The Risks and Hazards of Unplanned Ice User Group Season Extensions

January 28, 2025

The ORFA continues to monitor the practice by some sport governing bodies or their members announcing extensions to their operations without prior communication and facility owner consultation. All facility owners and those who manage ice sheet facilities appreciate the relationship they have with all users and strive to work closely with all stakeholders to create fair and equal access to these buildings. Regrettably, not all buildings are constructed to the same design and requests for ice season extensions will often place additional operational stress on refrigeration, HVAC, dehumidification equipment and the structure that ultimately will reduce the projected lifecycle of the asset.

The ORFA appreciates that the ice facility user landscape has dramatically changed. A change that often requires facility management to ensure fair and equal access for all users. Further, this change may challenge historical users creating the need to extend the season to meet league operational needs. These decisions often become a local political issue with decision makers not always having impact facts should a decision be made to extend an ice season.

The ORFA offers the following key points as awareness of the risks and hazards of such decisions:

• Recreation facilities are typically seasonal operations that try and move seamlessly between uses. Buildings often have defined set operational schedules that are contractual in nature. This may include the use of the concrete pad for community events such as trade shows or social needs such as graduation. Other leagues such as box lacrosse or pickleball may be eagerly anticipating ice out with a signed contract in hand.
• An extension by one user will often not fill the typical winter schedule of activities, leaving significant unrented ice with no source of revenue to offset operational costs.
• Buildings not designed to operate in warmer weather will consume significant (unbudgeted) energy to maintain ice. These same buildings may struggle to maintain safe ice conditions creating a higher risk of liability.
• In addition, buildings not designed to operate in warmer weather may create high humidity levels that can lead to a mold outbreak while reducing the life expectancy of the structure.
• Facility staff often have limited maintenance windows to keep the facility at peak performance – this may be lost.
• Operations that cross train ice facility staff to move to grounds operations as the months warm may not be capable to provide the expected level of outside recreation service.

All user groups are guests of the facility and have no authority to extend the buildings set operational policies or contractual obligations without expressed approval of facility management or the owner. No facility is legally obligated to meet such requests without consultation or some form of official approval. Any request by a user group for a specific facility need should be evaluated with regards to cost to implement and this cost should be passed along to the user. The key to maintain positive relationships with all users is through the development of well-written facility contract that both parties respect with regards to roles, responsibilities, services, costs, and timeframe of the relationship.

Pre-communication with facility management is critical in building positive relationships.

Other ORFA Member Related Resources:

• Exploring The Real Cost of Summer Ice Guideline