WDEF News 12's Bill Mitchell joins us live...with a report on today's board meeting...the the outlook for the future.

Tax-payers are getting a break on Finley these days. Although the stadium is under lease from the county...and both city and county helped build it...the burden of making it pay-off is now in the hands of Frank Burke.

This is what it will take to turn Finley stadium and Davenport Field into a money maker. To be precise..this annual NCAA Division One Championship game already makes money for the community, because visitors and fans pack the stands and spend lots of money in the area. But that, and about 5 Mocs Games per year are the main source of revenue to date.

FRANK BURKE "We have more events this year than last year..and we're still waiting on several other events."

Chattanooga Lookouts owner Frank Burke took over daily operations in 2005...and today he gave board members an annual report. He noted the new scoreboard going up, and a new sound system, after an embarrassing failure during the National Anthem last year. That done, he put to rest talk of him pulling out of the deal.

FRANK BURKE, LOOKOUTS & FINLEY OPERATOR "The first two years have been rough...so it's not something I can sustain for a long term but I'm willing to keep trying for a little while longer."

And the position of city and county?

BRYAN PATTEN, BOARD CHAIRMAN "They are concerned about it..but they're really looking to Frank Burke, and we're looking to Frank Burke...and we're just trying to get everybody together to make sure we've thought about some of the longer term challenges."

Board chairman Patten formed a committee to start defining long-range goals...as member Jerry Summers urged a larger Friends of Finley organization.

And..in the immediate future?

FRANK BURKE "If we can get it to the point where it's at least Break-even ...That something worth doing because I think this is an important facility for the community."

Burke says his losses amounted to about a quarter of a million dollars a year...but he feels that stadium improvements and more promotion may soon turn that around.

Live at Finley stadium...Bill Mitchell WDEF News 12.