Agenda - Council Work Session - 10/24/2023

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This has documented the aforementioned decline in rink users despite the opposite growth in the number of residents in the city. These trends are depicted in the second attachment. In addition to the general decline in hockey and pleasure skating in the city,this past year's patronage of the two different facilities would seem to show that residents prefer Central Park over the school,with 2,654 counted at Central, and just 654 at the school despite a far greater population density nearest the school. Alternatives/Options Given the time-cost of O &M to create skating opportunities in the community, staff is proposing'shuttering'the facilities at Ramsey Elementary for the 2023-24 Winter season. Under this scenario, there would be a prominent sign placed at the school rink, advising anyone arriving at the rink,that the full-service skating facility at Central Park is open and available for their use. (At Central Park's warming house there is a fireplace, adequate heating, drinking water and full-service restrooms in contrast to the school which only has a single outdoor portable toilet.) Closure of the skating facility for this coming Winter would be valuable for determining if a single outdoor skating facility is adequate to serve the community,based upon overall resident feedback and actual patronage at Central Park for the 2023-24 skating season. If a single skating facility is adequate (or even more than adequate), the hockey rinks at the school could eventually be removed. Additionally, future upgrades and improvements to the facilities at Central Park could be properly evaluated and planned for within the Capital Improvement Program in the coming years. Funding Source: There is no funding required for closure of the school skating facility for this coming Winter as proposed rather, there would be modest cash savings for vehicle and equipment fuel,municipal water used for flooding, electricity for the rink lights and warming house heaters, as well as wages paid to the rink attendants that would not be needed. There also would be the value of hundreds of hours of maintenance staff time that would be freed to attend to other work. Recommendation: The Park&Recreation Commission and Staff recommend closure of the skating facilities for the 2023-24 season, as a trial, and potential long-term cost savings for the community. Anoka Hennepin School District staff are also aware of the potential closing and support the proposal of closing the rink. Outcome/Action: Concensus acknowledgment that the hockey rinks and warming house at Ramsey Elementary will be closed for the 2023-24 skating season. Attachments Location map and images Trend lines Rink Attendant Manual Form Review Inbox Reviewed By Date Brian Hagen Brian Hagen 10/19/2023 07:35 AM Form Started By:Mark Riverblood Started On: 10/13/2023 01:09 PM Final Approval Date:10/19/2023