COEUR d'ALENE - The question of a public vote for adopting McEuen Field's conceptual design could come to the City Council's desk sooner rather than later.

Friends of McEuen, a group of McEuen Field advocates, wants to bring the item up for discussion at Tuesday's General Services Committee.

After that, the discussion could be forwarded to the City Council.

"All we're asking for at this time is that the conceptual plan, whatever it turns out to be, be put to a public vote," said Rita Sims-Snyder. "We want them to give us an agenda item at the City Council."

Sims-Snyder and Julie Clark approached the council Tuesday during its meeting to ask the proper way to get the discussion point that far.

The proper course, Mayor Sandi Bloem told them during the public comment portion of the meeting, is to request its scheduling for General Services, which will recommend from there where it will go.

Bloem also told the crowd during last week's public meeting on the conceptual plan that was the way a request for a public vote should first go. It was also at that meeting that a majority of those who attended said they supported a vote.

"Overwhelmingly," Sims-Snyder said.

Sims-Snyder and Clark said they plan to make the request this week. The agenda for next week's meeting should be scheduled later this week.

McEuen wasn't an agenda item Tuesday night, but the topic took off after it was brought up.

"It's a little frustrating we don't have an answer," said Councilman Woody McEvers on the questions that have been brought up about McEuen Field but hasn't reached the City Council yet for official discussion. "It's intense out there. It's intense for us."

Mike Kennedy, the councilman who chairs General Services, said public input is taken by the subcommittee. As far as supporting a public vote, he's still on the fence, he said.

He said he has asked people who have approached him about a public vote if they would still favor the idea if the conceptual plan included things they wanted.

"About 75 percent" said they wouldn't, he said.

"That's an anecdotal number," he said after the meeting. "But it makes me wonder if the idea of the public vote is about the principal of the vote, or whether they don't like what's on the plan."

What happens afterward, should the item make the General Services agenda, remains to be seen. The committee can also decline moving forward with it, or recommend to the City Council the idea not be favored.

Council members John Bruning, and Ron Edinger complete the General Services Committee.

Bruning, along with Kennedy, said the vote idea is coming prematurely at this stage.

Edinger said he wants to see what the conceptual plan designers, Team McEuen, come back with since receiving all the feedback. As for supporting a vote, he said his stance has been made clear that he could.

"It's a long, long process," said Councilman Al Hassell, on the planning that still needs to take place before a concrete plan for the downtown park is in place. "Don't expect anything to happen next week. This has already been going on for 15 years."