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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK February 3, 2003 CITY of ANDOVER SPECIAL CITY COUNCIIjHOCKEY ASSOCIATION WORKSHOP- FEBRUARY 3, 2003 - MINUTES A special City Council workshop was called to order by Mayor Mike Gamache at 7:00 pm, Monday, February 3, 2003 at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. CounciImembers Present: Mike Knight, Julie Trude, Ken Orttel CounciImembers Absent: Don Jacobson Also Present: John Erar, City Administrator Jim Dickinson, Finance Director Dan Winkel, Fire Chief Scott LeDoux, Campaign Chair Dave Assmus, Saterbak & Assoc. Chad Lanners, YMCA Mayor Gamache introduced Mr. LeDoux who has volunteered to be the campaign chair, Chad Lanners of the YMCA and Dave Assmus who will help recruit chairs for the task force. Mayor Gamache reviewed the lústory of the process to build a community center and the progress of the project. He noted that groundbreaking should occur in 2004 with the ice arena to be built first, opening for the hockey season in November 2004. The entire facility will not be open until May 2005. Mayor Gamache thanked the public for the e-mails he has received regarding the community center. Frank Kellogg noted that there has been a lot of time and energy put forth by a number of people over the last year to get tlùs project started. The Hockey Association's intentions are to bring to the Council's attention a win-win situation for everyone. Jed Oark, Ice Director for the Andover Huskies Youth Hockey Association, reviewed the Association's proposal to remove the ice arena portion from the community center and ask Council's support to build an ice arena on city owned property. The benefits of the proposal are: 1) decreases the projected cost of the community center to 7.8 - 10.8 million dollars; 2) 10wers the fundraising benchmark the city will have to meet to build the center; 3) negligibly impacts city-lead fund-raising effort; 4) potentially allows the YCA room for expansion; Special Council/Hockey Assn. Workshop February 3, 2003 - Minutes Page 2 5) provides a positive and proactive solution to the issues and challenges the Council, task force and city administration have faced over the last year; and 6) offers a solution to the hardships that the high school and youth hockey players face by skating at 10 different rinks across the northern suburbs and the University of Minnesota. Jeff Tollett, high school hockey coach, stated that we are the only community in our conference that doesn't have its own ice arena. Matt Haskins, captain of the high school hockey team asked that the Council authorize this project as the team is having to practice at 5:00 am which interferes with their school work. Greg Rajanen, girls' high school hockey coach, stated that they cannot compete with the other teams unless they have their own arena. Dan Terhaar explained that they are proposing an indoor facility that would cover approximately I acre and would cost $2.75-3.25 million dollars and an outdoor facility to be used for the AHYHA Lean to Skate Program in the winter and in the off-season could be used for basketball and/ or a skate park. The projected cost of the outdoor facility is $250,000. The hockey association could come up with approxirnately $640,000 in donations depending on whether the land is donated by the city or if the association has to purchase land. Tony Howard stated that there are 4 or 5 different parcels of land in the MUSA that are city owned. One parcel is the northwest comer of the Public Works facility. Another would be the proposed community center location with its own entrance. Sunshine Park and the WDE site are other options. Jed Oark noted that they are also requesting that the city lend its name to a 5010 bond issue. Mr. Oark presented a petition requesting Council take action that will result in the construction and completion of an indoor ice arena by the Fall of 2003. Frank Kellogg stated they are not asking for anything more than what the baseball and football associations received from the city. Several members of the girls' high school hockey team spoke regarding the difficulties of late practices and having to share locker rooms with four other teams. - Special Council/Hockey Assn. Workshop February 3, 2003 - Minutes Page 3 Dave Assmus noted that when they did the study they found there was tremendous support for a community center. If the ice arena were split off that would be a deterrent to the fund-raising for the community center. He believes Council has done an excellent job to get something that will serve the entire city. Chad Lanners stated that the YMCA is very excited about the community center project. He concurred with Mr. Assmus to follow some structure. Changing things in the middle of the stream will bring negative implications for them. Scott LeDoux felt that for everyone to be successful something more than just hockey has to be offered. If we work together we can have a great facility for everyone and encouraged the hockey association to show some patience. Councilmember Trude asked why the ice is critical to the YMCA and if there are any YMCAs in Minnesota that have ice arenas attached. She also questioned why it would jeopardize the YMCA is there were an ice arena in a different area. Mayor Gamache stated that it was his impression from the study that it was to be a full service community center. Mr. Erar stated that the survey results showed that the Community Center was to include an aquatic center and fieldhouse. Councilmember Orttel explained that the first thing we started with was a hockey arena and that didn't fly so we came up with the idea of a community center. Weare now being told to give the hockey association the Iand and the revenue bonds. He also noted that the parks were built over a 30 year period. Frank Kellogg stated that Sunslùne Park was built in 1994 with the city spending $1,000,000. As far as the bond, the Hockey Association is not looking for the city to pay it. They are asking Council to take their proposal into consideration. He noted that the association's job is to make hockey as available as they can. Councilmember Knight asked if they have other sites under consideration. Tony Howard explained that there are other options that are being explored but they would prefer one of the city sites. He felt that the community center is important but their needs are more important. Special Council/Hockey Assn. Workshop February 3, 2003 - Minutes Page 4 Mr. LeDoux felt that the city needs time to see what the community wants as it's not just about hockey. Councilmember Orttel questions the privatization as listed in the proposal abut didn't see anything private about it. He asked if the same laws that apply to the city regarding bonding would apply to the hockey association. Mayor Gamache asked that Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Erar look at the hockey association's proposal for bonding as far as public bids and the legality involved. Jack McKelvey questioned why everything needs to be in the same building. He felt that by allowing a separate ice arena you will get the hockey association to raise money for the community center. MOTION by Orttel, seconded by Gamache to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm. Respectfully submitted, tLL· ()ffi Vicki Volk City Oerk