Council hears RFP plan to lease Tri Mountain Golf Course with up to 50-year options

Clark County staff on Wednesday presented a request-for-proposals (RFP) framework to lease Tri Mountain Golf Course, shifting day-to-day operations, maintenance and capital improvements to a private operator while preserving the course as a county-owned asset.

"We're looking at awarding an initial 10-year increment that would begin 01/01/2027 when the current contract expires and going till 12/31/2036, and then having additional ... installments," Michelle Shuster, director of internal services, told the council. She said the RFP will ask proposers for operating history, business plans, proposed improvements and reporting requirements, and that the county hopes a longer initial term will attract firms willing to invest in capital work.

Councilors raised several questions about scope and risk. One councilor said deferred maintenance on the property had been estimated "upwards of $23,000,000," and asked whether a selected lessee would be responsible for existing deferred maintenance before the lease start; Shuster replied the county intends to require proposers to "take on the full maintenance operation [and] capital improvements, whether they're existing or ones that pop up in the future." Staff also said the last facilities condition assessment that included the property was done in 2019 and noted that cost estimates have increased since then.

The tentative procurement timeline presented by staff targets an RFP release in early September (staff referenced a likely September 9 release), proposer meetings in mid- to late-September, clarifications in early October and a review period in mid-October leading to a committee recommendation in late October and a contract to begin Jan. 1, 2027. Shuster said the county already has a plan-holder list and has been contacted by multiple parties potentially interested in responding. "I believe I have 8 on it currently that we definitely know we'll be sending this RFP out to," she said.

Councilors expressed interest in preserving community access and affordability under any lease arrangement and asked staff to ensure the scoring criteria include proposed rates and affordability considerations as part of proposers' business plans. The council did not take final action on the RFP at the meeting; staff said they will return the procurement for future council consideration after solicitation and evaluation steps are complete.