GREENSBORO – A request from a local pickleball club to use the Greensboro Town Hall’s third floor caused some consternation among members of the Greensboro Select Board at a recent meeting.
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The building’s third floor gym has been unused for years due to building code violations. While the board would like to see the spaced used, this particular proposal raised some vexing questions.
Select Board Chair MacNeil said that, while he wants to support the club, he had some concerns about leaking brine from the pickle jar damaging town infrastructure. “It’s the board’s responsibility to see that the town hall is used in a responsible manner,” he said.
Town FEMA Coordinator Josh Karp, who works on the floor just below the gym, wondered if brine might drip on his desk. “I’m concerned that time-sensitive FEMA paperwork could be damaged, which would delay reimbursement payments to the town. I’m not sure this proposal is worth the risk.” Janice Dinsdale and Miriam Rogers, long-time volunteers at the Giving Closet, expressed similar concern that dripping pickle juice could soil the racks of used clothing they’ve carefully sorted and arranged for re-use.
Pickleball enthusiast Rob Brigham assured the board there would be no problems. “At the beginning of play, the pickles are removed from the brine, thoroughly dried off, and the crock’s lid is securely tightened. We can guarantee there will be no brine leakage.”
Select board member Judy Carpenter noted how the gym is dusty and grimy after years of unuse. Instead of thinking of the brine as a liability, she suggested it could be used as an effective cleaning solution for the gym floor and walls.
Town treasurer Brett Stanciu expressed her fondness for pickles, and inquired as to whether there might be enough pickles for her lunch. Brigham said while the group could spare some pickles, he requested that Stanciu keep her consumption moderate.
Karl Stein, who’s been the liaison with the state fire marshal regarding code issues on the third floor, offered to check with the marshal about new code-compliance issues the pickles could trigger.
Gazette Editor Paul Fixx observed that the pickleball club, as an official town committee, has not properly warned its meetings and that minutes from the group are routinely posted late. “They’re supposed to be posted to the town website within five calendar days. This simply hasn’t happened and is a clear violation of the open meeting law.”
Ellen Celnik shared an anecdote about a time she encountered a similar situation in New York City, where she worked for many years. “State statutes typically allow gherkin-adjacent committees more time to post minutes than other groups, for obvious reasons.”
Select board legal liaison, Tim Brennan, requested permission to have a conversation with the town attorney about the legal risk to the town of pickles being tossed around the third-floor space. Plus, he added, “it’s a historical building and we have to consider potential damage to historically-significant building features. For instance, the high salt content of brine could cause the antique stamped metal wall finish to rust.”
Town clerk, Kim Greaves, said she checked with the town’s insurer and found that any damage to the building from “pickle juice and related brines” can be claimed, thanks to an insurance rider covering “sporting activities named after common foods.”
Select board member Mike Metcalf, who was involved with a renovation of the town hall building in the late 1980s, recalled that he secured grant funding to coat all surfaces on the third floor with a brine-resistant finish. At that time the pickleball craze was just getting underway in Brooklyn. “Being a student of history, it’s clear that there’s a lag of about three decades for the latest societal trends to make their way up to rural Vermont. I felt it was prudent to plan ahead,” explained Metcalf.
After digesting this historical tidbit and congratulating Metcalf on his foresight, the board agreed that the pickleball club’s proposed use of the third floor posed little risk, and unanimously approved their request.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
