GULF SHORES, Ala. — Gulf Shores City Council approved a contract in a special called meeting Monday for the hire of a tennis pro.

Originally advertised last summer, hiring a tennis pro was put on hold due to budget constraints. Mayor pro tem Carolyn Doughty said prior to the meeting the tennis pro will act as an independent contractor rather than a city employee, which means he will receive a flat fee and will not receive city employee benefits. According to the agreement, the tennis pro will make an annual salary of $22,500 and will keep 80 percent of the lesson fees. The remaining 20 percent will be passed over to the city. The new hire will also be responsible with helping tennis coordinator Jean Coberly with lessons, schedule tennis tournaments and oversee maintenance of the new courts.

Parks and Recreation director Harold Samples declined to comment after the meeting on who he would be hiring, but did say he looked to have somebody employed in the coming weeks.

Doughty said the main criteria for the new hire was that they have the knowledge of how to maintain the rubico courts. The George C. Meyer Tennis Center, located in Sims Park, was dedicated in March 2008. There are now 18 tennis courts in all — 12 hard and six soft. Six of those courts are rubico; four are covered and two are uncovered. 

Clay courts are more common in Europe and South America than in North America. In the United States, courts made of green clay, also known as rubico, are often called clay, but are not made of the same clay used in most European and South American countries. Rubico courts require special attention as opposed to regular courts. The clay’s water content must be balanced. 

The two uncovered courts must stay hydrated since they receive consistent sun exposure, Public Works director Mark Acreman said. If the courts are not hydrated they will crack or split. They stay hydrated through a subsurface irrigation system. The covered courts are different.

“The problem we’re having with them sometimes is that (staff will) adjust them when it gets a little dryer and add moisture,” Acreman said. “But because there is no direct sunlight they overhydrate quicker.”

Parks and Recreation staff have been maintaining the courts since last year. When subcontractors American Tennis built the courts they provided basic training on how to maintain the courts, and there has been a lot of “learning as you go,” Acreman said. 

“What we have is a unique situation,” Acreman said. “So we need somebody who knows what condition those surfaces need to be in to be playable.”