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Golf authority discusses pump failure, irrigation limits and weekend staffing for longtime employee
Summary
At a Tokyo Municipal Golf Authority meeting, trustees reviewed irrigation problems after a new pump failed to reach operating pressure, discussed fertilizer and pest control timing, and considered a $1 hourly raise request for weekend employee Chance Cooper while seeking eligibility checks tied to his disability status.
Chairman Cathy and trustees reviewed multiple grounds and staffing issues raised during the superintendent's report at a Tokyo Municipal Golf Authority meeting, focusing on a new irrigation pump that failed to reach expected pressure, the timing of fertilizer and fungicide work, and a request to increase pay for a longtime weekend employee. "We do have problem with the new pump. It won't build over 50 pounds. So we had to put the the other 1 back in," the superintendent reported. The superintendent and trustees discussed that the older pump will produce over 80 pounds of pressure and can be used to complete irrigation tasks more slowly while the new unit is under warranty. The superintendent said the new pump is under warranty and had been returned to the city for inspection. Trustees discussed possible causes, noting differences in impeller cuts and motor RPM: "I don't know whether they got the impellers in backwards or they don't have the right impellers," the superintendent said, and a trustee questioned whether the motor RPM matched the pump curve. The authority plans to verify the new pump's configuration with the vendor. Trustees also discussed turf management. The superintendent said staff had not yet received all fertilizer—"I got 2 sacks of it, but we need about 8 sacks"—and that fertilization should occur about seven days before core aeration ("punching the greens") to avoid burning greens if the course cannot be properly drenched. On pest and disease control, staff reported visible yellowing on No. 5 likely caused by fungus and that they had applied fungicide and insecticide for armyworms. The superintendent said, "There was supposed to be a chemical on there to kill them already... They were dying." On staffing, the superintendent asked trustees about giving Chance Cooper, described as having worked at the course "20 years or better" and who works weekends, an extra dollar-an-hour rate. Trustees asked to verify whether a pay increase would affect Cooper's disability-related benefits: "You might wanna check with him on that for he's on some sort of disability," a trustee said. The superintendent said he would check and confirm whether the requested rate change would affect any benefit limits. Routine items noted in the report included sand inventory ("The sand is good. We still got plenty of sand") and that the spreader repaired by Carl should be ready for the next week's sand application. Trustees also discussed watering schedules, with staff reporting they are currently irrigating manually in the early morning and that, given the heat forecast, they may need to use timers and start at 1 a.m. to get sufficient coverage. No formal action was taken on the pump, fertilizer purchases, or the pay request; trustees directed staff to verify technical and personnel details and report back at a future meeting.
