Arena turns to local hands
Published on November 19th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - For the second time in the last two months, the Stoneham Board of Selectmen have pulled the rug out from under a potential Stoneham Arena management candidate, and changed their mind about their top choice.
In a unanimous vote taken without the presence of Stoneham Cable Access Corp.'s video cameras -- and without it even being mentioned on the written agenda for the meeting -- the "Town Fathers" voted to return the management of the arena to the town, and vowed to reorganize the employee structure within the Arena.
With relatively little discussion about the subject, five Selectmen who had seemed at odds about the arena suddenly -- almost magically -- agreed on the surprise move. There was almost no mention of the impending budget woes for FY2005, and what effect keeping the arena would have on the numbers.
"I just don't want Stoneham Youth Hockey to get it because the parents are really stressed about this and whether they can handle it (taking or the management of a hockey arena)," said Selectman Charlie Smith, who made the motion to keep the contract within town. "If the arena's going to be making money, I figure we might as well have our fingers in the jar."
The vote completely flies in the face of a six-month RFP and management selection process presided over by the Arena Oversight Committee and Town Administrator Dave Berry.
The Town originally selected Facilities Management Corporation (FMC) as the winning proposal for the Stoneham Arena Management contract. The September decision marked the beginning of negotiations between the town and the FMC, but the talks were barely underway before town officials performed the first end around.
In the first change of heart, town officials, including Berry and Town Counsel Bill Solomon ruled that a three-year contract between the town and FMC wasn't legal under the Town Administrator Act.
"Having received Town Counsel's opinion that the contract that is proposed to be awarded to manage and operate the Stoneham Arena would be primarily a contract for "the use of town owned land" under paragraph (h) of Section 10 of the Selectmen-Administrator Act limiting such contract to twelve months without a vote of town meeting," wrote Berry in a memo dated November 12. "The highest ranked proposer, FMC, has declined to accept a one-year contract, so I am negotiating with the second ranked proposer, Stoneham Youth Hockey."
Negotiations had then commenced between Stoneham Youth Hockey and Berry, and all indications were pointing toward a SYH management team until last night's jaw-dropping Selectman decision.
Making the decision even more curious is the decision to take on a facility that, according to varying town reports, is losing between $20,000-60,000 a year. The reorganization would most certainly result in a shake-up and replacement of upper-management, including longtime Arena manager June Scarpa.
The Selectmen seem to believe that new management will yield profits for the arena, and not hurt the financially strapped town in the long run.
"It will definitely be making some profit back," said Smith. If we can get the right manager in there, if we could get the accounting and scheduling work right, it could work. We can do the job."
Berry was non-committal about whether or not he will heed the Selectmen's recommendation, and said he needed time to "digest" the surprise decision.
"I don't know," said Berry. "I've just got to think everything through. Let me go home and digest it."
For his part, Stoneham Youth Hockey spokesperson Charlie Houghton was "completely incredulous" at the decision.
"I'd like to make the biggest no comment you've ever heard. I am in complete shock," said Houghton. "I met for two hours with June Scarpa yesterday and had a meeting set up with Dick Donovan at the Stoneham Savings Bank today, so we were moving full steam ahead. We've spent a lot of times going over the financials, and it's not like I don't have my own business over here."
"A couple of weeks ago, I would have said 'Hey, go ahead and know yourselves out' but this is a shock," said Houghton.
Houghton's comments and surprise are in deep contrast to comments made by Selectman Bob Sweeney at last night's Selectmen decision.
"The only person who wants Stoneham Youth Hockey to have the contract is Dave (Berry)," said Sweeney, who went on to make what could be perceived to be a veiled threat to Berry if he stood firm in his decision. "Stoneham Youth Hockey doesn't want it. It's the wrong decision. We should keep it in-house and any decision other than that, whoever makes it, should be looked at."
For his part, Houghton denies that Stoneham Youth Hockey ever told Berry it didn't want to manage the arena.
"Nobody called Dave Berry and told them we (Stoneham Youth Hockey) didn't want it," said Houghton. "Our first choice was always to keep it in town and pursue new management."
"I hope the Selectmen can make this work," added Houghton.
Ciccarello and Sweeney have both voiced for some time that they wanted to combine the management team at the Unicorn Golf Course (where Sweeney operates a snack bar) with the Stoneham Arena. The speculation is that the selection of a Stoneham Arena manager could become a political choice, so the continuing process bears watching.
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