Members of the Memorial Field committee updated the board on a joint city-school project to redesign Memorial Field and asked the district to consider contributing to design costs.

A committee representative said the city has developed a new layout that reorients the main baseball field to create additional parking, and that the project will be delivered in phases. "The next phase would be design, which is estimated currently, I believe, at $1,500,000 to be split between the city and the and the school district," the committee representative said.

The committee reported it has not yet finalized which elements will be in phase one versus later phases and that community members have raised questions about whether individual phases would render portions of the complex unusable until later work is complete. Committee members recommended engaging the citywide parks and recreation committee and the district's community-relations committee to present consistent information and to host education sessions for residents.

Board members said they are reluctant to approve design funding without clearer phase definitions and a long-term memorandum of understanding covering operation and use. One board member noted the district uses Memorial Field frequently and emphasized the need for clarity about maintenance obligations and scheduling.

Committee leaders said they will bring updated cost and phase definitions after the next city meeting; no board vote was taken. A joint meeting with the city is tentatively scheduled for the 22nd at 5 p.m. at the community center to present more detailed phase and cost information.