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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGolf Board - Minutes - 08/18/1999CITY OF FORT COLLINS CULTURAL, LIBRARY, AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES GOLF BOARD Minutes: Regular Meeting of August 18, 1999 City Council Liaison to the Board: Councilman Bill Bertschy Board Chairperson: Mindy Markley at 224-9102 (w) or 226-2700 (h) Staff Support to the Board: Jerry P. Brown, Manager of Golf, at 221-6350, and Jackie Rael, Executive Administrative Assistant Call Meeting to Order: Chairperson Mindy Markley called the meeting held at the Collindale Golf Course Clubhouse to order at 7:30 p.m.. Agenda Review: No changes to the printed agenda. Items of Note: Board Members Mike Sanders and Tom White called to say they would not be able to attend tonight's meeting... Anita Bruen, President of the City Park Nine Women's Association, and Rozella Friedrich, President of the Collindale Women's (9 Hole) Association, introduced themselves. Approval of Minutes: On a motion by Henry Fry, seconded by Bill Rutledge, the Board voted unanimously (7-0) to approve the minutes of the June 16, 1999 meeting. Citizen Participation: No citizen participation. Update on Collindale Irrigation System Replacement Project Prior to tonight's meeting, Board members met at the Collindale Maintenance Building with Collindale Superintendent Doug Evans, and the two consultants from Aqua Engineering, Bob Beccard and Darren Salvador, to preview the project. Board members and staff then ate dinner at the Collindale Caddy Shack, and then at the Board Meeting Doug updated the Board and public on the irrigation system project. He said the present system is 30 years old and needs to be replaced; all the financing is in order for the new system; and its preliminary design cost is estimated at $1.3 million. Doug explained that weather permitting it will be installed starting in mid -fall and should be completed in early spring. Jerry P. Brown added that City Council has approved on first reading the money ($2.2 million) for capital improvements at the golf courses. The Golf Fund will make annual payments of approximately $185,000. At this point in time, these improvements will be made. Citizen Jim Nimz asked if there is $1.3 million for the Collindale Irrigation project, then does that leave $900,000 for the expansion of SouthRidge? Golf Board Minutes August 18, 1999 Page 2 Jerry replied that is basically correct. Mindy applauded the staff for their hard work in getting these projects funded. Public Input/Comments on the Proposed Year 2000 and Projected 2001 Golf Fees and Charges Jerry said we are going back to our original philosophy of 3-1/2 percent annual increases on average. One year we raise green fees and the next year annual pass and golf carts. Citizen Jim Nimz asked if the Board was going to vote on this tonight? Mindy Markley replied we are taking input this month and next month voting on these recommended fees. Jerry said that we are proposing an age 62 and over green fee. He said that he received a comment from former Mayor Kelly Ohlson who said that he doesn't feel that we need to give seniors this discount and that only juniors and disadvantaged people deserve a discount. Jim Nimz supports the new fee. Jerry asked Anita Bruen what her group feels about the fees? She asked what impact junior golfers have on the golf courses? Karen Joslin-Aured asked if there is a number of juniors on the golf courses? Golf is one of those life-long activities to introduce juniors and Collindale Golf Professional Jim Greer said that we do have an impact because of juniors. The future of golf is Junior Golf, Jim said. Henry Fry said he raised a junior golfer, and when his son was a junior golfer, he knew where he was, and who he was with, and that he was doing a healthy activity. Jim said we do take some grief for not allowing the Junior discounts on the weekends. Jerry said we haven't noticed a big financial impact from junior golfers. Mindy said that to be fair to these two groups (juniors and seniors) we need to look at the need of the juniors and seniors in a different light. Can we meet the needs of both groups and not look at both in the same way? Bill Rutledge said for those who are not retired, they do not recognize the amount of income reduction that families incur when they retire. Karen then asked Anita if we keep raising fees would it preclude some seniors from golfing? Anita restated what she asked, "does the junior golfing financially impact the Golf Fund." Jerry said no, and that we look at the whole package and we are getting the job done with what we are charging, and by giving golfers fee options. If we add the Age 62+ Green Fees, then that will give them another option. Henry said that for 1999, we instituted an out-of-town fee, and have raised a little less than $1,000 from this and he feels it is not worth the trouble and wonders if we have run people off from golfing at our municipal courses? He further stated that he feels it has not been effective and suggests that this fee be dropped. Byrd Curtis asked if the golf pros ask golfers if they are residents of Fort Collins? What has been the experience? Do these people get angry? The golf pros said that they do ask, and people in the surrounding areas (Loveland, Windsor, and Greeley) get somewhat angry about the increase in out-of-town fees. Henry said it is not worth the effort. Karen asked the golf pros if we have phrased this the wrong way? Should we be advertising that as a Fort Collins resident you receive a discount? Henry replied the golfers of Fort Collins are smart enough to figure out what that advertising would mean because it is not a discount. Golf Board Minutes • • August 18, 1999 Page 3 Board Members Comments/Reports • Bryd Curtis thanked Doug Evans and the consultants for the tour today. • Henry Fry said there is a significant number of projects for SouthRidge and not for Collindale on the alternative Capital Improvements list. Jerry explained that Collindale receives $1.3 million for the irrigation system and the balance is for the SouthRidge land acquisition/construction. We have a six-month window to acquire that land. All efforts will be to acquire that land. If we fail, the majority of the $900,000 still goes to SouthRidge. • Karen Joslin-Aured asked about the $900,000? Will it be enough to acquire the land and pay for all the construction? Jerry said $500,000 is to acquire the land and $400,000 for the construction. We may be $150,000 short, but the project is looking hopeful at this time, and the SouthRidge debt will be paid off in 2002, the same year when the improvements are scheduled to be completed. • Karen asked about the letter in their packets to the golf coaches at Poudre School District? She thought it appeared to be very strong and asked why the letter was written? Jerry said there were problems with the Junior High kids and the Girls Teams. Jerry said that some coaches sometimes were bringing up to 40 kids and we only allow 12 kids on the team. Henry further explained the policy and issues to Karen. Adjournment: The Board on a motion by Karen Joslin-Aured, seconded by Henry Fry, voted to adjourn at 8:25 p.m. Meeting Attendance Board Members Staff Frank Blanco Jerry P. Brown Byrd Curtis Doug Evans Mike Hall Jim Greer Henry Fry Doug Anderson Karen Joslin-Aured Dale Smigelsky Mindy Markley Kevin Wilcox Bill Rutledge Respectfully submitted, Jackie Rael Executive Administrative Assistant Guests Anita Bruen Rozella Friedrich Jim Nimz John Schue Bob Beccard, Aqua Engineering Darren Salvador, Aqua Engineering