SAUGUS — The state will take over operations at Saugus’ Kasabuski Rink in order to implement more than $3 million in facility upgrades, according to the Town Manager’s office.
The news comes after Saugus’ Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 last week to accept a mutual agreement ending a lease and sublease between the town, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and the rink’s operators, Nathaniel Maniff and John Curley.
“I think the arrangement we voted on is really in the best interest for our town,” said Selectwoman Debra Panetta. “Over the years, there were different things that needed to be done that just weren’t being done, and under the former lease agreement, capital improvements (structural changes or restorations made to a property) were supposed to be done by the person leasing the rink.”
In September 2008, the town entered a 20-year lease with the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), in consultation with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, that would have allowed the town to use and operate the rink until 2028.
However, when keeping up with the rink’s finances became too difficult, the town’s former administration opted to sublease the rink to ease its financial burden on the community.
Town Manager Scott Crabtree said that under its lease with the state, the town could have been liable for more than $3 million in necessary capital improvements.
“Right after (the rink) was subleased, there was a steady stream of issues that continued to arise. The capital improvements the rink needed piled up, and the town continued to receive notices and demand letters from the state,” he said. “The town relayed these demands to the sublessee, but the improvements in compliance with the lease were never met.”
According to Crabtree, the facility currently needs a new rink chiller, and he said the rink has previously experienced problems with mold, as well as with its hot water and lighting systems.
“I would say the rink is sub-standard compared to other rinks in the area,” said Selectman Anthony Cogliano, who also coaches hockey at the rink. “The upkeep has been horrible. You can’t see through the glass, and sometimes there’s no hot water for the kids to take showers after their practices.”
He said he was glad to see the town turn over a new leaf when it came to the rink’s upkeep.
“There have been ongoing issues, and I think it’s just a great win that the state’s going to come in and fix the rink up and bring in an operator to run it,” Cogliano said.
Maniff and Curley’s lawyer, Neil Rossman, said the lease termination was amicable and decried comments from town officials who criticized the rink’s reported level of disrepair.
“The state said they wanted it back, and the town and … my clients signed the necessary papers to give it back to the state,” he said, adding that there was a long history of tension between the town and the rink’s managers, referencing a 2010 lawsuit in which the town attempted unsuccessfully to evict the rink’s sublessees.
“My clients have run (the rink) for years and there has always been acrimony,” Rossman said.
According to the state, upgrades to the rink are expected to take place during the next off-season and into the next year.
“This has been a long road to correct the issues at the rink, and I think we as a town are proud that after much negotiation, we’ve reached a mutual agreement that will benefit the town and the Saugus taxpayers financially,” Crabtree said. “Our residents and visitors will finally be able to use and enjoy a safe and well-maintained skating rink.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
