An unidentified speaker told the Fort Thomas City Council that a school board conducted a light-pollution analysis and that four adjacent residents who would be most affected "were very supportive" of proposed athletic field lighting plans.

The speaker said the anticipated use would be limited — "it looks like it would only be 20 games a year," meaning about 20 nights — and urged council to consider clear parameters on hours of operation. Another unidentified speaker emphasized concern about timing, noting the city’s noise curfew is 11 p.m. but saying lighting use should end earlier; the first speaker later said "before 10PM" would be the absolute latest.

Staff explained the city owns the parcel and the school cannot invest in improvements on property it does not own. That leaves two funding options described in the meeting: the school could purchase the property, or the city could temporarily increase the school’s lease for the first year to cover installation costs. The speaker said the lighting installation is estimated at about $250,000.

Council was told junior varsity teams have had limited play time because they can only start after varsity games and often stop when it gets dark; speakers said expanded lighting would address that issue. No final vote or formal funding decision was taken; the item will be placed on the next council meeting agenda with more detailed information and a proposed timeline.

Council members and staff discussed limiting both the number of nights and the hours of use to avoid scope creep — for example, allowing 20 nights initially but guarding against future increases in permitted events. Staff said they will provide a full account of community outreach, technical analysis and proposed lease or purchase options before council considers formal action.