City Officials Address Growing Concerns About New Pickleball Court Noise Issues
Playing hours temporarily adjusted to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week; Study explores potential merger between Mountain View, Central San districts; city faces long-term budget deficit
The following items by freelance writers Gage Walker and Tom Lochner are made possible through the financial support of paid subscribers and other financial supporters of the newsletter. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5 monthly or $50 annually to support more local news coverage of Martinez.
By Gage Walker
Martinez city officials are weighing new regulations and restrictions at the Hidden Valley Park pickleball courts in response to ongoing complaints from nearby residents about excessive noise, overcrowding and rules violations.
Since the courts opened in February, nearby residents have raised concerns about persistent noise, evening play and noncompliance with posted rules.
“The noise has become a constant and significant disruption,” one resident said during public comment at a meeting of the Parks, Recreation, Marina and Arts Commission (PRMAC) on June 17. “As a local firefighter, I often sleep during the day on my days off. Unfortunately, the noise from the courts has made it very difficult for me to get the rest that I need.”
The Hidden Valley pickleball courts. Photo by Gage Walker
The June 17 discussion opened with a report from Assistant City Manager Lauren Sugayan, who outlined several potential short-term measures aimed at reducing disruptions at the site, as well as some longer-term ones.
Sugayan proposed reducing daily court hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., updating signage with clearer rules, and requiring USA Pickleball “quiet category”-compliant equipment. She also suggested an approximately $19,000 camera system with speaker capabilities that would allow police dispatchers to issue live warnings to players who violate posted rules or remain after hours.
Police Chief Andrew White said that while officers are committed to responding when possible, staffing limitations mean that enforcement of park rules may not always be immediate. He supported the camera system as a tool for managing behavior after hours and reducing the need for frequent patrols.
Commissioners expressed both support and concern. Some questioned the effectiveness of cameras without added enforcement resources or clarification of rules in the city’s municipal code, which currently prohibits only amplified sound. Court hours and equipment requirements would need additional code provisions to be enforceable.
Public comment reflected a deep divide between residents seeking relief and players defending the courts as a valuable community resource. Several residents described large crowds gathering with dogs and music, while others said their children struggle to nap due to the noise.
Sound blankets are seen at the Hidden Valley pickleball courts. Photo by Gage Walker
Meanwhile, pickleball players acknowledged the frustrations but emphasized the courts’ social and recreational benefits. Some expressed concern about proposals to limit play or require “quiet” equipment, which they say changes the way the game is played and may be cost-prohibitive.
“The quiet balls due to what makes them quiet are a completely different quality and offer lesser capabilities than standard pickleballs,” one player said.
Among the long-term ideas discussed were limiting the number of active courts, rotating closure days, relocating future facilities, and exploring noise-dampening infrastructure. Sugayan noted that some mitigation measures, such as installing sound blankets on additional sides, would be costly and may not significantly reduce decibel levels.
Commissioners indicated support for the short-term proposals and agreed to continue monitoring the situation. Temporary signage adjusting the hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. has already been posted at the courts (see image below). Sugayan said updated signs would be ready within two weeks to a month, and the camera system could be operational by late July or August.
A sign shows new playing hours at the Hidden Valley pickleball courts.
PRMAC will receive monthly updates as city staff evaluate the effectiveness of the changes and consider further options in the upcoming Parks System Master Plan.
Study explores possible merger of Martinez-based sanitary districts
By Tom Lochner
The Mt. View Sanitary District board at its June 12 meeting received an update from a consultant team on the feasibility of a possible merger with the much larger Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, popularly known as Central San.
The study is being conducted by Raftelis, which describes itself as a "National utility financial and management consultancy specializing in organizational assessment, among other areas," and its engineering partners, HDR and Woodard & Curran.
A study of a possible merger of the two agencies was recommended by the Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), according to Central San staff reports from 2023 and 2024. More locally, some MVSD ratepayers have expressed discontent over rising sewer service charges and suggested that being part of a larger district could streamline costs and have a moderating effect on charges.
In May 2023, the MVSD board had proposed a five-year rate increase of approximately 9% a year, prompting pushback from some members of the public; MVSD ratepayers at the time were paying $814.20 a year for single-family houses, compared with $690 a year in Central San.
The MVSD board eventually approved a shorter-term increase schedule. In the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, MVSD's rate for single-family dwellings was $972 a year, to rise to $999 for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Central San's single-family dwelling rate for the current fiscal year is $725, to go up to $754 on July 1.
The $470,000 cost of the study is being borne by Central San. The study could take from 18 months to two years by different estimates, and is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.
MVSD serves an estimated 22,000 residents, with 8,930 residential and 281 commercial, industrial and institutional sewer connections, according to its website. Central San, according to its website, serves more than 471,000 residents and several thousand businesses across 144 square miles that include all or parts of the following cities and unincorporated communities: Alamo, Concord, Clayton, Clyde, Danville, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.
The Raftelis team will study the feasibility of combining the two agencies and "investigate the risks, benefits, costs, issues, challenges and opportunities related to a potential consolidation for both agencies' interests and their respective ratepayers," according to a PowerPoint presentation at the June 12 meeting, available at 2025-06-12+ITEM+5A.pdf .
Guiding principles underlying the study include:
a definition of "consolidation" pursuant to Government Code Section 56030, which addresses the joining of two or more cities or districts into one;
MVSD's Moorhen Marsh "shall remain intact and operational;"
A consolidated district would absorb both districts' employees and maintain their compensation and benefits;
ensure that terms of employment for MVSD employees and retirees are "equitable to" those of Central San employees;
and that consolidation must benefit both agencies and their ratepayers.
The legislation guiding the study would be the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000.
The study will also look into how MVSD, which is surrounded by District 1 of the five-district Central San, would be governed under consolidation.
The study also sets forth three Capital Improvement Program Cost Alternatives related to infrastructure considerations: Alternative 1 envisions continuing to treat flows at both districts' treatment facilities, with associated capital improvements in each system; Alternative 2 calls for conveying up to 6.7 million gallons a day of MVSD flows to the Central San system, and 1 million gallons a day of treated effluent from Central San to MVSD for the continued use of Moorhen Marsh; Alternative 3 would combine some aspects of Alternatives 1 and 2.
The Raftelis-HDR-Woodard & Curran team will make a presentation on the same topic to the Central San board on Thursday, July 3, at 5019 Imhoff Place, Martinez. The board meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m.
City faces long-term budget deficit
By Craig Lazzeretti
With the City Council set to approve its 2025-26 operating budget on tonight, city leaders are bracing for a structural deficit expected to average $1.2 million annually through the 2030 fiscal year.
“Without corrective action, General Fund reserves are projected to dip below the city's minimum reserve goal by FY 2027 and fall below the minimum threshold by FY 2032,” a staff report accompanying Wednesday’s budget agenda item reads.
As part of its budget adoption Wednesday, the council is also being asked to approve loans totaling $560,000 to the Marina Enterprise Fund, reflecting the ongoing financial burden that marina costs are posing to the city as officials pursue a private-public partnership to stabilize the situation.
Eliminating the marina operating subsidy, the staff report notes, would slightly reduce the city’s structural deficit to an average of $1 million annually through FY 2030.
The budget imbalance is being driven by rising insurance, labor, pension and retiree health costs in the face of “slowing growth in sales tax, reduced revenues from permits and inspections, lower interest income (following a period of robust growth) due to declining rates, and franchise fees that are trending below expectations,” the staff report reads.
The proposed 2025-26 budget includes $37.5 million in projected expenditures and $36.5 million in projected revenues, which would force the city to spend roughly $1.1 million out of its reserves.
“Despite the planned drawdown, the city remains in full compliance with its reserve policy, maintaining more than $5 million in committed reserves and meeting the 20% unassigned reserve requirement based on budgeted expenditures,” the report reads.
Despite the growing budget challenges, the City Council chose to reinstate funding for the July 4 fireworks celebration (roughly $38,000, plus significant overtime expenses) and is also planning to subsidize the upcoming Sesquicentennial Celebration, which starts on Jan. 1, 2026.
The funding of $50,000 for the celebration of the city’s 150th birthday will be drawn from an allocation originally intended for the Main Street Downtown Plaza project. The budget also reflects a hike in the monthly compensation for City Council members from $585 to $832, resulting in an annual increase of $14,800. The pay adjustment is authorized under state legislation that took effect in 2024 and allows for increases based upon the population of a city.
The agenda for tonight’s council meeting can be found at the following link: https://granicus_production_attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/martinez/37acb7e3b1edab4e59d53ae9812484670.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery