Costs split for upgrades at Ice Den

The city of Whitefish is still negotiating a contract to manage the Stumptown Ice Den, but city council on Oct. 19 approved spending more than $50,000 to make an upgrade to the facility.

Council in a 5-1 vote approved the purchase of an electronic management and alarm system for the Ice Den. Councilor Pam Barberis was the sole vote against.

Barberis said enough has already been spent — about $60,000 — this year on repairs to the Ice Den.

“A lot of the recent problems we’ve had are being fixed to turn this over to the management,” she said. “This alarm system is more of a luxury item at this point.”

Councilor Frank Sweeney disagreed.

“If we were going to manage the facility ourselves, this is a tool we would want,” he said. “We are going to install this at some point anyway, we can do it now. If this system had been in place about 75 to 80 percent of the repairs could have been avoided.”

Whitefish Sports Facility Foundation, which the city is currently negotiating with to take over management of the facility, requested the installation of a Programmable Logic Controller. The system would monitor operations at the Ice Den around the clock to alert staff if any equipment stops functioning. It can also begin a shut-down of the system, if necessary, to prevent damage.

In a letter to council, Whitefish Sports Facility Foundation proposed a 50/50 split of the cost of the system. The city would fund the entire purchase upfront, estimated at $50,000 to $60,000, and then the foundation would repay its portion to the city within six months.

Councilor Sarah Fitzgerald said the alarm system would keep the Ice Den operational, which is important to the city to bring in revenue from its use.

“I’m pleased they’re [Whitefish Sports Facility Foundation] willing to come up with half,” she said.

When the Ice Den manager resigned in August, the city decided to look at new options. The ice rink advisory committee recommended the Park Board solicit requests for a management agreement for the ice rink.

The city has managed operations at the facility since it was built in 2003, but Parks and Recreation Director Maria Butts said that in the last year user groups have requested the opportunity for a management agreement.

Butts updated council on the management agreement. Only one statement of qualifications was received and the city entered into negotiations with Whitefish Sports Facility Foundation.

Butts outlined the major changes to the original management agreement that have been proposed. She anticipates approval of the finalized management agreement by the Park Board at its Nov. 10 meeting and transfer of management of the Ice Den on Nov. 12.

The term of the contract has been changed from seven months with an option to renew, to a five-year term with a sixth-month probationary period.

The original proposal for the city to set aside $70,000 for utilities, $25,000 for repair and maintenance, and $10,000 for contingencies. Now the contract is expected to contain a shared percentage of the revenues. What that percentage will be has not yet been established, Butts noted.

The Parks department will attempt to absorb expenditure for the facility into its budget.

The ice rink lost more than $610,000 over the past eight years. Last season the rink lost about $3,700.

Butts has said she expects the management agreement to allow the city to break even with the operation.