Council approves 15-year golf management agreement with Premier Golf and adopts amendment to allow future perimeter trail negotiations at Jackson Park

The Seattle City Council passed a bill on July 1 authorizing the superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation to enter into a golf course management agreement with Premier Golf for the city's municipal courses, and adopted an amendment intended to preserve city negotiation room for perimeter trails at Jackson Park.

Council Member Sara Hollingsworth, chair of the Parks, Public Utilities, and Technology Committee, summarized the agreement as the result of an extensive RFP process and described the city's four municipal golf facilities—Bill Wright Golf Complex (Jefferson Park), Jackson Park, Interbay Golf Center and West Seattle Golf Course—and said the courses are self-funding. The bill authorizes the parks superintendent to finalize a management agreement covering operations, reporting and financial requirements.

Council Member Strauss moved Amendment A to the bill, which the council described as an ‘‘allowance’’ enabling future negotiation to move perimeter fences and create walking connections without locking the city out for the next 15 years of the contract. Strauss said, ‘‘This is an allowance, not a requirement. That allowance would have to be negotiated. It would not interfere with the revenue generation of golf courses.’’ The amendment passed 6–3. The clerk recorded votes of aye from Council Members Solomon, Strauss, Hollingsworth, Moore, Rink and Saka; Council Members Kettle, Rivera and Council President Nelson voted no.

After the amendment passed, the underlying bill as amended passed on a subsequent roll-call vote of 9–0. Council Member Hollingsworth noted the courses are self-sustaining and do not draw from the city general fund. Council Member Teresa Moore, who said she was speaking about Jackson Park in her last council meeting, emphasized the agreement ‘‘is about operations, and the agreement is clear that it does not preclude any changes to future use.’’ She also raised the historical naming of Jackson Park and said she would pursue consideration of renaming through Parks’ planning processes.

Council members and staff discussed the scope of the amendment in detail during debate. Some members asked whether moving a fence or creating a new path could reduce the playable area and therefore affect revenue; Council Member Rivera said central staff could not confirm at the meeting whether any future perimeter change would have operational impact and said he would vote no on the amendment because the impact was not clear. Supporters responded that the amendment only preserves the opportunity to negotiate in the future and that any actual change would require separate negotiations with the operator and appropriate funding—likely not coming from golf-course operating revenue.

The amendment also referenced potential funding from the Metropolitan Parks District or the general fund for future sidewalk or trail improvements. Council members said the intent was to avoid ‘‘boxing ourselves in’’ for 15 years and to enable future collaboration with Premier Golf and parks staff to finish outer-loop pedestrian connections adjacent to the courses.

No final funding decision for perimeter work or a renaming was made at the meeting. The council adopted the bill as amended and directed Parks staff to proceed under the agreed contract terms and to continue conversations with the operator if perimeter-trail improvements are proposed.

Details: the management agreement covers four municipal courses, and the contract term discussed in committee is 15 years; Amendment A was described repeatedly as an ‘‘allowance, not a requirement.’’ The amendment passed 6–3 and the bill as amended passed 9–0.