Recreation Chairman Dakota Smith Announces Proposed Legislation to Create Adult Basketball League

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT

Delaynie Potts

Village Clerk-Fiscal Officer and Assistant to the Executive

Telephone: (740) 742-2121, Ext. 1000

delaynie.potts@villageofrutland.org

RUTLAND, Ohio — Councilor and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Committee Chairman Dakota Smith and Mayor Tyler M. Eblin on Monday announced proposed legislation to create an adult basketball league at Rutland Civic Center. Ordinance 2026-10 is a proposed bill which, if passed, would create the Village's first adult recreational basketball program.

Smith expressed that he is very eager to bring a greater presence of adult sports activities and events in the newly renovated gymnasium at Rutland Civic Center, noting Ordinance 2026-10 gets the wheels spinning on a new endeavor to improve adult recreational opportunities.

Ordinance 2026-10, to be formally read by the Clerk of Council under its first reading during the next regular meeting of the Village Council, amends Chapter 150 of the Rutland Municipal Code by creating the policies and procedures necessary for the program's implementation.

Under the proposed ordinance, the Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services may annually conduct an adult recreational basketball program from November 1 to March 31, which will constitute the program season. The proposed ordinance additionally allows the Director to conduct a pilot program to "evaluate the public receptiveness, participation and cost effectiveness."

As currently proposed, the program would consist of multiple organized teams of adult members, with each team consisting of five to eight players. Teams would have the opportunity to register with the Director by completing a registration form and remitting a registration fee in the amount of $200.00. Fees collected would be deposited into the Civic Center Fund.

Each team would be responsible to furnish its own uniform, which must minimally be consistent among all team members. Competitions would be held on Saturdays throughout the season at Rutland Civic Center utilizing the double-bracket elimination method. Teams would be permitted to utilize the Center's gymnasium for practice when available.

Games would be officiated by referee officials employed by the Director under a contractual basis, with each referee compensated at $25.00 per game. To ensure a safe playing environment, team members who are charged with technical fouls could be subject to restrictive or expulsion penalties, as set forth in the proposed ordinance.

"I'm very excited to welcome Smith's proposed legislation to create the adult recreational basketball program," comments Mayor Eblin. "I fully support Chairman Smith's endeavors to bolster the Rutland Civic Center for the full recreational potential of the community, and I'm eager to get Ordinance 2026-10 across the finish line."

Ordinance 2026-10 will undergo its first reading in the Rutland Village Council on Monday, April 13, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. Chairman Smith invites persons interested in participating in the proposed adult basketball league to express their support by attending the Village Council meeting, or by submitting statements of support to Delaynie Potts, Clerk of Council, via email at delaynie.potts@villageofrutland.org.

To view Ordinance 2026-10, click here: https://shorturl.at/PBrQ1

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