Trustees want ice rink resolved by July 12

Improvement district trustees gave the Incline Ice Foundation about four weeks to determine if the group has the money in its accounts to build the proposed ice arena at Incline Park.

The Incline Village General Improvement District board approved trustee Kenny Kinsman's motion Wednesday giving the ice foundation until July 12 to determine if the group can pay for the arena as it is outlined in its plans.

"Do they have the financial capacity to build that arena?" Kinsman said Thursday. "Now they need to assess what money they have and what they want to do with it."

Janet Pahl, ice foundation vice president, told the trustees the foundation has found a new naming donor after William W. Zink withdrew his $1.5 million donation in April.

She also said the group is negotiating a location for an outdoor pleasure skating rink 10 minutes outside of Incline Village.

Pahl said she couldn't reveal the new donor's name or which area of the North Shore the foundation is looking at for a winter rink.

However, Pahl also told the trustees the ice foundation still wants the parcel for its rink in Incline Park.

"We do not want to give up that site," she said. "We realize we don't have the money, that we're not ready to do that indoor arena."

Pahl added that an having an outdoor rink near Incline would help build support for the foundation's indoor arena.

However, the trustees asked Pahl how much longer the district should hold onto the Incline Park parcel for the ice foundation.

"If your intention is to not hold the land, then we need to know today," Pahl said.

Some of the trustees felt the last five years the foundation spent raising money was enough time to get support for an indoor rink.

"This board has not set the ice rink back," said trustee Syd Brosten. "The ice rink board set the ice rink back."

Kinsman said he supported the idea of a smaller outdoor rink.

"I think an ice rink would be a great addition, but its way too big for this town. Your business plan highlighted that," he said. "Five years is plenty of time to get support if you really want to get it done."

In four weeks, the ice foundation is expected to come back to the IVGID board to evaluate the group's financial status for an indoor rink.