ROBERTSDALE, Alabama -- Over the next couple of months, the city of Robertsdale will be finalizing plans to construct new tennis courts within the city limits.

City Engineer Greg Smith presented location and site plans to the Robertsdale City Council at its meeting on Monday with a proposal to build four tennis courts at Robertsdale High School.

The project was part of the city’s 2012-13 budget which was unanimously passed at its Sept. 17 meeting. Plans were to fund a joint project with the Baldwin County Board of Education with the city’s part of the agreement totaling $100,000, part of which would be purchased with $35,000 in grant funds.

At its March 18 meeting, the council voted to refinance part of a general obligation warrant from 2006, which would allow the city to borrow an additional $1.5 million, listing the tennis court project as one of six proposed projects to be financed by the warrant.

Smith said bids have been received for the project, including a base bid of $72,000 which includes asphalt, surfacing and nets; a bid of $28,000 for fencing and a bid of $72,500 for lights for a total cost of $143,000.

The bids are good for 90 days and the council can either accept or reject the bids within that time, said City Attorney Ken Raines.

Smith said he had been in contact with Robertsdale High School Principal Craig Ross and was told he was waiting for a response from School Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee as to whether or not the school system would help fund the project.

Mayor Charles Murphy said in addition to the $100,000 budgeted for the project, the city also has a budget surplus of $50,000 if the School Board decided not to help with funding.

Once constructed the courts would be open for public use, officials said. If plans to build the project at the high school fall through, the city does have other property that would accommodate the courts, but, Murphy said, the city would need to hold hearings to invite public input before deciding on a new location for the courts.

If the city proceeds as planned, Murphy said, the project should be finalized in May and brought to the council for a final vote in June.

“That should give them plenty of time to complete the project over the summer,” he said.

The city currently operates four courts at Garrett Park. Once the new tennis courts are constructed, plans are to tear down the current courts to be replaced by additional baseball fields at the complex.

In other business Monday, the council voted unanimously to purchase an ad in the new Central Baldwin Chamber Magazine at a cost of $1,900. Council member Ruthie Campbell was not present at Monday’s meeting.

Murphy also announced that the city will host an employees’ appreciation luncheon at noon Friday, April 19 in recognition of the city’s exemplary worker’s compensation record.