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Council approves Ice Park fees and programming; open skate likely $10 for 90-minute sessions
Summary
Council approved the park fees and charges package that includes proposed Ice Park pricing: open skate sessions likely priced at $10 for 90 minutes, learn-to-skate classes and curling-sheet rentals planned; staff outlined staffing, field-trip packages and scholarship access.
Holland City Council approved updates to the parks and recreation fees and charges Wednesday that include rates and program plans for the city's new Ice Park.
Parks staff presented a recommended price schedule and operational plan for the Ice Park. Garrett Thalen, parks staff, said open-skate sessions will most likely be $10 for 90-minute sessions, with a discounted $5 night for nonprime sessions possible. "It's mostly going to be $10," Thalen said, describing a five-session Saturday schedule with 30-minute ice-resurfacing breaks between sessions.
The proposal also includes learn-to-skate classes ($40 to $60 per participant for classes of 15—25 participants), curling-sheet rentals (nonprime $75—25, prime $125—0 with modified lightweight stones), private event rental options and field-trip packages for area schools priced at about $7 per skater for outside districts and at-cost pricing for partner schools. Staff said scholarships from the Sal Perez fund will be available for qualifying participants.
Thalen said the operation will require about eight on-site staff during peak Saturday sessions (concessions, rental window, ice monitors, ticketing), and the department expects to recruit roughly 30 seasonal staff to operate the park. The city compared pricing to similarly sized Midwest ice rinks and positioned its rates to be accessible while covering ongoing costs.
Councilmember Freeman moved to approve the proposed parks and recreation fees and charges; the motion was supported by Councilmember Byrd and passed on roll call with unanimous yes votes. Councilmembers praised staff for progressing the project while balancing affordability: Mayor Box thanked staff for the work and said the investment continues to focus on community access and quality programming.
Staff will finalize the fee schedule and include Ice Park programming in the seasonal program guide; the park manager and parks staff will monitor participation and can recommend fee adjustments in future fee-cycle updates if needed.
