Municipal Golf Enterprise Resources Cancel The title field is required!

1. Heath Puckett

   

   0 posts
   
   2/2/2012 5:02 PM

   I am trying find information regarding the setup, organizational hierarchy, staffing and budget numbers, goals, operations, rates, etc. of a self-supporting 18-hole municipal golf facility. Maintenance budgets would be helpful, but what I'm really looking for is overall operation facts and figures. If anyone has any info they would be willing to share, or can point me toward some useful resources, please let me know. My email address is: hpcgcs@gmail.com
   
   Thank you.

   
   
   
   
2. Wahlin Scott B

   
   2/3/2012 6:02 AM

   Most (maybe all?) municipalities post all of their budgets, meeting minutes, etc. online in order to communicate with their constituents. The biggest difference I have seen between private and municipal is in procurement. This is also the area that bashers of government like to point to because it does slow down reaction time, unless of course it a justifiable emergency in which case you can move ahead like anyone else. If your new employer offers a pension, this is a very good thing. You will probably also be eligible to participate in a 457b plan which is superior in my opinion to a 401k.

   
   
   
   
3. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   2/6/2012 12:02 PM

   Heath,
   
   These comments are based upon not really knowing how your current facility operates. It also depends on how much you will be absorbed into the traditional municipal sector or will you be treated as an enterprise fund that acts more like an independent business.
   
   One of the first things to consider is how your staff will be treated in regards to other city employees as far as pay or benefits go. If they will now be part of a different pay and benefit system it could be quite expensive and may mean a lot of your programs will have to go away if you want to balance the budget. You may also be subject to a whole bunch of new purchasing rules and requirements that may change your ability to negotiate with vendors, require you to set up purchase orders with certain companies, or even work with different contractors because of various new insurance requirements etc. to have them at your facility.
   
   You may also have different rules on hiring, firing or employee discipline to deal with. Again, be patient but know that changing hiring decisions may be harder to deal with if the employee is a problem down the road. It may take some time and patience to deal with employee issues. It may also take 3-6 months to replace an employee that leaves.
   
   I can guarantee that in most cases nothing happens fast in the municipal environment and there is a whole lot more paperwork to do. You need to plan most major purchases well in advance. You'll also need to learn to be patient and work your way through the process. In most cases the benefits and job security you get are well worth dealing with the process you have to work within.

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
4. Robert Crockett

   

   4 posts
   
   2/9/2012 4:02 PM

   Gary Carls, CGCS said: Heath,
   
   These comments are based upon not really knowing how your current facility operates. It also depends on how much you will be absorbed into the traditional municipal sector or will you be treated as an enterprise fund that acts more like an independent business.
   
   One of the first things to consider is how your staff will be treated in regards to other city employees as far as pay or benefits go. If they will now be part of a different pay and benefit system it could be quite expensive and may mean a lot of your programs will have to go away if you want to balance the budget. You may also be subject to a whole bunch of new purchasing rules and requirements that may change your ability to negotiate with vendors, require you to set up purchase orders with certain companies, or even work with different contractors because of various new insurance requirements etc. to have them at your facility.
   
   You may also have different rules on hiring, firing or employee discipline to deal with. Again, be patient but know that changing hiring decisions may be harder to deal with if the employee is a problem down the road. It may take some time and patience to deal with employee issues. It may also take 3-6 months to replace an employee that leaves.
   
   I can guarantee that in most cases nothing happens fast in the municipal environment and there is a whole lot more paperwork to do. You need to plan most major purchases well in advance. You'll also need to learn to be patient and work your way through the process. In most cases the benefits and job security you get are well worth dealing with the process you have to work within.

   
   Definitely Patience.....These people are like robots...lol....The golf dept.here is not an integral part of the City system e.g. Street,Gas,Landfill,etc. More like a Redheaded step-child.....Education is key and their Faith in your ability as an integral part of recreation. I have a great Finance Director for the city I'm with....I tell her the City is like the IRS and if I can find a loop hole in this system I will use it to the benefit of this course. We have a CAP...Community Assistance Program Tournament here at the course and it's growing every year. It's great for the Community in general and My superiors love it too. Some Municipalities are also Subsidized by the tax payer too. But you can get access to Municipal Budgets....Find one that's meets the demographics in your area

   
   
   
   
5. Wahlin Scott B

   
   2/9/2012 7:02 PM

   I will say something else too that is different. Things that are civil matters in the private sector are criminal matters in the public sector. Just one example, but there are many. If accepting a gift from someone you are doing business with can be construed as a bribe, it will be and you will be arrested. It is not up to the club board to determine what to do, in our case it is the state attorney. This can be as simple as a fishing trip.

   
   
   
   
6. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   2/10/2012 10:02 AM

   You're right Scott.
   
   Our instructions are that if I receive a gift that can't be returned it's supposed to be taken to the Finance department and they will make sure it gets to an appropriate charity. I also remember when I first started here being told that my golf shirt with the Scotts logo on the sleeve should not be worn because of the logo. Been turned down on requests at least 4 times to go to the program at Farmlinks for similar reasons.
   
   It can be a bit strange to understand at times because many things could actually benefit our golf programs but that's what the rules are. Just completed my annual Statement of Economic Interest yesterday that lists any financial interest (stock, etc) I might have in local companies so I don't show favoritism.

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
7. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   2/10/2012 1:02 PM

   I remember doing that in New Jersey, for some reason we don't have to do anything like that here.
   
   We do have a little leeway with purchasing, we should but are not required to get 3 phone bids until it gets to $2000, then we are required to have phone bids. Also we do bid items out on a regular contract, but we don't put everything in to allow us some flexibility when it comes to specialty fertilizers such as foliars.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO