Golf Commission

Commissioners Present: Anne O’Connell (Chair), Carl Blanchard, Jeff Odell, Wyn Morton, and Dave Valcourt. John Kissida and Andrea Johnson were absent.

 

Others Present: Mark O’Brien (Director of Golf Operations), Jay Packett (Assistant Operations Manager), Peter Lombardi (Town Administrator), Dave Whitney (Select Board liaison), Bill Meehan (Fin Comm. Liaison), Bill O’Brien (CCMGA), Donna Potts (Women’s 9-Hole Assn.), Paige Ferraguto (Women’s 18-Hole Assn.), Gerri Carlin, (President Friends of Captains) and Orin Segall.

 

This meeting was held at the Brewster Town Hall and was televised. The meeting can be viewed at http://video.brewster-ma.gov/CablecastPublicSite/show/4651?channel=1

 

 

Call to Order: Anne O’Connell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

 

Public Comment:

 

• Gerri Carlin reviewed the upcoming “Burn the Bond” party which will be held on May 9 from 5-7 p.m. at the Pavilion and be limited to 150 people.  There will be a sign-up sheet at the bar.

 

General Announcements:

 

• Jeff Odell reported on his attendance at the golf show in western Massachusetts on Saturday.

 

Correspondence and Suggestion Box:

 

• Wyn Morton reported nothing in the suggestion box and no correspondence.

 

Director of Operations Report:

 

• Mark O’Brien has been asked to change the Sean Gannon Tournament date to June 11 and thanked the Ladies 9-Hole Association for rescheduling their tee times.
• At the request of the 18-Hole Ladies Association the Soldheim Cup has been scheduled for the afternoon of September 2. There will be about 40 players.
• The Men’s Association has asked for some flexibility in their block time in order to accommodate some of the players. Discussion followed.
• Memberships are up because of the 2-year deadline: there are 339 members as of today as opposed to 90 last year.  Discussion followed.  There will be more data at the next meeting.

 

 

• The financial reports were discussed. The increase in the administrative part-time wages is due to the increase in the minimum wage; there has been a cut-back of 10% in man hours.  Revenues are up from last year as are play totals.

 

• Some part-time help will be starting next week.
• The new carts should be coming the end of this month or the first week in April.
• The grounds crew is working on filling in the sink hole on Port #8. Discussion followed.
• Aeration will be starting the first week in April.

 

Superintendent Search:

 

• The search for a superintendent has been started and advertised with the Cape Cod, New England and Rhode Island Superintendents’ Associations; the deadline is March 27. A search committee has been formed including Mark O’Brien, Susan Broderick from Town Hall, David Whitney from the Selectboard, John Kissida and a woman yet to be named.  Work on this will be started at the end of the month when the resumes are in.  In the meantime, the crew is doing a great job thanks to Tom Flynn and Dwight Wiggin.  They are prepared and able to take on the upcoming aeration project.  Some of the seasonal help will be back at that time and will be able to assist.

 

Indirect Costs:

 

• The meeting with Peter Lombardi has been postponed. Anne O’Connell asked for any items needing to be reviewed when this meeting takes place such as indirect costs being incurred when other town departments use the Pavilion.

 

Solar Project:

 

•  The study is done.  Eversource will not release any information pending payment by GE.  Peter Lombardi reviewed the pending process.

 

Strategic Planning Meeting:

 

• Anne O’Connell is waiting to hear from the commission as to what non-commission meeting dates they would be available for this meeting.
• Wyn Morton provided hand-outs delineating suggestions from Jen of Kain-Defoe Communications regarding further marketing plans.  Discussion followed.

 

Review and Approve Minutes:

 

• A motion was made by Carl Blanchard, seconded by Wyn Morton, to approve the minutes of the last meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

 

• Future Agenda Items:

 

• Update on memberships.
• Recycling.
• Strategic planning.

 

 

 

Topics the Chair did not reasonably anticipate:

 

Carl Blanchard made a motion, seconded by Wyn Morton, to adjourn the meeting. The motion was approved 5-0-0. The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Dorothy Vesperman, Department Assistant