Council approves multi‑year management agreements and a 20‑year golf course lease

Baldwin City — The Baldwin City Council voted to renew multiple facility management and operating agreements and to extend the golf course lease to provide long‑term certainty for capital investments.

City staff described a series of agreements intended to align expiration dates across city facilities. The community center agreement largely mirrors last year’s terms but was extended to a five‑year term so the city and operator renewals fall on the same schedule. Matt, a representative involved in operations, said the community center agreement was "nothing's really changed" apart from the length of the agreement and its alignment with other facility contracts.

The Sullivan Square management and operation agreement was presented as essentially unchanged from last year; staff noted the operator had taken on more maintenance duties. The council approved that agreement by voice vote.

The pool operations agreement was extended to five years. Matt told the council that wage costs for lifeguards and managers have risen substantially — he said wages were about $86,000 two years ago and around $110,000 this year — and that the recreation commission is likely to request an additional $5,000 per year beginning in 2028 to help cover those increases. Council approved the pool agreement by voice vote.

The council also approved a longer lease and operating agreement for the Baldwin City golf course after hearing from Paul Vandertag of the Baldwin Golf Association. Vandertag said the association seeks "a little bit of... time security on a lease so we can... if we invest $1,520,000 dollars in something that it's... gonna... maybe change on us during the course." Staff explained the proposed agreement extends the lease term to 20 years and would require the city to give five years’ notice if it intends to change the property’s use. The council approved the golf course lease and operating agreement by voice vote.

What happens next: Agreements will be executed consistent with the terms discussed; the golf association may pursue capital projects now that the longer lease term provides investment security. The recreation commission may return in future years to request additional operational support tied to wage increases.

(Reporting note: dollar amounts and vote outcomes are taken from the meeting record; the transcript contained one apparent transcription error for a gravel‑maintenance number, which is reported here as approximately $7,700 as corrected in the meeting record.)