By Deb Murphy

Mammoth’s Town Council crept a little closer to the go-ahead on a $13,000,000 ice rink at Mammoth Creek Park West at Wednesday’s meeting.

Public Works Director Grady Dutton presented a grim picture of the existing facility located on land leased from the Mammoth Unified School District. Nearly everything necessary to be an ice rink would have to be replaced or undergo major maintenance in the next two years. Literally, on top of all that, the slab isn’t flat.

That, combined with the District’s non response to the Town’s request for a 30-year lease on the site, fueled Dutton’s recommendation to commit to a new rink on the Town-owned park site. The only thing missing is roughly $4,000,000.

The Town has already invested funds in design, environmental documents and other facets of the facility, scaled down from the original Multi-Use Facility. A little over $9,000,000 in funds are available for the project, leaving $3,865,000 to be found.

Council member Kirk Stapp thought the project penciled out, but wasn’t sure where it fit in the town’s priorities. He did note the current Transient Occupancy Tax income was higher than projected.

Mayor Cleland Hoff didn’t like it. Council members Lynda Salcido and John Wentworth did. Wentworth moved the Council direct staff to bring back what the project would look like now and where the funds would come for the balance. The motion passed 4-1.

Keeping with the winter theme, Town Manager Dan Holler briefed the Council on the snow emergency.

Basically, the Town’s resources were outstripped, the 24/7 shifts were taking a toll on staff and equipment and the Town needs to take a look at zoning for additional snow storage.

Some of the heroes were the California Conservation Corp, all four crews that shoveled snow off roofs, including Mammoth Hospital and the Post Office, Holler reported. The Town declared an emergency February 6 and has a chance to get some of the costs reimbursed under the California Disaster Assistant Act.

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