Soldotna City Manager Stephanie Queen, along with Parks & Recreation Director Andrew Carmichael, discussed the City of Soldotna’s mitigation plan for the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex, specifically with regards to ice activities. The plan is designed around maximizing the number of activities that will take place, while maintaining safe social distancing in the complex.
Carmichael says that the standards used to help construct the mitigation plan had to be adapted to work for the complex. Queen made note that Carmichael did research to ensure that the restrictions put in place in Soldotna would be comparable to other rinks in Alaska, but safe enough to prevent ping-ponging the restrictions: “One of the things he did was look at all of the rinks in Alaska, and there are many that are more restrictive than what we’ve brought forward. There are some that are less-restrictive. I think the Menard Center in Wasilla is one of the more permissive rinks, but there are some rinks that are not doing any public skate right now. There are many that are limiting 60 people in the building total. These are other rinks that we tried to look and see what other folks are doing. I’ll say also that when we started drafting this plan, we were in ‘Red,’ so the school district was closed. There were no high school sports, there were no sports of any kind. One of the things we’ve talked about internally is how difficult it will be for us and for the public to be bouncing between different frameworks.”
Some of the mitigation plan’s most significant measures include:
- Hockey Practice and Games: limit of 40 players, coaches, and officials on the ice;
- Spectators: no more than 40 spectators in lobby and bleachers socially spaced;
- Learn to Skate Classes: limited to 25 participants and five instructors;
- Shinny Hockey: limited to 25 skaters on the ice;
- Freestyle: limited to 25 skaters, which is not a change from customary allowances;
- Public Skate: limited to 40 skaters per session;
- Team Rooms: team and locker rooms will remain closed and showers will not be available;
- Users may arrive no more than 15 minutes before ice time and remain in building no more than 15 minutes after ice time is complete.
Some members of council expressed concern with how tight the restrictions are. Council Member Pamela Parker suggested masks in lieu of limiting spectators: “The limiting of spectators to 40, I can kind of see that being an issue, especially when you see one family member and one parent. You’ve got the hockey moms that are bringing all of their children to the rink – they’re not going to be happy when you tell them that they can’t watch their one kid, or they can’t bring the other three with them. Also, if they play games, I think it’s going to be challenging to tell families they can’t come and watch and support their kiddos.”
Council Member Jordan Chilsom proposed making masks mandatory for spectators, thereby allowing more spectators to sit in the stands. The council discussed putting that idea before the council during their next meeting, but ultimately decided to keep the plan as-is, without mandatory masking.
The mitigation plan calls for making adjustments as-needed, but that they hope to see a return to normal by the start of 2021. Carmichael said that the City is working with the Kenai River Brown Bears to determine what their needs will be, which will offer guidance for how to proceed in the future. The plan goes into effect on September 28.