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<br />REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />Date: 3/17/2025 <br />Item No.: 5.a. <br />Department Approval City Manager Approval <br /> <br /> <br />Item Description: Accept Donations from the Friends of the OVAL Foundation and <br />Midway Speedskating Club for Upgrades to the John Rose MN OVAL <br />Scoreboard <br />1 <br />2 Background <br />3 The scoreboard at the John Rose MN OVAL, which is used for scoring, timing, live video, <br />4 messages, movies, and more, is planned for replacement as part of the adopted 2025 <br />5 Capital Improvement Plan. As the City prepared for this project, staff engaged multiple user <br />6 groups in the process to ensure that their needs are accounted for in the new scoreboard. <br />7 Several users expressed that a larger video board would better support their operation by <br />8 providing improved image clarity, the ability to display advertising, and the ability to <br />9 accurately display times AND video for larger speedskating events. Currently, during larger <br />10 speedskating events, a second board is rented to meet this need. <br />11 <br />12 As the City reviewed proposals and evaluated options, two groups, the Friends of the <br />13 OVAL Foundation (FOF) and the Midway Speedskating Club, have generously offered to <br />14 contribute significant donations to allow the City to purchase a larger-than-originally- <br />15 planned video board without adversely affecting the City's planned budget. <br />16 <br />17 The Friends of the OVAL Foundation is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting, <br />18 maintaining, and improving the John Rose Minnesota OVAL and the Roseville Skating <br />19 Center. FOF annually contributes to the OVAL's operating revenue and has regularly made <br />20 significant contributions to projects that improve the appeal of the John Rose MN <br />21 OVAL. They are proposing a $40,000 donation to the project: $25,000 directly to the City, <br />22 which will be used to pay the scoreboard vendor, and $15,000 in-kind (FOF will directly pay <br />23 various vendors for technical equipment that is needed to operate the scoreboard). <br />24 <br />25 The Midway Speedskating Club is one of the core users of the John Rose MN OVAL and <br />26 offers a fun, all-inclusive speedskating program for Twin Cities area youth to develop life- <br />27 long skills on and off the ice, from pond to podium. The larger board will be a significant <br />28 benefit to their operations, for both daily events and larger, regional events. They are <br />29 proposing to donate $56,000 to the project (which will be used to pay the scoreboard <br />30 vendor). <br />31 <br />32 Donors have been informed that no conditions or promises of future favorable city action on <br />33 their behalf may be attached to the gift. However, although not required or a condition of <br />34 the donation, in recognition of these generous contributions, staff intend to display a small <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />Qbhf!4!pg!596 <br /> <br />