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Grand County board debates whether to fund golf-course feasibility study, defers final RCG allocations
Summary
Board members split over using county RCG dollars for a $75,000 feasibility study for the Moab Golf Club versus directing funds toward projects with immediate sales-tax benefits. GOEO staff said RCOG awards have funded studies elsewhere; the board deferred final RCG allocation decisions to its regular May meeting.
The Grand County Boards and Commissions spent much of their May 7 meeting debating whether county RCG funds should pay for planning and feasibility work at the Moab Golf Club or be reserved for projects expected to produce quicker sales-tax gains.
Proponents said a professionally prepared feasibility study, including business, facilities and marketing plans, would make the golf club a stronger candidate for larger state or federal grants and for private investment. One board member argued that a complete plan could be the "launchpad for more money," listing potential funders such as USDA community facilities grants or public-private partnerships.
Opponents countered that a study could reveal a multi-million-dollar price tag the city or county could not fund, and warned that a plan might simply sit on a shelf if no follow-on funding materializes. One participant pointed to a local example where a lack of investment led a course to deteriorate beyond repair.
State guidance: Deborah McKee, outreach manager at the Governor's Office for Economic Opportunity, told the board that RCOG awards have funded feasibility studies in other counties and that such funding is not categorically barred. She also stressed that the county's own subgrant rules (RCG) are locally determined.
Process and next steps: The board used a sticker-based straw poll to focus attention and asked members to disclose ex parte contacts with applicants; at least one member recused from votes involving Artesian. The board finished its RCOG recommendation (EMS) but deferred final decisions on how to allocate the county's $200,000 RCG pool. Members agreed to return to the topic at the board's regular May meeting to complete RCG allocations and to decide whether to fund feasibility studies or prioritize projects with immediate economic impact.
The meeting adjourned after the board confirmed next steps and thanked GOEO staff for attending.
