Cliff Buchan
News EditorA new plan has surfaced that will keep the Maroon and Gold Ice Arena running for another two years risk free.
Officials of ISD 831, the owner of the ice arena, and the Forest Lake Hockey Association on Monday approved terms of an agreement that will see the association pay the cost of making repairs in the arenaís refrigeration system. It is a move that could save the association $100,000.
The new option emerged in late March under the guidance of Darrell Nelson, arena supervisor, and consultants working for the district. It replaces a proposed plan that called for the hockey association to invest $175,000 in a temporary mat system that would be placed over the existing concrete floor.
Mondayís action comes after several meetings in which the district and hockey enthusiasts searched for a plan that would allow ISD 831ís aging arena to remain open this fall with the help of the skating community. After putting the matter on hold March 22 to allow for more planning, the new option emerged.
The agreement
Under the agreement reviewed and approved by the school board Monday, the hockey association agreed to purchase a minimum of 825 hours of ice time and invest $75,000 in the repair project.
The association board last week agreed to the plan and has secured funding from Village Bank, a northern Anoka County bank with offices in St. Francis, Oak Grove and Blaine. The hockey association will utilize its partnership with the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association and count on funds now on hand, donations from FLAAA and FLHA, yearly family donations and FLHA fund-raising to repay the loan.
Under the new option, the district on March 24 received a proposal from Air Climate Control to repair the west end of the refrigerated floor which has a history of repeated failures. They would perform the work for a cost not to exceed $73,500.
To accomplish the project at this price, some volunteer work could be utilized. The FLHA will donate concrete to assist the project.
The project would remove all the old piping in the west end of the arena floor where freon has been leaking plus an additional 10-feet of tubing back into the floor on 256 tubes. This area of the floor would have the concrete removed, all 256 tubes removed and some 3200 feet of tubing replaced.
Air Climate Control, Inc. has concluded the rest of the floor to be sound enough to perform for two or more years.
The company is backing its proposal with a full two-year labor and materials warranty on the entire refrigerated floor from the initial season start up of the repaired floor. Any new leaks developing within two years would be repaired at no charge.
Under this option, the school district will move forward to invest some $50,500 in repairs to doors, furnaces, the fire suppression system and the Zamboni. The sprinkler system repair will be funded by health and safety tax levy dollars while other costs will come from arena operations.
Superintendent Lynn Steenblock emphasized Monday that no general fund dollars would be used on the school funding portion.
Under the agreement, Air Climate Control will add $1500 to the cost for supervision of the concrete pour.
The school district will pay for an estimated $3150 expense to rebuild one compressor.
The add-ons would push the total cost of the repair to $78,150
Monday reaction
The Air Climate Control offer was met with encouragement by Steenblock and school board members Monday.
Although the discussions in recent weeks have seemed to travel a full circle, Steenblock said the process was necessary to reach the right answer. He said the idea of a two-year warranty was the final selling point.
ìThat makes a major difference,î Steenblock said.
Nelson said the last-minute plan for a major repair effort came during a brainstorming session with Air Climate Control over specifications for the mat system. Nelson said the idea for a two-year solution slowly emerged.
ìI challenged Air Climate Control to provide a warranty and they did it,î Nelson said.
The motion to approve the resolution for the agreement came 6-0 with support from President Bill Bresin and members Karen Morehead, Joe Grafft, Jody Krebs, Keith Dunham and Rob Rapheal.
Plan in place
The future of the arena has been a point of concern for some time due in large part to general fund budget woes and little desire by school officials to make major repairs of the facility from the general fund at a time when $2 million in cuts are in the works.
Faced by the potential of even higher maintenance expenditures for the next skating season, the district weighed options for the arena.
The options have included closing the facility, opening with needed repairs and maintenance or involving the youth hockey community as a partner in funding.
The hockey community in March stepped forward with a short-term plan for the installation of a mat system. Under that plan, the hockey association would fund the purchase of the system and lease it to the school district for $1. A formal agreement for the mat system had not been completed at the March 22 board meeting.
The hockey association had agreed to seek a loan for $165,000 to cover the cost of the mat system.
Time frame
With the agreement in hand, Nelson said this week heíd like to see the repair project get underway this spring and be completed by the end of June.
That will allow the district to move forward with summer projects that the district will fund.
Mondayís action is pending the formal signing of the agreement by the hockey association.
The contract provides language that allows for ice time rental adjustments based on the bottom line performance of the arena during the two-year period. If operational costs are high or low, the ice time rental fee can be adjusted upward or downward to cover school district costs or ease the rates paid by the association for ice time.
Top of Page
