Golf carts point of contention at Parks meeting
EL DORADO — Tensions arose during an El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission meeting on Friday, prompting the city’s golf professional to walk out at one point.
“Un-freaking-believable!” Mike Hoelzer, Lions Club Municipal Golf Club golf pro, muttered incredulously as he left the Council Chamber in City Hall.
Hoelzer walked out during a discussion about how the city plans to proceed with golf course operations as the expiration date nears for Hoelzer’s contract with the city.
He grew visibly frustrated when the discussion turned toward the golfcart fleet at Lions Club and walked out of the room.
“One thing about golf pros — they tend to be temperamental,” Mayor Frank Hash said.
In Janaury, the commission voted against renewing the contract, opting instead to hire a manager for Lions Club to help cut costs at the facility, which had operated in the red for years and reportedly sustained a loss of $170,000 last year
For much of 2016, city officials talked about the need to find ways to boost revenue to make the golf course break even, at the least.
Though Lions Club remained under-budget for the year, revenue was down significantly due to a decrease in play.
Hoelzer’s contract expires on March 31.
On Friday, newly elected chairman Ken Goudy said Robert Edmonds, director of public works, had presented a proposal to lease 30 new golf carts for Lions Club.
When a question arose about the existing fleet of 40 carts that is under lease by Hoelzer, Edmonds said, “I don’t know if that’s a lease you want to be in.”
In late 2015, the El Dorado City Council and the commission approved an amendment to Hoelzer’s contract that allowed him to purchase the city’s then-aging fleet of golf carts and lease 40 new carts for Lions Club.
At the time, the commission said golf-cart rentals had generated $61,000 in revenue for the year, but the city had spent $52,000 to repair the 10-year-old golf carts throughout the year.
Hoelzer said Friday that he entered into the deal upon the assurance that the city would take over the lease for the new carts if he left Lions Club for any reason.
“There’s nothing in writing. Before we do that, we can get a better rate on new carts,” Edmonds said.
Forty-two months is left on the lease for the existing fleet, with monthly payments of $3,017 for a total cost of $36,000.
He then asked Hoelzer who promised him that the city would take over the lease in the event that he left Lions Club before the lease was paid out.
Former commission chairman Sandy Sanford negotiated the contract on behalf of the city, Hoelzer said.
Sanford was not present during the meeting. Hoelzer, who had left the room when Edmonds expressed a preference for leasing new carts, but returned a short time later and participated in the discussion while standing in the doorway, asked, “What am I supposed to do with the 40 carts I’ve got?”
Hoelzer said he had been in contact with Sanford about submitting a written statement regarding the arrangement.
“I was told to make sure that the city could assume the lease, and I did that,” Hoelzer said.
Sanford later told the News-Times that he expects to prepare a letter for Hoelzer by Monday.
Sanford explained that before the commission approved the contract amendment in 2015, he spoke to Hash about the matter, and Hash said the city would need to be able to assume the golf-cart lease if Hoelzer left Lions Club.
“It was kind of a big deal to get the company to include the city in the lease, but they did it,” Sanford said.
He said the issue now hinges on the wording that was included in the contract revision.
“When I re-wrote the agreement, I wrote the city ‘can’ instead of ‘will,’” Sanford said.
“The whole spirit of negotiations was for the city to take over the lease because if Mike left, the city could need the golf carts anyway, ” he continued. “I hope the city does the right thing and works out a deal to take over that lease. Whether the city does the right thing should not be based on wording.”
Hoelzer, who came aboard as Lions Club pro in April 2014, said he would not have taken such a risk in leasing the golf carts without a commitment from the city to assume the lease if he left Lions Club for any reason.
He said worked out terms in which the city would not have to pay for repairs and would be responsible only for covering the $36,000 lease, which is scheduled to be paid in full in a year and a half.
Hoelzer expressed concern about his financial future if the city does not take over the lease for the golf carts, saying that he plans to move back to Houston, where he lived prior to moving to El Dorado, and go into semi-retirement.
“I don’t roll the dice like that. Now, I might have to file for bankruptcy … I am going to lose everything I’ve worked for,” Hoelzer said. “I just want the city to live up to the agreement.”
During the meeting, Edmonds said he was putting together a plan. including a job description, to hire a new manager for Lions Club.
He said he expects to present a draft to parks and playgrounds commissioners at their next regular meeting on March 28.
Hash asked if the position had been advertised, and Edmonds said, “By the time they have their next regular meeting, that’ll all be worked out.”
Hash also asked if there is essential items that the city needed to purchase to stock the pro shop.
Goudy and Edmonds agreed that tees, balls and gloves are definite “shelf items” that would be needed in the shop.
Commissioners and city officials agreed that some part-time may also be needed inside the pro shop.
The commission requested a list of the various fees at Lions Club for review.
Goudy was elected chairman in light of David Hurst stepping down from the position. Commissioner Alexis Alexander said Hurst will still serve on the EPPC.