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Golf course general manager: driving range repair plan will go to Jan. 21 commission agenda
Summary
General Manager Jeffrey Biggers told the advisory board the closed driving range is a two-part project (poles and nets), that insurance proceeds are pending, and that the poles item is being prepared for the Jan. 21 commission agenda while netting will require separate bids.
Jeffrey Biggers, general manager for Fernandina Beach Golf Club, told the advisory board on Dec. 23 that the course's driving range has been closed since damage from Hurricane Helene and that repairing it is a two-part project: installing poles and replacing netting.
Biggers said staff met with utility representatives and is aiming to put the poles request on the Jan. 21 commission agenda. "We're attempting ... to get on the January 21 agenda to move forward with the poles," he said. He added that insurance payments for damage are expected but have been slowed by the city audit and changes in finance, and that staff is still assembling profit-and-loss figures that include TopTracer and other range revenue.
On technical details, Biggers said the replacement poles under consideration are roughly 75 feet and wood, similar to the prior installation: "75 foot ... they're gonna be wood again. You know, telephone poles." He said the utility representative indicated FPU could expedite installation once the city clears the work, but that removing the old poles could add cost. For the netting, Biggers said staff has solicited three quotes from vendors and expects the netting procurement to be handled separately from the poles. "The netting is where we have, like, 3 different bids or 3 different, quotes," he told the board.
A board member cautioned that netting varies greatly in quality and lifespan and urged careful specification and an inspection/maintenance plan. "A cheaper bid may not be the most reliable... Buyer beware," the member said, adding that some installed netting in local parks has lasted decades with the right material and repairs. Biggers said staff is exploring an annual maintenance inspection to extend net life and reduce future surprises.
Board members pressed for a timeline to reopen the range; Biggers said he could not provide a firm estimate until the commission acts and the insurance adjuster finalizes estimates. "We get this to the Commission so they can approve us to go forward with the poles and that process is gonna start," he said, adding that any work beyond restoring the previous configuration would likely require additional city funds.
Biggers also noted interim liability concerns: people have occasionally hit balls onto the closed range, and staff sometimes manages ad hoc exceptions for events. "No one wants this range closed," he said, describing the closure as a safety and liability precaution. The board did not vote on a repair contract at the meeting; Biggers said the next formal step is bringing the poles item to the commission for authorization.
The advisory board's next steps include staff finalizing insurance and P&L numbers, placing the poles resolution on the Jan. 21 commission agenda, and returning with specific procurement language for the netting portion.
