STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
To:
From:
Subject:
Honorable Mayor & City Council
Michael Muse, Recreation Services Manager
Proposed Court Reservation and Membership Fees for Tennis and Pickleball
Attachments: None
INTRODUCTION
At the April 22, 2025, City Council meeting, the City of Beverly Hills Community Services Department through the annual Taxes, Fees and Charges process presented a plan for an increase in fees for tennis and pickleball, which the Council approved. The purpose of the adjustment of a per-court to a per-person fee for pickleball was to align with drop-in fees identified from neighboring pickleball facilities.
At the August 5, 2025 City Council meeting, the finalization of the pickleball pilot program was approved. This included converting four (4) tennis courts to sixteen (16) permanent pickleball courts and implementing a new software system (PlaybyPoint) making the program a permanent offering through the Community Services Department with the support of City Council. At that time, the direction was also given to continue evaluating the fees associated with annual membership, as well as the hourly court reservation fees and per player fees approved through the April 2025 annual Taxes, Fees and Charges process. This review was prompted by public comments expressing concern about the limited pickleball court availability for residents at the most desirable times of the day.
On September 9, 2025, the Community Services Department presented an increase in court reservation fees to the City Council, doubling the non-resident fee relative to the resident fee, in response to concerns about court availability for residents. This resulted in tennis court reservations going to $20 and $40 per court per hour for residents and nonresidents, respectively, and pickleball fees moving from a per-court to per-player fee of $10 and $20 per player for residents and non-residents, respectively.
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
Following the court conversions and the end of year holidays, the community voiced their concern about the rate of increase in the court reservation fee. On January 20, 2026, several community members requested to meet with staff and then-Mayor Nazarian to discuss the concerns about the increase in fees. Community feedback was shared with the City Council, and while the implementation of the fees had not yet happened due to the new system under development, staff began to conduct additional community outreach, and prepare a revised recommendation.
DISCUSSION
In January 2026, several community members contacted the Community Services department expressing concern about the fees which were set to be implemented with the new reservation system. In response, a community meeting was held at the Roxbury Community Center on January 20, 2026, led by then-Mayor Nazarian, City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey and Community Services leadership. Following the January meeting, staff shared community feedback received with the City Council, and planned to continue developing the software with the test group and solicit further community feedback.
Following the January meeting at Roxbury Park, and hearing from the community, staff reached out to all active memberships for tennis and pickleball to share that new fees would be proposed to the City Council for consideration. Upon emailing the new proposed fees to the tennis and pickleball community, almost immediately negative reactions flowed via email to staff in over 60 emails and many phone calls, with the community overwhelmingly opposed to the proposed fees. At this point, staff went back to the drawing board again and conducted additional research and surveyed cities in the region with similar tennis and pickleball reservation programs. The survey showed that the average cost for tennis and pickleball reservation fees was approximately $13 per court per hour for residents and $16 per court per hour for non-residents. The research also showed that without a drop-in program, the per player fee was not used and a per court fee is the standard amongst courts operating similarly to Beverly Hills. Additionally, staff reviewed the year-over-year increase in reservation and membership fees from fiscal year 2018 through 2025, and historical fees showed minimal increases, which further justified the proposed fee increases, but also explained the vitriolic response from the community that was accustomed to lower fees.
Part of rationale for increasing fees is a result of the increased use of both the La Cienega Tennis Center and Roxbury Park Tennis Courts, resulting in an increase of expenses.
The annual expenditure for both facilities in fiscal year 2025 was $784,372. This expense included maintenance, staffing, and the replacement of tennis and pickleball equipment, and accounted for the amortized cost of resurfacing spread over 5 years (the current resurfacing schedule). These expenses also included internal service charges and on-site operational staffing costs. The increased use of both facilities has led to higher maintenance costs and the need for greater on-site staffing, including the addition of a fulltime staff member to supervise the program. With the addition of the new Playbypoint software and anticipated increase in maintenance and equipment as well as an increase of internal service charges, the projected expenses for fiscal 2026 have increased by approximately 39% to $1,091,084, as demonstrated by the chart below.
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
Increase in cost
FY 2024 – 2025
expenses
FY 2025 – 2026
Projected expenses
Maintenance and Equipment
(Maintenance staffing, annual tennis and
bi-annual pickleball net replacement,
padding, annual allocation for
resurfacing.)
$137,930 $162,540
Cost of Software $19,200
Support from City Departments
(Internal Service Fee)
$418,557 $425,557
On-Site Staffing Cost $227,885 $483,877
Total Operational Cost $784,372 $1,091,084
While the purpose of increasing fees is to offset increased expenses, the goal has never been to make the tennis and pickleball programs a substantial revenue generating program, the goal has been to become closer to cost recovery, as well as keep pace with rising costs. After hearing from the community in several rounds of proposed fee increases, on March 11 and 12, staff held four public meetings, two in the morning and two in the evening, at both La Cienega Community Center and Roxbury Community Center to present the newly recommended tennis and pickleball fees to the community.
The newly recommended fees are based on survey results from the area and considerable user feedback. The recommended fees are now the same for tennis and pickleball with residents paying $12 per court per hour and non-residents paying $17 per court per hour, per-player fees were eliminated. Approximately 45 individuals attended the meetings to provide their feedback, with overwhelming support from attendees for the more modest recommended increase in fees. The information was shared amongst players not in attendance which also received overwhelming support for the new proposed fees.
Through a collaborative process, a series of town hall meetings at each tennis and pickleball site and receiving dozens of emails voicing their opinions and concerns, staff believes the newly recommended fees are now appropriate for the program. The chart below shows the proposed fees that were shared with members of the community, revised fees that were shared at the Town Hall meetings as well as posted on the website and included in the Taxes, Fees and Charges being discussed at the Formal Session of the City Council meeting this evening.
Membership Cards (Annual Fee)
Resident Non-Resident
Current Fee $13 $25
Adopted Fee on April 22, 2025 $15 $30
Proposed Fee
(emailed to Members)
$15 $30
Recommended Fees
(shared during Town Hall meetings)
$15 $30
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
Tennis Fee (per court, per hour fee)
Resident Non-Resident
Current Fee $10 $14
Adopted Fee on April 22, 2025 $20 $40
Proposed Fee
(emailed to Members)
$20 $30
Recommended Fees
(shared during Town Hall meetings)
$12 $17
Pickleball Fee (per court, per hour fee)
Resident Non-Resident
Current Fee $10 $14
Adopted Fee on April 22, 2025 $10 (per player, per hour) $20 (per player per hour) Proposed Fee
(emailed to Members) $20 $30
Recommended Fees
(shared during Town Hall meetings) $12 $17
FISCAL IMPACT
Fees for membership are recommended to remain at $15 and $30 annually, and tennis and pickleball reservations are recommended to increase to $12 per court per hour for residents and $17 per court per hour for non-residents.
In fiscal year 2025, the tennis and pickleball program at both La Cienega Tennis Center and Roxbury Park Tennis Courts, including the membership fees collected, generated $999,549.00 in revenue. As of March 9, 2026, the current revenue collected for the tennis and pickleball program for both facilities, including the membership fees collected, is approximately $584,338, as outlined in the chart below.
Tennis and Pickleball Revenue
Membership Reservation Fee Total
FY 2023 – 2024 $114,144 $858,369 $972,513
FY 2024 – 2025 $119,859 $879,690 $999,549
FY 2025 – 2026
(as of March 9, 2026) $78,300 $506,038 $584,338
During the last quarter of fiscal year 2026, we anticipate revenue generation to be comparable to last year’s totals as we enter the warm months.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council consider the feedback gathered through robust community outreach and listening sessions outlined above, and approve the fees associated with the program through the Taxes, Fees and Charges item that will be presented by the Finance Department at Formal Session tonight.
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
Stephanie Harris,
Director of Community Services
Approved By