News that the ice plant in “The Barn” — the city’s oldest hockey arena — had leaked as much as 5,000 pounds of R-22 refrigerant came as a shock to Cloquet city officials earlier this month.

So did the price tag.

At $10 a pound, the cost to replace 5,000 pounds of R-22 is $50,000. Councilors balked at paying that kind of bill without more information at their Oct. 1 meeting, and requested a special meeting with area hockey officials to find out more about the cooling system itself, use of the rink and any available alternatives.

During that special meeting Tuesday, Oct. 8, they le...