While City Manager Benjamin Marentette called Hickory Hills a “community treasure,” he outlined difficulties with its operation in a memo to commissioners. Under the proposal, the city would retain ownership of all Hickory Hills assets and “guide the long-term vision and public purpose of the facility,” Hunt said. The goal is to elevate the user experience at Hickory while reducing costs to the city, Marentette said. That and other operational efficiencies would represent a $274,500 savings to the Hickory Hills fund and a general fund savings of $83,800. The opportunity is activating Hickory Hills for all four seasons,” NCAS wrote, citing possible options ranging from family movie nights to summer concerts.