The Lysander Town Board voted Oct. 2 to hire a management consultant for the Lysander Radisson Community Arena, of which the town took control last month.
Robyn L. Bentley-Graham signed a contract Oct. 3 with the town to manage the daily operations of the ice rink and create a business plan to ensure the arena’s future profitability.
Bentley-Graham will be paid $60 per hour for no more than 120 billable hours per month until Dec. 31, 2014. Town Supervisor John Salisbury said the town intends to pay for all of the ice arena’s expenses — including Bentley-Graham’s salary — through revenue from the rink.
“We want to make sure this is going to be open for the kids,” Salisbury said. “The easiest thing would have been to lock the doors and say, ‘We’re done with the ice arena.’”
The board unanimously approved Bentley-Graham’s contract, although Councilor Roman Diamond said he had reservations about the town possibly incurring additional expenses. Councilor Andrew Reeves said he expects Bentley-Graham to develop multiple business plans from which the town may choose.
“I would expect multiple options,” he said.
Jim Stirushnik, a town resident, asked the board if they had a target date or amount of revenue at which the rink would be considered a success or failure.
Salisbury replied that the board did not, but “it’s not a carte blanche open checkbook.”
The town plans to work within the existing ice time schedule for rink users, created by the previous manager, the Greater Baldwinsville Ice Arena. Salisbury said the schedule is set until March 2015.
The ice time rental rate will jump to $150 per hour this year. Previously, groups were charged between $75 and $135 per hour. Next year, the town will set the ice time rate at $185 per hour.
“The people who are getting $200 have ice arenas that are more luxurious,” Salisbury said of rinks that get the market rate for ice time.
He added that the Lysander Youth Hockey Association and the Syracuse Figure Skaters Club have offered to help improve the rink.
Salisbury also said the driveway to the rink is currently blocked off and the locks are being changed. Davis Mechanical will perform about $50,000 worth of repairs to the arena this month.
Reeves said the ice arena will remain on the market.
In other business:
The town board voted to renew its kennel agreement with the CNYSPCA. The SPCA bills the town $150 for each animal held plus $25 daily board and, if needed, costs of euthanization. Pet owners whose animals are surrendered to the SPCA reimburse the town for the cost.
The town board also discussed posting its meeting minutes on the town’s website. According to New York state’s Open Meetings Law, public meeting minutes must be available to the general public within two weeks of the meeting; executive session minutes must be available within one week.
Town Clerk Lisa Dell told The Messenger in an email that she “received some complaints from citizens that the website was not updated” to include more recent minutes. As recently as Sept. 30, the town’s website only displayed minutes up to June 23, 2014. This has since been rectified.
Salisbury said the minutes will now be posted on townoflysander.org the day after the board approves them. Draft minutes that have not yet been approved are available for public viewing in the town clerk’s office.
The board next meets at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in the Lysander Town Hall auditorium at 8220 Loop Road, Baldwinsville. Prior to the meeting, the board will discuss agenda items in a work session at 6 p.m.
