Ice rink proposal draws heat

Thirteen public ice rinks would be leased to private companies under a proposal included in Governor Mitt Romney's state budget proposal yesterday, angering local officials who fear higher costs for skating and hockey leagues.

The plan would complete a process started in 1992 and accelerated last year, when the Legislature approved plans to unload eight public rinks.

''A lot of kids who play hockey don't have a lot of money," said Michael J. McGlynn, Medford's longtime mayor. ''Leave the pools and rinks alone. That's the only place a lot of kids can go."

Under Romney's proposal, two ice rinks in Medford could pass into private hands, as well as facilities in Boston, Weymouth, Quincy, and Milton.

Already, 18 of the state's 39 skating facilities are run by private companies or other entities, relieving the Department of Conservation and Recreation of costly maintenance responsibilities.

State officials defended the quasi-privatization plan yesterday, saying that lease agreements will ensure that the rinks serve working-class youth and popular hockey programs.

Joe O'Keefe, a state spokesman, said rinks in serious disrepair will see long-awaited renovation, while sparing the state the cost of utility bills, new chilling machines, Zambonis, and roofs.

''Most of them were built in the '50s and '60s," O'Keefe said of the skating rinks. ''Money was given to build them. The trick is maintaining them on an ongoing basis."

The public ice rinks have long burdened state officials and brought constant pleas from local leaders for improved upkeep. Under the lease agreements, state officials say private companies are obligated to fund upkeep, while ensuring public access and keeping down costs.

But McGlynn and others say the facilities would be better off under public control, and they plan to lobby legislators to transfer ownership to local governments instead. Romney's plan would give local officials no new property tax revenue and would diminish the limited control they now hold over the rinks.

In Milton, the Board of Park Commissioners has lobbied for years to take over the Ulin Memorial Rink. If Romney's proposal passes, that rink could soon be leased to the highest bidder.

''If it's going to be turned over to anyone, it should be the town," said Town Administrator David A. Colton. Private companies ''are going to have difficulty paying the bills and keeping them running. . . . They are not cash cows; they're public amenities."

A spokesman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino declined to comment yesterday. The proposal would affect eight rinks in Boston, including those in Dorchester, Charlestown, and South Boston.

Romney's proposal would also lease the Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton. The Department of Conservation and Recreation would still manage state parks, beaches, and 42 public pools.

The skating rinks already in private hands have undergone significant upgrades, and many are now open year-round, rather than the five-month season under state management. And the lease agreements limit fee hikes to $6 for public skating and $180 to rent the rink for 50 minutes.

Romney's proposal would also mandate at least 16 hours of general public skating per week.

Todd Lafleur, a state official who monitors compliance with the 20-year lease agreements, said, ''We have a wonderful track record."

But local leaders expressed misgivings over entrusting New England's symbols of youthful recreation to private companies.

Romney's plan jeopardizes broad access, said Geoffrey Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. ''The rinks really do serve a purpose in providing recreational opportunity to people who ordinarily couldn't afford it.

''There's a community interest in these facilities," he said. ''We take very seriously the concerns of mayors and other leaders."

Benjamin Gedan can be reached at gedan@globe.com.