Despite pleas, Burnsville to close 13 outdoor rinks

The city will still have 29 outdoor rinks, and no hockey rinks would close, officials say. But residents are disappointed.

By DEAN SPIROS, Star Tribune

Last update: October 6, 2009 - 10:36 PM

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Terry Schultz, Burnsville's director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, had the unenviable task on Monday of looking into the eyes of 11-year-old Emily Grace Swanson and her 7-year-old brother Joshua and telling them no.

The Swansons joined their parents, Marci and David, at a meeting of the Burnsville Parks and Natural Resources Commission in hopes of convincing the city not to close the outdoor skating rink in Valley Highlands Park, which is across the street from their house.

With Schultz saying the city needs to "live within its means" the commission voted to accept his staff's recommendation to close 13 of the city's 42 outdoor rinks because of the budget crisis. No hockey rinks would be closed; the 13 proposed closures include 12 unstaffed rinks and one staffed rink.

The recommendation next goes to the City Council for official approval.

The city is making cuts due to a $3.5 million shortfall. The parks department has already cut one maintenance position and will be moving two staff members to street plowing. Schultz estimated the city will save $3,500 for each of the 12 unstaffed rinks scheduled to be closed. Closing the two staffed rinks in Tennisioux Park will save $7,400, plus eliminating the need to replace a warming house at a cost of $22,000.

While understanding the city's needs to cut costs, the Swansons said they're sorry to see a valuable asset going away. Emily Grace asked her parents what she could do. The Swansons called City Hall and were told if they got enough signatures it could sway the decision.

"They were told to see if they could get 25-30 people to sign," Marci Swanson said of her kids. "They went around the neighborhood for about a week and got 65 signatures."

Sue Kittams spoke at Monday's meeting representing the residents living near Tennisioux Park, who want to see their rink stay open. Kittams said approximately 25 people from the area contacted the city through calls, letters or e-mails, asking that the rink remain open.

"It's very disappointing after two months of getting people to show its support for it," Kittams said. "I thought we had enough support."

Kittams has lived a block away from the park for 13 years and said she has seen how valuable the rink has been to the neighborhood. "[Burnsville] has an indoor rink but the open skating time is such a narrow window of opportunity you can't take advantage of it.''

Schultz said even with the reduction in the number of rinks, Burnsville will operate the same number of outdoor rinks as neighboring Eagan.

"We've been blessed with a very good outdoor skating program," Schultz said. "The bottom line is we still will have a good outdoor skating program."

Kittams is not consoled by knowing Burnsville will still have a representative number of outdoor rinks available to residents.

"I see other projects in this city where, apparently, they have buckets of money to be funding them," she said. "So I don't see why our little neighborhood rink is going to bust the budget."

Kittams said she was referring specifically to the Performing Arts Center, which is struggling financially.

"My tax dollars should be going to fund something everybody can use," Kittams said. "I think the PAC is very exclusionary."

Dean Spiros • 952-882-9283