Council authorizes staff to begin golf cart bids; golf course reports revenue gains and restroom needs

The council voted to recommend that the city begin a formal bidding process for replacement golf carts and to begin planning and scoping for permanent restroom facilities at the municipal golf course.

At the meeting Dennis Bowman delivered the golf-course report, saying the course saw higher play in July and August this fiscal year compared with last year. "I think, last year, we had a great, great year. And so we did, like, a hundred and 85 through July and August. This year, we've done 2 11," Bowman said.

Why it matters: Council members said the golf course operates as an enterprise fund and must be financially sustainable; several council members pushed to use course surpluses to fund capital items such as bathrooms, cart replacements and clubhouse improvements.

Key points from the discussion - Revenue and usage: Bowman said the course hosted numerous tournaments this season and reported an increase in rounds and green-fee revenue; he said the course had roughly $360,000 on hand in its account in recent internal reports, and recommended keeping a minimum cushion (he mentioned $100,000) while using surplus for capital needs. - Capital priorities: Council and staff identified bathrooms and a clubhouse as high priorities. The mayor said a building quote for a restroom/concession structure ranged roughly $25,000–$26,000 for the structure alone, with site work and plumbing adding substantial cost. - Procurement and bidding: The mayor and staff described the city's procurement constraints and the Competitive Bidding Act; staff warned that preparing a formal bid packet for capital projects may require significant time and documentation. The mayor said the city recently produced a 37‑page bid packet for HVAC work and that similar effort would be needed for carts and restroom projects.

Motion and vote - The council moved and seconded a recommendation that staff proceed with the bid process for golf carts (and begin scoping bathrooms). The motion passed on a voice vote with all in favor.

Operational context and constraints - Bowman and council members discussed maintenance and staffing pressures, aging cart fleet and rising equipment costs, and noted that bids must be written with clear specifications to avoid low‑bid problems. The mayor emphasized that if a third party must produce bid documents, the cost of preparing the packet will be borne by the requesting department or project budget.

Ending Staff will draft bid specifications for golf carts and circulate bathroom drawings and scope documents for council review ahead of the next meeting. The council instructed staff to follow procurement statutes and the city’s purchasing process as they proceed.