The ice rink in Ukiah was a hit in the community this holiday season, bringing in nearly $17,000 in profits according to city documents.
However the success came at a cost to the local farmer's market, which gave up its covered space at Alex Thomas Plaza to make room for the rink. In doing so, the Saturday market's revenues took significant hits from December through early January as rough storms hit the area.
According to Market Manager Scott Cratty, revenues were down by 31 percent on two weekends and 77 percent on Jan. 7 when the area was impacted by rainy conditions. This, Cratty claimed, led to a loss of more than $5,500 from last year.
At the Ukiah City Councilmeeting on Wedesday, city Senior Management Analyst Shannon Riley brought up the issue. While she and the council expressed a desire to work further with the market, she claimed the city already provides a good amount of assistance.
According to Riley, the city's lease agreement with the market requires it to move to for special events. The market was notified, but she admittedly stated the rink plan was put together in three months when cities usually put together something like this in about a year.
Despite the effect on the farmer's Market, Ukiah Main Street Program Executive Director Rick Hansen claimed in an article in the Ukiah Daily Journal back in December that surrounding businesses noticed an uptick in customer traffic, especially the local restaurants. The city is seriously considering bringing back the ice rink next year and discuss possible solutions with the market at a later time.