SEASIDE The Seaside City Council made good on its promise to contribute to the Broadway Park improvements Monday night.

The Council agreed to spend a portion of the systems development fees the city collects on new construction for the parks ball field and other improvements.

Up to 54 percent of the cost of the improvements to the park can be paid for by the fees, according to a resolution adopted by the council Monday.

 It will take an estimated $4 million to complete the entire master plan for Broadway Park, including the current project to revamp the parks ball field, which will take about $1.2 million.

Although up to $670,000 in systems development charges could be used to pay for field improvements, the city has only $435,000 in its systems development fund, said City Manager Mark Winstanley.

Unfortunately, we dont have 54 percent in the systems development fund. It will be something less, but it will allow us to plug the hole, he said.

We certainly hope not to draw out the whole amount, Winstanley added. Fundraising is still going on, and the field is still being constructed.

It sounds like youre asking for a blank check, commented Seaside resident Merlin Humpal from the audience.

Were not asking for a blank check, were asking the council for approval, Winstanley replied.

Winstanley said the money might be used as a bridging gap to pay the initial construction costs. It could be repaid with donations that could come in after the park is completed.

While the Council approved the resolution unanimously, Councilor Tita Montero noted that the city needs to be prepared for the possibility that the fund could be drained out.

 Local attorney and property manager Donn Bauske, suggested that the fees should be used to supplement water and sewer fees, which increased earlier this year. Bauske said the increases forced him to lay off three employees.

The fees are attributable to growth, Bauske said. The same argument can be made for water and sewer expansion.

But Winstanley said the fees, which are generated by new construction, are used to pay to increase the capacity of the citys water, sewer systems and local parks. With more construction, the capacity of those systems is being used up, and, eventually, they will have to be increased or rebuilt, and the fees will go toward that, he said.

The fees allow us not to go to the ratepayers to expand the systems. What we have today has enough capacity, but as we add people, we are going to need new parks, wider pipes and expanded systems, Winstanley added.

Ongoing repair, however, isnt eligible for funding from the systems development charges, Winstanley said. This years water and sewer fee increases were meant to pay for repairs to those systems.

Public Works Director Neal Wallace said the Broadway Park turf has been installed, and the fields markers are in. Crews are working on the baseball fields lines.

 Councilor and football coach Stubby Lyons asked Neal if the field would be done by Oct. 1, in time for Seaside High Schools homecoming game against Yamhill-Carlton.

Neal nodded.

Thats a thumbs up, he said.

In other business, the Council:

Agreed to switch its original $4,000 donation from the Pioneer House to the Hutchens House. The Pioneer House, which provided shelter to the homeless, closed in July. It then became the Hutchens House for women and families escaping from domestic violence. The Womens Resource Center operates the Hutchens House and had operated the Pioneer House.

  Decided to seek more applications for the citys transportation advisory commission before appointing any members to the commission.

Delayed appointing members to the citys community center and senior commission until more members of the council are available to vote on the nominations. Three of the seven city councilors were absent Monday night.