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Resident urges city to limit driving‑range lights, seek independent golf‑operations expertise
Summary
A resident told council that lights and contractor decisions at the municipal golf driving range have caused neighborhood light intrusion and urged the city to require lights off at 8 p.m. and to hire independent golf-course operations expertise before committing to major capital projects.
Karen Flynn, a resident and retired Army civilian contracting officer, told the council during the public‑comment period that recent installations and lighting at the municipal golf driving range created severe light intrusion for nearby residents and that the city lacks independent technical oversight of the contractor Paradigm.
"If the range closed at 8PM, these few golfers would simply time shift to 1 of the other 13 or 14 hours a day that the range is open," Flynn said, urging the council to "revise city ordinances so that these lights are off at 08:00, which lessens the nighttime hours that the neighborhood is subject to light intrusion from the range." She described a series of investments she said were driven by the contractor, including a driving-range structure and about $66,000 in LED ground lights that were turned on in late May and turned off after neighborhood outcry; Flynn said the city may have spent about $100,000 on lights that were not required to operate the facility.
Flynn also said city staff had not yet established a government technical expert to evaluate contractor recommendations and suggested the city hire an independent golf‑course operations expert to advise on energy and water savings, turf choices and safer range structures that would reduce liability and long‑term utility costs.
Ending: Flynn asked the council to adopt an ordinance limiting range lights and to commission independent subject‑matter expertise before proceeding with large projects at the course; no immediate council action was recorded in response during the meeting.
