Troy’s City Council has moved forward with county funding for the Knickerbacker Arena, despite calls from the Democratic minority to slow down.
Council President Pro Tem Thomas Casey recently called a special meeting in hopes of securing $2 million from Rensselaer County for the Lansingburgh facility. Casey says he was concerned if the council waited until its next regularly scheduled meeting on July 11th, it would be at risk of losing the funding.
“The county has a timeline, and the county wanted it done right away. Now, seeing that the county is giving us $2 million to redo the Knickerbocker ice rink, I felt it was no big deal at all to just call very quick 10-minute meeting to make sure that the county was happy,” Casey said. “You know, they're giving us $2 million and they didn't want to wait until the 11th. They have a timeline. They have to order things. They have things that are in motion.”
The funding will be used to replace the rink’s cooling system and for a new ice surface. Democratic Council President Sue Steele deemed the special meeting unnecessary, saying councilors and residents weren’t given sufficient notice.
Councilors were divided on the resolution that would allow the mayor to enter into an amendment to the contracting agreement with Siemens Industry for refurbishments. The council’s three minority Democrats voted against the resolution. But Republican Councilor Ryan Brosnan of District 2, a tradesman, expressed concern over the lighting options listed in the contract.
“I was wondering if we are locked into the lighting selection they chose? If that’s across the board set? I know that some of them were adjustable for the Kelvin and the color. I know those are usually more costly. I was wondering if we could just use one that is just set to 4000 Kelvin,” Brosnan said.
Deputy Mayor Seamus Donnelly said once approved by the council, the options were set. He says he trusts Siemens Industry’s suggestion.
Donnelly says the project, which is expected to cost more than $2.5 million, is being funded through unspent American Rescue Plan Act money. Steele says she doesn’t know where those funds came from.
“It's my understanding that all of the ARPA money had been earmarked at the end of 2023 so if there's unexpended ARPA money, then somebody's not getting their money and I'd like to know who it is that is not getting their money and why,” Steele said. “So, there are a lot of questions that really needed answers that I don't feel, again, were covered. That's why we voted against the project. It's not that we are against the Knick Arena project, per se. It's just the urgency was not proven to us.”
Councilor Aaron Vera, a fellow Democrat from District 4, expressed concern over estimated costs and savings of the renovations on the facility, which is not currently fully operational.
“Because if I'm looking at Exhibit C here it says that what we did, because the facility hasn't been operating as an ice rink in quite some time, we went back to 2008-2009 and grabbed the electrical usage from those years, and we made some assumptions, as if the equipment, which doesn't function, was functioning. And then we suggest that we're going to save $3.7 million over 20 years,” Vera said. “So those aren't, those aren't actual funds we would save because there's, there's no way for us to spend the money on the facility currently, right?”
Donnelly says the savings are there.
“At the end of the day here, you're still going to be seeing savings when we have a facility that's fully functioning and that's energy efficient,” Donnelly said.
Republican Mayor Carmella Mantello says the minority’s vote against the agreement was purely political.
“Being very frank, watching the politics that have arisen over the past six months, it didn't surprise me,” Mantello said. “So, on one hand, they accepted the $2 million. Like I said, we were available. You know, the full three, four days before that vote to talk to them, to answer any questions. Each response that they had given, why they voted no, clearly didn't jive, because we did all the environmental testing. So, you know, the contingent costs that might occur, that's not going to happen.”
Also announced at the meeting was the resignation of new city comptroller Dylan Spring following an explosive public meeting in June when he walked out.
Mantello says Spring’s resignation did not come as a surprise.
“When people apply for a position, you tell them the demand. You tell them what's expected, anticipated. And sometimes people unfortunately don't realize the politics and the other things that goes with that job,” Mantello said. “And I think that's what happened to the Comptroller. He was good at a third of it, the other two thirds, and we can't have that, obviously.”
Mantello says her administration has begun an “aggressive” search to fill the role and are seeking a candidate with municipal experience.
