Council member and staff present feasibility study proposal for municipal golf-course restaurant and pro shop

A council member presented a proposal at the meeting to commission a feasibility study and conceptual design for the city's municipal golf-course restaurant and pro shop, saying an architect team had visited the site and prepared design options that the city could use to solicit proposals. City staff told commissioners the state's procurement guidance requires a feasibility study before construction procurement and described typical design, bidding and construction timelines and thresholds.

The study would be completed by an architecture firm the council member consulted, with a $5,000 retainer noted in the packet. City staff said the study would produce multiple design options, a program summary, equipment and staffing needs, and an analysis of potential schedule and costs. "The state's procurement guide that we have to follow ... says that before we look at any construction project, we do have to undertake a feasibility study like this," a city staff member explained during the meeting.

Why it matters: commissioners said the restaurant and pro shop are key revenue and public-access assets for the municipal course, and they want a clear estimate of capital cost, funding sources and likely returns before committing to construction. The proposals discussed include options with function-space capability, pro-shop space and storage for electric carts.

Staff described the procurement steps that typically follow a study: a separate design solicitation (minimum 30-day advertisement), an 8-month design period to get engineering drawings, a public advertisement for construction bids, a 60–90 day contractor review period, and a 1–2 year construction timeline. Staff said those steps can make a full project take roughly 2 to 3.5 years from decision to completion.

Cost and funding: engineers' early estimates were discussed in the meeting as roughly in the low millions; staff repeatedly cautioned those are preliminary. The presenter said engineers initially estimated about $6 million, but staff warned environmental and site constraints could raise estimates. The council member and staff discussed mixed funding possibilities, including enterprise-account money, the city's general fund and potential cost-sharing arrangements; staff said the feasibility study would clarify the likely bottom-line cost and options for splitting expense between the city and the golf enterprise.

Operational questions and vendor model: meeting participants discussed operating models. The presenter and staff said the city typically issues leases or vendor RFPs to private restaurant operators and does not expect the city to run day-to-day restaurant staffing. The packet noted the architect would analyze projected head counts and staffing needs for 3-, 5- and 10-year forecasts and would prepare a program summary and equipment list.

Commissioners' questions and concerns: commissioners pressed for a clear plan to repay any debt and asked for a broad, high-level payback scenario before approving the study money. One commissioner asked how the city would fare if no vendor paid the expected rent; another asked whether the commission would be financially responsible. City staff said those are precisely the questions the feasibility study and subsequent financial analysis are designed to answer.

Next steps and cost of the study: the packet shows a proposed architecture team and a proposal that includes a retainer; one meeting participant confirmed the retainer is part of the total fee listed in the packet. The presenter asked that a core team include the mayor, council representatives, the city auditor and purchasing director, the golf commission chair and staff to review the study and proposed designs.

No formal vote or final authorization was recorded in the transcript; participants discussed authorizing and funding the study and asked staff to return with clearer payback scenarios, financing options and the completed feasibility report for a future decision.