"It has to get done ASAP," Dome says. "Everyone's very committed to getting it done very quickly. It's complex. There are a number of things we have to work on but, by the end of the season, absolutely.
"The FFA are not linking a licence extension to our crowds. They've never said to us, 'you've got to get your crowds up'.
"We need to get our crowds up because we want this club to be successful and we know, to be successful, we have to increase crowds."
Only 7767 turned up for Wellington's season opener on a sunny Sunday afternoon last weekend. The currency to boost home attendances for the Phoenix is success.
During the 2009-10 campaign Wellington went within a game of the grand final and sold out a home playoff - the FFA pocketed every dollar from ticket sales from that fixture - when 32,792 saw the Phoenix beat Newcastle in extra time.
But a wooden spoon two years ago and a ninth-place finish last season have seen some people fall out of love with the Phoenix.
The FFA this week refused to discuss Wellington's place in the A-League and released a short statement.
"Commenting on the future of A-League clubs is not something FFA deems to be constructive," it read.
The FFA provide the Phoenix with a A$2.5 million ($2.76 million) grant per season, which every team in the league gets from TV revenue to put towards salaries and travel costs, but view that as a weak investment given Wellington provide little in return.
It's understood the FFA hold concerns around the fact Sky paid only $200,000 for the rights to screen the competition this year. In future, they want upwards of $1 million.
That would be a significant jump for Sky but not outlandish given they reportedly pay about $17 million a season for the rights to the NRL.
The FFA want to expand the A-League from 10 to 12 teams in 2017 when the new broadcasting deal is negotiated.
Wellington owner Gareth Morgan said earlier this year he was willing to help finance an Auckland bid, based at Oceania champions Auckland City, but there are many factors which count against this.
The Phoenix have also talked about taking more games to Auckland, where they have tended to draw larger crowds when playing there on a one-off basis.
For all of their on-field struggles, Wellington are one of the most stable A-League clubs off the pitch with a wealthy group of owners.
Expanding the fanbase of an existing team with competent backers is arguably an easier task than founding a new franchise.
NZF's role is one of facilitation and support. NZF high performance director Fred de Jong says they have a strong working relationship with the FFA, which could help the Phoenix at the negotiating table.
Expanding the ASB Premiership to include a Phoenix reserve side showed NZF's commitment to helping the club, de Jong says, and they might also make a financial contribution.
"It's looking at everything we can do to support the Phoenix and keep them in the league," de Jong says. "But we have to balance that with obviously our commitments to the rest of the game."
