.

The amendment would push the decision to connect to the North Florida Resilience Connection out to Dec. 2021.

Permitting for the 176-mile project, which will connect a Florida Power & Light substation near Lake City to a Gulf Power station near Marianna, with overhead lines running through some of the most sparsely populated areas of the state, is still underway.

Tallahassee has agreed to allow the company to patch into the city’s transmission corridor and upgrade city infrastructure along 14 miles to poles that can withstand 130 mph winds.

Back story:

Public hearing for police review board

A public hearing is on tap to discuss the creation of a citizen’s police review board after an ordinance gained City Commission support earlier this month.

Public hearings begin at 5 p.m.

The 9-member board that will review and make recommendations regarding TPD matters, but is viewed in some circle as ineffective because of its lack of power in directing hiring or setting policies, will be made up of five members appointed by each city commissioner and the mayor and four from social or civic community organizations.

Members will not receive compensation and serve in three-year terms, may not be a city or TPD employee or be a relative of one.

The group will review completed internal affairs and grand jury investigations and provide recommendations on policy. It will also be tasked with producing an annual report of statistics, citizen complaints and a comparison of its recommendations and actions taken by TPD.

Budget goes to final hearing

The final hearing and adoption of the city’s $894 million operating budget includes keeping the property tax rate at $4.1000 for every $1,000 in the upcoming fiscal year.

The budget contains a $161.8 million operating budget and $151.5 million in Capital Improvement Plan budget. It also includes $3.115 million in Community Human Service Partnership funding for programs across 10 categories, which includes another $800,000 roughly in grant and federal money.

Within the city’s capital budget appropriation is a request to allow City Manager Reese Goad to negotiate and execute a new 5-year agreement with Axon Enterprises to replace TASERs for the Tallahassee Police Department.

The contract will provide 438 new TASERs, which feature new technology. The $1.471 million proposed will buy the devices, batteries, cartridges and charging stations as well as funding for maintenance, repair and training. The current contract ends in Oct. 2021.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Read or Share this story: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2020/09/22/city-recommending-fall-sports-stay-hold-due-coronavirus/5865039002/