Sawyer Arena manager details year-round operations, chiller repairs and scheduling pressures

Joe Nelson, Sawyer Arena manager and athletic facilities supervisor for the Bangor School Department, told the Parks, Recreation & Harbor Advisory Committee on Dec. 12 that the rink is effectively a year‑round operation and that aging equipment and staffing shortages remain top challenges.

Nelson said the arena now operates seven days a week from about March through December and that the rink’s cooling system and ice mat—installed on a sand floor—are past their typical service lifespans. "So my job starts pretty much it's become year round," Nelson said. He added that the chiller and tubing have outlived their expected life (he said the system had been designed for about 20 years and is now on year 29) and that recent testing revealed multiple leaks. Nelson said crews drained the system, performed air tests and were able to improve performance and restore better capacity.

Why it matters: the arena supports three high school teams, the Maine Junior Black Bears, youth hockey, public skating and tournaments. Problems with the chiller or a prolonged power outage would force a lengthy, multi‑day process to rebuild the ice, including wetting and layering the sand and repainting lines and logos.

Nelson described the ice‑building process in detail and the operational work required to keep sessions running: "The process of building the ice being a sand floor is weeks in advance of when we open...There's a whole process that we have to smooth, bury the tubes, make sure they all work, wet the sand numerous times, get the temperature down, freeze ice in a layer at a time." He also noted that when power is lost for days, rebuilding the ice can require a full day of painting and line work once freezing resumes.

Scheduling and communication: Nelson outlined the complexity of balancing high school schedules, junior clubs and adult users. He described a common scenario in which a school cancels at 8 a.m. and a game must be rescheduled around other teams' availabilities and referee and bus limitations. He said staff attempt to minimize disruption: "I do everything I can to try to have the least amount of impact." Committee members and Nelson discussed improvements to online scheduling and public notice. Nelson said the parks department posts public skate and stick‑and‑puck schedules on the Bangor Parks & Recreation website and that he tries to update the site when he makes changes; he also said staff are exploring better calendar tools and that the new city website may support directed messaging.

Staffing and equipment: Nelson described staffing pressures—finding trained Zamboni drivers and suitable night/weekend staff—and praised long‑tenured employees who train newer staff. He said the facility’s Zamboni units are electric and on a second set of batteries, which removed the need for frequent carbon monoxide testing. He noted the difficulty locating replacement parts for a 29‑year‑old chiller and said he is coordinating with Trane and other vendors on short‑term repairs and parts sourcing.

Programs and usage: Nelson listed public skating, stick‑and‑puck, figure‑skating sessions and a "learn‑to‑skate" program (he said about 58 people were in the most recent session). He noted tournament and event pressures—one two‑day tournament ran from 7 a.m. to about 10 p.m.—and explained that occasional events can require bumping public skate sessions. He also said that public skate attendance drops in some months and typically rises around the holidays.

Committee follow‑up and next steps: Committee members pressed for clearer, centralized online scheduling and options such as calendar views or text alerts; Nelson and Parks staff said they would pursue improvements using the department’s web presence and the new city site.

Ending: Nelson said he will continue coordinating repairs and scheduling and will share details of learn‑to‑skate events and upcoming figure‑skating programming with staff to help publicize sessions.