01-17-2018 ICE MIN
Meeting of the Arena Commission
Held at the Elk River City Hall
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Members Present: Chair Givens, Vice Chair Balabon, Commissioners Cunningham,
Madsen, Sagan, Westgaard, Ballenger
Members Absent:
Staff Present: Arena Manager Rich Czech, Arena Assistant Laura Estby
1. Call Meeting to Order
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Ice Arena Commission
was called to order at 5:05 p.m. by Chair Givens.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
Recited by Commission Members and Staff
3. General Business
3.1 Arena remodeling update
Arena Manager Rich Czech reviews where the City is in the renovation project. It
was presented to the user groups last week by City Administrator Cal Portner and
was well received.
Commissioner Westgaard adds RJM suggested two new sheets and using the
Olympic for turf instead of the original plan which renovated the Olympic and tore
down/rebuilt the barn.
Czech adds the City is in discussion with the School District about the bathrooms
being used for football games and potentially adding a concessions stand on the west
side. He feels the plans as presented are about 90% final.
Vice Chair Balabon inquires about the size of the Youth Hockey office.
Czech replies it is comparable to the current office. He also notes there are pros and
cons to leaving the boards up in the Olympic when it is turned into turf, and that
there will be a class 5 base underneath it.
Vice Chair Balabon feels the baseball and softball groups would be interested in turf
rental.
Chair Givens asks if the arena should ever be expanded to 3 sheets, what would need
to be done to the Olympic? (after it is remodeled for turf)
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January 17, 2018
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Arena Manager Czech notes there has been discussion about piping in case that
would happen in the future. He adds if the school district builds a dome where the
current stadium is, it could make the turf in the Olympic obsolete. The high school is
also slated to redo their parking lot the summer of 2019.
Vice Chair Balabon asks about the location of the shooting area.
Czech replies it will be on the Olympic side, but that hasn’t been vetted yet.
Commissioner Westgaard notes that the dryland spaces would be programmed.
Arena Manager Czech adds that Justin (MEGA) wants to lease the entire dry floor
and he would sublease to the various youth groups, etc, however Czech isn’t sure
that is the direction that the City would want to go.
Commissioner Westgaard notes the meeting with the user groups brought up the
desire to build up a second level above the Zamboni room.
Czech confirms, and adds that he will note it was brought up at the Arena
Commission as well. The complication with this is that the Zamboni room needs to
have 14’ ceilings to accommodate dumping of the snow. As a result, the ceilings in
an upstairs, should it be added, would be much shorter.
Commissioner Westgaard inquires about the current arrangement for the shooting
area.
Czech replies the City owns the artificial ice, and MEGA Goaltending rents it
Monday and Wednesday evenings.
Commissioner Westgaard notes we should consider the potential revenue that
renting dryland space could bring in, and maybe it would make sense to add the
st
second floor above the Zamboni room. He estimates based on the 1 floor footprint
it would be approximately 4,000 sq/ft. and adds now we are getting down to the
details.
rd
Vice Chair Balabon inquires if there is enough demand for a 3 sheet now?
Czech replies an ice sheet has approximately 1200 hours during a regular season.
Currently he believes Elk River Youth Hockey is buying about 300 hours at other
rinks.
Balabon states they only buy 300 hours because that is all that is available, if there
was more, they would buy more.
Commissioner Westgaard inquires about Spectrum High School’s potential use.
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January 17, 2018
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Arena Manager Czech states the city did sit down with Spectrum and it sounded like
numbers –wise they weren’t ready for that yet.
Vice Chair Balabon notes he believes Rogers must get ice other than their own rink,
and that BBL doesn’t have a rink at all.
Commissioner Madsen adds he is surprised that we are even considering turf in the
Olympic when it is already a perfect space for a rink.
Czech replies the piping would be the correct size, but the compressor has been
sized down for only two sheets to better fit within the budget.
Commissioner Westgaard adds it is more than just the plumbing, that the renovation
will take away the Olympic locker rooms.
4. Date of next Arena Commission Meeting
April 17, 2018
5. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned by Chair Givens at 6:43 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Laura Estby
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DeAnn Givens, Chair
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Tina Allard, City Clerk