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City council approves five‑year extension of Waltham Rink lease
Summary
The Waltham City Council voted unanimously on May 12 to approve a five‑year lease extension for the Waltham Rink; the agreement continues a 1% revenue share to the Department of Conservation and Recreation and was moved for immediate action so the mayor could sign the extension.
The Waltham City Council on May 12 approved a five-year extension of the lease for the Waltham Rink, a facility the council and mayor said has been maintained under a long‑standing arrangement that includes a 1% revenue payment to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
Director Kim Hebert (referred to in the meeting as the city director for the rink matter) told the council the city’s original 20‑year lease — signed in 2005 — included an option for a five‑year extension. Under the approved extension, the 1% revenue share to DCR will continue beginning Sept. 1, 2025, for five additional years.
Councilors discussed the condition of the rink and the difficulty of making major capital investments on a short lease. Hebert and the mayor said the building is leased from the state and that structural work is constrained; they said some cleanup and maintenance are feasible, but significant capital improvements would be difficult on a five‑year term. Questions about solar panels, year‑round conversion and ownership transfer were raised; the director said the leased nature of the property limited structural and capital changes.
Councilor Ocava moved approval of the extension and the council suspended regular committee reference to act on the lease at the meeting. The roll call vote recorded 15 in favor, zero opposed; the motion carried.
