Farmington council gives OK to Ice for Tigers arena plan

• Photo: Schmitz-Maki Arena

If the Ice for Tigers group meets its goals this vacant lot could be home to a new sheet of ice as soon as next fall.

Talk about it

On a 4-1 vote Monday, Farmington City Council members gave the OK for the independent group Ice for Tigers to start fundraising efforts to raise money for a second sheet of ice at the Schmitz-Maki Ice Arena.

In one fell swoop, council members agreed to six items related to a proposal to construct a second sheet of ice at the arena as soon as possible. The Ice for Tigers group asked council for support to do a joint powers agreement, and to have a joint working session with the JPA members once the JPA membership is agreed upon. Additionally, they asked for the ability to sell naming rights for portions of the new sheet and to sell sponsorships for several items related to the project. They also asked for approval to sell pucks for donations for a wall that will spell out “Tigers” in the new addition.

Council member Julie May cast the lone dissenting vote, but only because she has not seen financial projections for the project. Ice for Tigers spokesman Rob Juncker has told council members the financials are unclear right now, and will be until the JPA can get together and decide what amenities they would like to see in the new rink.

“We haven’t seen any numbers,” May said. “There has been no finance plan whatsoever. It all looks good, sounds good, but there is no financial plan. I would at least like to get some feedback from the JPA first.”

The proposed membership to the joint powers agreement includes the Ice for Tigers organizers, the city of Farmington, School District 192, the Farmington Business Association, Farmington Youth Hockey Association and Heritage Skating Association. Not all organizations have signed on yet. The council, though, not only approved the concept, but nominated members Terry Donnelly and Jason Bartholomay to be the council representatives.

The rest of the council backed the Ice for Tigers proposal, including allowing the organizers to go out and start soliciting for donations and sponsorships. Most council members are excited to see the process getting under way.

“I have sat up here for 10 years and for 10 years I have heard, ‘We need a second sheet of ice,’” council member Christy Jo Fogarty said. “This should be a community event and I’m excited to see there’s a group out there that understands that. Of all of the proposals we get, this is the most realistic and tangible thing I’ve ever seen put to the city.”

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