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Forsyth Hockey asks Wyoming council to allow rink rentals and loosen charitable‑gambling limit
Summary
Matthew Folsom, representing the Forsyth Hockey Association, asked the Wyoming City Council to allow organized rentals of the outdoor rink and to revise a local ordinance that limits charitable gambling to one organization per establishment, saying the association has grown and lacks ice time.
Matthew Folsom, speaking at the city’s open forum, asked the City of Wyoming to let the Forsyth Hockey Association rent the municipal outdoor rink for organized practices and to consider allowing more than one charitable organization per establishment.
“We're short on ice time, severely short,” Folsom said. He told the council the association has grown from about 450 kids to more than 700 over three years, with roughly 110 players from Wyoming. He said the shortage forces teams to rent ice in neighboring communities and limits practice opportunities for young players.
Folsom also asked the council to revisit a local charitable-gambling rule that currently allows only one charitable organization per establishment; he said that constraint limits small local groups from accessing revenue streams that help offset player costs. “If the fire department or the Lions Club or anybody else wants to participate, right now they don't have the opportunity to do that either,” he said.
Mayor Iverson and city staff asked operational questions about liability, insurance and precedent. City staff said parties that rent ice would be required to provide a certificate of insurance; Folsom said USA Hockey and Forest Lake Hockey carry coverage and that the association can provide proof. Staff also noted the rink has been treated as a community facility historically and that renting it would require a city policy change.
The council did not take immediate action but told Folsom it would discuss the request and review the applicable ordinance. Staff signaled willingness to evaluate the gambling-rule request and to examine whether the rink can be rented without undermining community access.
