The city and county are being asked to provide $600,000 each for two projects at Finley Stadium.
Brian Wright, stadium director, said the 26-year-old elevators need to be replaced at a cost of $500,000.
He said the metal halide lighting is obsolete, and that would cost $700,000 to replace with LED lighting. He said the stadium expects $15,000 in annual savings with the more efficient LED lights. He also said that it is difficult to find replacements for the current lights.
Mr. Wright said the stadium has not had to ask for any operational funds for the past 12 years.
He said Finley Stadium is hosting over 250 events this year.
The county expects to pay its share out of surplus from a prior bond fund.
Commissioner Joe Graham recommended that the county look into use of hotel/motel proceeds instead. County Mayor Weston Wamp said the county is still studying possible uses of overages in the hotel/motel tax above what the Convention Bureau will get.
He said he and Sheriff Austin Garrett are due to go before the commission next Wednesday to propose using some of the hotel/motel funds for paying deputies to provide law enforcement coverage downtown.
Also at the County Commission:
- The commission is to vote next Wednesday on a new $2 million voting system from Election Systems and Software. The cost will be reimbursed by the state.
- It also is to vote on spending $462,500 at the Riverpark to bring utilities, including electric and wifi, to a large field where events like JFest are held.
- Another vote will be on spending $218,932 with StreetScan Inc. to scan all the county roads and assess their conditions. The city has been scanning its roads for several years, but this will be the first time for the county.
- Officials said the Sheriff's Department plans to back away from management of the FUSE program and turn it over to county economic development. Ron Bernard of the Sheriff's Office said the program has been successful and now has 29 clients, who are being given help to keep them out of jail.