Temple Terrace, Country Club agree on monthly payment date; council and club to streamline decades-old agreement

City of Temple Terrace officials and leaders of the Temple Terrace Country Club agreed at a workshop meeting to set a recurring monthly payment date — the 15th — for the club’s revenue share and to provide monthly financial statements, a step city leaders said will make budgeting and oversight easier.

The agreement came during a March–April workshop between city officials and club board members. Mayor (name not specified) opened the discussion saying, “we would like to establish a day of the month when the payment is due for the previous month,” and asked the club to pick a date that would work each month. Ken Bowles, assistant treasurer of the Temple Terrace Country Club, said the club could meet that schedule and noted the financial statements typically lag one month because he prepares them in his spare time. Bowles told the council, “We have paid all that up through February.”

Why it matters: the city and the club have a multi-decade written relationship that has been amended many times. City officials said the existing documents are lengthy and difficult to interpret; council members and club leaders agreed to pursue a single, streamlined agreement that reflects current practice. Mayor (name not specified) described the current file as “like War and Peace” and said the goal is not to change the substance but to produce a clear, consolidated document that a “mere mortal can pick up and understand.”

Details of the payment arrangement and finances

City and club participants discussed how the revenue-share calculation is defined and which revenue streams are included. The club confirmed the payment percentage is based on golf-related revenue (dues, outside play, internal cart fees and similar golf receipts) and excludes food-and-beverage and pro-shop receipts. Council members and club representatives said the club previously used a stepped formula — 5% historically while catching up on back taxes, then 7% starting in January — and that recent payments have been at the 7% level.

Council members pressed for predictability. The parties agreed that the payment made on the 15th of each month would be for the previous month’s receipts and that the financial statement accompanying that payment may cover the month before the payment month (i.e., the financials may lag one month). Multiple speakers confirmed the 15th as acceptable for both sides.

Budget context and clarifying figures

During discussion club and city speakers gave several dollar figures the council said it considers when planning: a recurring debt-service piece the club described historically as about $10,003 per month, average property taxes of about $2,300 per month, and utilities that can range “anywhere from 3 to 5” thousand dollars per month. The club’s board president, Jane Schafer, said recent dues changes and other steps have improved the club’s position and that the club is “in solid financial condition, is able to meet their obligations, financially, and, for the most part have done so, and have cleaned up a lot of things off the books.” City participants noted that having a full year of post-reorganization golf revenue helps forecasting.

Streamlining the long-running agreement and future lease issues

Council members proposed that the city and the club produce one consolidated agreement to replace a series of amendments that currently require cross-referencing to determine responsibility for specific items (for example: broken spigots, tunnel maintenance and retention ponds). The mayor and city staff said they would coordinate with the club on drafting a simplified document and would bring legal staff into the discussion. City staff and council members repeatedly emphasized the goal: reflect current practice in clear language rather than substantially changing obligations.

Council members and the club also discussed long-term property arrangements. City and club speakers noted the existing debt payment structure has been treated in lieu of rent and that, when that debt is paid off (the parties cited 2043 as the contractual sunset year), the city and club will need to determine whether and how rent, property taxes and lease terms should change. City staff explained that different structures (for example, a triple-net commercial lease) typically place property-tax responsibilities on the tenant; club representatives pointed out the current ownership structure for the building and land will affect who pays taxes in any future rent arrangement.

Committee structure and information sharing

The council discussed eliminating the city’s Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) tied to the club and instead placing a city representative on the city’s finance committee or assigning a staff member to attend club finance meetings. Council member Fernandez objected to direct council appointments to a private entity’s committee, saying it could create the appearance of government intrusion into a private organization. City staff suggested a nonvoting, observing position or an appointee from the city’s finance department or the city manager’s office to avoid the appearance of direct council control. City and club representatives agreed to continue that discussion under the council’s new-business agenda and to ask the club to respond by the end of the month if it supports a bylaw change to permit a city-appointed representative.

Other operational clarifications

Council members asked for clearer assignments of responsibility for tunnels and for retention ponds that border the course; a council speaker asked the club and county responsibilities be spelled out because citizen complaints often reference pond maintenance (for example, the pond near the No. 3 tee box). City staff noted existing tri-party documents (city, county, club) cover some of those items but that a consolidated agreement should make responsibilities easier to find and explain to residents.

Next steps and community outreach

Participants said the club will provide monthly payments on the 15th and will deliver the agreed-upon financial statements. City and club staff will work on a consolidated agreement and discuss the governance/committee proposal; the council said it would address the matter under new business at its next meeting and, if the council votes to explore the change, will notify the club. Council members also invited the club to participate in the city’s May 3 centennial event at River Hills Park; a club representative confirmed plans to participate with a presence and period displays.

The workshop produced no formal vote; the parties described agreed operational direction (payment date and financial reporting) and committed to further discussions on the written agreement, committee representation and long-term lease/tax arrangements.