Plans to redo the Russell Gardens tennis courts will likely be delayed until next year, Mayor Steven Kirschner said on Thursday, as state grant money remains on hold.
The village first secured a $150,000 grant for redoing the courts when Jack Martins was a state senator, Kirschner said.
But when the village realized the cost for redoing the courts would be lower, he said they wanted re-purpose some of the money around nine months ago for LED light fixtures.
As a result, Kirschner said that the state’s tennis court money has been held up and “basically put everything on hold.”
“In theory, you would think it would be faster,” Kirschner said. “But unfortunately, nothing seems to go quickly with the state.”
The now $50,000 state grant for the courts would go towards leveling the village’s three clay tennis courts to try minimizing rainwater runoff. In that process, they would also get a new sprinkler system and fencing.
“They want to take up the existing material, level the courts, and then put down the new clay,” said Chris Blumberg, the village clerk-treasurer. “They’re hoping by doing that, if I understand it correctly, that by leveling it, it will minimize the runoff that they’re experiencing right now.”
The village first moved to purchase the tennis courts from the Russell Gardens Association in March 2013, Kirschner said. By then much of the clay was packed, which has led to some running off whenever it rains, he said.
Kirschner said they installed a system that catches washed away clay to keep it from entering the storm drains. But fixing the courts will definitely help further reduce runoff, he said.
“Once we regrade them, there’s going to be even less clay coming off the courts,” Kirschner said.
Blumberg said that while the village’s fiscal year ends on Feb. 28, any potential tennis court renovations would come – optimistically speaking – in early spring. But the grant has re-entered its “infancy stage,” Blumberg noted.
“You’d have to wait until March, early April, and I can’t imagine that we’ll get the grant by then,” Blumberg said. “But you never know.”
In unrelated business, village officials also announced that they will promise 2018 budget and tax rate at their Dec. 7 meeting. State Sen. Elaine Phillips will also attend to discuss issues the village and residents may have regarding grants or legislation.
“Please, if you can, mark it on your calendar,” Kirschner said.
