Politics & Government

Seal Beach Councilman's Nonprofit Takes Over Pickleball Courts: Report

Seal Beach residents claim a possible conflict of interest arose after a councilman's nonprofit took over the city's pickleball courts.

Andy Nguyen's profile picture
Andy Nguyen, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
A group of residents is up in arms over what they say is a potential conflict of interest after Seal Beach officials approved an agreement with a nonprofit organization run by a council member to run the city's pickleball courts.
A group of residents is up in arms over what they say is a potential conflict of interest after Seal Beach officials approved an agreement with a nonprofit organization run by a council member to run the city's pickleball courts. (Google Maps)

SEAL BEACH, CA — Residents in Seal Beach are claiming a potential conflict of interest has arisen after a city councilman's nonprofit organization took over the operations of the city's pickleball courts, the Orange County Register reported.

City officials approved a one-year agreement on April 17 for the Seal Beach Pickleball Association, which is headed by Councilman Mike Varipapa, to operate the city's 17 pickleball courts.

The City Council approved the contract in a 3-1 vote, with Varipapa abstaining and Councilwoman Schelly Sustarsic voting against the agreement, the Register reported.

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Residents claim the agreement is a conflict of interest, with one person calling it a "power grab to line the pocketbooks at our expense," according to the Register's report.

Visit the Orange County Register website to read more about the brouhaha over Seal Beach's pickleball courts.

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Los Alamitos-Seal Beach