School leaders looking at next steps for civic center operation

by Dan McClelland

In the wake of community impact study of the Tupper Lake Civic Center by Saratoga Associates that was commissioned by the board of education this fall, Superintendent of Schools Jaycee Welsh asked the board this month what the district should do next.

The consensus was the district-owned arena should be guided at least in part by a local community group of some sort.

The study, funded by an anonymous donation of $11,000 showed that the civic center is a valuable recreational asset here and in particular, it generates revenues five times the financial size of its annual costs to the school district and its taxpayers.

Addressing the elected school officials on December 1 the superintendent said she wanted to get their thoughts on where the district should go next with respect to the future of the civic center and what can be done with it to make it an even greater recreational and community asset here.

“I just wanted to get your thoughts on what you want us to do for next steps and just your thoughts in general.”

Board Vice President Jason Rolley, who has served on the board for the past 15 years, said of the report’s findings “I was wicked psyched to see what I always thought that the civic center is great for the community and not just the school. It was great to see that I just wasn’t a lunatic in my thinking!”

“It was pretty intense and I'm from a skating family,” said Board President Jane Whitmore. “It was nice to see the thoroughness of it, how they dove into it and the potential that is there to move forward!

Board Member Mary Ellen Chamberlain thought the question for the board was to determine exactly what the facility could do for the district and the community in the future, as its use is expanded.

The superintendent noted that with board support she would like to develop a school district task force that looks at next steps. “Based on the report, I believe one goal is finding the right partnership. It's finding someone or some group that can qualify for some of those non-profit funds that can be found , but also someone or some agency that is also very interested in our community.”

She admitted she did not know how easily a support group of that type could be found.

“You know, I don't think they're growing on trees, but in the same respect, I think by the district joining with someone or some organization it will help us see kind of the bigger picture, and it will also help us continue to talk about” important issues for Tupper Lake like tourism, housing and all of those things that we know can be a challenge to bring people to the area.”

“Are you folks okay with us starting that?” she asked the board and the consensus was it was.

She said her first step might be to reach out to local service groups and to the various skating organizations here.

Mrs. Welsh said that she would secure more copies of the Saratoga Associates report to share with interested folks and groups in the community and that they didn’t need to be in the full-color format that was provided to the district in limited numbers. It was the report’s information and financial data that was important to get from the consultants to share with more people here, she explained.

“So I'll move forward and update you as the plan unfolds at our next board meeting, which is January 12, she told the board members.