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City staff asks council to approve purchase of R22 refrigerant to restore VFW Arena ice floor
Summary
Parks staff reported a floor and compressor failure at the VFW Arena and requested authorization to buy up to 3,000 lb of R22 refrigerant (city has ~1,000 lb on hand). Staff said local vendor RHI quoted $3,049 per pound and that the purchase could be submitted for insurance review by League of Minnesota Cities.
Parks staff told the council that a recent failure of the VFW Arena compressor and rink floor left the city with insufficient refrigerant to operate the ice and that restoring the rink requires adding R22.
Staff said the city has about 1,000 pounds of R22 on hand and requested authorization to buy up to an additional 3,000 pounds. “The lowest price that we found…is $3,049 a pound,” staff said, naming a local vendor, RHI in Grand Forks. Staff described a staged approach: put existing R22 in first, test the system, and add purchased R22 only as needed—likely 2,000–2,500 lb rather than the full quoted 3,000 lb. Unused R22 could be returned to the vendor for a full refund.
Staff said the purchase would be charged to parks repairs and maintenance and that the League of Minnesota Cities insurance could be asked to review a claim for reimbursement by a third‑party adjudicator.
Councilors asked whether other rinks or vendors might provide R22 at lower cost and whether the refrigerant could be reused by other city facilities; staff said the Civic Center and Blue Line Arena use different refrigerants (R449 and R404A) and that EPA rules limit resale and reuse practices. Several councilors stressed the economic and programmatic importance of keeping the VFW Arena operational for scheduled tournaments and figure‑skating events.
Staff did not report a final vote but sought direction to proceed with the procurement and insurance follow‑up.
