QUESTION
What is the process for securing tennis court concessions at Jackie Robinson Playground, and how can it be made more equitable for long-standing community members?
4:30:30
·
4 min
Commissioner Donoghue explains that tennis court concessions go through a highly regulated public bidding process based on the fees proposed, with the concession awarded to the highest bidder every 5 years.
- The process does not consider factors like experience, legacy or community ties for individual court concessions.
- Council Member Ossé raises concerns about this excluding instructors like Coach Francis who have served the community for years but cannot afford high bids.
- He suggests exploring alternative models that allow more open access, like the non-concessional courts at Fort Greene Park.
- Donoghue acknowledges the issue and agrees to look into potential changes to increase equity and community access for places like Jackie Robinson Playground.
Chi Ossé
4:30:30
I do wanna start with the tennis courts at Jackie Robinson Playgroup.
4:30:34
As we've spoken about before.
4:30:36
Coach Francis, who I know you are aware of, is a beloved tennis instructor in my district who championed the renovations of those courts.
4:30:44
Yet due to the city's current concession process.
4:30:47
She did lose her concession to use the courts to someone outside of her district and now has difficulty you know, finding time to use these courts to teach necessary lessons for a lot of our youth who want to learn how to play tennis.
4:31:01
And your words, can you describe the concession process, please?
Sue Donoghue
4:31:05
Yes.
4:31:05
Absolutely, council member.
4:31:06
And thank you for the question.
4:31:08
And I know you and I have spoken a couple of times about this.
4:31:11
Our concession process is a very public open process.
4:31:14
We list what is available.
4:31:16
This is for tennis professionals to bid on certain courts across the city.
4:31:21
And so it's we follow the city's public rules and regulations around bidding out public concession, and the coach that you mentioned won this in the very same process 5 years ago.
4:31:37
So she entered into the same process, won the ability to give lessons on the same court 5 years ago.
4:31:43
Mhmm.
4:31:44
This year, we went through that.
4:31:45
It's a every 5 years.
4:31:47
We put this out to bid.
4:31:48
This year, she went through that same process and did not win.
4:31:52
And that process is essentially based on putting forward you know, what your the the fee for the courts and the public process, and it's based on you know, the other bidders that are out there.
4:32:07
And so she did not win a bid for this particular court.
4:32:10
She did win a bid for another set of tennis courts.
4:32:14
In the same process this year.
4:32:16
So as I said, I think the winning bidder is willing to have a discussion and talk about ways that they could continue to partner.
4:32:26
But it is essentially with our all of our concessions, it follows a very public, a very aided and regulate highly regulated process.
Chi Ossé
4:32:35
So the concession goes to the highest bidder.
4:32:37
Correct?
4:32:37
Yeah.
4:32:38
So the reason that Coach Francis was able to secure hear this bid 5 years ago, 5 years ago in bedsties.
4:32:44
It's a very different bedsties than it is now.
4:32:46
Even the shape of the courts were in worse conditions 5 years ago.
4:32:50
So many people didn't even want to be on those courts, but she did.
4:32:54
She was able to rally a lot of support.
4:32:56
They even painted the courts purple because of of her advocacy, and they got the much needed love that they deserve.
4:33:03
Is there any anything that your office is doing you're doing under under your time at at Parks where you're looking into how to make this process more fair to include you know, legacy or or grandfather in long time community residence.
4:33:21
You do not have, you know, 30 to $40,000 to to spend on a concession to allow them to continue doing the work that they've been doing in the community for some time.
Sue Donoghue
4:33:32
As I said, Council member, it is we do follow a very public process and very highly regulated process.
4:33:43
That, you know, we that looks at just the specifics and is is not subjective is just following a specific set of criteria.
4:33:54
This is our concessions for our tennis professionals for individual courts is different than our wider public when we put out an RFP in a bid for a larger facility, and that does take into account things like past experience, legacy, those kind of things.
4:34:12
But for individual courts, We don't typically do that.
4:34:16
It is something that we can look at assessing, but this is essentially right now we're following a very specific citywide process.
Chi Ossé
4:34:24
Sure.
4:34:24
So I would love to have some future discussions about reassessing that.
4:34:28
But I do wanna, you know, push a little bit more because while there may not be, you know, know a process where we could change the contracting process in in this current form.
4:34:38
I do know that the tennis courts at Fort Green do not offer concessions, and I would love to know what the process is in making that happen at Jackie Robinson's playground.
Sue Donoghue
4:34:52
Not understanding the question.
4:34:53
Don't offer concessions.
Chi Ossé
4:34:55
So I think I believe at Fort Green Tennis ports.
4:34:58
This process doesn't exist.
4:34:59
I believe that the courts are a bit more open, allows for more access to as many people I'm wondering how that process can be implemented at Jackie Robinson Playground tennis courts as well.
Sue Donoghue
4:35:12
So essentially not having a designated coach that's set up for that location?
Robert Holden
4:35:17
Yes.
Sue Donoghue
4:35:19
It's something that we can look into, absolutely.
Chi Ossé
4:35:21
Okay.
4:35:22
Would love to hear about what that looks like.
4:35:25
Chair, can I ask a couple more questions and regulations?