The Kalispell City Council tonight will consider approving a proposed memorandum of understanding with the Flathead Valley Hockey Association for the continued operation of the Woodland Park Ice Rink.

The existing memorandum between the city and Hockey Association expired in December 2019. The city owns and maintains Woodland Park and the Woodland Camp Center, where the Hockey Association has been operating a seasonal ice rink since October 2007.

City staff has drafted and reviewed a new five-year agreement that both the city and association have agreed to follow. The full MOU is available in the meeting agenda at https://www.kalispell.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07202020-477

Under the proposed agreement, the association would pay utilities incurred during its occupancy and expenses related to staffing, Zambonis, rental skate fleet and miscellaneous requirements related to their operations.

The city would be responsible for expenses related to maintenance of the building, snow removal from the roads within the park and city recreational programming. Revenue will be collected for the city’s Learn to Skate program. The expenses are included in the proposed Kalispell Parks Department budget for Fiscal Year 2021.

The council will accept public comments on this agenda item.

In other city business, City Manager Doug Russell’s report for the Monday evening meeting includes an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction in the city, which has been robust in recent years.

Based on data collected by the Public Works Department related to right-of-way permits and construction stormwater permits, it appears that new city construction is staying strong despite the virus outbreak.

Public Works staff created two charts detailing the number of permits issued in the past three years and the pace of permitting so far this year. Those charts can be found on page 2 of the City Manager Report at https://www.kalispell.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/155

The City Manager report notes, “…it seems safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet had an appreciable effect on the rate of construction in Kalispell and it appears that construction is well on pace to exceed the construction from the previous 3 years.”

The meeting is open to the public and starts at 7 p.m. Monday in the City Council Chambers, 201 First Ave. E.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at (406)-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.