POULSBO — The Poulsbo City Council gave the North Kitsap Regional Events Center a resounding slam dunk at its Wednesday night meeting.

Instead of relying on a state grant to serve as its share of the $300,000 requested by the Kitsap Public Facilities District for the project, the council voted to give $150,000 in cash instead.

“The $150,000 is really half of $300,000,” Councilman Dale Rudolph said. “It really helps to give $150,000, because the extra $50,000 goes to the larger project.”

The city’s $300,000 matches he $300,000 already pledged to the project by Kitsap County Commissioners and the PFD, so the contribution is following through on the city’s commitment to project, Rudolph said.

Since the city’s grant request for improvements to Strawberry Fields has been losing ground, it was imperative for city officials to come up with at least $150,000 in 2007 for the project, he said.

The top priority among a laundry list of desired components of the project is installing artificial turf at the North Kitsap High School football field, he said.

“We have to get the football field able to be used longer and more frequently,” he said.

Once improvements on Strawberry Field begin, the field won’t be available, so the NKHS football field must be able to absorb some of the use, Rudolph said.

With the city’s contribution, the PFD will have about $1.5 million for the project in 2007, said PFD vice chair Linda Berry-Maraist.

“Right now we’re working with the school district on ironing out a public use agreement, which is extremely important to all of us,” Berry-Maraist said.

That agreement will lay out the details for public access to the high school field, once the artificial turf is installed, she said.

Since the funding issues have been addressed and the use agreement is almost completed, the project should go out for bid in the spring of 2007, Berry-Maraist said.

News of the council’s decision and the NKREC’s progress generated excitement from the North Kitsap Soccer Club, which is among the many user-groups vying for field space in the North End.

“As long as the PFD is happy with it and will go forward with the project, I’m ecstatic,” said club select program coordinator Ed Skelly.

The high school stadium is the best and only lighted field in the area, but it is also the least used, Skelly said.

Having artificial turf installed will increase the available field usage without adding another field, he said.

All of the center’s partners recognized the need for a lighted, artificial turf in the North End, which is the only area of the county lacking such an amenity, he said.

“I think the school district, the county, the PFD and the city should be commended,” Skelly said.