pages: GolfCommission/2008-06-04.pdf, 2
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GolfCommission | 2008-06-04 | 2 | Council that the matter would be referred to the Commission next month, and that the Commission is waiting to see the National Golf Foundation master plan before taking action, which left the impression that the Golf Commission has done nothing to date. Mr. Lillard characterized the policy changes that the Commission has considered as minor, and City Manager Debbie Kurita vehemently asserted that the Commission has focused only on what the City has been taking away, and not on "other things" (unspecified) that have been causing the losses. No mention was made by either Mr. Lillard or Ms. Kurita of the Commission's unsuccessful efforts over the past several months to obtain information from the Finance Department regarding certain expenditures and the accounting treatment thereof, particularly the $400,000 four-year lease for golf carts, which the Finance Department has fully expensed in this fiscal year despite the fact that 3/4ths of the payments will not be due this year. Also, at the Commission meeting on May 21st, Mr. Lillard advised for the first time that the Golf Complex had been charged with $115,063 for expenses related to the Beltline eminent domain litigation in this fiscal year, raising the question of whether expenses that came in and were charged to the Complex after the close of the last fiscal year, charges that caused the Complex to end the year with a deficit of $256,000, were also Beltline expenses that went to the Complex but not to other City departments that did not generate income. Mayor Beverly Johnson ended the Council meeting by stating that she wanted an interim report from the Golf Commission regarding finances and the budget. This meeting was called so that the Golf Commission can finalize a letter to City Council in an effort to correct the misinformation and misperceptions that were conveyed to it by staff in its May 27th meeting, and to correct Council's overall impression that the City is being asked to subsidize golf losses from the general fund. The meeting was also called to formulate a written response to City Auditor Kevin Kearney's letter of May 20, 2008, to the Golf Commission regarding accounting treatment of the golf cart lease. Letters had been drafted in advance of the meeting by Chair Sullwold and presented to the Commission for revision and finalization at the meeting. Chair Sullwold reported that she had sought assistance from Mr. Lillard in noticing this special meeting, but that Mr. Lillard refused to do so because he personally was not available at any time this week. In the course of e-mail communications back and forth on this issue of notice, Mr. Lillard also stated: "As far as agenda items for a special meeting go it is our position that the Finance Dept. and Auditor have provided more than adequate responses to the questions raised and there is no need for any further response." Chair Sullwold announced that she found this position to be particularly troubling in light of the specific charge by the Mayor and City Council at the joint meeting in January 2007 that the Golf Commission should become actively involved in the budgeting process and aware of what was going on regarding Golf Complex finances. Commissioner Bill Schmitz said that his biggest disappointment with the Council meeting was the failure of staff to mention the issues of the golf cart lease and the Beltline litigation expenses as an explanation for alleged budgetary deficits at the Golf Complex. He stated that he liked the draft letters, but asked whether former Golf Commissioner Tony Corica had any suggestions based-on his historical perspective. Commissioner Schmitz said that Mr. Lillard and Ms. Kurita made it clear that they want to get rid of the Golf Complex, but he believes they are being very short-sighted because it is far from certain that the City of Alameda will be able to get any meaningful payments from a golf course company under current conditions. Chuck Corica Golf Complex Page 2 06/04/08 Golf Commission Minutes | GolfCommission/2008-06-04.pdf |