BAHA plots future of civic center
With a contract in place after months of negotiations with the city, the Brainerd Amateur Hockey Association is ready to get on with the business of managing the Brainerd Area Civic Center and its two ice arenas.
The nonprofit group won't officially take over until Oct. 1, but BAHA members already have been working on policies, procedures and setting up new bank accounts.
"It's nice to have (the contract) completed but our work has just began," said Mike Blanch, BAHA president, said Tuesday night. "We've been having committee meetings every four or five days since the city gave us approval. It's like starting a new company."
The Brainerd City Council on Sept. 8 approved entering into a five-year contract with BAHA to manage the ice arenas. With the contract, signed Monday, BAHA will be in charge of arenas, finances, scheduling and overall management. The city retains ownership of the buildings.
Brainerd Amateur Hockey Association board members Mike Blanch (left), Jim Archibald and Sue Peltoma on Tuesday discussed the future of the Brainerd Area Civic Center and Gold Medal Arena under management of BAHA. Archibald, the Brainerd High School boys hockey coach, will serve as arena manager. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
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This year was not the first in which BAHA submitted a proposal to the city to manage the arenas. In the spring of 2008, the organization sought a management contract in which the city gave the group $100,000 a year - a contract that wasn't supported by the city.
With this year's approved contract, BAHA will receive no yearly funding from the city. However, the city will pay for maintenance and repairs after BAHA has paid the first $10,000 for each repair.
BAHA sought a management contract, Blanch said, because the city's efforts to make the arenas self-supporting meant increased rates and decreased services. BAHA, he said, will control costs while increasing usage.
He also said he will seek support, financial or otherwise, from other communities and BAHA members themselves will not be asked to fund arena management.
"We do think we can get revenues to support the facility," Blanch said.
BAHA board member Sue Peltoma said BAHA wants to take away the negative baggage sometimes associated with the arenas.
"We look at this facility, both buildings, as a positive asset to the community," Peltona said. "We've always felt that's the way they should be portrayed in community. We're looking forward to make it that positive asset that is welcoming to the entire Brainerd lakes area."
The transition in management should be seamless, as BAHA will be spending the first few months working on maintaining operations and working on plans.
"If there's no disruption to the activities that generally take place here then we've succeeded," Blanch said. "We can't fix everything the first month that we're running the place. We can't do everything everybody thinks we should be doing in first month, it takes time. Our short-term goal is making sure it's a functioning and successful operation."
BAHA is in the process of hiring a Zamboni driver and has hired Jim Archibald, BAHA director of youth hockey and Brainerd High School boys hockey coach, as arena manager. Archibald said BAHA also will hire three or four part-time employees.
Archibald will answer to an arena committee of three board members and four non-board members.
Archibald has a bachelor's degree in administration with major in management from the University of North Dakota. He said he applied for the arena management position because it was a natural progression from his days as a college hockey player, arena manager and coach.
"I spend on average three to four days a week in this arena, even in summer months," Archibald said. "I believe I have the qualifications and capabilities to make this a successful and positive opportunity for the arenas and for the community."
BAHA was formed in 1972 to encourage and improve the standard of hockey in the Brainerd area; to conduct the formation of teams; schedule practices, games and tournaments; and to select representative teams to participate in tournaments.
In 1998 the organization raised funds and built the Gold Medal Arena, so named because the original boards for the arena were bought from the Lake Placid rink that played host to the 1980s Winter Olympic games and "The Miracle on Ice," the U.S. men's hockey teams gold medal winner.
During the 2008-2009 season, BAHA had 378 participants.
Blanch said for BAHA events alone in a given year, 23,000 people visit the arenas. Take into account high school hockey, Minnesota Hockey Camps, dry floor events and Vacationland Figure Skating Club, to name a few, and the number of people is probably double that amount, he said, bringing in more than $1 million to the area.
Archibald said it's important for people to understand how important the facility is for kids and the community.
"Really, that's what got us involved in the first place," Peltoma said.
Added Archibald: "We know we have our work cut out for us. It's easy to be negative and find problems. Now we have to be positive and find solutions and we're not willing to take the easy way out."
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.