AUBURN — Operations at the city’s dual-surface ice arena are still costing more than they earn, city councilors were told Monday night.

Councilors listened to a report on Norway Savings Bank Arena’s financials that forecast a $191,850 deficit in the coming year.

“We’ve already started working on things for the coming year that are not on this list to bridge that gap,” Finance Director Jill Eastman said. “But this is the budget we have to work with.”

Interim City Manager Howard Kroll and Public Services Director Denis D’Auteuil said they hope to improve sponsors, sign advertising and ice rentals to bring in more revenue.

“I want to come in at less than $100,000 deficit,” Kroll said. “That’s my goal for next year. Whether we get there, the next person that comes in, that will be their marching orders. They have to get creative.”

Kroll also discussed replacing General Manager Tim Holden. Kroll said the city is taking resumes for the position through May 29 and hopes to have a replacement soon afterward.

The arena is off Turner Street near the Auburn Mall and overlooks Shaw’s Supermarket and Center Street. The facility includes a 380-space parking lot.

It was built to the city’s specifications by developer George Schott, who is renting it to the city. The arena is meant to be self-supporting, paying for its operations with advertising and ice rental revenues collected in a city enterprise fund.

Holden was the second manager at the arena and he started less than a year ago. The city began advertising for his replacement May 8.

Expenses for the 2015-16 fiscal year are expected to stay level at $1.18 million, but the rink’s forecast calls for $997,000 in revenue. Mayor Jonathan LaBonte asked Kroll how the city could expect to make more revenue in advertising or ice rentals.

“I’m having a hard time reconciling where we are going to find new revenues to even surpass a $1 million,” LaBonte said.

D’Auteuil said Holden’s replacement needs to be more proactive about filling in the spaces on ice time. Most local users — youth hockey clubs, high schools and other groups — have scheduled time they use regularly, but there are hours that remain open.

“Some of our users have told us that if we just picked up the phone and called them, they would actually use that time,” D’Auteuil said. “It’s got to be a daily task for the new manager to pick up that phone and fill that ice time.”

Kroll said another goal has to be to find different uses for the facility. With two rinks, the ice can be removed from one to make it available for nonskating uses.

“It’s more than just ice,” Kroll said. “From April to September, there are some things we can bring to that facility. There are car shows, swap meets, bike shows, small concerts, comedy shows, graduations on a small scale. The mezzanine can be space for meetings or conferences.”

Councilors Leroy Walker and Tizz Crowley said they wanted a more detailed financial plan that spelled out how much money the city would make from each potential operation. Crowley said she was disappointed the facility was not breaking even.

But LaBonte said city revenue was not the only reason the city built the facility.

“What we continue to miss about these numbers is that this was an economic development project to try and stabilize an area where we have spent millions of dollars in infrastructure,” LaBonte said. “So much has been built since: The Hobby Lobby is one, and there are new restaurant projects that will be announced in the next couple of months that are happening because the arena is there.”

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