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Board authorizes staff to negotiate lease for temporary downtown ice rink at Haynes Field
Summary
Trustees authorized district staff to enter lease negotiations with the Hamilton Downtown Foundation for a temporary portable ice rink at Haynes Field, asked for additional vendor details on installation, water disposal, insurance and hours of operation, and directed administrators to return a finalized draft for board approval.
The Hamilton K-12 Schools board voted to allow district administrators to negotiate a lease with the Hamilton Downtown Foundation for a temporary winter ice rink to be placed on district property at Haynes Field.
Mary Casper, representing the Appleton and Downtown Foundation, told trustees the foundation hoped to site the portable rink just south of the Haynes Field entrance (Exhibit A in the packet) and that the foundation would provide a skate shack usable by the public. Casper said the foundation had not yet finalized some operational details but supplied a vendor estimate indicating weight distribution of roughly “15 to 20” pounds per square foot and proposed a rental fee of $700; utilities would be paid by the foundation, she said.
Trustees asked multiple operational questions about the draft lease during the discussion, including: the intended December–April season and a removal deadline (administration said the draft requires removal by April 1), who would enforce hours of operation and neighbor expectations, liability and insurance provisions, whether concessions or refreshments would be permitted, how much water is required and how melt water would be disposed of, and whether the site would affect existing athletics or nearby facilities.
Administrators said the draft lease includes district protections, monetary penalties and the right to remove the portable rink if it is not vacated as agreed; they emphasized the motion authorizes negotiations, not a final commitment. The board moved and approved a motion authorizing Christine and Dave to continue negotiations and prepare a final lease for the board’s future consideration.
Administrators told trustees that, if negotiations proceed, the foundation plans early-December ordering with a mid-January installation target and that fundraising efforts are underway to secure suppliers and equipment. Trustees asked staff to return specific details on insurance coverage, water handling and a definitive operations plan before final approval.
