A wrench in the rink roof?
Town Council considers challenges facing multi-use facility cover.
You might think approving a roof for the Town’s Ice Rink would be relatively easy. But between a funding shortfall of almost $300,000, and a change in the Town’s lease with the Mammoth Unified School District, a roof might yet be a long way off.
Town Council considered what direction to give staff regarding the procurement of a roof for the rink at the December 3 Council meeting in Suite Z. Public Works Director Grady Dutton explained that a rink roof was discussed while the rink was under development in 2009, but that the cost was deemed prohibitive.
The Town again considered a cover in 2012, with Council approving $12,500 in Measure R funds to initiate design for a roof, or a simpler shade structure. Dutton explained that staff chose to recommend a roof rather than a shade structure, as a roof would provide year-round shade, which could reduce operational costs and improve facility use.
The roof design recommended by staff would be open from 10-14 feet at the bottom, and would rise to a maximum height of 35 feet. It would be approximately 122 feet wide by 220 feet long, and would include lighting on the inside. Staff proposed this roof be either a sprung structure or metal.
However, Dutton said, staff estimated that the total project cost might be as high as $909,000. With $523,375 available in Town funds (from Recreation DIF, Mello Roos District, Measure R, and a one-time Public Works allocation resulting from a higher-than-anticipated snow removal reimbursement), this leaves a shortfall of roughly $300,000.
“We’d like to involve the community wherever possible,” Dutton said of the shortfall. “There may be some opportunities to contribute.”
Another challenge is the Town’s lease with the School District. Town Manager Dan Holler explained that the rink is on school property, and that the lease agreement for that property has changed since the Town filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
The Town previously had a lease term for 20 years, with the option to extend another 10 years. But after the Town filed for bankruptcy, the School District reduced the lease payment and reduced the term.
“We are now in the second part of a 10-year term,” Holler explained. The second five year term extends until 2017.
“If this was to expire, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to invest close to a million dollars in a property, when in a couple years, they [the School District] could say, ‘Sorry you can’t be here anymore.’”
Holler did say that the Town could meet with the School District anytime before 2017 to renegotiate the lease agreement. “My request would be to start that immediately,” he said.
In spite of these challenges, members of the public gave the rink roof resounding support.
Patrick Bernard, President of Mammoth Youth Hockey, invited Councilmembers down to the rink to watch the kids play hockey. “It’s a great facility, and it’s a compliment to our town,” he said. “With the shade, we’re going to have better quality ice; we’re going to have a better guest experience; and it’s going to be a great thing for our town.”
“There are a lot of people who are very passionate about having this roof be implemented over the ice rink, and I haven’t heard any challenges to that, either,” said resident Lynn Altieri-Need.
“As we know, the rink is an underperforming asset; it functions two to three months out of the year … We have a huge potential for creating not only a covered ice rink, but also a cultural center,” she said. “This particular venue could host 200 plus persons.”
Meanwhile Resident Jeff Posey noted that the steel roof offered opportunities for solar, which could help the Town make back the money it spent on the project over several years’ time.
Posey also pointed out that the steel contractor would be giving the Town steel virtually at cost, and that lights might very well be donated. “I don’t think you can get a better deal,” he said.
Holler did note that because the rink resides on School District property, acquiring alcohol licenses for events would require jumping through more than just the usual hoops.
Councilmembers also offered their support, although with a measure of realism. Lifelong hockey player Colin Fernie agreed with Altieri-Need that the rink is currently an underperforming asset. The roof “is something I’d really like to see happen,” he said.
But, “I’m very concerned about the financing,” said Mayor Jo Bacon. “$300,000 is a lot short, not a little.” She noted that if the Town owned the land outright, it could have used the $250,000 lease payment to the School District thus far to cover that shortfall.
“To put more money into something we don’t have a guarantee of owning is a worry to me,” she said.
Yet Councilmembers ultimately unanimously approved a motion to continue with options for the construction of a rink roof, as well as to begin lease negotiations with the School District.
“Are there any other items like this, now that we’ve come through the bankruptcy process, that we need to be keeping our eye out for?” Council member John Wentworth wondered.
“Yes,” Holler replied. “There are other leases and agreements where we reduced things and reduced costs based on [the bankruptcy]. Some of those take care of themselves by running out, and others we’ll be addressing as they come up.”
