Pebble Creek was again a hot topic at Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting as spending and budgeting for the golf course was discussed at great length by staff, council and the public.

 

The meeting began with an open forum in which three people stood at the podium to express their concerns.

 

Adam Maskowski, a regular concerned citizen for the spending at Pebble Creek, asked council to consider not spending any money on the golf course until the golf advisory board came back with an approved business plan for operations for the next five years. Maskowski had noticed an agenda item from Golf Pro Troy Malo requesting the city approve some purchases and some bunker improvements.

 

Maskowski also asked if the public could be told how many rounds would benefit from the improvements and how many memberships would increase due to the bunker upgrades.

 

Citizens Dustin Lozinski and his wife, Corinne also seconded what Maskowski brought up and said they didn’t appreciate seeing improvements being made to the golf course when it is hemorrhaging the city. Dustin suggested the city utilize in-house staff to do the bunker improvements to save the city the costs to contract the project out.

 

It was also suggested by the Lozinskis for the advisory board to set milestone markers for the development of the future plans for the golf course. They also said they’d like to see the voters decide on the future of the golf course — not just the advisory board — since they are the ones paying taxes for it.

 

Malo later brought forth a resolution  to have the city authorize the implementation of a contract with Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects for the purpose of creating a renovation plan and technical specifications for Phase III of the master plan.

 

The master plan called for the improvement of bunkers on holes eight and nine of the White 9 part of the golf course to include approximately eight bunkers. The cost to fix the bunkers is targeted at $40,000. Malo’s resolution was to enter into an agreement with the architects to develop designs and bid forms at a cost not to exceed $5,130.

 

Council approved the resolution in a 4-1 vote (Mayor voted “naye”).

 

Treasurer Sarah Brunn presented council with the 2014 year-end transfer list with detailed itemization.

 

Brunn said she made transfers to the revolving capital fund from the general fund in the amounts of $30,100 (admin/planning), $51,400 (Police), $456,400 (public works) and $30,000 for parks. She also cited transfers of $13,900 for economic development, $59,500 for the community center and $50,000 for the golf course.

 

Brunn also said $24,000 was transferred from the community center to the general fund to pay down the interfund loan. The existing balance for the loan is now $20,000.

 

A transfer of $9,106.16 came out of WAC to the water fund and a transfer of $12,235.30 from SAC to the domestic sewer fund. A transfer of $60,000 came out of the water fund and another $40,000 from the trunk facilities fund to make a debt service payment to the 2012A debt service fund.

 

Brunn transferred $130,000 from the future improvements fund to cover the negative cash position of the golf course. The negative cash position is the result of approximately $71,000 in capital lease payments, an outstanding receivable of Hunter’s Ridge ($65,000) with $31,000 attributed in 2014 and a golf course operating loss of nearly $30,000.

 

Council voted 4-1 to approve the transfers with the mayor voting no due to his disagreement with how the golf course is being operated.

 

Planner Therese Haffner asked council to approve a Hwy. 10 corridor plan to be completed by SEH with a cost not to exceed $49,000.

 

The Hwy. 10 corridor project — approximately 1/4 miles between Edgewood St. SE and Liberty Lane — is being discussed by staff to develop a vision and framework for transforming the frontage area into an attractive, vibrant, sustainable mixed-use corridor, recognized as a great place to shop, work, live and entertain.

 

The work plan would look at the streets’ network, traffic counts, pedestrian and bike networks, transit facilities, parking facilities, land uses, building forms, signage, visual characteristics, market trade sectors and niches, socioeconomics and a commercial retail gap analysis.

 

Haffner said the draft work plan would take approximately eight months to complete and will be conducted in three phases.

 

Haffner said the $49,000 price tag was not included in the 2015 budget but said there may be some funding options available to the city including grant money, funding from the future improvement fund, the EDA fund or the usage of an expected utility valuation transition aid fund in 2015.

 

The planning commission and EDA staffs approved the corridor plan study. Council approved unanimously.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is March 3 at 5 p.m.