Oak Hills members agree to prioritize pro-shop HVAC funding over immediate cart-path work

Oak Hills Park Authority members discussed redirecting money earmarked for cart-path repairs to replace failing HVAC units in the pro shop and adjacent clubhouse areas at their August meeting.

The authority’s controller, Mark (controller), told members that July revenue was strong: “July revenue is $49,000 over budget,” and that the authority’s operating cash balance (excluding capital reserve) stood at about $958,000. Mark said net operating income for the period was roughly $40,000 higher than budget and that, with seasonal play continuing, cash typically rises through September.

Those figures framed a conversation about adding an approximately $38,000 HVAC expense to the current capital plan. Alan Dutton, chair of the Oak Hills Park Authority, said the pro-shop units must be replaced now and proposed using the cart-path allocation in the capital budget to cover the cost while postponing cart-path work: “So I think we should do that. Not that we should forget about the cart pass … we can look at doing the cart pass in the spring.”

The discussion noted prior capital savings — Mark said the well project saved about $20,000 and equipment savings of roughly $4,000 — but several other planned or recently incurred capital items (awnings and the halfway-house roof) had increased projected capital spend. Members emphasized they wanted to continue investing surplus operating results into capital projects but to sequence work to avoid disrupting fall projects such as bunker repairs.

No formal motion or recorded roll-call vote to reallocate the cart-path funds appeared in the meeting record. Members verbally agreed that using the cart-path allocation for the immediate HVAC replacement was acceptable and that the cart-path program could be reconsidered next season, with staff to manage scheduling and scope.

Discussion points
- Mark (controller) provided financial context: July revenue $49,000 over budget; July expenses approximately $9,000 over budget; net operating income about $40,000 above budget; cash (excluding capital reserve) roughly $958,000 and capital reserve about $73,000. He noted the budget used an average round price of $37.54 while July’s average was about $45 per round, which explains revenue strength with only a modest increase in rounds.
- Alan Dutton (chair) said the pro-shop HVAC and restroom/lobby units require replacement now and recommended drawing from the cart-path allocation rather than delaying the HVAC investment.
- Several members (including Gary Leeds and Denise Brown) said they supported investing surplus in capital but urged tracking total CapEx and revisiting cart-path scope and timing in the spring to avoid conflicts with fall bunker work.

Action and next steps
- No formal recorded vote to reallocate funds appeared in the minutes. The consensus on the record was to proceed with the pro-shop HVAC replacement using cart-path funds and to defer major cart-path work until a later planning cycle. Staff were asked to track CapEx adjustments, to provide updated estimates for outstanding projects (including tennis court structural work and cart-path scope), and to return with recommendations.

Why this matters
The authority’s decision to prioritize an immediate HVAC replacement for clubhouse spaces uses available operating surplus to address equipment failure and building comfort that affect members and daily operations. Members signaled a preference to sequence capital work to avoid clashes with other contractor-heavy projects and to preserve the authority’s broader capital program.

Ending
Staff will present updated capital balances and project estimates at a future meeting; members said they expect to revisit cart-path scope and timing before committing remaining funds.