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MEMORANDUM <br />To:Saint Anthony Village City Council <br />From:Charlie Yunker, City Manager <br />Date:March 10, 2026 <br />Request: Ice Rink Usage <br />BACKGROUND <br />There have been recent discussions regarding existing park amenities in the City of Saint Anthony. Due <br />to the City’s size and built-out nature, open space and parks are limited. The City’s three main parks, <br />Central, Emerald and Silver Point, are currently at capacity. Any consideration of new park amenities <br />would likely require modifying or removing an existing amenity. The City’s ice rinks have been a topic of <br />interest as an amenity to explore further. As such, the purpose of this meeting will be as follows: <br />establish a cohesive understanding of how the ice rinks are currently utilized <br />discuss the feasibility and interest in modifying the existing ice rink system <br />if modifications are preferred, identify emerging priorities <br />Staff recommends that Council determines a consistent position related to ice rinks in preparation of <br />future conversations with external stakeholders. <br />ICE RINK OPERATIONS <br />Ice Rinks Overview <br />This memo outlines the existing operational conditions for the City’s ice rinks. The facilities are located <br />at Emerald Park, Central Park and Silver Point Park. Each facility includes one warming house, 2 sheets of <br />ice at each park, one serving as a hockey rink and the other one as a pleasure rink. <br />Ice rinks are seasonal, typically opening in late December and staffed with part-time seasonal rink <br />attendants. The operations of the ice rinks vary each year based on weather, season duration, and <br />staffing levels. <br />This analysis focuses on ice rink operations between 2016-2026 for a ten-year review. <br />Community Interest <br />Community interest in the outdoor rinks remains strong. Staff typically begin receiving inquiries in early <br />November regarding rink opening timelines. Each year the middle school uses the Central Park rinks for <br />a day activity with approximately 200 students using the rink which is not reflected in the skating counts <br />summary. <br />Staffing Model & Scheduling <br />Each ice rink facility is staffed with six seasonal rink attendants to cover scheduled shifts for a total of 18 <br />among the three parks. One attendant is assigned per shift, per warming shelter, per day. <br />8