Commissioners Present: Anne O’Connell (Chair), Andrea Johnson (Vice-Chair), Rob David, John Kissida, Wyn Morton, Jeff Odell and David Valcourt.
Others Present: Jay Packett (Director of Operations), Colin Walsh (Superintendent), Rob Harris (CCMGA) Peggy McEvoy (Friends of Captains), Bill Meehan (Finance Committee Liaison), Dave Whitney (Selectboard Liaison)
THIS MEETING WAS HELD REMOTELY WITH AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDED. The meeting may be viewed at: https://reflect-brewster-ma.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/6351?channel=1
Anne O’Connell called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm after reading remote meeting guidelines and procedures.
Declaration of a Quorum – All Golf Commissioners present and accounted for which constitutes a quorum.
Public Comment –
FY2024 Budget Draft (Jay Packett) – The FY 24 budget was discussed, with the deadline for the final submission being on Friday, January 6. A meeting with the finance team consisting of Peter, Donna, Jay, and Colin will be held on Monday, January 9, to go over each individual line item and make any necessary tweaks before the final submission. Negotiations for the next CBA between the SEIU and OPEIU unions are ongoing and may result in an updated number for the COLA increase or cost of living adjustment increase. There was a discussion on the part-time and seasonal wages for maintenance and pro shop workers, with a total of $208,288 allocated for part-time wages and $310,252 for seasonal workers in FY 24. The Captains is looking to get back to full staffing levels and increase seasonal staff by 10% to improve customer service. Currently, the FY 23 budget for part-time and seasonal workers is only $518,000, which may be a possible issue moving forward since the number of workers required is over $543,000. There was also a discussion about overtime, with a little over $42,000 spent in the first half of FY 23. The total budget for the coming year was still being worked on and will be presented before the Select Board and Finance Committee for approval. No decisions were made in this meeting. Discussion followed on wages.
Jay Packett continued by speaking on general expenses for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 24). He presented a document created by Colin Walsh outlining vendor and sales rep input on expense increases. The bottom line showed a little over a 9.5% increase, but no adjustments have been made since the meeting. Certain expenses, such as rubbish removal and sanitation, repair and maintenance equipment, seed and sod, fungicides, and credit card expenses, were discussed as items that are likely to go up regardless of budget planning. Jay Packett will need to complete increased rationale forms for expenses over $1000. No decisions were made during the meeting. Colin Walsh discussed the repair equipment budget, which is increasing from $88,000 to $95,000. Most of their equipment is from Toro, supplied through a vendor in Enfield, Connecticut called Turf Products Corporation. The speaker explains that the vendor has a sole license agreement with Toro to distribute in the Northeast and can charge whatever they want. They have seen upwards of a 64% increase for common parts, and there is no other place to go for them. Colin Walsh suggested that they may need to investigate other equipment manufacturers in the future.
Jay Packett reviewed the “other expenses” section of the budget, which includes a $10,000 increase in Pro Shop purchases due to the high cost of goods and the hiring of a new staff member. They also mention an upcoming demo day event and the need for funds to purchase merchandise. Indirect costs have stayed level except for retirement, which went up due to an employee retiring. Overall, the budget is looking for just under $375,000 in “other expenses”, which is an 8.8% increase from the previous year, but less than the previous year’s increase, which was in the double digits. The speaker invites feedback from Bill and Dave. Bill Meehan noted he personally supported the budget Dave W. noted it was a very responsible and well backed up budget. Anne O’Connell suggested holding off on endorsing the budget until it’s finalized at the January 24 meeting.
Meeting Format Changes 3/1/23 (Anne O’Connell) – The Select Board voted to have all committees, boards and commissions go back to in-person meeting attendance with members of the public allowed to attend in person starting with meetings in March. Anne O’Connell advised that if someone can’t attend in person, the meeting chair needs to be informed to ensure that a physical quorum is present.
Update On-Going Projects
Update FY23 HVAC Project (Jeff Odell) – Jeff Odell provided an update on the HVAC project. The equipment for the project had arrived and the work was scheduled to begin. One critical piece of equipment had an eight-week lead time, but it had already arrived. The project was on schedule, with the only concern being the mid-April completion date, which the contractor’s thought was pessimistic. They believed they could complete the project sooner than that. The only equipment they were concerned about was the supplemental air equipment for the kitchen, which may be the last piece to arrive. However, it wouldn’t prevent the kitchen from opening as the vent system would draw ambient air from the rest of the building until the equipment was installed. The contractors were optimistic about their ability to complete the project on time.
Jay Packett reported that there is a lot of optimism regarding the progress of the restaurant renovation project. The final piece of equipment needed, a makeup air unit, is expected to arrive in February or March and will take only a day or day and a half to install. Any necessary ductwork and electrical work will be completed beforehand. A contractor has been hired to install a new window to accommodate the unit’s installation, which will take four to six weeks to arrive. The boiler downstairs is already installed, and work is being done on the piping. The lead technician has been working hard and Lou Moreno is involved in ensuring full access for the renovation team.
Update Maintenance Facilities Study (Colin Walsh) – Colin Walsh reports that there are two qualified firms, Catalyst Architects and Weston and Sampson, interested in undertaking their analysis within the budget of $20,000. He has shared this information with John, Dave, and Rob David to get their input. Both firms have experience in the municipal sector, with Catalyst having a good history with the town of Brewster and Weston and Sampson having a vast portfolio of DPW projects throughout the state and much of New England. There has been no final decision made yet, and no contract has been signed. Colin Walsh recommends pushing the design phase to the fall as it would be a better time given the time crunch to complete the documents for the design proposal. Donna is ready to notify both firms as soon as they are ready with the name. Jay Packett confirmed it had been delayed to the fall of FY24. Discussion on the projects continued.
Peggy McEvoy (Friends of Captains) – Friends of the captains had their first meeting of the new year and were excited about the 282 people who opened the newsletter and Dave Valcourt’s letter. They also collected money for the lower Cape outreach Council and Cindy Bingham donated her time to build birdhouses. Ross Gorman is planning a contest for anyone to find a bird in a birdhouse and take a picture of it. They are hoping to get people to do perennial gardens in two different locations and are looking for other suggestions for projects. The Friends of Captains are also looking for volunteers to run the tournament and membership chairs. Peggy McEvoy noted they appreciate the help of those who have spread the word and wish everyone a happy new year.
Other Strategic Planning Updates (Commission) – Anne O’Connell noted there is a list included in the packet and wanted to see if anyone could identify anything missed before drafting and editing. John Kissida noted the most important detail was the significant fee increases, and that it is important to show that the money is being spent on capital projects (window and door, appliances for Freeman’s grill, pump station protection, maintenance building study, and pathway improvements) to show that their increased fees are being put to work. Discussion followed on the topic.
Driving Range Instructional Building Renovation (Jeff Odell) – Jeff Odell noted that the needs of the Professional Staff and Colin Walsh must be taken care of first before other enhancements to the range can happen. Jeff Odell noted the driving range has capital money set aside for teaching facilities, and that there is a full set of photographs of the building as is. He noted the wind pressure in the building has begun to separate the sidewalk from the rest of the structure, and that it is essential to build a sidewall on the front of the building to help tie the sidewall into the roof structure. Jeff Odell spoke on the proposal Dave Villandry created for an enclosed teaching facility that would be top of the line. Jeff Odell further discussed the options for this project and noted a simulator is not part of the costing, but Dave Villandry would like to see it done with outside money. Additionally, there are capital appropriations being made to address the needs of the Driving Range for the hitting areas, the fencing, etc. Jeff Odell noted this is a future project. David Villandry will be meeting in person to go over the plan in detail. Jeff Odell thanked Dave Villandry, and everyone involved who put together the blueprint/proposal.
Maintenance Position: Responsibilities and Projects (Jay Packett) – Jay Packett noted that Lou Moreno was hired by the Town of Brewster, the golf department as their facilities manager. He works a Tuesday through Saturday schedule, and his number one job is to clean the restrooms. He has also put weather covers over all the outdoor electrical plugs and upgraded the restrooms at Port number 10. He is looking to get more done this winter. Jay Packett noted he has replaced multiple boards on the rear deck outside of the pavilion, as well as the back staircase that leads out of the pro shop to the putting green and the cart barn area. He has also attended multiple meetings to discuss the HVAC system, windows and doors upgrade, and leaks in some of the restroom facilities. He is aware of vendors and handles them on his own, scheduling them at a time where he can meet with them and explain everything that’s going on. He was instrumental in getting AC units installed and has done a lot of behind-the-scenes work, such as bringing up bids and annual inspections. The stairway leading to the basement underneath the pro shop has been stripped of tile floor and new tiles are being installed. The basement is clean and organized, and the skeleton crew is working to keep it that way. Jay Packett continued to note all that Lou Moreno has handled so far and will handle as his time with Captain’s progresses.
Golf Course Questions and Concerns – None
Questions and Comments from Associations and Liaisons – None
Future Agenda Items and Meetings (1/24) – Anne O’Connell noted she would not be attending the next meeting.
Matters not anticipated by the Chair: None
A motion to adjourn was made by Rob David, seconded by John Kissida, to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed unanimously. The Meeting was adjourned at 5:30 pm.