{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 1, "text": "ALAMEDA GOLF COMMISSION\nMINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING\nThursday, January 21, 2010\n1\nCALL TO ORDER\nChair Jane Sullwold called the regular meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. at the Chuck\nCorica Golf Complex, Ladies Lounge, 1 Clubhouse Memorial Road, Alameda, CA\n94502\n1-A\nROLL CALL\nPresent:\nChair Jane Sullwold, Vice Chair Bill Schmitz,\nCommissioner Ray Gaul, Commissioner Jeff Wood and\nCommissioner Betsy Gammell\nAbsent:\nCommissioner Bill Delaney\nStaff:\nSuperintendent Matt Wisely\n1-B\nAPPROVAL OF MINUTES\nThe Commission unanimously adopted the minutes of the December 16,\n2009 regular meeting.\n1-C\nADOPTION OF AGENDA\nThe Commission unanimously adopted the agenda.\n2\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS\nNone\n3\nCOMMISSION COMMUNICATIONS\nChair Sullwold stated that she and Joe Van Winkle have been involved in lengthy\ncommunications with Ann Marie Gallant after the City Council meeting on the 6th of\nJanuary. Ms. Gallant complained that Joe and others were asking for information\nfrom the Golf Complex personnel and City staff on various issues relating to going\nforward with the plans for a non profit operation of the Mif Albright course and she\nsaid they were being overwhelmed by these requests and they had to be\ncoordinated and she decided that all requests should go through herself. In the\ncourse of various conversations, Ms. Gallant responded to a variety of things and\nshe said that in terms of Doug deHaan's amendment to the motion of City Council\nthat options be explored for other kinds of operation of the Mif Albright course, that\n- 1 -\nGolf Commission Minutes - Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 2, "text": "she was turning to the consultant that she had hired, Dave Sams, asking him to do a\nreport to her regarding non profits and how they work for operating golf courses.\nMs. Gallant stated that the RFP interviews that were held last Friday, that she is now\nseeking some additional information on the RFP's, but she doesn't believe that she\ncan go forward with a presentation to Council for a recommendation about who to\nnegotiate with until the earliest being the second meeting in February. Ms. Gallant\nreported that she has been requested to do a complete financial analysis of the Golf\nComplex over the last ten years and she will include that as part of her City Manager\ncommunications at the City Council next Tuesday. Chair Sullwold stated that she\nwas intending to attend the meeting, but the only opportunity to speak is not until the\nOpen Communications portion of the meeting. Ms. Gallant intends to hire an\nindependent Accountant to prepare this report. Chair Sullwold stated that Bob\nSullwold has sent Ms. Gallant the analyses he has prepared and requested that the\nreport be categorized in the same way and Ms. Gallant stated that was the\npreliminary direction it was going. Chair Sullwold quoted Ms. Gallant regarding\n\"Transparency of Recommendation\" regarding the Mif Albright course. Ms. Gallant\nstated \"Well, I am sorry that people feel that this is not transparent, but I want to\nremind you both that I have absolutely over compensated and over compromised\nwith involvement from you all in ways in which no other groups or issues had. I often\nworry that it is so bending over backwards on involvement of the golf community and\nstaff recommendations that it is compromising what we are doing and risking\ncriticism of staff for doing it. Please remember, not even the City Council knows\nwhat I am going to recommend in the Staff Report before it goes public, and you all\ncannot help shape, write or sign off on that recommendation. It is legally a\nconfidential administrative document until issued on a formal agenda. Thus, you all\ncan't know what I'm recommending. If someone feels set up, then there is nothing I\ncan do, but we are going to follow the rules around here no matter how difficult that\nis. The place for the public's input into the process is at the City Council forum not\nduring the Staff Report preparation period. Or, of course, you can go on the record\nin various way through the minutes of the Golf Commission\". Chair Sullwold drafted\na response to Ms Gallant stating that up until now it has always been the practice in\nthe City of Alameda that matters affecting policies at the Golf Complex are typically\nbrought by staff to the Golf Commission first and discussed before they are made a\nsubject of a recommendation to City Council, and this practice started to erode until\nDebbie Kurita's regime, and thought it would be better under Ms. Gallant, but finds it\nis back to the old practices of not giving the Golf Commission any opportunity and in\nher opinion, it is a poor idea, it doesn't give any opportunity for input to be given to\nissues before that staff comes up with a recommendation as to what should be done\nabout a problem. Considering the Mif Albright situation, it would have been helpful if\nshe had seen financial information suggesting that the Mif was in trouble and come\nto the Golf Commission and said we need to talk about what needs to be done. She\nstated that the Golf Commission could have questioned some of the financial\ninformation Ms. Gallant and the City Council received stating that the information\nwas a completely different set of assumptions than the information that John Vest\nhad gathered for her when she made the presentation supporting reopening the\ncourse in the first place. The Golf Commission could have questioned whether it\nwas reasonable to basically change courses in the middle of the stream instead of\n- 2 -\nGolf Commission Minutes -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 3, "text": "looking at what the direct costs are for operation of the Mif. The memo was not\nreceived well by Ms. Gallant. Ms. Gallant response was \"I appreciate your history of\nof the financial inclusionary policy, but I'm sure you'll remember my comment at the\nbeginning to the Golf Commission when I first met you all as well. Anything that is in\nthe books of the City is public information. You can have any of that in as much\ndetail as you want anytime from my perspective. I've given that information both\nwhen I was downstairs and upstairs, including line item details. Staff\nrecommendations and staff work is not public information until such time that the\nagenda is posted. The City Attorney has made that clear here and it is consistent\nwith the way I have done it and been taught for the past 30 years in government.\nThe idea that a staff recommendation has to be screened by a Golf Commission or\nany commission, for that matter, before a formal Staff Report is done and submitted\nto the City Council is absolutely not possible. It is allowed under State law only for\nPlanning Commissions as they have police power, but again the Planning\nCommission recommendation is not binding on the staff recommendation of City\nCouncil. Even with the past practices not the way the business works and conflicts\nwith municipal city manager form of government, everybody gets the same shake on\nthe same profit. As to the length of the meeting and the turnout these things are\ngoing to have to be decided in a public forum and people are just going to have to\nget used to long discussions about it on both sides. If it is important to them, they\nwill have to attend and endure it, and I read the feelings around here, there are\ngoing to be many more of these long nights during the next six months. But it\nsounds as if you are implying if the Golf Commission had given me a\nrecommendation counter to what I made, we at Staff would have succumbed to the\nCommission's recommendation. I would never do that. Staff work is independent of\nany Board and Commission may or may not rule. As for being \"forewarned\" I would\nhope that you are not threatening us with fear of more long meetings or tax on Staff.\nI already know that these will come, but I cannot ignore my responsibility or specific\ndirection from a majority of five. We did exactly as the motions told us. Intent is\nirrelevant. It is what they actually said and that was come back in six months with\nthe data. We did. The motion was not to come back with the data and be sure the\nGolf Commission sees it and is happy with it. The fact that the golf community\ndisagreed is just part of the deliberative process. That is how our system works, for\nbetter or for worse.\" Chair Sullwold stated she believes that either the Golf\nCommission or the City Council were deceived by the costs that were provided for\nthe operation of the Mif Albright course for the six month period. Bob Sullwold asked\nMatt Wisely if he spent 20% of his time on the Mif Albright course for the last six\nmonths and he stated he did, and then was asked if Patti spent 20% of her time on\nthe Mif Albright course, which he stated he did not know. Chair Sullwold then asked\nMatt that if the Mif Albright course had not been reopened, would the management\nsalaries be the same, which he answered yes, but he also stated that when the Mif\nAlbright course did reopen, the salaries were not increased. Bob Sullwold then\nasked Matt how the labor figure of $5,092 was calculated and Matt explained that\nthe greens were mowed four days a week by a City employee at a rate of $36.00 for\nfour hours. The cups were changed at a rate of $11.00 per hour for 1-1/2 hours per\nweek, the rough was mowed eight hours a week at a rate of $27.00 per hour, the\nfairways were mowed for three hours a week at a rate of $27.00 per hour. Matt\n- 3 -\nGolf Commission Minutes -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 4, "text": "stated that he did not have the exact figures with him. He also stated due to the fact\nthat at the time there strict water restrictions, hand watering was being done for 10\nhours a week at a rate of $32.00 per hour. Commissioner Gaul asked Matt if these\nfigures included benefits and he stated they did not as well as did not include any\npayroll taxes. Matt was asked by an unknown person why the water bill was the\nsame as the previous year with less usage, and he explained that the water rates\nwere raised in July 2009. The water bill for April and May was high due to the fact\nthat the course was essentially dead. Chair Sullwold asked Matt if the water bill\nincluded any other part of the Golf Complex and he stated that it was strictly for the\nMif Albright course and the cart barn. There are other meters for the remainder of\nthe complex. Matt explained the cart barn uses very little water.\nChair Sullwold stated that she has someone they can contact regarding non-profit\noperation of the Mif Albright course.\n4\nAGENDA ITEMS\n4-A\nStatus Report on RFP\nCommissioner Schmitz stated that he and Chair Sullwold sat in on the interviews of\nthe applicants on the RFP. He stated that it will be the City Manager's\nrecommendation. He and Chair Sullwold asked questions in an open discussion,\nbut they have no vote or say as to her recommendation. Chair Sullwold stated that\nshe had sent an email to Ann Marie Gallant asking if she was planning on having\nanother meeting with herself and Commission Schmitz and Ms. Gallant responded\nthat she was intending to do that, but that everything is being delayed until after\nFebruary 3, 2010. Chair Sullwold stated that this was for a recommendation of\nwhich of the two proposers to begin negotiating with, not enter into a contract, with\nnegotiations taking 90-120 days. She also stated that Bob Sullwold has been in\nemail contact with Michelle Ellson from the Alameda Journal. Michelle had asked\nthe City under the \"Freedom of Information\" request for the responses to the RFP\nand Terry Highsmith, the City Attorney, responded \"no way\" and gave her five\ndetailed reasons as to why these are confidential because they are protecting the\nbusiness planning of the people who respond from being invaded by other\ncompetitors, and it would be very dangerous for their business interests if it was\nreleased prematurely, but the bottom line of Terry Highsmith's email was that until\nthe City enters into a contract with a bidder, the RFP will remain confidential. Chair\nSullwold believes that Ann Marie Gallant will have a meeting with herself and\nCommissioner Schmitz at which time they can express their opinion, then Ms.\nGallant will reach her own decision with consultations from her hired consultant who\nis being paid out of the Golf Enterprise Fund and she will then, on the second\nmeeting in February, go to the City Council and say \"I recommend you authorize me\nto negotiate with ABC company\" and she won't disclose what ABC company's\nproposal was or what they wanted to do. Commissioner Schmitz suggested that\nwould be the time for the public to state their opinions regarding the structure of the\nGolf Complex.\n- 4\nGolf Commission Minutes - -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 5, "text": "4-B\nDiscussion of Proposal to operate Mif Albright Course through a non-\nprofit corporation\nJoe VanWinkle has put together an organization plan including establishing teams in\nthe areas of legal risk, ground finance accounting, golf expertise, fundraising and\ncorporate sponsorship, and programming which involves kids, golfers and non-\ngolfers which all represent opportunity. An action plan has been put together and\nhas started dealing with the people who are doing these different streams of work.\nHe briefed Norma Arnerich for Alameda Junior Board and that will be calendared\nwhen they are ready. An alignment of a calendar of events has been made through\nnext summer. A business plan has been drafted which includes segmentation,\ntargeting and benchmarking various ideas that other Par 3 courses are doing across\nthe country. In 1985 the City of Baltimore decided to form a non-profit corporation\nwhich included five major golf courses. San Antonio also did this a few years ago\nwhich included seven major golf courses. Buttonhole in New Jersey has been\noperating since 2001 with good sponsorship programs. It is only open half of the\nyear and all the funding works. Competitive analysis has been done in the local\nmarket, and he has looked at the operations issues in terms of office and turf\nmanagement, golf course maintenance and landscaping, and water issues. He has\nreceived verbal approval for a grant from a local entrepreneur in Alameda and also\nhas a list of other grants and other fundraising ideas. Joe believes they might not\nhave to hire any full time employees, it can be done with contracted services.\nRegarding the financials, the course is basically at a breakeven point without the\noverhead allocation. The breakeven amount for the month is $5,000 with last month\nonly bringing in $4,000. 122 rounds were $1.00 each, but if they are an NCGA\nmember, we receive $7.00 from the NCGA. If 50% percent of the Seniors Club,\nMen's Club and Ladies Club play this course once a month (300 players) that\nequates $32,000 annually. He asked the Golf Commission to provide the data to\nhim and permission to organize volunteers through posting a flyer on the premises.\nChair Sullwold stated that she believed that would have to be permitted by the City\nManager and that she would follow up if they have permissions to post such flyers.\nJoe then asked the Junior Golf Club to possibly have an \"Opening Day\" to sign up\nmore juniors. Chair Sullwold asked Joe if any other non-profit organizations have\nbeen asked if they were willing to take over this facility. He stated that he had been\nin contact with Alameda Junior Club, The First Tee and a non golf non-profit\norganization. Operating the course through a First Tee affiliation was discussed.\nNorma Arnerich stated that the Alameda Junior Golf Club would like to have a\nchance at looking at operating the course. Another organization discussed was Pro\nKids which doesn't run courses, but brings in tournaments and other events. Mrs.\nArnerich also stated that she wants to set up a meeting with David Betters who runs\na non profit course at the fairgrounds and is willing to work with the Junior Golf Club.\nChair Sullwold thinks the Golf Commission should be ready with a presentation to\nCity Council at the time of the RFP recommendation. Discussion ensued as to who\nwould be in charge, who would maintain it and what amount of capital would be\nneeded. Chair Sullwold stated that this topic was brought up at an Alameda\nWomen's Golf Club general meeting last Thursday and she received commitments\nof donations in the amount of $2,175 for the start-up costs and since then another\n- 5 -\nGolf Commission Minutes -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 6, "text": "$300 which totals $2,475. Chair Sullwold asked Matt Wisely to convey to\nmanagement to make sure employees are having juniors sign the NCGA form for\nproper reimbursement.\n4-C Update on Golf Complex Finances\nChair Sullwold stated that the financial report had not been received from the City.\nBob Sullwold stated that the Fry and Clark courses were down in rounds and\nrevenue. For the first six months of the fiscal rounds are down about 11%,\nrevenue is down roughly $60,000 or 4.5%. The financial performance is worse this\nyear than last year.\n4-D Consideration of Memorial Bench Program for the Golf Complex\nMatt Wisely and John Vest have researched concrete benches, and according to\nDale Lillard, the benches that are used at the parks run about $500 or $600. That is\nthe price just for the bench, not for the plaque. Chair Sullwold asked if they could\nget some pictures of the iron wood benches.\n5\nORAL REPORTS\n5-A\nGolf Shop and Driving Range activities report by John Vest\nNone\n5-B\nGolf Complex Maintenance activities report by Matt Wisely\nMatt Wisely stated that we received over 5 inches of rain since Saturday. Four trees\nwere lost, two gigantic eucalyptus trees on number one North alongside the pond on\nthe right hand side, one behind number one green on the Mif, and one leaning on\nthe driving range on the Mif. He is trying to get on ETA on the second pump that\nwas removed back in September. There is widespread flooding on the course and\nthey are trying to get the course back open for the weekend. There is a 50% chance\nof rain tomorrow. All the sloughs are backed up and the water is above the rocks on\nnumber five on the North in the fairway. The two trees that fell on number one North\nis because the slough between eighteen and one is now passed the cart path.\nThere may be no carts allowed this weekend. They are constantly moving water\nand cleaning debris. The bridge between 15 North and the maintenance yard is\nunder water. The course was closed today due to possible winds resulting in risks of\ntrees falling. As of January 1, we have 11 new staff members (four are ex City\nemployees) and seven new employees. Labor has been cut back due to the\nweather. The Par 3 course is being mowed everyday as well as changing the cups\ndaily. Matt responded to a question from Chair Sullwold regarding the Coastal\nRedwoods stating that they cannot handle salt, since they are watered with non-\npotable water. An arborist was out and stated the same. The trees are watered\nalong with the rest of the golf course. He believes that had we had winters like we're\n- 6 -\nGolf Commission Minutes -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 7, "text": "having the last few years, it might have flushed some of the salt out. Cypress trees,\non the other hand, like the salt.\n5-C\nBeautification Program and Junior Golf Club by Mrs. Norma Arnerich\nNone\n5-D\nGolf Complex Restaurant Report, Jim's on the Course\nNone\n6.\nCOMMISSIONERS' REPORTS\n6-A\nMarketing and Promotions, Commissioner Gammell\nCommissioner Gammell stated that Monday thru Fridays, one mini membership\nwhich includes unlimited golf for $140 which is the price of a monthly pass, and there\nwill be a Superbowl Sunday Shotgun Special which includes 18 holes with cart on\nthe Jack Clark South Course, a warmup bucket of balls, entry into a drawing (prizes\ninclude complimentary rounds of golf, balls, hats, range balls and more). Winners\nwill be notified by email. All participants will have the chance to draw a discount\nvoucher which is from 15% to 50% off on merchandise. The price of the special is\n$50 per player.\n6-B\nMaintenance, Buildings, Security, Albright Course and Driving Range,\nSecretary Wood\nNone\n7.\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment)\n8.\nOLD BUSINESS\nNone\n9.\nWRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS\nIncluded in the Commission packet was a memorandum to the Finance Department\nshowing a surcharge payment for December 2009 of $5,811. The year-to-date total\nto the General Fund is $66,112 for FY 2009/10.\n- 7 -\nGolf Commission Minutes - -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}
{"body": "GolfCommission", "date": "2010-01-21", "page": 8, "text": "10.\nITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA\nStatus Report on RFP\nDiscussion of proposal to operate Mif Albright course through a non-profit\nUpdate of Golf Complex finances\nConsideration of a Memorial Bench program for the Golf Complex\n11.\nANNOUNCEMENTSIADJOURNMENT\nThe meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m.\nThe agenda for the meeting was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown\nAct.\n- 8 -\nGolf Commission Minutes - -Thursday, January 21, 2010", "path": "GolfCommission/2010-01-21.pdf"}