ATTLEBORO - A ban on ice skating on city-owned ponds will continue this winter because of concerns about liability and safety, Mayor Kevin Dumas said Friday.

The city initiated the ban last winter when city officials decided it was unsafe to skate on the ice.

Some residents complained that the city was going too far and they had skated on neighborhood ponds for years without incident.

Police Chief Richard Pierce said at the time that ice often appears to be solid, when in fact it is too thin for skating.

He said the city had an obligation to protect the public and itself from potential tragedy. The mayor said the ban will continue.

"Nothing has changed from last year," he said in an e-mail, explaining that liability issues remain.

The city has the potential to create a skating rink at Balfour Riverwalk Park where there is a shallow concrete pond, but the pond has not been flooded in recent years because it has fallen into disrepair.

"Balfour Riverwalk cannot be used until repairs are made to the drain system that allows the faux pond to be flooded," Dumas said.

"We will examine the cost of repairs when the quotes are received and proceed to repair it if reasonable in cost."