Minutes - Sun City Center Pickleball Club

Minutes
Type: Regularly Scheduled Board	Attendees: John Orton (President), Don Chiapetta (Vice-President), Julie Ware (Treasurer) Marcia McMullen (Secretary), Eve Blazsur (Director-Communications), Steve Butz (Director-Facilities), Rich Quintanilla (Director-Socials) Attendees on speaker phone: None Apologies (Absent): None Guest(s): Mike Steele, Webmaster
Date: 04/17/2026	Time: 3:30 p.m.	Called by: President	Location: Palm Room
Agenda:

3:31 pm – meeting called to order by President John Orton. Treasurer Julie Ware requested to speak first and began the meeting and submitted a letter of resignation. At the conclusion of reading her letter, Julie left the meeting. The board then discussed the resignation and decided to table it for further discussion and process. A copy of the letter is attached to these minutes.

SECRETARY REPORT:

The secretary’s minutes from the meetings of March 27, 2026 (the Board meeting, followed by the General Membership meeting) were previously delivered to all Board members via email for review. A motion was made by VP Don Chiapetta to approve the Board minutes, seconded by Director-Communications, Eve Blazsur, and passed unanimously. The General Membership meeting minutes will be read at the November 2026 membership meeting.

TREASURER REPORT: N/A

A discussion was had regarding the emails that members are getting from scammers posing as President John Orton, requesting that Board Members pay an invoice. A reminder was given to check the email address the messages are coming from and not respond.

INTRODUCTION TO PICKLEBALL:

President John Orton informed the Board Members that Greg Eisman decided not to do the Introduction to Pickleball lessons. He will continue to provide private lessons. John asked for a volunteer to chair and form a committee to create a program for beginners. Rich Quintanilla (Director-Socials) volunteered.

COURT USE COMMITTEE:

VP Don Chiapetta reported that the Court Use Committee met and proposed court use rules to be reviewed and voted on by the Board. The rules were discussed at length with many ideas and suggestions made. A motion was made by Marcia to approve the rules and was seconded by Steve Butz (Director-Facilities), and passed by a majority, with one opposed. The new rules are attached to these minutes and will be posted on the bulletin board at the courts.

Rich proposed a discussion on court designations/ratings: Social/Beginner, Intermediate, and Challenge. Paddle rack usage was also discussed. A motion was made by Rich to designate Courts 1 and 2 Social/Beginner; Courts 3, 4, 5 and 6 Intermediate; and Courts 7 and 8 Challenge. The motion was seconded by Marcia and unanimously approved.

FACILITIES MAINTENANCE:

Steve will coordinate with CA maintenance to have six signs made with the court designation and rules.
Steve will coordinate with CA maintenance to replace the current windsocks.
There was more discussion regarding balls. The balls are either disappearing or crack very easily.

SOFTWARE:

Mike discussed a new software application he’s researching for members to pay dues via the internet. The app is called Spond. He is doing a test on it and will report back to the Board.
The app charges a small administrative fee. It was discussed how the fee will be collected. Eve read from the Bylaws if the membership fees are to be increased, it must be voted on by the membership at the next membership meeting.

TOURNAMENT:

John proposed having a November double-elimination tournament. Eve reminded the Board the Turkey Trot tournament is on the schedule for November 14 and 15, 2026. Mike Steele (Webmaster) volunteered to chair the committee.

501(c) Filing:

John reminded the Board that the 501(c) needs to be completed indicating the funds currently available are allocated for re-doing the courts.
Eve reported that at the last CA meeting, Wednesday, April 8th, 2026, the Agenda listed item #4, approval of lighting for the volleyball courts in the amount of approximately $72,000. It was suggested the Board research getting access to that lighting for the pickleball pavilion area.

WEBSITE:

Don inquired if there is a way to track how many hits we get on our SCCPBC website. Mike said there is no way to track at this time.

GENERAL DISCUSSION:

November 2026 General Membership meeting will be held Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the Florida room.
John needs two more dates for the January 2027 Holiday Party. The original date is January 16, 2027. The two extra proposed dates are January 23 and January 30.
Eve reminded everyone of the upcoming events. Taco Tuesday, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day.

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Marcia and seconded by Don.

Meeting adjournment:

5:36 p.m.

Next meeting scheduled for:

Minutes recorded by: Pickleball Club Secretary, Marcia McMullen

Minutes March 27, 2026
Type: Regularly Scheduled Board	Attendees: John Orton (President), Don Chiapetta (Vice-President), Julie Ware (Treasurer) Marcia McMullen (Secretary), Eve Blazsur (Director-Communications) Attendees on speaker phone: None Apologies (Absent): Steve Butz (Director-Facilities), Rich Quintanilla (Director-Socials) Guest(s): Mike Steele, Webmaster
Date: 03/27/2026	Time: 4:30 p.m.	Called by: President	Location: Caper Room
Agenda:	Intro to Pickleball, Court Usage, Member Letter, Shirts, Computer for Club, Software for Membership November 2026 General Membership Meeting, Annual Party

4:43 pm – meeting called to order by President John Orton.

John Orton-President –

SECRETARY REPORT:

The secretary’s report will be read at the General Membershp meeting following the Board Meeting.

INTRODUCTION TO PICKLEBALL:

John discussed the two options for the new Introduction to Pickleball program. The first option is a proposal from Greg Eisman to run the program at $250 per month for six months. The second option is to have club member volunteers. John reported there are club members who are interested in volunteering. A motion was made to bring the options to the General Membership meeting to get input from the members. The motion was seconded and passed.

COURT USAGE:

John reported that a new court usage committee has been formed. Don Chiapetta is the committee head. Don reported the committee members are Craig Ross, Linda Monahan, Janice Smith, Dee-Dee Tottrup and Duane Austin. The committee’s formation and membership were discussed, including concerns about specific members’ behavior. The court use procedures and issues with group scheduling were also covered. Future steps include gathering input from the members at the General Membership meeting and voting on new procedures at the next Board meeting.

DISCIPLINARY LETTER:

The board agreed to send an official warning letter via certified mail to a member due to ongoing behavioral concerns.

CLUB SHIRTS:

Efforts are underway to source new club shirts with the existing logo. The plan is for members to order shirts individually online to avoid upfront club expenses.

CLUB COMPUTER:

The board approved the purchase of a club laptop to be used by the secretary/treasurer and passed down to future officers. Discussion included budget, purchase responsibility, and preferred device type.

MEMBERSHIP SOFTWARE:

The board is evaluating online platforms to handle membership renewals, payments, and records. Concerns include verification of member eligibility and ease of use.

TEAMREACH PURGE:

The process of removing non-members from the club’s TeamReach app (used for communication and scheduling) is ongoing.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS:

The board discussed scheduling the annual membership meeting (options for November) and the annual party (likely January 2027). Dates are to be confirmed based on room availability.

501(C)(3) STATUS:

The board discussed the club’s nonprofit status, IRS filing requirements, and pros/cons of maintaining 501(c)(3) status. It was agreed to file the necessary forms to retain this designation.

FIRST AID KIT: