Moscow staff to work with fairground facility’s board on conditions for $1 million pledge.
They are using private funds (though controlled by the government).
Every seat in the council chambers at City Hall was filled with Palouse Ice Rink supporters, some of them sporting Palouse Youth Hockey Association jerseys at Monday night’s Moscow City Council meeting.
More adults stood on the periphery of the room and youth hockey players sat on the floor in front of Mayor Bill Lambert and the six council members.
And they all went home happy as the Council expressed its support for a new $3.6 million ice rink, and its willingness to donate $1 million from the city’s Hamilton Fund to help pay for it. So far, the Palouse Ice Rink board has raised $200,000 in cash and $200,000 in pledges toward construction.
Council members told city staff to work with the board and negotiate conditions to be met for the board to receive a $1 million commitment.
Councilor John Weber said he would be more than willing to pledge $1 million to the project. The crowd applauded heartily.
Councilor Art Bettge said the Hamilton Fund exists for projects like the ice rink and is not intended to just sit in the bank. Councilor Jim Boland agreed.
The Hamilton Fund was created in 2000 when Bob Hamilton, a Moscow native and retired architect residing in Sequim, Wash., died and bequeathed the bulk of his estate — $5 million — to the city to benefit Moscow’s youth. There is about $2.9 million left in the fund.