Near the end of the Aug. 13 meeting, a commission member expressed concern that a number of major actions affecting Surbach Cliffs had been carried out without prior discussion with the commission.

The member listed examples including rate changes, the order of new carts, removal of trees, filling a ditch on Hole 16, and the addition of new tee boxes. “A lot of big ticket items have basically been handled and taken care of without any discussion with us,” the commissioner said, and questioned the commission’s role when such decisions are executed administratively.

Other commissioners and staff replied that not every operational or procurement decision requires commission approval, and that city policies and procurement rules (including public presentation requirements for sponsorships) can require formal processes handled through city staff and the council. The chair asked that concerns be raised when members want formal input and noted that some operational matters are managed at the staff level; no formal change to the commission’s charter or advisory role was made during the meeting.

The commission did not vote on any governance change but the exchange concluded with members asking staff to be more forthcoming about large projects and rate changes so commissioners can provide input when appropriate.