Council delays action on golf course eatery
Body’s 4-2 vote to deny new lease flagged by assistant city attorney
The already convoluted and contentious battle over a new lease to operate a clubhouse restaurant for the city-owned Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe golf course verged into surreal territory during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
After a 90-minute discussion in which councilors expressed their discomfort with a procurement process that has been plagued by a pair of protests, as well as accusations of plagiarism and possible bias, the short-handed council voted 4-2 to nix the prospective contract with El Sabor, a restaurant vendor that city staff had rated higher than the existing leaseholder, The Links Bar & Grill.
Councilors simultaneously voted to direct staff to reissue the request for proposals to serve food and drinks at the municipal course, essentially moving to restart the process from scratch.
But, hours later, Assistant City Attorney Marcos Martinez pointed out that the council needed five votes to take action one way or another on a contract matter.
A second lengthy discussion commenced, this one over parliamentary procedures and what the limited council’s 4-2 vote actually meant.
“What we know is no contract was approved,” Martinez said. “That’s clear. I think.”
Not in attendance were Mayor Javier Gonzales and Councilor Ron Trujillo, whose absences were excused but not explained, and Councilor Renee Villarreal, who was tending to a sick relative in Albuquerque.
Ultimately, the council decided to postpone the item to its Feb. 28 meeting. No contract was awarded and no direction to staff was given.
One councilor who was against the original motion to deny the contract bemoaned the tortured process.
“At this point, I don’t know why anyone would want to do business with the city,” said Councilor Chris Rivera. “We’ve made quite a large mess of this one.”
An amendment to the existing lease with The Links Bar & Grill would extend its tenancy on a month-to-month basis through March, a city staffer said.