Mount Sima sets meeting for July 9

A new board could be charged with the operation of the city's only ski/snowboard hill as early as next month with a special general meeting for the hill's members set for July 9.

A new board could be charged with the operation of the city’s only ski/snowboard hill as early as next month with a special general meeting for the hill’s members set for July 9.

Mount Sima president Ernie Berken said Friday the volunteer board, which operates the hill, is moving forward with the restructuring recommendations that came out of a study earlier this year after the hill was prematurely shut down for the season.

The new board structure, if approved by the membership, would see four directors come from the general public with another eight representing various interest groups and government bodies.

Among those proposed are the city and territorial governments, tourism, the business community and hill users such as the ski patrol, Snowboard Yukon and the alpine and freestyle ski clubs.

“There’ll be a spectrum of different groups,“ Berken said, adding most of the groups that will likely be asked to serve on the board have been receptive to the idea so far.

“It’s a completely new governance model,“ said Tim Sellars, who sits on the transition team for Mount Sima.

The change would see the number of board members move up to 12 from the current nine members which make up the current board.

The hill had a limited opening of less than a week in the past season with the chair lift never operating. Weather, safety issues and operational problems saw the hill closed after a piece of equipment fell from the T-bar as skiers and snowboarders were heading up the hill on it.

Since then, the volunteer board which operates the hill has been working to address the many issues that came up. It’s planning to have things ready to open next winter with 2007/2008 season pass and punch card holders being able to use their passes then.

Although no commitments for funding have been made yet, it appears city council wants to, at least, be involved in the restructuring and could send a representative to sit on the board.

“(The city) is definitely going to sit at the table,“ acting Mayor Jeanine Myhre said Friday.

At a council and senior management meeting earlier this month, council members agreed they wanted to at least be part of the discussions about the hill’s future as the land owner and given the city’s interest in overall community facilities.

“I don’t see a way out,“ Mayor Bev Buckway said at the meeting of being involved in the discussions on the hill.

It was also noted by Coun. Doug Graham during the meeting that with funding requests going to other agencies, in addition to the $60,900 being asked of the city, the municipal government should wait to make a decision on the funding when it’s better known how others are proceeding with funding the hill.

The city’s recreation task force opted not to approve or turn down the Mount Sima request for the $60,900, instead sending it to city council to be considered.

It’s estimated the opening of next season will cost around $250,000 with the proposed restructuring that would see year-round staff hired and work done on the snowmaking equipment and other parts of the facility.

Funds to open, such as the $60,900 it’s seeking from the city, have already been sought from various sources with one more application to a federal fund to be made, Berken said.

“We don’t have the start-up money we would normally have,“ he said, pointing out the hill normally opens on the cash generated from the sale of season passes and punch cards.

While he and other officials at the hill are waiting for a response on the funding, Berken said commitments will be needed by the end of the summer so the Mount Sima can begin hiring new staff and doing extensive work to ensure its equipment is in good, safe working order in time for opening toward the end of the year.

“It’s hard to say how that’s going to unfold,“ he said of the funding.

The hill has gotten “word out” in the community that it will be looking for year-round staff for positions such as the hill manager and lift maintenance, but it can’t do any hiring until the money is in place for the positions, Sellars noted.

Myhre said Friday there will need to be extensive discussions at the municipal level on the request by Sima.

As the board waits for word on funding, it will also continue with its plans for restructuring and the July 9 special meeting for members. The meeting will get underway at 7 p.m. in the chalet on the hill.

If the new board structure is approved, the new board would then continue “business as usual” to get the hill operational next season, Berken said.