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pride of the whole area. Travis and I have been trying to get state tournaments, but now you see other communities that have better facilities than what we have. There are a lot of things that need to get better before we can even think about hosting a state tournament."
The council agreed that the ballpark needs a lot of work. Councilman David McGannon said he has lined up a contractor that will donate his time to shingle the concession station with the city supplying the materials. There was further talk about forming an advisory council that would help with the baseball program.

"I think it's a great first move to get a committee put together," Thorson said. "Then we can look at fundraising so we can make a quick fix. Kurth agreed and said that representation should come from each of the baseball groups. "Not only would this help with things that need replacing, but it would give you an insight into the program," Kurth said. "If you don't have kids playing, you're out of the loop."
There was discussion about the teener/junior teener programs. "The state was pushing to go with a 13-14 year-old group," Kurth said. "We were going to try and follow that lead or fall behind. It worked for a while, but our junior high classes are smaller now." He said that as of now, there are nine on each team. "It's not duoable to have two teener teams. But to have 18 on one team is a catch 22. Some of the kids don't want to play a lot of games, so they go to other towns. Baseball is a commitment. They would rather go to the lake than play baseball."
Councilman Michelle Muilenberg said, "We have a challenge ahead. We have a complex that needs repair and we have a program to build back up." That is where the advisory committee could come in handy.
The council decided to go ahead and advertise for coaches, but not do the hiring until April 7. In the past, the council has hired the baseball employees in March.

Discussion now bounced to the city council on the option of having the police station at the school. City Attorney Drew Johnson expressed concern about the idea. "It would open the city up to more liability." In addition, sex offenders have to report to the police department four times a year and they cannot go into the school. Plus, there are drunks and criminals that the officers have to deal with and the school would not want those people  there, either. The council was split on the idea, but will keep the doors open for further discussion and options. More discussion will be held at the February 18 council meeting.

Then the council went into executive session to discuss a personnel matter.