The Kevin Bell Arena ice rink nears completion on Sept. 29, 2022, in Homer, Alaska. The Homer Hockey Association announced Wednesday that the arena was closed indefinitely due to insufficient insurance coverage. (Photo by Charlie Menke/ Homer News)

The Kevin Bell Arena ice rink nears completion on Sept. 29, 2022, in Homer, Alaska. The Homer Hockey Association announced Wednesday that the arena was closed indefinitely due to insufficient insurance coverage. (Photo by Charlie Menke/ Homer News)

Homer hockey arena closed due to insufficient insurance

The board of directors discovered that their liability insurance policy is inactive

After opening Monday, the Kevin Bell Arena in Homer is temporarily closed until further notice.

In a Wednesday email release, Homer Hockey Association President Mike Barth said the board of directors discovered their liability insurance policy is inactive. All programs and hours are suspended until “proper insurance is obtained,” he said in the release.

The rink, which was closed as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, was opened just this week following a volunteer push to ready the ice, Homer News reported Thursday.

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Barth said in the email that responsibility for the error isn’t on HHA directors or staff, but didn’t provide details as to how the problem with the insurance coverage arose.

HHA Communications Director Meg Cicciarella said in an email that HHA had been attempting to verify insurance details with their broker for several months.

“On Tuesday, we received information that indicated our insurance coverage was inadequate to cover our regular operation,” she said.

Cicciarella said the arena was closed quickly because it was the responsible action, and that HHA is actively working to get proper coverage in place.

Barth said that HHA will reach out to any groups who lost time as a result of the closure to reschedule or otherwise make up time.

Daily updates will be posted at 2 p.m. on the Homer Hockey Association Facebook page until service resumes, the group said.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

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