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Forest Lake district weighs outdoor ice, roofs and safety checks as summer projects move forward
Summary
The Forest Lake Public School District reported plans for summer facility work, including elementary classroom prep and a maintenance building roof, and continued study of a proposed outdoor hockey rink with concerns about stormwater, liability and parking; the district also completed mock OSHA inspections and finished field fencing.
Forest Lake Public School District officials on the evening’s agenda outlined several facilities projects and said the district will move carefully on a potential outdoor ice rink after identifying engineering and operational hurdles.
Director Ember Gaddy told the board the facilities committee reviewed two summer projects: classroom preparations at the elementary school and roof and furnace work at the maintenance building, which will be put out to bid. On a longer-standing request from the Hockey Association, Gaddy said the district is exploring outdoor ice but needs a land survey to assess runoff, pond capacity and whether filling or leveling would be required. “We want to make sure that those ponds have enough capacity,” Gaddy said.
Gaddy listed other constraints: the district must consider liability and off-hours access, resurfacing, electricity, restroom access and the potential impact on indoor-rink rental revenue. She said the district is coordinating with the city’s recreational audit and that the consulting work with the city will be completed in April before the committee brings recommendations back to the full board.
On safety and routine site work, Gaddy said the district’s consultant IEA conducted mock OSHA inspections at the high school and the district “did really well on it,” while noting normal findings for improvement. She also reported that lead and water testing and radon testing are ongoing, a new chain-link fence at Schumacher Field has been completed, and the district plans tree replacements after pine-bark beetle damage that previously required removal of about 100 trees.
Board members asked detailed questions about rink size, scope and parking; Gaddy said the district will route the project through the Buildings and Grounds committee and return with more detailed cost and site information before any decision.
The board recessed later in the meeting to allow staff to reset a malfunctioning livestream computer.
