City Golf - Straight Talk Part 2

Citizens of St. George, in the interest of providing a fair and impartial review of selected salient points extracted from golf management contract entered into by The City of St. George and Golf Professional the second part of the report on City Golf Courses is presented for your evaluation.

Part II.  PROFESSIONAL’S COVENANTS AND OBLIGATIONS.

1.     The Golf Professional shall pay All applicable income, withholding and taxes, as well as any unemployment taxes or workers compensation premiums, for Professional and his Employees as required by law.

2.     Professional shall pay to the City a monthly rental fee for use of the Pro Shop for merchandising activities.  The monthly fee shall be a percentage of gross sales receipts based on the following scale.

Previous Years Total Gross Sales less than $100,000.00 Rental Fee 1% of monthly gross sales.

Previous Years Total Gross Sales of $100,000.00 or more Rental Fee 2% of Monthly Gross Sales.

Regardless of percentage a Minimum of $600.00. Gross sales from the operation of the Pro Shop shall include all merchandize sales and rentals BUT NOT  revenue from lesson fees and tournament service fees.

REPORTED INCOME derived from Golf Tournaments…..Fiscal Year 2012-2013 (Max 6 tournaments per year).

Dixie Red Hills Golf Course$6,297.00          Sunbrook Golf Course $7,310.00   

Southgate Golf Course$4,056.00                 St. George Golf Course $5,234.00

The contract calls for each Professional to pay their OWN Medical Insurance. Note: One Professional is a retired Volunteer Fire Fighter with 25 years or more service time which provides paid medical insurance benefits.

Note: Professional’s Covenants and Obligations section (12). Keep books and accounts of monies collected by and expended by Professional on behalf of Professional as pertaining to Professional’s covenants and obligations enumerated with this Agreement under article II. Professional agrees to hold the same available for inspection and audit by City or its authorized agents within 48 hours of verbal request by Department Director or his designee.

Note: Cash Payments received by Professional may not be witnessed therefore the Honor System may be considered by outside evaluator to be in effect.

Note: It was verbally confirmed by the City Accounting Department ( Philip Peterson, Finance Director) that the Golf Professional is to provide City with 1099 Income Tax Form as reported to Internal Revenue Service.

Note: Professional’s Covenants and Obligations section (h). The City of St. George does not have a non-resident green fees and resident green fees. The City offers posted fees and discount fees available to holders of valid Resident Golf Discount Cards. Pro Shop personnel should offer the discount rate only after seeing a valid Resident Golf Discount Card. A valid card provides the discounted rate to the card holder only. It is recommended that pro shop personnel allow the discount card rate one time annually to known residents who do not present a valid Resident Golf Discount Card while informing them of the requirement to purchase or renew the card and present the card in all future visits.

This concludes the two part report describing the manner in which the City manages the four Golf Courses owned and operated by the City as a private entity.    

TRANSPARENCY MAKES ACCOUNTABILITY POSSIBLE.

-Ed

City Golf - Straight Talk

Citizens of St. George, as promised I have received documents identified in a G.R.A.M.A. filed with the City Recorder seeking information concerning the management of City Golf Courses.  I have extracted what I consider the most salient points and have separated them into two categories for convenience of presentation.

The following represents the current management agreements entered into by the City of St. George, a Utah Municipal Corporation (Public Golf Courses) and four (4) separate and independent Golf Professionals, who contracted to manage Golf Course, Pro Shop and Range at one of four City Golf Courses.

Part 1:  City Covenants and Obligations.

1.     Grant to Professional the right to use those premises described as the Pro Shop together with such portion of the adjacent areas as may be reasonably necessary for the storage of pull-carts and for the giving of lessons and golf instruction.

2.     Grant to Professional the exclusive privilege of giving golf lessons and providing auxiliary tournament services for remuneration on the Golf Course and the exclusive right of selling or renting golf equipment and merchandise at any place on the Golf Course and related premises. Golf lessons may be given by assistants employed by the Professional.

3.     Grant to Professional the exclusive right to rent motorized golf carts, belonging to the City with all income therefrom being remitted to the City, and the exclusive right to rent pull carts to be provided by Professional.

4.     Provide all utilities, electric, water, sewer, and garbage that may be used in connection with the Pro Shop, Clubhouse, and Range facilities.

5.     Provide telephone facilities at the Pro Shop and Range. Any private phone shall be at the sole expense of Professional and kept in his private office. Professional shall reimburse City on a monthly basis for long distance telephone calls relative to other than City business.

6.     Pay to Professional an Annual Professional Service fee. Southgate Golf Course $114,000.00, Sunbrook Golf Course $129,000.00, Dixie Red Hills Golf Course $95,400.00, St. George Golf Course $92,700.00.

These then are the HIGHLIGHTED POINTS contained in the contract copies provide by the City.

·        For complete details it will be necessary for concerned person(s) to examine contract in its entirety.

·        Verbal confirmation obtained from City Accounting Department (Philip Peterson, Finance Director) acknowledging that Golf Professional is permitted to use City Credit Card Charging Company at no cost to Golf Professional.

The highlighted contractual points are presented with the sole intent….. To Educate and Inform the voting public so that a better understanding and appreciation of the actions taken by the City in managing and regulating Public Golf Courses may be accomplished.  TRANSPARENCY IN ACTION.

-Ed

Demise of Dixie Ambulance & City's Responsibilty for Medical Eemergency Assistance

The city council recently acted to reform the inhumane treatment occurring in the City Animal Shelter and rightly responded to citizens legitimate concerns.

Care and treatment of Human Beings who are in need of Medical Emergency Assistance warrant equal consideration by Mayor and City Council.

It is not enough to pass off the responsibility of monitoring the level of service provided by our Ambulance Company to the State, while at the same time the Mayor and City Manager are seeking POLITICAL COVER for (NOT KNOWING?) the needs and dire-straights Dixie Ambulance found itself in. If the truth be known… this could also be attributed to years of neglect by the ineffective monitoring of level of care and service most recently identified in the City Animal Shelter investigation.

It is NOT enough for the Mayor and some council members to NOW endorse the past owner of Dixie Ambulance as candidate for city council.  While I too appreciate the abilities and willingness of this candidate to serve… IT IS NOT ENOUGH to make right past neglect.  I am thankful for the service Dixie Ambulance provided to my mother during a period of time in which they both were struggling to survive.

Therefore I wish to publicly state… When elected I will move to immediately adopt procedures to monitor and evaluate present and future  Medical Emergency Ambulance Service and to work in concert with the State Agency that has the responsibility to oversee ambulance service in our city.

-Ed

City & Golf- A Money Making Proposition

GOLF and how the City manages its 4 golf courses; Dixie Red Hills, Southgate, St. George Golf Club and the prestigious Sunbrook Golf Club, have historically been of great concern to the citizens of St. George and continue to be so today.

The city manager (who plays regularly at Sunbrook) has again recommended supplementing all City Golf Courses in this Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Budget from the Economic Development Fund.  

This comes on the heels of the recent changes to the management structure effecting all Golf Courses. While discussed in past Council Work Meetings, the final contractual agreement with PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS (not city employees) to manage and operate golf courses has not yet been fully transparent.

It is understood that the city is to enter into operational contracts with PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS with separate distinct contracts, as each golf course is unique in differing costs of operation and revenue that each is expected to generate. This of course should mitigate the cost to the golfing public and tax paying citizens at large.

As a candidate for city council and believing that an Informed and Educated Public makes for improved and better government, I have filed a formal request for release of information known as a “GRAMA” (on 9-3-2013) seeking the identity of those contracting to manage city golf courses and where the money generated by GOLF is to go; city coffers and/or into the pockets of those contracted to manage OUR golf courses.

Who is to keep  money generated from Golf Tournaments scheduled to be held on city golf courses (as many as FIVE per year) and IS the city to provide or make available MEDICAL INSURANCE to private individuals who contract to manage city golf courses.

The details received from the GRAMA request shall be reported to the public for their evaluation.
-Ed

City Leadership, Teaming Up With Citizens

To the citizens of the Bloomington Community I would like to publicly state that I believe we are in harmony and share a common goal in seeking to protect the Health & Safety concerns  of the Bloomington Community that have arisen and been made apparent with the propose placement of an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Recovery Home within a residential community.

 

YOUR interest in protecting your children and the integrity of your residential community parallel those that WE all share in seeking the betterment of our city at large.

 

In view of our mutually shared interest I wish to assure ALL citizens of St. George that when elected I shall diligently work with fellow council members to be transparent and to ceaselessly work to improve upon existing city ordinances.

 

Ordinances that will be considerate of the health and safety issues of our residential community and that will be sensitive to the needs of those requiring placement in a Recovery Home for individuals with Alcohol or Substance Abuse illnesses.

 

I believe that citizens and city staff can effectively apply a team approach in finding solutions to issues of mutual concern and that will benefit the community at large.

 

I respectfully wish to reaffirm that when elected I will join the citizens of the Bloomington Community in developing and encouraging  the support of Representative Chris Stewart in seeking redress to Federal Laws concerning the American Disabilities Act and placement of Recovery Homes within a residential community…… I would like to take this opportunity to recommend to those actively involved in representing the Bloomington Community on the issue of a Residential Recovery Home that they consider communicating with the State Agency responsible for Health Facility Licensing, Certification and Resident Assessment.  (State Health Regulatory Website) 
    

Please refer to…..
http://health.utah.gov/hflcra/                           

 

-Ed

Placement of Alcohol & Drug Recovery Home

The citizens of Bloomington may have expected to take advantage of the opportunity to present their concerns about having a Recovery Home for Alcohol and Drug Abusers within their community and near a public school.

We’re sure to be disappointed by the cancellation of the City Council Meeting scheduled for 8/29/13. (Regular scheduled 5^th Wednesday (Not Televised) Council Meetings are scheduled and subject to cancellation).

This became evident Wednesday Night (8/28/13) at the Town Hall Meeting held by Congressman Chris Stewart who represents Washington County.

A large contingency of Bloomington residents were in attendance and were given an opportunity…. by Representative Stewart to speak…… seeking redress of their issue. To his credit Chris Stewart invited……even encouraged Bloomington residents to advance their concerns with his office concerning Federal Regulations that touched upon their issue.

The Mayor of St. George was also in attendance and took the opportunity to inform the Bloomington residents that placement of an Alcohol & Drug Recovery Home was an issue in which the City of St. George could provide no relief……..that if the City was to deny approval of the applicants request for a Recovery Home the city would be sued…… and would then have to pay court costs as the Federal Government was sure to prevail in regulating such requests.

When elected I will move to support the residents of Bloomington in their efforts to work with Representative Stewart in seeking improved and appropriate alignment of Federal Law which regulates this issue.

I shall also work with fellow council members to establish and/or improve upon city zoning regulations that can be lawfully established in conjunction with Code Enforcement efforts.

Lastly I shall work to insure REGULARLY scheduled Public Meetings that will allow citizens to air their grievances.     

-Ed

City of Quality

Forgive the pun……We should take a lesson from our new superintendent of schools, Larry Bergeson. He is seeking Quality Education through teamwork. Teachers not competing, but working together.

 

We are seeking a City of Quality.  Our team may be made up of different components than those found in the school district.  I suggest that…. The city’s team SHOULD include its CITIZENS, working volunteers joining hands with city staff and elected representatives. SIGNIFICANT Boards and Commissions that supplement, support city priorities, and that instill public confidence.

Not competing, but working together without politicizing the process as the city endeavors to interact with adjoining cities, county government, and educational institutions.

 

I believe that the majority of us wish to maintain TRADITIONAL (and may I be so bold as to say a God Fearing) Family Values Community. I believe wholesome entertainment such as past performances provided by the Saint George Musical Theater stand out as a desirable quality of life.

Keeping to our values includes leisure activities that respect our natural open space surroundings and in growth that accommodates these values. 

Quality Education and a Diversified Economy, with periods of alignment, I believe will lead the way to a City of Quality.

 

When elected I shall work diligently to maintain and improve upon the elements of citizen participation (Team Work) by incorporating significant Boards and Commissions into the framework of city government.

-Ed