BLUE FOLDER ITEM
Blue folder items are additional back up material to administrative reports and/or public comments received after the printing and distribution of the agenda packet for receive and file.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MARCH 31, 2026
M.1 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN, PRIORITY
AREAS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES
CONTACT: LUKE SMUDE, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
• Public Communications
From: SUSAN HIGGINS
To: CityClerk
Subject: City Council Agenda Item M.1 Strategic Plan - Request to Include Aviation Park Pickleball Facility on The City"s Strategic Plan Date: Monday, March 30, 2026 11:03:27 AM
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Dear City Clerk,
Please include my email below in the Blue Folder for the City Council meeting at 2:00PM Tuesday March 31, 2026. It’s specifically related to Agenda Item M.1 Discussion and Possible Action on the City’s Strategic Plan Priority Areas, Goals and Objectives.
Thank you,
Susan Higgins
Redondo Beach Resident
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: SUSAN HIGGINS <[email protected]>
Date: March 29, 2026 at 4:46:23 PM PDT
To: "Jim (James) Light" <[email protected]>, Brad Waller <[email protected]>, Chadwick Castle <[email protected]>, Paige Kaluderovic <[email protected]>, Zein Obagi <[email protected]>, Scott Behrendt <[email protected]>
Cc: Mike Witzansky <[email protected]>, [email protected], Elizabeth Hause <[email protected]>, Kelly Orta <[email protected]> Subject: Request to Include Aviation Park Pickleball Facility on The City's Strategic Plan
Dear Mayor Light, D1 CM Waller, D2 CM Castle, D3 CM Kaluderovic, D4 CM Obagi, D5 CM Behrendt,
On March 31, 2026 you are meeting to review and discuss and take possible action on the City’s Strategic Plan Priority Areas, Goals, and Objectives. This Strategic Plan is titled “Three-Year Priority Areas & 10-Month Objectives”. The latest update of this Strategic Plan from the City Manager’s office was posted on line on March 26 in preparation for this meeting.
I took an opportunity to read this Strategic Plan as updated by the City Manager’s office and had hoped to see the Aviation Park Pickleball Facility Capital Improvement Project listed in this Strategic Plan under Goal 3.2: Expand and Enhance Public Spaces, Amenities, and Programs. To my disappointment, it was not even mentioned which surprised me based on the fact that:
On March 5, 2024 the City Council approved the Open Field behind the gymnasium at Aviation Park for a pickleball facility and it was added to the CIP as an unfunded item.
In June 2024 at the City Council annual budget meetings, the City Council approved $320,000 of CIP funding as “seed money” to get started with the DESIGN of the pickleball facility at Aviation Park.
In June 2025 at the City Council annual budget meetings, the City Council approved an additional $275,000 of CIP funding for this pickleball facility at Aviation Park bringing the total funding thus far to $595,000.
So, this Aviation Park Pickleball Facility CIP Project has been “on the books” for nearly two years and it is not even listed in the City’s Strategic Plan.
This Aviation Park Pickleball Facility clearly fits within the scope and intent of expanding and enhancing public spaces, amenities and programs. This is the reason I am requesting that the City Council give serious consideration to incorporating this Aviation Park Pickleball Facility CIP Project into the Strategic Plan, Priority Area 3:
Infrastructure and Public Spaces; Goal 3.2: Expand and Enhance Public Spaces, Amenities, and Programs.
On January 28, 2026, my Redondo Beach Residents Pickleball Players Group submitted the email below requesting City Council’s support to make progress on the Aviation Park Pickleball Facility this year. Since 2021, this Group has continually and regularly attended City Council meetings, submitted emails, made speeches at Council meetings, all in support of this Aviation Park Pickleball Facility. It is very much desired and we hope that it will become a fully constructed facility in the near term.
As a side note, the City of Torrance held its Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Wilson Park Pickleball Facility consisting of 8 dedicated pickleball courts, court lighting, court fencing and bench seating on March 19, 2026. The schedule, barring any unforeseen events, is for completion in June 2026. This pickleball facility is being constructed in an open field area of Wilson Park very much like the Aviation Park Open Field area. The Torrance City Council approved the funding for this facility ($1.3M plus contingency dollars) in 2024. I have attached photos of this Ground Breaking ceremony and the open field.
In summary, I am requesting that the City Council add the Aviation Park Pickleball Facility CIP Project to its Strategic Plan and provide updates same as all the other areas, goals and objectives. If you wish further discussion or have questions, I can be reached at email [email protected].
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Susan Higgins
Redondo Beach Residents Pickleball Players Group Lead
Begin forwarded message:
From: SUSAN HIGGINS <[email protected]>
Subject: Aviation Park Pickleball Facility - CIP Project - Request for Support
Date: January 28, 2026 at 2:54:12 PM PST
To: "Jim (James) Light" <[email protected]>, Brad Waller <[email protected]>, Chadwick Castle
<[email protected]>, Paige Kaluderovic
<[email protected]>, Zein Obagi
<[email protected]>, Scott Behrendt
<[email protected]>
Cc: Mike Witzansky <[email protected]>, Elizabeth Hause <[email protected]>, Kelly Orta <[email protected]> Dear Mayor Light, D1 Councilmember Waller, D2 Councilmember Castle, D3 Councilmember Kaluderovic, D4 Councilmember Obagi, D5 Councilmember Berendt,
We are writing to you today to request your support for the City staff to prepare and issue the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the design and construction of the pickleball facility at Aviation Park to include 8 dedicated pickleball courts, court lighting, court fencing and bench seating in the first quarter of 2026. The timing is critical in order to receive contractor bids prior to the City’s 2026 annual budget cycle.
The City has been relying on a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost of $1.3Million based on a Public Works Agreement the City of Torrance has with FieldTurf USA, Inc. in the amount of $1,387,381 to construct a pickleball facility at Wilson Park in Torrance consisting of 8 dedicated pickleball courts, court lighting, court fencing, bench seating, and shades. This agreement was awarded in April 2025. Construction of this Torrance Wilson Park pickleball facility is currently underway and should be completed by March 2026 barring any weather delays or other unforeseen events.
Rather than rely on using the April 2025 Torrance Agreement for budgeting of the Redondo Beach Aviation Park Pickleball Facility, it would seem more beneficial and better informed to generate a RFP now in order to get up to date contractor quotes and a more accurate picture of what this Aviation Park Pickleball Facility would look like - will 8 dedicated courts fit? - would there be any issue with lighting? - have the costs of raw material such as concrete risen in today’s economic environment? Or, more positively, can the Aviation Park Pickleball Facility be designed and constructed at a lesser cost? The City Council approved and designated the Aviation Park Open Field for a pickleball facility in March 2024 and it was added to the CIP Project List as an unfunded item. In June 2024, the City Council approved funding in the amount of $320,000. $275,000 of additional funding was approved in June 2025 bringing the total funding to date to $595,000.
We had hoped the City Staff would issue a Request for Proposal by 2024 year end since the project was approved in March and “design/seed” money was authorized in June 2024. This did not happen. Then, as posted on the Community Services Website, the City Staff had hoped to issue the RFP by 2025 year end but that did not happen. We understand the City Staff has been working on multiple projects with a higher priority but many of these are being completed. A great deal has been accomplished or is in progress at multiple parks in the City. To name a few - Wilderness Park, Franklin Park, Alta Vista Park, and “the Herondo Garden.” (this is our name for it). This is great progress. We would like to see progress on the Aviation Park Pickleball Facility this year. First the RFP issued by March 2026, then receipt of contractor bids by May 2026, then in June 2026, budget the balance of funding needed, award the contract soon after, and have a ground breaking this year.
Even better would be to have a fully constructed pickleball facility by 2026 year end!
Please support turning the vision of a Redondo Beach Aviation Park Pickleball Facility into a reality in 2026! Thank you for your consideration.
Should you have any questions or desire additional information, please contact our Group Lead, Susan Higgins, at email [email protected].
Sincerely,
Redondo Beach Residents Pickleball Players Group
Susan Higgins, Group Lead - District 4
John Aguilar - District 3
Karen Aguilar - District 3
Giselle Appert - District 5
John Blandford - District 5
Marlo Blandford - District 5
Tracey Bracy - District 1
Lynn Carroll-Carter - District 2
Tom Carter - District 2
Shannon Carter - District 5
Teri Carter - District 5
Skip Chov - District 4
David Chu - District 3
Leigh Daltorio - District 2
Mary Ann Dillon - District 1
Beth Drayer - District 1
Cade Erickson - District 5
Brad Fleischer - District 5
Sue Fogelson - District 2
Greg Francis - District 4
Tami Fukuda - District 1
Sue Gallagher - District 2
Lisa Grant - District 4
Dzana Homan - District 4
Donna Hunter - District 5
Valerie Iacopucci - District 1
Joe Leibfried - District 5
Kelley Mayeda - District 5
Lou McCauley - District 5
Lisa Michelle - District 4
Greg Olson - District 1
Lisa Olson - District 1
Jimmy Pagnini - District 1
Patty Perkins - District 1
Wendy Rudick - District 5
Bobby Trevino - District 5
Judi Wise - District 3