Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAboutGolf Commission -- 2023-03-28 Minutes (2)TOWN OF BREWSTER Brewster, Massachusetts 02631 (508) 896-3701 GOLF COMMISSION Minutes of March 2811, 2023 Commissioners Present: Anne O'Connell (Chair), Andrea Johnson (Vice -Chair), John Kissida, Jeff Odell, and David Valcourt. Others Present: Jay Packett (Director of Operations), Colin Walsh (Superintendent,) Bill Meehan (Finance Committee Liaison) Susan Olin (Ladies Nine Hole Assn) Mary Berzinis. THIS MEETING WAS VIDEO RECORDED. The meeting may be viewed at: https:l/reflect-brewster- ma.cablecast.tvlCablecastPublicSitpjshow16448?channel=l Chairperson Anne O'Connell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Declaration of a Quorum — Four Golf Commissioners present at the meeting location and accounted for which constitutes a quorum. Public Comment — No public comments. Superintendent's Report - Colin Walsh, discussed various updates related to the maintenance of the golf course. All the union staff are back in place, and seasonal hires are starting to return. The team is working on cleaning up the Starboard side of the golf course in preparation for opening this Saturday. They are also preparing for aeration, which will involve aerating 20 acres of fairways, 7.3 acres of tees, and 3.5. acres of greens in two to two and a half days. Mr. Kurt Raver is conducting a maintenance facility study, and the irrigation system is being charged. They also hired a tree service company to thin up trees and improve their health. The team widened the 14th forward tees and will lay 1100 square feet of bent grass sod and 3100 square feet of bluegrass sod on Thursday and Friday. They filled a sinkhole and are planning to pave the cart path around the back of the pro shop, first tee on the Starboard, first tee on the Port, second hole on the Starboard, and the entire length of the car path from the tee to past the green on number five Starboard. The morale of the staff is good, and they are looking forward to a great season. Director's Report — Jay Packett provided a financial update on the Captains Golf Course. The budget status review showed that they are on par with the previous year's budget, but there are some looming pricey projects. In February, the golf course made $3,000 more than the previous year, with memberships being the main driver behind the increase. The fiscal year revenue is over $250,000 higher than the previous year, again due to memberships and greens fees. The projections provided did not paint the truest picture, but March membership revenues are already over $609,000, which will help the bottom line for FY 23. The month of February was their best February in over five years, despite being closed for 10 days due to a brutal cold snap. Play totals for the year so far show that 76% of February play was by members, while January was 83%. Jay Packett anticipates that number dropping slightly in the coming months. Overall, the financial update was positive, and Jay Packett will keep a tight watch on the budget as they move forward. Discussion continued the topic about the financial status of the golf course. It was noted that fiscal years 2020 and 2021 should be discounted when comparing the current month's numbers to previous years, as they were unusual due to early enrollment and the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Despite this, there was some concern about the negative bottom line projections for the current fiscal year. The course's revenues were higher than the previous year, but expenses were slightly higher as well due to the need for additional staff during busy periods. Some expenses had exceeded their budgets, but the professional technical line item was the most significant due to proactive and reactive expenses such as pest control and deep tine aerification. The Golf Commission agreed to re-evaluate the numbers in two weeks. Jay Packett continued to discuss several ongoing projects related to the golf course. He mentioned that the restaurant is set to open on April 6 and that work is being done to prepare the loading dock area. There is a delay in getting the required material from Home Depot, and if it is not resolved soon, they will consider other options. The men's bathroom is also being worked on, and a countertop company has been hired to lay laminate, which will be installed next Monday, causing temporary closure of the men's room. The gutters near the service entrance door behind the bar were damaged due to a major ice damage last winter, and Lou Moreno will be fixing it. Lastly, the wood section on the deck area of the restaurant needs to be replaced and Lou Moreno has already picked up the supplies for the repair. Jay also mentioned the bulkhead, they do have it and it needs to be attached to the building, but is awaiting the required material, which will take a few more weeks. Jay has informed Sean Sullivan (Freeman's Grill) of this and emphasized the need to resolve it soon. Jay Packet noted Peggy McAvoy from Friends of the Captains sent an email update. With the key points being that they are running a birdhouse contest on the golf course where people can win prizes by taking a picture of a bird on one of their new birdhouses and sending it to the Friends. The Friends are organizing a driving range ball popping party on April 26 at 3 PM. Tools will be provided, but people can also bring their own three -pronged or two-pronged tools and staff will be on site to help pick up and wash the balls. They will also hold a closest -to -the -pin contest on both golf courses with prizes for first and second place, and a random pick for anyone who lands on the green. The Friends have adopted two planting areas on the golf course and are looking for volunteers. They are also searching for someone to help as a tournament director for their annual golf tournament in September. Jay Packett also noted that the article capital item regarding windows and doors is a placeholder for now until the general bid opening on April 29th at 11 o'clock. From there, a decision will be made on the total price. Update FY23 HVAC Project (Jeff Odell) - Jeff Odell noted there is a delay in the shipment of a supplemental air component for the HVAC project, which is causing concern because the kitchen had to close during high season due to heat. The component was supposed to ship on April 16th, but as of April 24th, it was still in production. The decision needs to be made about whether to wait for it to arrive and shut down the kitchen again in the shoulder season, or to wait until after the busy season and shut down in the winter. A shutdown is expected to take about three days to a week. The project had a four-day shutdown due to a water sprinkler pipe in the way of one of the components, which was resolved. Sean Sullivan prefers to lose business in the winter rather than shutting down once the kitchen is open. However, if the component arrives in the next few days, they will have to decide whether to wait until after Freeman's function scheduled for April 10th or to proceed with the installation. Discussion followed regarding the decision to close during the late fall and early winter months when there is less. The alternative is to shut down once the business is already open, which is difficult due to the planning required and the potential impact on staff and food inventory. However, the decision is not final, and if there is a need to change it, there will be further discussions. The conversation continued about supply chain issues and who is responsible for delays and associated costs. John Kissida raised concerns about warranty and responsibility for the HVAC system. There is mention of an email confirmation from the engineering firm and HVAC company that the system will function without fault. Discussion on Project Manager position included in proposed FY24 Golf Department Budget (John Kissida) John Kissida requested to discuss the project manager position, which has been included in the proposed FY 24 budget that was approved by the Select Board. However, John Kissida, Dave Valcourt and Jeff Odell expressed concerns about the lack of discussion surrounding the position, including the project description and the fact that the Commission never voted for the position. They also questioned the necessity of a full-time position for a project that is several years away and suggested a temporary or part- time position instead. The budget for the position is $100,000. Jay Packett discussed the new position. He believes that the position will be more of a business manager role than a project manager role, and that the individual will have many responsibilities beyond dealing with capital projects. They will attend meetings, deal with contracts, and handle administrative tasks such as payroll and bill processing. This person will be on site, which will increase efficiency and productivity. Jay Packett is 100% in favor of this position and believes it will make everyone's job easier. There have been minor discussions about the position's future, but nothing is set in stone. Donna Kalinick will still oversee this individual for certain things. The discussion about the position was ongoing. Concern is about the cost of the position, which is $100,000, and that the commission doesn't fully understand the job duties. There are worries about the possibility of creating a bottleneck and that the administration's costs have already increased significantly. There is also a discussion about indirect costs and how they will affect the commission's finances in the future. Members of the Golf Commission discussed their concerns about the lack of detailed information about the position and its budget. They also discussed whether they could make a recommendation. They agreed to put a motion on the agenda for the next meeting to discuss the issue further. They also talked about the benefits of the position, including the medical benefits and the fact that the individual would be certified in procurement. They suggested that they would need more information to make an informed decision and that they didn't want to divide the commission over the issue. Other Strategic Planning Updates (Commission) John Kissida - John Kissida met with Friends of Captains to discuss projects on the golf course. Several people stepped up to take on these projects, as there will be a whole bunch of new areas on the golf course that will need assistance with the changes by the Starter Shed. John Kissida also mentioned the possibility of engraved pavers as a way to raise funds for the golf course. He noted Colin has done an amazing job on the cart paths, but they took more time than anticipated due to the county contract. However, they have some great areas that will be a significant improvement. John Kissida has been providing technical assistance on this front and thanks Colin and friends for their efforts to beautify captains. Jeff Odell echoed these comments. Questions and Comments from Associations and Liaisons — Bill Meehan liaison to the finance committee and expressed concern about the lack of consensus among the commissioners regarding the project management position budget line item. He urged the commission 3 to reach a consensus before the town meeting and offer their assistance if needed. Review and Approve Minutes (2/28) - Approved with amendments. Future Agenda Items and Meetings (4/11) - Anne O'Connell noted the golf commissioners had previously agreed to hold monthly meetings but after hearing today's discussion, they have decided to have both meetings in April, one to focus on the finance team and the other to address regular matters. The first meeting was already scheduled for the 11 th, and the second one will be added on the 25th. They also requested membership numbers and asked for any additional agenda items that were not already discussed. Matters not anticipated by the Chair: Jay Packett spoke about sinkholes in the car park and the DPW's efforts to fix them. The asphalt was torn up, and material was laid down to create a two and a half-inch lip. Jay Packett talked of plans for the other sinkholes and expressed gratitude for the DPW's efforts, which made the car park safer, and highlighted the importance of one department helping another in Brewster. A motion to adjourn was made by Anne O'Connell - Motion was approved. Meeting was adjourned at 5:40pm. 4