The city is exploring options to repair its two tennis courts in Ritts Park on North McKean Street.

After the recent completion of the playground at Rotary Park, Councilman Bill May, who oversees the parks department, called repairing the tennis courts his next project.

While May has the desire to repair the courts, the city doesn’t have the $28,000 to replace the courts’ surface, he said.

That’s why May hopes the city’s parks and streets departments can team up and handle the work in-house.

“We may be able to redo the courts ourselves for one-sixth the price,” May said.

May will meeting with Councilman Rick Schontz and the foremen of the parks and streets departments next week to discuss possible options for the courts.

May said he thinks the city streets department can repair much of the asphalt with its street paver.

“There are a lot of cracks in the surface of the courts,” May said. “I think we can cut those areas out and repave them. Then we could lay down a sealant and repaint them.”

The project depends on city council approval, but May thinks it could work.

“This has been a focus of mine since I’ve been on council,” he said. “With the deplorable state of the courts, they are not in a safe condition.”

May said the city will receive a little more state Marcellus shale impact fee money than it originally expected. He hopes some of those funds can go for the park.

But once again, that would depend on council approval.

May said if all goes well, he hopes the project can be done in September. He also would like to replace the fences at the courts, but said that would likely have to be done later when funding becomes available.

That cost could be about $10,000.

May said the courts can be used by people of all ages. He said pickleball lines also can easily be painted on the court to add to their use.

“Tennis courts really enhance a neighborhood,” he said. “We want to invest in our people and in our neighborhoods.”