The Kenai City Council enacted an ordinance that would increase estimated revenues and appropriations in the general fund parks, recreation and beautification department, and authorizes an increase to the multi-purpose facility management services purchase order to Red Line Sports for additional ice maintenance services. Red Line Sports was awarded a contract to provide facility management and ice machine services for the 2021/2022 season in expectation that the contract would be adjusted, based on actual ice rental hours, and required maintenance needs.
City Manager Paul Ostrander tells the council that the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility experienced a sizeable increase in use this season citing affordable prices and an increase in the number of hockey teams from the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association.
Ostrander adds:
“As you know, our rink has got a lot more use over the last year starting with during COVID and one of our rinks was one of the only rink that was open. That continued into the fall and then in the spring there’s a lot more participants. We’re seeing that the revenues generated by the facility are going to be approximately 10% over what we had projected. We had projected $130,000. We projected revenues to increase by about $13,000. This ordinance increases estimated revenues by $13,000 and then increases appropriations by the same amount. Of note, we anticipate that expenditures will be up about $6,500. The remainder of that would be additional revenues to the general fund.”
Ostrander also said that the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association has reported that it has more teams than originally projected for the 2021/22 season, and KPHA is hosting a state tournament which is utilizing the rink, which has created an increased demand for more ice.
The ordinance was enacted unanimously.
NOTE: photo courtesy of the city of Kenai’s website.