City administration will meet with Hillcrest and Lynbrook golf courses to attempt to hammer out a new deal for irrigation services, something that has eluded all parties for the past three years.
During a budget meeting in 2017, city council authorized administration to negotiate a water supply renewal agreement with Lynbrook Golf Course that established a rate structure increase on a cost-plus basis, while administration was also tasked with investigating the water supply operations at Hillcrest Golf Course.
A one-year agreement was provided in 2018 to Lynbrook to align its agreement expiration with Hillcrest, according to a city council report. This kick-started the process of evaluating cost recovery features for the irrigation service. However, neither golf course accepted the municipality’s cost proposal.
Communication with both golf courses on this issue began again earlier this year, said the report, which was presented during council’s Nov. 25 executive committee meeting.
Council voted 6-1 to table the recommendation until city administration meets with both groups; Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed.
Background
The municipality asked the golf courses to work together to determine a mutually agreeable share of expenses to facilitate the new agreement versus city administration assigning a cost, said the report.
The municipality cannot determine the water usage at the two golf courses since water is pumped from Snowdy Springs to a small open reservoir at Britannia Park, which is then pumped into Spring Creek on Thatcher Drive, the report continued. Both golf courses can then access that water.
To keep Snowdy Springs and Britannia Park in operation and to supply water to the golf courses, the City of Moose Jaw spent $31,364.43 in 2018, $27,219.73 two years ago and $11,618.22 three years ago. The three-year average was $26,316.73.
The report to council suggested both golf courses share that three-year average and each pays $13,158.37 for 2019. In 2020, however, based on an increase in the three-year average, each would pay $16,500.
Council discussion
It’s important to have this face-to-face meeting to ensure all the information is on the table and everyone is on the same page, said city manager Jim Puffalt. City administration might have to come back and say the deal that has been struck is the best that could be reached. However, it still wants the opportunity to attempt to reach an agreement. A meeting is scheduled in the next few weeks.
“I agree with having a face-to-face meeting. Email conversations never work well,” said Coun. Scott McMann. “It wouldn’t have taken two years if we had sat down with these people.”
McMann added that when this report comes back to council, he would also like some indication about what the municipality does to irrigate other fields, especially sports fields. He wanted to ensure the municipality was treating all sports organizations fairly.
Council gave approval to Hillcrest two weeks ago for it to pursue upgrades to its clubhouse, pointed out Swanson. He didn’t understand why that was so easy while these negotiations are so difficult. He thought the two could have been packaged together since that seemed like a sound strategy.
The two projects are not tied together and are separate, so withholding approval for one project while working on another initiative is not a fair way to negotiate, said Puffalt.
Coun. Chris Warren said he was confused since he thought council had directed administration to negotiate a new contract in 2017. He also thought costs for repairs to infrastructure, such as pipelines and pumps, would be included in the agreements.
The cost operating agreement is the main area on which the engineering department is focusing, said Puffalt. Capital infrastructure components will be separate projects when those upgrades occur.
The next executive committee meeting is Dec. 9.
