The meeting began with a focus on the Lions Park master plan. A collaborative discussion took place involving the Lions Club and Councilman Joerger, who gathered input on the proposed design. A rendering of the design was presented, highlighting a request to orient the pickleball courts north and south. This adjustment aimed to improve visibility and playability by minimizing glare from the sunset. Concerns about sunlight impact were raised, questioning whether tree cover at Lions Park would mitigate this issue better than at Memorial Park. The board reached a consensus on the importance of this orientation, leading to a motion to approve the master plan with the pickleball court adjustment, which passed unanimously.

Attention then shifted to a proposal concerning an agreement with the city and Woundfest staff to host concerts at Millsfield. Mayor Dave Badeaux had initiated this potential collaboration, expressing interest in organizing a concert in September. The organizers had previously attempted a similar event that did not materialize, and they were noted for their preparedness. The board discussed the financial implications for the city, acknowledging that organizers might incur losses in the first year. A suggestion was made for the city to receive contributions for improvements at Millsfield, initially proposing $20,000 to upgrade the facility, including enhancements to the concession stand and installation of gates to facilitate event setups. Concerns were raised about the costs associated with these improvements, particularly the need for a larger water tank and additional infrastructure for the concession stand. The board recognized the necessity for further discussions to finalize the agreement.

In related discussions, an idea emerged to offer tickets to residents near Millsfield as a goodwill gesture to offset potential disturbances from the concert. The board acknowledged this initiative as commendable. A motion was made to authorize staff to draft a contract with the city attorney to establish an agreement with the concert organizers, known as Lonfest. The discussion touched on whether Lonfest would exclusively handle rock music events, with the board confirming they would have exclusive concert rights at Millsfield, similar to arrangements with other events like Leg Jam. Potential revenue-sharing arrangements related to ticket sales and concessions were considered to help recoup costs associated with venue improvements.

The meeting also addressed ongoing concerns about sports misconduct, particularly in the city’s softball leagues. A participant, Carl Ba, manager of a VFW softball team, raised issues about league organization and rule enforcement. Ba expressed frustration over unimplemented rules and the dominance of Wednesday teams in Tuesday games, which led to an uneven playing field. He highlighted a specific incident where his team had to forfeit due to being overwhelmed by more seasoned players. Ba also mentioned receiving a misconduct warning after questioning a foul ball call, raising questions about the authority responsible for issuing such warnings and the clarity of rules governing player conduct.

Board members expressed a willingness to investigate these issues but refrained from making promises, noting that decisions would require full board involvement. The importance of umpire involvement in issuing warnings and ejections was emphasized, though Ba questioned the consistency of enforcement. A proposal was made to schedule a meeting to review the information regarding misconduct warnings, and an educational item was suggested for the next board meeting agenda to better inform members about these rules.