At the Hope Advertising and Tourist Promotion Commission’s regular meeting Tuesday night, the commissioners came up with a plan for testing and then setting up the artificial ice skating rink they purchased in the spring for use starting during the upcoming holiday season.
The Commission, whose members present on Tuesday were Sharon Caldwell, Chair; Hope Mayor Don Still, City Directors Trevor Coffee and Steve Montgomery, Milko Smith and Charlton Luker, came to a tentative consensus on the following:
Part of the rink will be assembled and tried out about a week prior to its public use, most likely on or near November 7.
A 30-minute turn on the rink will cost $5, with rent of skates included. A maximum of 25 skaters can use the rink at one time.
From Thanksgiving week to New Year’s, the rink will be open on weekends for a seven-week period.
Civic and church groups will be welcome to volunteer to supervise the rink and will be allowed half the proceeds from admission.
The rink will be set up at The Hub under the pavilion.
Music will be played when the rink is used and its surroundings will be decorated in a winter holiday theme.
Hay bales will be stationed around the rink to stop skaters from careening off the rink. But because of the material used on the rink, this is not expected to be a frequent occurrence.
Concessions will be sold near the rink.
Bleachers will be set up nearby.
In other business, the commission voted to move the Trunk and Treat event to October 29 and to approve $1,000 in funding for prizes.
The commission also voted in favor of providing a $15,000 supplement to the budget for the Pocket Park currently under construction on East Second Street. Hope Parks Superintendent Summer Powell said that the original budget had not accounted for the inflationary costs of materials. Commissioner and City Director Coffee requested that the city’s engineer for the project, Jeremy Stone, appear at the commission’s next meeting to talk about the project going over budget. Commissioner and Hope Mayor Still agreed with this suggestion.
The Commission also received a financial report from Powell. It showed the Parks Department had taken in $69,011.37 in August versus $68,263.50 the same month last year in Tourism Tax and RV Total Revenue. In Restaurant and Hotel Taxes alone, the Department took in $66,146.37 versus $64,755 last year.
Expenses for August were $35,628 versus last year’s August total of $28,896.