I don't think any more monies should be put into this than what we already are obligated to do.”

Board Member Phillip Biermaier

The Hastings School Board and City of Hastings appear headed toward more discussion over who should pay for major improvements at the Hastings Civic Arena — and what the district should pay to use the facility.
Director of Finance and Operations Jennifer Seubert updated the board Wednesday, Sept. 23, on discussions involving the arena and, in particular, the varsity hockey locker room used by Hastings High School.
The issue centers on the city's request that the school district participate in upcoming capital projects at the city-owned arena. Those include an estimated $215,000 roof replacement over the varsity locker room, an estimated $30,000 HVAC project and eventual replacement of the East Rink boards.
The district's position is complicated by a legal opinion that says it cannot use school district money to make capital improvements to property it does not own.
"The agreement is silent on which party is responsible for replacement or repair of structural parts of the property and/or replacements that are capital expenditures," Seubert told the board while summarizing the legal opinion.
The district and city have a locker room agreement dating to 2001 that provides Hastings High School varsity hockey with exclusive use of the space.
According to the district's legal review, the agreement makes clear that the city owns the locker rooms. The district maintains order in the rooms and can be responsible for damage caused through negligence or vandalism, but it has no ownership interest in the facility.
The legal opinion presented to the board states that because the city owns the locker rooms, the rights and responsibilities associated with ownership — including repair and replacement of structural components — rest with the city. It also notes that the agreement requires the city to provide heat and electricity, providing an argument that responsibility extends to a functioning HVAC system.
Seubert said the district also has to consider state requirements governing the public purpose of school district expenditures.
"The city owns it. The district has no ownership interest or maintenance responsibility for it, and essentially funding a roof replacement would be improving another entity's capital asset," Seubert said.
The question becomes increasingly significant as the cost of using the arena rises.
For 2025-26, the district was charged a prime ice rate of $270 per hour and a non-prime rate of $180. In addition, the district pays a $55-per-hour premium and $15.76 per hour for locker room use.
Seubert said the district believes it is the only arena user charged the additional $55 hourly premium.
Annual district arena expenses have climbed considerably. Seubert told the board costs were approximately $74,000 in 2021-22 and about $82,000 in 2024-25. They increased to roughly $111,000 in 2025-26.
The district has budgeted approximately $116,000 for 2026-27 based on an assumed 5% increase, but Seubert said the district had not yet received the city's new rates.
That has raised the possibility that hockey participation fees eventually could be affected.
Board Member Elaine Mikel-Mulder said district officials have discussed making families aware of the financial situation.
"We want to be equitable to our sports and realizing we want the opportunities there," Mikel-Mulder said. "But with these outlier costs ... it warrants a different discussion about fees."
Any change in student participation fees would likely be for the next school year rather than the current season.
Board Chair Carrie Tate questioned whether the eventual increase from the city could exceed the 5% amount the district has budgeted.
"Honestly, you're estimating a 5% increase, but if they truly expect us to invest in their roof through our fees, it'll probably be higher than that," Tate said. "So we'll see it when we see it."
District officials have also brought the Hastings Hockey Boosters into the conversation. A Sept. 14 meeting included Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman, board representatives, Seubert, Boys Hockey Head Coach Dustin Vogelgesang and booster representatives.
The district explained the capital improvement issue, its legal concerns and the possibility of higher rental costs. Booster representatives did not support converting the high school locker room from exclusive district use to a room available to all arena users.
Board Member Melissa Millner said the discussion with the boosters was useful.
"I think they were surprised at some of the additional costs that we have been paying," Millner said. "I don't think they realized that we already are being charged that $55 premium on top of the rates."
Millner said maintaining communication will be particularly important if costs eventually reach hockey families.
"If we do end up having to increase fees for our hockey families, that's going to be communicated well, and why this is happening," she said.
Board Member Phillip Biermaier said he believes the district is already fulfilling its responsibilities.
"This has been kind of a painful conversation because we're kind of at an impasse with the city on it," Biermaier said. "But I really feel we are doing everything contractually that we're obligated to right now."
He added, "I don't think any more monies should be put into this than what we already are obligated to do."
Board Member Mark Zuzek raised another possibility for future consideration: whether district ownership of the locker room itself could ever be explored.
He stressed that he was raising the question rhetorically rather than asking administrators for an immediate answer.
"If indeed the locker room were the only tenant that ever opens the door, ever walks into that room, is there a way that it makes sense that we own the locker room?" Zuzek asked.
Wehrkamp Herman cautioned that shared ownership arrangements between public entities can create their own complications.
The next step will be another Joint Powers Committee meeting involving city and school district representatives. That meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, when the district expected to learn more about the city's proposed rental rates.