The Goleta City Council on Tuesday rejected a request for more money from Ice in Paradise, as part of its overall budget approval
Ice in Paradise board president Kathy Mintzer and development director Jennifer Ono asked the City of Goleta for $250,000 to pay for a variety of items that still need to be purchased ahead of the planned fall opening of the skating and hockey rink.
“We’re not done,” Ono said. “We have started construction. We’re not finished. It’s not paid for.”
Mintzer said the rink still needs money to pay for equipment, such as netting, movable benches, tables, chairs, furniture, two scoreboards and bleachers to seat 200 people.
Mintzer told the council that if it gave Ice in Paradise the money, it would not ask for anymore.
“If you are kind enough to grant us this last gift of $250,000, we will not be back,” Mintzer said.
The City of Goleta already has given $608,000 of taxpayer money to help fund the $15 million facility. That’s already too much, according to Goleta Councilman Roger Aceves.
“There are many nonprofits in this room that would love to receive a check for $608,000,” Aceves said. “I appreciate your energy. I appreciate you asking for the money, but we have already given you more than we can afford.”
Aceves said the city already has been very generous.
“Fiscally I would really be troubled to give one nonprofit any more money than we have already given them,” Aceves said. “That is just unprecedented for a small city.”
Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte agreed.
“To be honest with you, I feel $608,000 is a fair amount of money that we have contributed,” Perotte said. “I am not in a position to contribute more money.”
Mintzer said the “state-of-the-art” skating facility would be quickly self-sustaining and there would be no need to come back to the council to ask for anymore money. The facility will include ice hockey, figure skating, public skating and skating lessons.
“I hope you think about the big picture and how this gift will really benefit us all,” Mintzer said. “So please be positive on something that will have such a positive impact on the city of Goleta.”
Councilmen Tony Vallejo and Michael Bennett suggested that the city compromise and give Ice in Paradise $175,000 from development impact funds.
“I would like us to give it some consideration,” Vallejo said. “Maybe we meet them in the middle.”
But Councilman Jim Farr said he could not support giving Ice in Paradise more money on the spur of the moment as part of the council’s broader budget vote. He suggested the council hold a special meeting to talk about whether to fund the project more, if so how much, and in the context of what other community needs might exist.
“We ought to set up a special time for a thorough discussion on all the elements here,” Farr said. “The budget is the budget and the request is something different from that. I think we should approve this budget and ask these good people to come back and make their case.”
The vote to give Ice in Paradise more money failed 2-2, with Farr abstaining.
The city approved its overall $23.5 million general fund budget for 2016, unanimously 5-0.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
