Troy considers replacing ice rink
New rink at Knickerbacker Recreational Facility could cost $1.25M
TROY, N.Y. » Three members from the City Council’s General Services Committee recently decided not to use $100,000 or more on short-term repairs for the ice rink at the Knickerbacker Recreational Facility.
A couple weeks ago, the City Council’s finance committee tabled an ordinance appropriating $100,000 in funds from the capital reserve to help pay for some repairs at the Knickerbacker Park ice rink. That decision came after Mayor Patrick Madden’s administration asked the finance committee members to remove the ordi- nance from its March 23 meeting so that the council’s General Services Committee could schedule a meeting soon to discuss the shortterm and long-term solutions for the ice rink repairs.
Democratic Councilman David Bissember, who chairs the General Services Committee, then scheduled a general services committee meeting on April 2, so that members of the administration could go over some of the possible proposed long-term plans to fix the rink.
“The administration put forward a proposal and recommended that we move forward with replacing the rink rather than expending city funds to repair the rink, which is now coming up on 28 years old,” explained John Salka, a spokesman for Madden. “The number that was put forward was to bond would be about $1.25 million.”
The ice rink has been closed since mid-January, with city offi- cials saying that the repairs deal with the compressors and the coolant system.
“It is about 28 years old and it was put in in 1990, and about 1994 they started advising not to install these types of rinks, so we were kind of grandfathered in since we already had it four years prior,” said Chuck Wojton, the city’s general services commissioner.
Bissember said that the
committee rejected the $100,000 short-term repairs on Monday night since the short-term repairs have no guarantees of how long it will work for again.
“[On Monday night] we rejected a bond that would have provided no guarantees that short term repairs would maintain an
outdated system. The administration has estimated $1.25 million would cover the full costs of a new rink, including modernizing the coolant system. Long-term deferred maintenance has led to these larger bond projects. Our recreational facilities have a positive impact on the city, beyond the question of financial profitability. The administration is working to provide us with additional information on the viability of a new ice
rink and I look forward to working with my colleagues to identify a solution,” said Bissember in a statement.
Republican City Council President Carmella Mantello, who is not a member of the general services committee, but was in attendance for the meeting Monday night said that she is tired of recreational facilities run by the city being shut down or in need of repairs.
The General Services
Committee is comprised of Bissember, Democratic Councilman Anasha Cummings and Republican councilman Jim Gulli.
“Once again, because of the lack of proper and appropriate maintenance, we are being faced with a recreational facility at the Knick Ice Rink that’s been closed,” said Mantello. “In the past few years we have seen similar situations with city pools and the city’s golf course. This is unacceptable
and a disturbing trend. The administration needs to ensure a proper maintenance program for ALL city facilities.
“Regarding the Knick Ice Rink, I am recommending the following:
1) Fix the compressors at the rink which the administration originally proposed at a cost between $100k to $150k. These monies are presently in the capital reserve fund and would not necessitate any additional borrowing.
2) Once completely fixed, immediately open the rink for normal public use.
3) Develop a proper maintenance plan for the ice rink.
4) Develop a long range plan to prevent problems in the future.”
Officials from Madden’s administration said that they plan to present a more complete full proposed report to the finance committee at its April 19 meeting.