Rink work continues

By TOM LAVENTURE

[email protected]

Ironwood — As the heavy work involved in building the new Pat O’Donnell Civic Center is completed the more detailed finishing work has its own complications with scheduling and shipping delays that are related to pandemic, according to reports at Monday’s board meeting.

“There are a lot of things on back order,” said Jim Collins, board chair. “Everybody is waiting for somebody else to finish something. It’s a hard time and, in my opinion, no one is dragging their feet and they are working very diligently but in today’s world it can be very difficult.”

The board 7-0 approved two bids for electrical work to Keweenaw Power & Lite, LLC. A $1,385 bid is to install electrical outlets to locate an ATM machine and a second to bring power to a music system for use during Ice Crystals Figure Skating Club practices.

An additional $480 will serve as payment for previous work to install an outlet near the press box. That work was done on Friday, according to Michelle Rigoni-Sivula, civic center manager.

There is more electrical work to be done, Collins said. The remaining work is the responsibility of the rink replacement plan of the contractor and insurance and the optional projects of the board are completed.

“There is a list of stuff to be finished that has to be addressed but they’re small items,” Collins said.

Some of the contractor work is to fix issues with the electrical and lighting already installed, he said. Some of the electrical items yet to be completed include lighting to the flagpole, and positioning a Gogebic Community College power box closer to the soccer field.

The contractor is repairing an east door and installing a door at the ice surfacing machine garage entrance. The contractor is also exploring a leak on the exterior block that will need to be addressed before finishing work is completed and the rink floor is cleaned and painted.

Rink Systems Inc., the company that installed the refurbished dasher boards, player boxes, and plexiglass around the rink, is currently under a worker quarantine, Collins said. As a result, the installation of caps and clips to hold plexiglass sheets in place along with final cleanup work has been delayed, he said.

In the meantime, the board is consulting with companies about placing an insulating filler between the plexiglass around the commons area to prevent heat from escaping into the rink area. Work to install the player box floors will start as soon as other construction allows.

Work on the data lines and public address systems has started, Collins said. The work on the security system is delayed until all the locks are installed.

Board member Mae Moderson and Rigoni-Sivula updated the board on the recent purchase of appliances and furniture for the commons and upper level observation area to include tables, chairs and benches. The original $16,911 to Webstaurantstore.com was reduced to approximately $14,126 after learning that preferred benches with storage space underneath were not available through the same company as the other materials. 

Rigoni-Sivula said the remaining funds would be used to purchase the benches as soon as they are available. 

The board discussed the process to start the painting of the ice rink lines, which are the red and blue lines that cross the rink for hockey games, along with circles and logos that will be permanent on the rink floor under the ice. 

There are currently bids out to a company in Baraga and in Minneapolis. The work will need to wait until all construction has been completed to allow cleaning and preparation of the floor for the special paint and sealer.

“We don’t want to wait until fall,” Collins said. “We want to get it done.”

Construction has worn the rink surface down and Collins said he is looking into whether the insurance will cover some or all of the repainting. He is also consulting with companies to determine what protective coatings are adequate to protect the rink surface from wear if the board approves plans to host summer roller skating in the arena.

In other business, the board approved:

—Postponing a scheduled budget review until the May meeting.

—Scheduling the 5 p.m. May 3 regular board meeting to be held in the Memorial Building.