Council tables golf-course operating agreement pending inventory and revisions to default language

Councilors spent an extended portion of their Jan. 27 meeting reviewing a revised operating/lease agreement for the city golf course and declined to finalize it tonight, instead asking staff to provide a hybrid draft and a physical inventory of city-owned assets at the facility.

Councilors said the choice between a one-year and two-year agreement remains open. Several members favored a one-year term with a practical expectation that, if the operator performs, the city would re-sign without re-posting; others had previously supported two-year certainty for the operator. Councilors asked staff to expand clause 12 of the draft to provide broader city authority to request corrective action or changes that may not be explicitly enumerated in the contract and to confirm what costs the operator would be responsible to replace in the event of a default. Staff noted the leaseholder must maintain $1.5 million in liability insurance under the draft.

Councilors also directed staff to prepare an explicit inventory of city property stored at the golf clubhouse; the draft agreement would require the operator to replace missing city-owned items identified on that inventory at the start of the term. The council agreed to take the revised hybrid draft up at the next council meeting after staff completes the inventory and incorporates the clarified default language.

Outcome: The council tabled final action and will review a revised draft at the next meeting.