Westfield council approves $2.63 million grant for Woodwind Golf Course and clears four other measures

The Westfield Common Council voted to approve a $2,630,000 grant from the capital projects fund to the Redevelopment District to fund repairs and land acquisition at the Woodwind Golf Course and unanimously adopted four other resolutions during its June meeting.

City staff said the grant would allocate about $450,000 for capital repairs and upgrades at the golf course and the remaining funds toward purchasing adjacent land for future improvements. The grant request was introduced as Resolution 26-107 by the city's executive chief of economic and community development.

The executive chief described a range of planned capital work including "safety issues associated with three golf course bridges that are in disrepair," cart-path repairs, restroom renovations, drainage fixes, roofing and riprap repair and equipment to improve guest experience. Staff also noted potential revenue-generating items such as a golf-simulator lounge and deli cooler at the facility.

Councilors considered the resolution and approved it on a roll-call vote. The meeting record shows the measure carried unanimously.

The council also approved the following resolutions and ordinance by unanimous votes: adding Fusion Pub and Craft House LLC to the downtown designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA), adopting a five-year tax-exempt master lease-purchase agreement to fund information-technology and building systems for Station 85, and confirming an economic revitalization designation and tax abatement for the Shafer CPA headquarters project (with one recusal noted on the latter vote). Earlier in the meeting the council adopted Ordinance 2604, an appropriation of remaining 2025 capital-projects funds, which staff said would support the Woodwind grant and an anticipated July grant tied to Grand Park.

Chris Larson, the city's director of informatics, explained the lease-purchase agreement as an "IT as a service" approach to spread cost and include maintenance and support rather than seeking a large capital outlay up front. Chuck Habra, speaking for the Shafer CPA project, said the firm plans a roughly 9,000-square-foot headquarters that would retain 15 jobs and add roughly 20 positions with an average salary of about $86,000; he gave an estimated project investment of $5.2 million (excluding land).

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 2604 (additional appropriation from capital projects fund): adopted, roll call 7-0. - Resolution 26-107 (grant to Redevelopment District for Woodwind Golf Course): adopted, roll call 7-0; total cited $2,630,000, with approximately $450,000 for capital repairs and the balance for land acquisition. - Resolution 26-140 (add Fusion Pub and Craft House LLC to downtown DORA): adopted, roll call 7-0. - Resolution 26-141 (master tax-exempt lease-purchase agreement schedule 1 for Station 85 IT/building systems): adopted, roll call 7-0. - Resolution 26-142 (confirm ERA designation and approve assessed-value deduction for Shafer CPA headquarters): adopted, roll call 6-0 with one recusal.

The council did not debate most items at length; staff presentations described project scope and financial details, and votes followed. Next steps for the grant and abatement include implementation by the Redevelopment District and routine administrative filings where applicable.