Golf Commission

Commissioners Present:    John Piemontese (Chair), Carl Blanchard (Vice Chair), Andrea Johnson, Jeff Odell, Anne O’Connell, and Dave Valcourt. Commissioner Wyn Morton was not present.

 

Others Present: Mark O’Brien (Director of Operations), Pete Ervin (Golf Superintendent), Donna Potts and Margaret Litavis (9 Hole Golf Association), Bill O’Brien (CCMGA), and Rob Harris

 

This meeting was held at the Captains Golf Course and was not televised.

 

Call to Order: John Piemontese called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

 

Public Comment:  

 

• None.

 

Correspondence and Suggestion Box:

 

• Mark O’Brien received a request from the Town to submit Annual Town Reports in January. He asked anyone who has a suggestion for inclusion in the Golf report to let him know. He will email last year’s annual report to the Commission for their review.

Superintendent’s Report:

 

• We are still using the golf gas tank for the Town’s use.
• Sink hole on #17 Starboard is being filled in.
• We will not be putting out tee markers on the tee boxes after Christmas. Players may tee off wherever they wish on the tee box. This will spread out the wear.
• There will be a temporary green on Port #8.
• We are expanding many of the greens to their original design. This will add potential pin placements and spread out wear.
• We have been in contact with an irrigation designer and a building maintenance building designer for some preliminary discussions.
• Procurements have been completed for our 2019 fungicide purchases.
• We are working on creating some emergency access routes to the golf course by #6/7 Starboard and #17 Port.
• The attic in the maintenance building will no longer be used to paint tee markers. We will be outsourcing this project.
• John Piemontese asked about keeping up with the gasoline demand since the Town is using this. Pete replied that we have to check the levels almost daily and we are receiving deliveries weekly. Mark O’Brien said that the non-golf usage is monitored and we do not pay for non-golf usage.

 

Director’s Report:

 

• Mark O’Brien discussed the November financials (see attached).
• Jay Packett has done a good job moving pro shop inventory.
• Carl Blanchard asked about whether the golf course carries business interruption insurance. Mark O’Brien said that we do not.
• Mark O’Brien reported that he met with the Board of Health recently and they requested that we not use RoundUp on the course. We have used very little over the last several years and the golf course has agreed not to use it any longer.

 

Golf Course Loan follow up:

 

• Mark O’Brien reported that the proposed short term loan in FY2020 would be used for irrigation well #2 restoration, a pick up truck (the current one won’t pass inspection), and reel grinder equipment replacement.
• Jeff Odell brought up that we should look at reduction of costs. Mark O’Brien indicated that we are projecting that our we will come in significantly under budget for FY2019 as far as expenses and future reductions will be reflected in our FY2020 budget.

Daily Fee Rates:

 

• Mark O’Brien presented proposed green fee rates for 2019 (see attached). Jeff Odell made a motion to approve the rates as proposed, motion seconded by Anne O’Connell. The motion was approved 6-0-0.
• Rob Harris had run some projections based on the new AFP rates that had been previously adopted. His analysis indicated that there would be very little impact, either positive or negative, in regard to the non-resident AFP rates. He indicated that increases in the resident rates would produce increased revenues.

2019 Calendar:

 

• Mark O’Brien presented the 2019 calendar for review. Anne O’Connell made a motion, seconded by Dave Valcourt, to approve the 2019 calendar as presented.

 

Master Planning:

 

• Nothing to discuss at this time, but we will keep this on the agenda.

Spring Member’s Social Event:

 

• John Piemontese reported that he, Anne O’Connell and Carl Blanchard met with Sean and Zack from the Freemans Grill and they are on board with the idea of this event. Sean and Zack also indicated that in 2018 they exceeded their projections, will be revising their menus based on what they have learned this year and are planning some capital improvements to the bathrooms, banquet room and restaurant area. These include painting, update mirrors in the rest rooms, curtains in the pavilion, new ceiling fan in the restaurant, as well as several other projects. These are all being done in communication with Mark O’Brien and are being well received.

Future Agenda Items:

 

• FY2020 budget
• Member retention
• Bird houses

 

Topics the Chair did not reasonably anticipate

 

• It was agreed that Carl Blanchard would take the minutes for the next meeting.

 

Review and Approve Minutes

 

• Carl Blanchard made a motion to approve the minutes of the 11/13/18 meeting as printed. Anne O’Connell seconded. Motion approved 6-0-0.

 

Adjourn

 

• Anne O’Connell made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Carl Blanchard. Motion approved 6-0-0. Meeting adjourned at 12:22 pm.

 

The next meeting of the Brewster Golf Commission will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 4:00 pm at

The Captains Golf Course.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Mark O’Brien

Director of Operations