City, school officials discuss $800,000–$1 million estimate to replace high school track

City staff updated the workshop on plans and funding options for replacing the high school track, presenting a preliminary cost estimate and a proposed timetable. The staff presenter said early design and consultant work would be the immediate next step, with construction targeted for next summer if the schedule holds. Why it matters: the track serves school athletics and community users. Participants framed it as a capital project that did not fit entirely within the current one-year general fund approach and will likely require a multi-year financing strategy or a bond authorization. Key details: staff said an early cost estimate was about $800,000 and that other estimates approached $1 million depending on final scope. The project scope includes a complete track rebuild and field event areas (high jump, long jump/triple jump and associated pits) and may include turf or soft-surface work for adjacent fields. The presenter said the track length is roughly a quarter mile and that the city and school discussed design timing and fundraising. Funding and timeline discussed: staff described a likely sequence of actions — engage consultants for design, produce a final scope, issue an RFP in January–February, and construct next summer. Participants discussed using a three-way funding approach: one-third city, one-third the school district (or school fundraising) and one-third raised through private fundraising or grants. The Land and Water Conservation Fund was mentioned as a potential grant source for athletic-field projects provided public access is retained, though staff said eligibility and limits must be verified. Questions and next steps: staff indicated a future council authorization (bond or appropriation) would be needed to secure design and construction funds and that the topic would return in a budget/bond conversation in September. No formal vote or appropriation was taken at the workshop. Quotations used with attribution are limited to workshop speakers. The presenter said, “In the original cost estimate, we’re running $800,000; … we’re looking at around a million dollars for this track replacement,” and a participant summarized a proposed funding split as “a third, a third, and then the other third is fundraised.” What was not decided: final scope (e.g., surface type), exact funding sources, or formal bond authorization. Staff and school representatives agreed to pursue design, clarify final costs, and return to council with a recommendation during the fall or to include a bond discussion in the September meeting.