A disagreement over beach volleyball nets on the Port Elgin beach made its way into the council chambers.
Saugeen Shores Council heard from a group of beachfront property owners, who say the courts are taking up too much space on a beach that is becoming more crowded due to rising water levels.
Spokesperson Ron Kelly says some of the courts are located near children play areas and an accessible boardwalk, and it has become a safety issue.
He says they don't want to see beach volleyball disappear from the beach, but would like to see a balance struck so there's enough space for volleyball and traditional beach visitors.
Kelly suggests keeping four courts in Port Elgin and moving four courts to Southampton could be a viable solution.
Social Athletics of Saugeen Shores operates the beach volleyball leagues and executive member Ryan Smyth says the 350-member organization has compromised over the past few years as the water levels started rising, pointing out they had up to 12 courts at one point, but will be down to eight courts this summer.
Smyth says their beach volleyball leagues are at capacity, adding they had to cap their registration due to having fewer courts available compared to past years.
He says the organization has been working with the municipality to come up with a configuration that will still allow eight courts without interfering with beach goers.
"We are looking at a revised beach layout where we can still offer eight courts on the beach," says Smyth. "We're trying to give everybody room and everybody space, it is a big beach, it can appear small if you're looking at it from a certain angle but it is a big beach and I do think there's room for everybody."
