NEW ULM VOGEL FIELDHOUSE

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During commissioner and staff reports at Monday's Park and Recreation Board meeting, Commissioner Leroy Flor, Jr. said he had received multiple complaints on the new floor in the fieldhouse. Users have noticed dead spots on the floor making it hard to play pickleball. Park and Recreation Director Tom Schmitz said Park and Recreation was alerted to this problem and would be meeting with the flooring vendor in the near future to review options for fixing the problem. The dead spots in the floor have been noted by multiple users of the facility, including basketball and tennis users, but the pickleball users have voiced the most complaints. The dead spots have the greatest impact on the pickleball, because these areas have more of an effect on the pickleballs size and composition, which cause the ball to bounce lower than the previous floor. Schmitz said there were two issues at play. First, the fieldhouse was previously an ice arena. The floor contained two sections of different concrete, one intended to freeze and one to remain unfrozen with an isolation joint between it. After the first round half-percent sales tax, the ice arena was converted to the indoor track and gym space, and rubber flooring was installed over the previous floor, with the isolation joint still in place. Problems were reported with the first floor. A ridge was noticed in the floor above the isolation joint, but no dead spots were reported. This last year, a new floor was installed in the fieldhouse, along with renovations from the Reinvest in New Ulm project. The new floor was made from two layers of rubber padding and three liquid poured layers. Schmitz said the two previous floors are still under the new floor. Several of the dead spots are located where above the old an ice area isolation joint. This could be the result of different density in the flooring. Other dead spots on the court have been located, but are not related to the isolation joint. Schmitz said he anticipate a resolution to the floor issue following a meeting with the floor vendors.