November 16, 2023 |
Photo – Portable Ice Rink – Courtesy ironsleek.com
Uncertainty over the cost of upkeep had the Hanna town council debating if they should accept a donated ice rink.
HF Sinclair donated a synthetic ice-skating rink to Rawlins DDA Mainstreet nearly five years ago. After the city decided it no longer wanted the skating rink, HF Sinclair offered it to Carbon County Boys and Girls Club.
Boys and Girls Club Chief Professional Officer Theresa Pacheco asked Hanna officials if they wanted the ice rink. The answer was initially yes, but the town still has questions about how to operate the skating surface.
Hanna Recreation Director Kim Coonley said she is having trouble finding a place to set up the 2,400 square foot skating arena.
Recreation Director Coonley said she was also facing high costs associated with maintaining the ice rink. Instead of water ice, the rink uses a plastic sheet as the skating surface. The sheet must be properly lubricated to ensure low enough friction for skating.
Coonley said the needed chemical to keep the skating surface lubricated is pricy. The rec director said HF Sinclair Administrator Annette Penman offered to donate the first container of the required lubricant.
Coonley said when not in use, the ice-skating rink will take up a lot of storage space. The recreation director said she’ll have to find room for the included 60 pairs of skates as well. Coonley said the interlocking plastic panels that make up the skating surface do not weigh a lot but are difficult to maneuver.
Coonley said the rink takes roughly three hours to set up and tear down. The rec director said she will ask HEM High School students to volunteer to build the rink.
Councilman Roger Hawks said he asked Town Attorney Patrick Brady to investigate how accountable the town could be if someone was injured while skating. Councilman Hawks said he is concerned about the potential of theft or vandalism when the rink isn’t being supervised.
Councilman Hawks said he hasn’t heard back from Attorney Brady about the town’s potential liability.
Councilman Sam Sikes asked Coonley where the synthetic ice-skating rink should be located. The rec director said it should be indoors. The council agreed that having it in the town’s recreation center was not an option.
Council members discussed the rink’s associated costs and where to locate it. After the discussion, Councilman Hawks motioned to accept the donated synthetic ice-skating arena. The councilman said if Hanna can’t find a way to use the rink, then they can give it to another town.
The motion was seconded and passed. Rec Director Coonley said she will let Annette Penman at HF Sinclair know that the town has voted to accept the ice rink. Hanna officials will decide later where to erect the skating surface and what to charge for admission to skate.
