Board members discussed the impact of Denton Drive construction on the outdoor ice rink and possible alternatives for the coming season.
Staff reported construction on Denton Drive is expected to start soon (west side first) and could run into late in the year; the work is adjacent to the area that hosts the current rink and could constrain parking and staging for events. Staff said they are exploring whether the city's rink can remain in its current location this year depending on construction staging.
As an alternative, staff presented a turnkey artificial-surface option (vendor referenced as 'artificial ice events' or 'Polyglide'/ProGlide-style polymer panels). The packet cited an approximate 40-day rental of a 60-by-100-foot surface at roughly $137,000; staff rounded that to $140,000 in meeting materials. Staff noted the turnkey option would include skates, perimeter fencing and flooring, but also entail rental, labor, delivery and potential hoteling for vendor staff and generator or power logistics.
Board members asked about revenue to offset costs; staff said they would pull recent revenue figures and return with a feasibility analysis. Members also discussed other options such as buying panel systems or using different locations (smaller footprint for holiday events) and noted that artificial panels can reduce weather-related issues but entail larger upfront rental costs.
Staff will gather more quotes and revenue data and report back at the next meeting or sooner.