Norwich ― The City Council on Monday will consider a two-year lease extension for the Norwich Sea Unicorns summer college baseball team to remain at the Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium.

The Sea Unicorns had asked for a lease extension last June, saying the team was pleased with the stadium and the host city. The summer collegiate Sea Unicorns started in Norwich in 2021, with a two-year lease and a third option year, the upcoming 2023 season.

The proposed lease amendment is on the agenda for Monday’s 7:30 p.m. City Council meeting at City Hall.

The proposal with owner Oneonta Athletic Corp. turns the upcoming 2023 season into the first year of the new agreement, with 2024 as the second year and 2025 as the third-year option.

The team would need to notify the city by Oct. 1, 2024, if it wishes to stay for 2025, and the city would have 30 days to approve or deny the extension.

Rental payments would remain the same, $22,500 per year for each year of the proposed extension, including the option year, with payments due in two installments.

The team will play 32 home games this year in the eight-team Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Norwich is losing money on the cost of maintaining the city-owned stadium. City Manager John Salomone said the deficit is about $200,000, and he placed $100,000 in the 2023-24 budget toward that cost. He said the short-term lease gives the city time to discuss the future of the stadium.

“We still run a deficit, so we’re supporting baseball in the city,” Salomone said Friday, “and the question is how long we want to do that without some type of minor league team here.”

The Sea Unicorns originally were supposed to be the new name of the former Connecticut Tigers, the short-season A minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The city had signed a new 10-year lease with the then-Connecticut Tigers in August 2019. But by that fall, Major League Baseball announced a plan to cut 42 teams from the minor league system, eliminating the entire New York-Penn League, in which the Tigers played. The changes were to take effect after the 2020 baseball season, but COVID-19 canceled that season.

Norwich Sea Unicorns drew 43,737 fans in 2022, an average of 1,367 per game, fifth in the league.

The biggest proposed lease change is in police and security coverage at the stadium during games. The proposed lease amendment allows the team to forego paying for police and fire coverage for games on Sundays through Thursdays, when lower attendance is expected. Team officials would be required to reach an agreement with the Norwich police chief and city officials to decide on police and fire coverage for Fridays and Saturdays at the team’s expense.

The original lease called for the team to cover the first $30,000 for police and fire coverage and to split costs above $30,000 with the city.

“On the day of each home game, Lessee shall provide adequate, trained personnel to maintain order at the Stadium,” new language in the proposed lease states, “to protect property and persons therein and to otherwise comply with the Connecticut General Statutes, if necessary.”

Salomone said police coverage for other big attendance games, such as Memorial Day opening day with fireworks, would be treated on a case-by-case basis.

Norwich Sea Unicorns drew 43,737 fans in 2022, an average of 1,367 per game, fifth in the Futures League.

c.bessette@theday.com