City planning manager Pat Ross says he will work with both the city's engineering department and Tennis Yukon to create a plan to mitigate erosion problems that continue to plague the outdoor tennis courts at the Mt. McIntyre Recreation Centre.

The issue came up at Monday night's council meeting during discussion on a proposed lease amendment for the courts. The tennis club leases the courts from the city and has asked for a change to the lease area so a backboard can be installed for a practice area to free up the courts.

Coun. Betty Irwin noted a section of the lease requiring the city to address any erosion and drainage issues – matters Irwin said have been going on for three years now.

City and tennis club officials met again last month, she noted, with city staff stating they would install grass seed and willows to mitigate the drainage issues.

Irwin also pointed out hydro seed had been previously planted but had done little to address the drainage into the tennis courts.

Two of the four courts experience particular problems with the drainage from the hill, with one corner showing signs of sinking.

Irwin then questioned why the city doesn't move to install more concrete barriers as the tennis club has asked for to keep the sloughing off of the tennis courts, arguing the terms of the lease are not being carried out.

Coun. John Streicker pointed out the previous installation of hydro seed was done later in the year. It may work, he suggested, if the work is done in the spring.

Tennis Yukon president Stacy Lewis said Tuesday that while erosion of the hill has been a problem for many years, since the city cleared the hill to develop the nearby reservoir, it's become more of an issue each year.

The city's plans to install hydro seed (which hasn't worked in the past) and willows since the land was cleared haven't been done as planned because of freeze-up in the fall.

Each spring, the problem is noticeable, with two of the four courts experiencing particular problems around the drainage from the hill with one problem corner now showing signs of sinking.

Lewis commented the club is fortunate to have a coach who's willing to clear the courts each day.

"It's now been three springs with nothing,” Lewis said, noting the willows and seeding aren't likely to have an impact right away, if at all.

"I don't know what the hydro seeding (is going to) stick to,” she said.

Head coach Jan Polivka had suggested at last month's meeting with the city that concrete barriers like those that had been installed next to the tennis courts to help keep water out, also be placed at the top of the hill to help reroute the surface water away from the courts.

Lewis acknowledged that more would have to be done to deal with the subsurface water that continues to come up through cracks in the court, but said this could help address part of the problem.

For now, the tennis club continues to fill in cracks that emerge each spring. There are noticeable puddles coming up through the cracks even when it's dry, she said.

The tennis club wasn't planning any major changes to the courts for at least the 10-year term of the lease, which will end in 2021. However, as Lewis noted, "If the hillside comes down on them, the decision will be made for us.”

The club will continue its efforts to advocate for ways to minimize the impact of erosion on the courts, though as Lewis noted, the lease is clear that the hillside is the city's responsibility.

As for whether to lease an additional 139 square metres to the club for a backboard area, no members of council spoke out against the proposal, but they are scheduled to vote on whether to move forward with the bylaw governing the lease next week.