Norwich — While much attention will be focused on the proposed city and school budgets in the coming weeks, the City Council also will consider two bond ordinances: $800,000 for improvements to the Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium and $675,000 to integrate the school system’s computers with city computers.

The council will hold a public hearing on the bond proposals at 7:30 p.m. April 16 and could vote on them later that meeting.

The Baseball Stadium Authority has been advocating for capital improvements to the 25-year-old, city-owned Dodd Stadium for the past three years. The stadium lights fail to meet Major League Baseball quality standards and the ventilation system is inadequate and frequently fails.

The bond proposal includes an estimated $500,000 to install energy-efficient LED lights and $300,000 to cover heating and ventilation improvements and possibly to extend protective netting around the infield.

City Manager John Salomone said the stadium upgrade is a necessary step for the city to negotiate a lease extension with the Connecticut Tigers to keep the minor league team in Norwich beyond 2019. The current 10-year lease, which started in 2010, contains two provisions for five-year extensions.

“I was very straightforward with this,” Salomone said of the stadium improvements. “If we want to have a professional baseball team here, we have to do this. We can’t have a professional baseball team and not have the lighting up to professional standards.”

Asked about the stadium bond this week, several aldermen agreed that the city has the obligation to maintain Dodd Stadium if it wants to keep the team. But Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick also wants to ensure that the Tigers make their lease payments.

The Tigers currently owe the city a total of $176,277 in back rent, police coverage and utilities, city Comptroller Josh Pothier said. Team officials have told the city the bill will be paid before the 2018 baseball season starts June 15.

Connecticut Tigers General Manager Dave Schermerhorn Wednesday confirmed the team’s plan to pay off the debt by the start of the season. He attributed the delinquency to a high number of rainouts last year that put a strain on finances and made it difficult to catch up.

“We’ll head into the season with a new slate,” he said.

Stadium Authority Chairman Michael Jewell said he is pleased the council is addressing the stadium’s most pressing needs. Jewell said the utility savings with new LED lights “will be huge” and will help the team and the city.

The Stadium Authority extended protective netting over a portion of the dugouts last summer to meet Major League Baseball recommendations. Further extensions not yet mandated could be prudent, Jewell said.

“It’s our facility,” he said of the upkeep needed to Dodd Stadium. “People worked diligently to get that stadium into Norwich. If you want baseball in Norwich, we as a city have a responsibility. It’s a 25-year-old facility. You have to put money into it.”

The 6,000-seat stadium hosts high school and college games throughout the spring before the Tigers season, which runs from mid-June through Labor Day weekend. The stadium hosts other local events in spring and fall.

The proposed $675,000 school computer bond would unite the school system’s administrative computer system with the city’s system for accounting, human resources, payroll and purchasing. The bond would pay for computer hardware and software.

The project is estimated to save $400,000 to $500,000 over the life of the 20-year bond in the ability to consolidate accounting and administrative services, city and school officials said.

Mayor Peter Nystrom called it a partnership between the city and the school system.

“It’s a cost-saving measure,” Nystrom said. “That’s what we should be looking for.”

c.bessette@theday.com