Ice Pavilion reopens delayed after chiller–pump compatibility issue; staff expect quick fix

Sarah Taylor, the city’s recreation supervisor for Aquatics and Ice, briefed the advisory board on the Ice Pavilion’s operations, equipment upgrades and a recent service interruption. Taylor said the city purchased new glycol mats, a smaller Zamboni to improve maneuverability, and a new chiller that arrived in mid-October. Staff worked for two weeks to assemble the rink and connect custom fittings to the new chiller.

Taylor and operations staff explained the chiller’s minimum flow requirement did not match the flow delivered by the existing pumps and the length of piping, which produced repeated low-temperature alarms and caused the system to shut down intermittently. Staff said a replacement pump was arranged and was expected to be installed quickly; board members described the arrival of a replacement unit as the top priority to reopen for the holiday season.

Taylor said attendance trends informed scheduling changes and staffing (about 50 seasonal hires for the ice season), and noted the city will refund customers for cancelled lessons. She reported the rink opened Nov. 22 for programming, and cited Thanksgiving-week check-in numbers as an early-season metric (speaker reported "1,735" check-ins for that period). Staff also confirmed the chiller offers diagnostics and remote monitoring that will help troubleshoot further once the pump issue is resolved.

Board members suggested exploring utility rebates for efficient equipment and providing real-time or historical attendance information to the public so customers can choose less-busy hours. No formal vote or budget appropriation occurred; staff said the replacement pump and contingency funds would cover the immediate fix and that they would return with operational follow-up if needed.