Strouss Park basketball courts to get new look

Kip Cheek
Posted 6/7/19

MENDOTA – The basketball courts at Strouss Park (Purple Park) in Mendota will be getting a makeover after the Mendota City Council came on board with the project at its June 3 regular meeting.

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Strouss Park basketball courts to get new look

Posted

MENDOTA – The basketball courts at Strouss Park (Purple Park) in Mendota will be getting a makeover after the Mendota City Council came on board with the project at its June 3 regular meeting.

The project to redo the courts was initiated by the Mendota Optimist Club and the Mendota Lions Club. Each club had representatives at the meeting and informed the council that they would each be contributing $15,000 to the project, and they asked the city to fund the remainder of the cost. The city agreed to the request.

There will be two full-size courts measuring 90x98 and the surface will be an all-weather outdoor game court manufactured by FLEX COURT Athletics of Machesney Park. Plastic squares with holes to allow for drainage will be interlocked together to form the surface. The court can be installed in two-three hours and is removable, although it can also be used in the winter for ice skating if the surface is filled with water above the top of the plastic squares. Also included in the cost estimate of $30,000 are acrylic backboards with breakaway rims.

The clubs said they would also like to install lighting at the courts, especially for use during the ice skating season when the daylight is so short, which would be an additional cost.

“These clubs are bending over backwards to make the city better, and more people will be able to take advantage of our parks,” said Mayor David Boelk. “I think this is a great project.”

The city’s portion of the funding will come from the TIF parks budget.

ALDERMANIC REPORTS

During alderman John Holland’s report, the council approved an amendment to the wage ordinance. Also, a request from Graves-Hume Public Library for a donation of $3,500 for its summer reading program was approved.

The council approved two requests during alderman Mark Peasley’s report. The first request was from Buddy’s Purpose to use Blackstone Park and various streets for its annual Drug Awareness Walk on Saturday, Aug. 31 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Police chief Greg Kellen must first sign off on the use of the streets. The other request was from Mendota High School for the band to use Veterans Park and part of Sixth Street for its Ice Cream Social & Concert on Tuesday, June 25 rom 3-9 p.m.

Also from Peasley’s report, the council agreed to hire Taylor Joyce, Nathanael DeLong and Aaron Garza for part-time summer help for the Streets & Parks Department.

Alderman Bill Hunt reported on the negotiations for a new Lieutenants & Sergeants contract. An agreement was reached on a four-year contract effective May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2023. Wage increases will be 2 percent in each of the first two years and 2.5 percent in years three and four.

MAYOR’S REPORT

During Mayor Boelk’s report, the FY20 mayoral appointments were approved and it was proclaimed that Aug. 31 will be Overdose Awareness Day in Mendota.

The next regular meeting of the Mendota City Council will be Monday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.