By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
An Oklahoma City contractor has been hired to rehab tennis courts at two Yukon city parks.
Ten pickleball courts will be striped at Yukon City Park and Kimbell Park as part of the renovation.
Merritt Tennis and Track Systems will be paid $41,500 to repair and resurface four courts at Yukon City Park, 2200 S Holly; and $24,600 to repair and surface two courts at Kimbell Park, 525 S 7th.
Yukon Parks & Recreation Director Ryan McClure recommended Yukon City Council members approve Merritt’s bid and contract, which they did Feb. 21.
“Merritt Tennis and Track Systems has significant experience in repairing and resurfacing tennis courts throughout Oklahoma,” McClure advised the council.
All six outdoor tennis courts will be repainted with U.S. Open tennis court colors.
Six pickleball courts will be placed on two of the four courts at City Park with four pickleball courts placed on one of the two courts at Kimbell Park.
This will allow the courts “to be utilized for tennis and pickleball,” McClure wrote in a memo to the Yukon City Council.
Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Players use paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net.
Other repairs that are being considered as part of this project include replacing fencing and lighting” at both parks’ tennis courts, the YPR director added.
The Yukon City Park and Kimbell Park tennis court projects must be completed “no later than May 22,” according to the contract language.
These upgrades are being paid out of Yukon Parks & Recreation’s 2022-23 capital improvements budget.
FIREWORKS CONTRACTS
Meanwhile, the Yukon City Council has approved contracts a Guthrie company to provide choreographed pyro-musical fireworks displays July 3-4 for the City of Yukon’s Freedom Fest celebration at the Yukon City Park complex.
ARC Pyrotechnics will be paid $18,500 for a July 3rd display lasting 15-20 minutes and $24,500 for July 4th display lasting 20-25 minutes.
The contractor has presented Yukon’s fireworks shows for several years.
“ARC Pyrotechnics provides a high-quality show and is considered the best option in the Oklahoma area according to other large municipalities,” McClure told city council members.
Yukon’s July 4th fireworks show in 2022 ended about midway through after a six-inch shell discharged while still in the mortar. The mishap knocked other active shells over, causing a fire on the fireworks trailer.
After negotiations, the fireworks contractor refunded $11,250 (half the cost) to the City of Yukon.
In the previous three years, the fireworks’ contract cost has been $17,400 for a July 3rd display lasting 15-18 minutes and $22,500 for a July 4th display lasting 20-23 minutes.
