Pickleball, basketball courts currently on private property

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The City of Deer Creek is one step closer to taking over ownership of the pickleball and basketball courts in town. 

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, the Deer Creek City Council took a closer look at the purchase agreement for the pickleball and tennis courts that are located near the former school in town. The former school is currently owned by Dominic Koep who has agreed to sell the pickleball and basketball courts to the City of Deer Creek for $5,000 after learning the Deer Creek Lions Club was interested in resurfacing and fixing up the facility for the public.

In addition to the $5,000 purchase price the City of Deer Creek would agree to continue lawn service at the former school building, which is approximately eight acres and includes all the fields and around the garages and trimming around the building for 10 years as part of the current purchase agreement.

Last year the Deer Creek Lions Club approached the City of Deer Creek about fixing up the pickleball and basketball courts for community use, but did not want to make the enhancements to the property if the courts were owned by a private individual. Since that time the city and Koep have been working on an agreement to allow for the pickleball and basketball court to become public property once again.

The Lions Club has said they want to resurface and enhance the pickleball court already in place, while eventually redoing the basketball court into a potential second pickleball court as funds allow. 

In addition to discussing the purchase agreement, the city council discussed  poultry permit for a property located at 400 Main Avenue West. According to the permit, the coop would be located on the right side of the house near the corner of a fenced-in yard.