City council hears plans to save Larson Ice Rink

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Youth Hockey Association is trying to lease the Larson Ice Rink from the city of Moses Lake.

The association pitched their lease proposal to the city this week during a city council meeting.

The meeting was packed with standing room only seating, "Save the Rec Center" signs were scattered throughout the crowd and hockey jerseys decorated the audience, as numerous supporters of the Larson Recreation Center came out to the city council meeting to support the center they love.

For the past two weeks, the MLYHA has been gathering donations and creating a lease proposal to offer the city. It is because the city council decided to close the Rec Center on Oct. 14 because of $1.3 million in property taxes not being received from REC Silicon.

MLHYA president Ty Howard read a lease proposal sent to the city from the MLHYA board.

Phase 1 entails a request to lease the rink, fenced area around the rink and buildings, Zamboni garage and existing equipment.

The group proposed the lease start on or before Nov. 5.

The lease proposal, if agreed upon, would place responsibility of utilities, liability and operating expenses in the hands of the MLYHA.

The lease would be for a full year, with the first option to renew annually if the city decides not to reassume operation at that time.

According to the MLYHA proposal, phases 2 and 3 of the lease will be finalized at a later date and include the specifics of operation and occupancy of the skate rental area and commercial building.

"MLYHA is willing to provide financial compensation for the approved lease in an amount of $2,824.32 to the city of Moses Lake to alleviate the expense of annual property tax, which will be passed on to tax payers while the facility goes unused," reads the proposal.

Tuesday night was the council's first hearing of the lease proposal. No action was taken on the matter.

The council agreed to meet with the MLYHA board and city staff on a later day, to discuss the specifics of the proposal.

Mayor Dick Deane told Howard and guests he was proud of the outpouring of support for the Rec Center at the city council meeting, but quickly reminded people the city has to take all aspects of the proposal into consideration before an agreement is reached.

"We have the responsibility of protecting the finances of this community and we also have the responsibility of providing the best recreation facilities in the state, we are proud of that," said Deane.

Other city council members agreed with Deane.

Councilmember Todd Voth said the city is about kids and the issue is not about kids, rather it is a financial one.

Councilmember Bill Ecret aimed his comments toward the REC Silicon tax situation itself. Ecret told the audience Grant County already spent about $750,000 defending their assessment of REC Silicon's property, and that REC Silicon has possibly spent three times what the county has, in defending their position.

He also said every department in the city, including the fire and police departments, may be subject to budget cuts.

"When you start to think about it in dollars and cents, it might have been a little cheaper to pay your taxes," remarked Ecret. "So I am going to ask you two things: I am going to ask you to support us and help us make those decisions, and help us through this process as we look at each department. And also, I would like to be able to see those signs and these comments, somehow at REC. That's where it needs to be."

Ecret's comments were met with a resounding applause from the audience.

Councilmember Jon Lane similarly said not only was the Rec Center a subject of cuts, but as was the Summer Concert Series and Fourth of July fireworks show.

Lane also asked parks and recreation director Spencer Grigg to inform the MLYHA about some of the equipment responsibilities and ice rink maintenance the MLYHA will have to undertake to keep the rink up and running.

Grigg said the MLYHA needs to take risk management, outside skate time and equipment management into consideration.

Grigg detailed some potential problems that could arise if the lease proposal was to be agreed upon. Grigg said the chiller the ice rink currently uses could cost up to $340,000 to replace if it was to go down, and technical skills are required to diagnose problems with the chiller.

Grigg was also concerned with public skate time at the rink, wanting the public to be able to use the rink at specified times, just as it was before the rink was closed.

Howard said the MLHYA will offer public skating, in an attempt to gain some sort of financial return, if an agreement was met.

The proposal will be further discussed at a city budget meeting on Nov. 4.