We can’t delay another year to see if we have state funding come through. The project really is at a point that we need to be pushing this forward.”

City Administrator Dan Wietecha

City hopes for funding help

The City of Hastings is hosting the Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee on Thursday. The visit is scheduled for Nov. 30 from 3:30-4:20 p.m. The committee bus is expected at 3:35 p.m.

The City of Hastings is hosting the Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee on Thursday afternoon to draw attention to four major projects the city is hoping for funding help from the state.

The visit is scheduled for Nov. 30 from 3:30-4:20 p.m. The committee bus is expected at 3:35 p.m.

The city will have tables set up with information on the four projects the city is requesting funding through the state annual bonding process. The projects are:

•Help in paying for the $5.2 million west roof and refrigeration system project at the Hastings Civic Ice Arena.

•Work that is expected to get underway at the Hastings City Hall, the historic former Dakota County Courthouse.

•Funding for the more than $69 million the city needs to build treatment plants to fight PFAS forever chemicals present in the drinking water supply.

•Funding for the Hwy. 61 reconstruction planned from 4th Street to 35th Street in 2026-27.

After some questioning from Councilmember Tina Folch on Monday night, the council gave unanimous approval for a contract in the amount of $5,217,704 with Apex Facility Solutions for the work planned at the Hastings Civic Arena. The council committed to moving forward with the project over the summer, as some components of the work have long manufacturing lead times. The work will start in the spring at the close of hockey season, and the rink is expected to be ready for ice in fall of 2024.

Work includes more than $3 million for design and replacement of the rink refrigeration system, with an ammonia system instead of the current system which is obsolete. Also, the main electrical service will be replaced. The flat roof over the west ice rink will be replaced, along with an adjacent portion that is leaking. On the new flat roof, a city-owned solar array will be installed to defray electric costs in the facility.

Folch asked how the work impacts on an overall plan being put together for the rehabilitation for the ice arena. Parks & Recreation Director Chris Jenkins said items being tackled in this project need to be done and won’t impact planning.

“We’re replacing the roof on the west sheet and throwing some solar up there. Even with a facility renovation, there will be no need to touch that piece of it. This project does not touch the lobby roof that’s between the two buildings, so that piece still has options if we move forward with another project out of the renovation planning process. We wouldn’t be tearing apart anything that we’ve already done. The refrigeration is going to be where the refrigeration currently is,” he said. “The solar, the roof and the refrigeration plan have no impact on our ability to move forward, and we wouldn’t be tearing up anything that was just done with this project if we do move forward with some renovation projects.”

Folch asked about the price tag, which initially was in the $4 million range when planning started several years ago.

“Are we over budget? Is that what’s happening here?” she asked.

Jenkins said that replacement of the sloping roof adjacent to the west roof was added at about a cost of $400,000. Otherwise, inflation has taken its toll.

“As time creeps on, prices keep moving,” he said. “A portion of that was an added piece to the west rink roof, where there’s kind of a slanted roof off of the top of the main roof, if you can picture it. We know there’s some leaks under that. The original roofing project did not tackle that. That added about $400,000 to do that. We’re touching that roof, this is the time to do it.”

He said temporary chillers have also been added as a precaution in case the refrigeration system isn’t fully operational next fall.

“If for some reason something happened and the refrigeration plant wasn’t online when we need to build ice, we have temporary chillers built into the price to make sure that we have ice in the fall next year.”

City Administrator Dan Wietecha said the city is hopeful to get half the project cost from state bonding.

“I don’t know that I agree with the comment ‘over budget,’ but that’s the semantics. The intent would be to seek roughly half of the funding through the state where we have the Senate Capital Investment Committee visiting. Hopefully we’ll have some interest in the project,” he said.

If not, the city will have to borrow to pay for the project and seek to recoup some money from the Hastings School District, which contracts for ice time.

“If that (state bonding) cannot work out, we would look at funding that internally, so we would certainly be issuing debt in order to move forward with the project,” Wietecha said. “We also historically through our joint powers agreement have had a cost sharing arrangement with the school district. I’d anticipate that those negotiations which we’ve had some initial conversation, but negotiations will be ongoing for them to pick up some portion of it, likely increasing their ice rental rates but bring in additional funding from that standpoint.”

Folch responded, “So $5.2 million, we’re going to move ahead with this work, but we haven’t secured all the funding for the construction. I’m sorry, I’m just a little confused about this.”

“The project has long lead times,” Wietecha answered. “And in order to meet those lead times, we could not wait to hear if we had state funding. When we entered this contract, the council said we need to move forward. We can’t delay another year to see if we have state funding come through. The project really is at a point that we need to be pushing this forward.”

Folch said she appreciated hearing that the Senate committee was visiting the rink.

“I agree wholeheartedly, and I’ve been supportive of it all along,” she said.