Mason City council to consider lease agreement for arena with Youth Hockey, ticketing/booking agreement with NIACC

MASON CITY —  The City Council in Mason City tonight is being asked to approve an agreement with Mason City Youth Hockey for the sublease and management services of the city’s new multi-purpose arena, as well as a booking and ticketing services agreement with North Iowa Area Community College for the arena. 

 

== The lease with Mason City Youth Hockey will be for a total of 40 years, with an initial term running to March 2025, with seven subsequent five-year terms, with Youth Hockey having priority use of the space during the lease period. Youth Hockey will make an annual fixed payment of $42,000, with the amount to be adjusted annually for inflation. A management fee of $39,000 will also be included for services provided by the city. A ticket charge of 10-percent will be assessed based on ticket sales for junior hockey events over 500 tickets in the first year, and over 300 tickets in the second year. A ticket charge of 50 cents will also be levied on ticketed amateur events. Ten hours of public skate time will be guaranteed each week. The city will provide all concession beer sales with the exception that beer sales at North Iowa Bulls games will be exclusively done by the Bulls. 

 

== The council will also consider approving an intergovernmental agreement with NIACC to help with ticketing and booking performances and events at the new arena. City Administrator Aaron Burnett says those skills in place at NIACC through the Performing Arts and Leadership Series have been a valued source of information during the arena project. He says the city and NIACC leadership have come to an agreement has led to continuing that partnership instead of it falling on city staff for a partial year, and that under the agreement, the city would do a straight reimbursement of costs to NIACC as the best way to establish a partnership. Burnett says the agreement allows NIACC to offer a different kind of venue and diversity of performances when needed. 

 

The council meets tonight at 7 o’clock in the Mason City Room of the Public Library