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Committee recommends approval of golf course and Witch House budgets amid operational questions
Summary
The administration and finance committee recommended approval of personnel and expenditures budgets for the public golf course and the Witch House, with councilors probing water/irrigation costs, concession revenue arrangements and visitation projections. Both departmental budget motions passed by voice vote (five hands).
The Committee on Administration and Finance recommended approval Monday night of the Parks & Recreation personnel and expenditures budgets for the public golf course and the Witch House as part of the City of Salem’s FY2027 operating plan.
Park staff presented the golf course budget (tab 22, summary page 562), and councilors praised course maintenance while asking operational questions. Paul Lever, who manages the course, told the committee that the irrigation system is centrally controllable and adjusted daily for weather: “I have an irrigation computer program where you can change times for every single head on the golf course. I make changes on it daily according to the weather.” Councilors pressed whether water use is metered separately and how water and utility rate increases would affect the course budget; staff said the course pays the city for water and the usage is tracked on a separate meter.
Members also asked about drainage that may affect nearby residences; Lever said the course has a buffer of trees and that the only notable wetland drainage runs alongside the railroad to Forest River. On concession operations, staff said current vendors operate independently and do not pay rent to the city; concessions historically produced little net revenue because vendors have often been inconsistent. Councilor Flynn asked whether the vendor contributes to utilities; staff said “not now.”
After discussion, Council King moved to recommend approval of the golf course personnel budget in the amount of $439,030 and, separately, the expenditures budget for $319,777. Both motions carried on a voice/count of five hands.
The committee then considered the Witch House budget (tab 22, page 569). Elizabeth, who manages the Witch House operations, described HVAC updates (two main units with supporting components), tourism and souvenir sales, and corrected a reported visitation typo in the packet. Councilors discussed whether a proposed ticket price adjustment to support the new Salem High School would be reflected in park projections; staff said such a change was not yet reflected and the Park and Rec commission had not taken it up. Council King moved to recommend approval of the Witch House personnel budget ($262,671) and the expenditures budget ($118,853); both motions carried by the same voice/count.
What happens next: The committee’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Council’s budget process as part of the FY2027 deliberations. The motions reported their amounts and outcomes at the meeting; recorded tallies were five in favor on each motion as counted by the chair.
