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Utica council hears Valley View Golf Course plan to hire staff, replace carts and raise some fees
Summary
Officials described increased play and a stronger fund balance at Valley View, and proposed more staff, replacement carts and modest fee increases; council members pressed for details on leases, security and tournament plans.
Mike, a representative for the golf commission, told the Utica Common Council that Valley View Golf Course has seen steady growth in play and finances after several years of upgrades. “We started actually owing the general fund almost a hundred thousand dollars,” he said, and added that the course now expects to have “almost a half a million dollars in the bank.”
The commission is proposing to use the improved balance to hire additional staff — including a greenskeeper and more rangers — and to replace part of the golf-cart fleet. Mike said parts of the budget rise reflect those hires and a planned cart lease renewal with E‑Z‑GO. He described the current fleet as aging: the vehicles are now in their fifth year and the commission has been negotiating a new lease. “We have 80 right now, and we're gonna go down to 70,” he said when asked about the number of carts.
Council members pressed on details. Mark asked about membership levels and fees; Mike said full (unlimited) memberships would remain at the current higher tier and that the commission planned modest increases for daily and resident everyday memberships. The commission also told the council it had conservatively budgeted tournament revenue and hoped to regain some events the course lost during construction — “If our tournament season does come back, $50,000 is easily doable for us,” Mike said.
Security and operations were raised repeatedly. Council members and speakers described past thefts and vandalism at the cart storage area; Mike said the storage area is now gated and that the course is adding cameras and exploring alarm systems and a night watchman. Frank Matullo was identified as overseeing security options and “general security.” Mike said staff are considering a 500‑gallon fuel tank for on‑site refueling but have safety and siting concerns.
Council members also asked about the course’s concession and event arrangements. Mike said operator agreements give certain exclusive rights to private operators (cited in discussion as Mr. Longo), which can limit the course’s ability to host third‑party food vendors or run small on‑site concessions during tournaments.
Council members and other speakers repeatedly praised longtime course staff, mentioned plans to refresh the fleet as part of capital planning, and urged clearer timelines for cart delivery and for restoring larger tournaments. No formal council action or vote was recorded on the golf commission budget in the transcript.
The commission’s presentation moved on after council members sought follow‑up on specific line items, and staff said they would return with additional information on lease terms, exact fee schedules and security plans.
