DICKINSON — With the school district’s temporary, city-issued occupancy certificate expiring Jan. 31 at Sam Vitanza Stadium, the board of trustees approved a measure that could keep the stadium open for sporting and other events.

In order to meet the city’s building code, trustees voted to spend up to $65,646 on an emergency generator for the stadium elevator, which carries the handicapped to the press box and upper-stadium seating.

The school board voted 4-3 last week to reject the measure, but school officials spoke to the board about the situation and the board president called for a revote.

Two board members, Pat Halter and Rosella Scott, changed their minds, and the measure was approved, 5-2.

“We’ll have to work with them on other bond projects, and that would make matters worse,” Halter said. “We need the facilities for soccer, track meets and other events coming up, and we didn’t want the stadium closed.”

Jeff Pittman and board vice president Ken Bowen voted against the expenditure both times.

“I understand it’s a safety issue,” Pittman said. “But there was no explanation about why it was needed. It was not my intention to fight city hall. If there was a $65,000 increase, I felt we needed some explanation.”

Leland Williams, the school district’s superintendent, said the decision to spend up to $65,646, which was the lowest bid on the project, wasn’t in students’ best interest.

“But if it’s not paid, the kids wouldn’t be able to participate in activities at the school,” Williams said. “It’s only business. It’s not personal.”

District consultants say the generator is unnecessary because the elevator is designed to automatically return safely to the ground floor if the power fails, Williams said

“We place a lot of confidence in the architect,” Williams said.

City officials are concerned with the evacuation of mobility-impaired people, who have assigned seating both inside and near the press box.

During a previous school board meeting with city officials, some board members said the city’s enforcement of building-code requirements lacked consistency.

City officials fired back during a recent city council meeting. City Administrator Julie Johnston said the city would, in an effort to satisfy the board, send all future disputed building-code issues to the entity that designed the national building-code standard.

Johnston said that would only be done if the school board agreed to fund the expense.

Williams was against the idea.

“Spending $17,700 for an opinion, I think that’s skirting the issue,” Williams said. “I certainly hope we’re not getting to that point.

“We’re talking about working relationships here. I think our job is to resolve the issue and not draw lines in the sand.”

It wasn’t immediately known if the generator could be purchased and installed in time to meet the occupancy deadline and keep the stadium open.