At last Thursday’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen the topic of the Ulin rink came up not once but three times and much like the skaters that patronize the rink, the discussion at times seemed to go in circles.

During the Citizens Speak portion of the meeting Tim Kernan who is the director of a group of concerned residents and hockey advocates exploring the option of overseeing management of the rink gave a brief synopsis of the current status of the DCR permit process and his group’s thinking with regard to that.

By way of background, the DCR is shedding responsibility and management of ice skating rinks. They have issued an RFP that would issue a permit to towns to manage the rink. It is a 5 year permit. Separately, the Senate and House have each passed legislation that would lease the rink to the town. The Governor also has a plan that would lease rink to town. And there is also a budget amendment that would lease the rink to the town. The amendment was authored by Senator Joyce who also sponsored the legislation that was passed by the Senate.

The board has been wrestling with how to respond to the RFP for a permit given that legislation may be passed that would eclipse the permit and make any work and effort moot.

At the previous session the board decided to send a letter to the DCR requesting that Milton be withdrawn from the RFP. There were three problematic issues. One was the pending versions of legislation any of which would void the permit, a second was the requirement that the town had to manage the rink and could not put it out to a 3rd party to run (Somerville and Medford have obtained permits and have their Park & Rec departments running the rinks. Milton does not have the resources for that); and third the fee structure could not be altered.

The DCR denied the request to remove Milton from RFP but did indicate that the town could have a 3rd party operate the rink. Mr. Kernan said that the five-year term proposed by the DCR “was a failure out of the gate.” The Ulin facility requires capital investments that a 5 year term make onerous in terms of recouping investment. He encouraged the board to reach out to Senator Joyce who has been “silent” and urge him to help move this forward.

The board moved on to hear a new proposal regarding the Town Farm. This was to be followed by an update from the Alternative Energy Committee. Then Senator Joyce showed up.

The Senator sought to clarify his position on the rink, the benefits his legislation afforded the town, and answer any questions the board had. He handed out copies of the amended budget language regarding the rink which Mr. Shields politely declined to take.

Joyce then reviewed his proposal and why he felt it was the best option for the town. He is seeking to give the town a $7 million dollar facility for a $1 a year. It will generate revenue, save the taxpayers money, and provide a recreational facility at the same cost and access as the public has enjoyed to date. He also did not believe that the process had been that confusing. The selectmen did not agree.

Ms. McEttrick noted that what Joyce told them was not consistent with what they were told by the DCR. This caused confusion and the feeling on the part of the Selectmen that the RFP was a “moving target.” Mr. Shields in particular was critical of the DCR and how it managed the process which he characterized as a “sham.” And that “state government has let us down.”

Eventually, Mr. Kernan said, “Let’s move forward.” And Shields cut to the chase asking Joyce with regard to the RFP, “So what do we do?” Joyce agreed to request a fifth extension from the DCR. He also encouraged the board to contact the state representatives (Forry, Scaccia, and Timilty) to encourage them to back the amendment in the budget. The budget represents the path of least resistance. The House and Senate conference have to get the budget to the Governor 10 days prior to July 1.

The topic came up a third time during the portion of the meeting that covered old business. The selectmen will be sending a letter to the DCR to be drafted by Mr. Kernan and reiterate why Milton seeks to be removed from the RFP.