Jersey City adds $193,511 chiller rental for Pershing Field ice rink as late item; 'the longer we wait, the less ice time'

JERSEY CITY — Jersey City wants to spend $193,511.26 to rent a chiller so the ice rink at Pershing Field can open this season, a late addition to the City Council’s Wednesday, Oct. 21, agenda that recreation officials said was delayed for weeks by purchasing rules.

Resolution 26-715 would award the contract to Herc Rentals, Inc. of Newark under an existing New Jersey state contract, without public bidding, for the rental, installation, ice making, preventative maintenance and breakdown of a chiller system. The contract would run from Oct. 23, 2026, through March 31, 2027. The city would pay $106,226.80 this year and $87,284.46 in 2027, with the 2027 payment subject to funds being appropriated in next year’s budget, the resolution says.

The fact sheet says the equipment is needed to run the rink for the 2026–2027 season “while the City continues pursuing a permanent chiller replacement,” and that approval is time-sensitive because the chiller must be delivered, installed and running before the rink can open. “Any additional delays will shorten the skating season more,” it says.

What the caucus heard

At Monday’s Oct. 19 caucus, Keith Donath, listed in the resolution’s fact sheet as acting director of recreation, told the council: “The longer we wait, the less ice time there is.”

Donath said the department started pursuing the rental in August using the same cooperative purchasing approach it used last season. It first worked with a vendor through the Sourcewell cooperative, then explored another vendor through a state contract, and looked at separating the rental from the installation, he said, before the law department raised concerns about splitting what could be considered one contract. The department ultimately found Herc’s state equipment rental contract. “We didn’t wait until October to start,” he said. The rental is being paid from the recreation department’s operating budget, he said.

Another city official told the council that a change to state contracting law in December bars towns from using national purchasing cooperatives when a job includes a public works component, which this one does because it includes installation and maintenance.

Donath said the department has been pursuing a permanent chiller since the start of the year, but engineering requirements, bidding and funding have slowed it down. The city’s infrastructure department is preparing a request for qualifications for the engineering and bid specifications, he said, and he is working on Community Development Block Grant funding for a permanent chiller, which he said can’t be used for the rental.

Asked what the recreation department would have done with the nearly $200,000 otherwise, Donath said, “I really can’t answer that question,” and said he would get back to the council.

Pool closed Mondays

Donath also confirmed that the Pershing Field pool will close on Mondays for maintenance. Asked by Councilwoman Mamta Singh how long the Monday closures will last, he said, “Right now, it’s permanent.” Council members said they had fielded calls and emails from residents about the closures and asked for a memo from the department.

Separately, the council is set Wednesday to award a $205,600 contract to replace rooftop HVAC units at the Pershing Field complex (Res. 26-696). Donath said the work covers the front offices and community center, not the ice rink, and would let the site serve as a cooling center again. Hudson TV reported on that award on Oct. 20.

The council meets Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, according to the agenda.

Hudson TV asks: Should Jersey City keep renting a chiller each winter or pay for a permanent one? Reply A: Buy a permanent chiller. Reply B: Keep renting for now.
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