City Council Action on the Ice Rink
August 8, 2005

Recent History

Over the past couple years, the council has approved spending almost 1 million dollars to change Eaton Wash park from the original long narrow design to its current design, thus freeing up the proposed location of the ice rink.  This spending has been allocated from the Civic Center expansion/makeover budget item of 2 million dollars for obtaining a new location for the ice rink.

On Monday May 2nd, the Finance Committee met.  The committee members did not feel the information they had been provided by staff was sufficient for them to pass it along to the full council for action.  Staff was directed to do additional work and bring it back.  It was expected to appear with revisions on a council agenda shortly thereafter, but did not.

On July 18, the same Ice Rink items were on the City Council agenda following public comment at 6:30.  The finance committee was skipped.  The agenda materials were identical to those the Finance Committee found lacking on May 2nd - any responses from city staff to the requests of the finance committee were missing.

Twelve people spoke during public comment at the July 18 meeting in support of the ice rink project.  All were associated with the current ice rink in the civic center.  The council postponed consideration of the agenda item however because not all the council persons were present.  According to a Star News story a couple days later it had become apparent during discussions in private sessions for "real property negotiation" that there were 3 council persons opposed to the project as the financing and operational contract are currently proposed.  It takes 5 out of 8 council votes to approve an item.

August 8 Meeting

On August 8 the city council agenda included the Ice Rink item again (see below).   This time the agenda did include staff responses to some of the finance committee requests plus some additional material about activities at the current ice rink, a copy of a magazine article about how great the proposed architect is, and copies of comment letters received on the item.  There were another 15 or so public comments, all in support of the ice rink.  The major point of contention among the council members was over the proposed management agreement with the Pasadena Ice Skating Center - the operator of the current rink.  Council member Streator contended it is a sweetheart deal and should be put out to bid.  Councilmembers Holden and Little lent support to her argument but ultimately voted for the item after it was amended to require the actual agreement to come back to the council for approval once it is written.

A request was made by Councilman Haderlein at the May finance committee meeting for a buffer between the ice rink project and Avocado Avenue.  The staff report said a landscape buffer could be included for around $65 thousand.  The council did not discuss it and therefore did not indicate it should be included in what was approved.  (After the meeting the councilman said the landscape buffer was part of the plan.  For a short time the city planner and architect were in agreement to put landscaping along Avocado, but by December 2005 that was gone and there were just bushes alongside the access road and around the parking lot.  Nicer for ice rink patrons, worse for neighbors.)

If you have a hight speed internet connection, you can watch the meeting action through the video archive:
http://pasadena.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

The ice rink item discussion begins during minute 26 and ends with the vote at about 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

4. A.  MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PASADENA AND
       THE PASADENA ICE SKATING CENTER AND AGREEMENT FOR
       ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DESIGN FOR A PROPOSED NEW
       ICE SKATING FACILITY LOCATED BETWEEN FOOTHILL AND ORANGE
       GROVE BOULEVARDS 
       Recommendation of City Manager:  
       (1)     Approve the Initial Study and adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration
       prepared for the proposed ice rink project;
       (2)     Adopt the De Minimis Finding of No Impact on Fish and Wildlife;
       (3)     Direct the City Clerk to file the Notice of Determination, Mitigated
       Negative Declaration, and Certificate of Exemption from Fish and Game fees
       with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk;
       (4)     Approve the proposed business terms negotiated between the City and
       the Pasadena Ice Skating Center for the management of a new ice rink
       facility;
       (5)     Authorize the City Manager to execute a Management Agreement
       between the City and the Pasadena Ice Skating Center that incorporates the
       approved business terms.
       (6)     Amend the Fiscal Year 2005 Adopted Capital Improvement Program
       (CIP) Budget to include a new project in the "Municipal Buildings and
       Facilities" section titled, "Pasadena Ice Rink Facility" Project No. 71144 and
       recognize $2,000,000 from the Pasadena Center Operating Company and
       approve a Journal Voucher appropriating the $2,000,000 to this project; and
       authorize transfer of $70,000 to Project No. 78289 for park expenditures
       related to the Ice Rink; and 
       (7)     Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with the Albert Group
       for architectural/engineering services in an amount not to exceed $690,250
       without competitive bidding pursuant to City Charter Section 1002(F),
       contracts for professional or unique services. 
       Recommendation of Planning Commission:   On February 9, 2005, the
       Planning Commission reviewed the proposed project and found it is
       consistent with the City of Pasadena's General Plan.

	2763k

	Attachments Part 1 1935k	Attachments Part 2 6474k
	Attachments Part 3 1261k	Attachments Part 4 1261k		
	Correspondence - August 8, 2005 1450k
	Materials - July 18, 2005 3521k

ACTION:  (On a vote of 7 to 1) APPROVED THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION, 
	AS AMENDED TO OMIT RECOMMENDATION 5 FROM APPROVAL; 
	TO MODIFY RECOMMENDATION 4 TO READ: "APPROVE IN CONCEPT 
	THE PROPOSED BUSINESS TERMS NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE CITY 
	AND THE PASADENA ICE SKATING CENTER FOR THE MANAGEMENT 
	OF A NEW ICE RINK FACILITY;" AND AS FURTHER AMENDED TO 
	INCLUDE IN THE BUSINESS TERMS A CLARIFICATION OF THE 
	DIVISION OF DUTIES AS TO WHAT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES ARE 
	RELATED TO BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS OF THE NEW 
	FACILITY AND WHAT THE MANAGEMENT TEAM'S RESPONSIBILITIES 
	ARE, AND TO AMEND THE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA RELATED TO 
	FISCAL MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE OPERATOR 
	(MANAGEMENT TEAM) IS RUNNING THE RINK SO THAT THE TRAFFIC 
	VOLUME WILL PROVIDE THE CASH FLOW TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE
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