Marysville is expanding days and hours for the Uptown’s skating rink.
In 2018, the city’s iceless ice rink was open for 17 days (a total of 92 hours) at a cost of $33,500. Officials want to expand that to 22 days (a total of 138 hours) for 2019.
The skating rink, inside the Memorial Health Pavilion in the city’s Partners Park, will be open from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5. Skating will continue to be free as is skate rental.
The expanded hours would bring the city cost to $43,500. City Manager Terry Emery called the money, “the best $40,000 we will spend all year for what we get for return.” In 2018, 5,516 skaters used the rink according to the city.
Finance Director Justin Navhi said he discussed the increased cost with Recreation/Events Manager Amanda Morris.
“I told her, we need to get 50% of this funded by sponsorships,” said Nahvi.
He said that cooperative agreements in 2018 were helpful, but “We need dollars.”
The Union County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has committed $2,500 for the rink.
Emery said last year Morris was asking people to sponsor an unknown attraction.
“This year, I think her ability to raise funds is going to be a little bit easier,” Emery said.
Council member Nevin Taylor, who sits on the finance committee, said 50% sponsorship funding is “a good goal.”
“There is a lot of people that get behind this,” Taylor said.
He asked if there could be an opportunity to bring more food trucks to the rink on the weekends. He said he doesn’t want to compete with Uptown businesses and restaurants, but does want to be able to raise money and increase offerings.
Emery said it could be possible, but it would need to be “the right kind of offerings.”
He said that ideally, people come, shop and dine in in the Uptown.
Mark Reams, a council member and finance committee member, said that even if the food truck does not offer the same food as a local restaurant. It could be competition. At that point, many local businesses would not be interested in sponsoring the rink.
Taylor said maybe some of the local restaurants could locate on-site for a time during the skating season.
Also during the finance meeting, Nahvi announced the city had received a $150,000 grant to help pay for improvements to the park on County Home Road. He said the city will spend $750,000 to complete a second of four new ball fields to the facility. He said two of the new fields will be artificial turf.
“The turf is important to be able to accommodate some of the tournaments that might want to come to Marysville,” Emery said.
He added that, “the majority, if not all eventually, will be artificial fields.”
Resident Tim Mierta asked the committee if there is enough field use to justify adding more.
“We could put eight fields up new and they would be filled,” Taylor said.
Emery said flooding often makes the Schwartzkopf Park fields unusable. He said that since the youngest teams often use those fields it becomes unfair to them.