A final solution?
Is the Ontario Golf Course up for sale? Sure looks like it

By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Friday, September 19, 2008 10:49 AM PDT

KATIE PIZZA | ARGUS OBSERVER Treasure Valley Community College head coach for men and women’s golf, Chuck Tate tees off at the Ontario Golf Course’s driving range, situated at 1345 Golf Course Road in Ontario. Tate, who previously managed the course, expressed his support for the city’s plan to sell the course to an outside business, which City Council member Bruce Tuttle discussed at the council work session Thursday.

Ontario—The Ontario City Council heard details about a proposal to sell the Ontario Golf Course to an out-of-state private business, expressed informal support of the Ontario School District’s bond resolution and planned to create a resolution in support of the creation of the Ontario Library District at its work session Thursday afternoon.

The unknown business looking to possibly purchase the course will most likely seek some kind of extended charter.

“They’re going to want a long-term lease,” Ontario City Councilman Bruce Tuttle said. “We put zero dollars in and we get zero dollars out.”

Tuttle said he plans to meet with the business either in late September or early October.

He also said he expects the out-of-state business to take soil samples from the grounds, situated at 1345 Golf Course Road in Ontario.

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“It’s still in the mills,” he said.

Tuttle said the business would “take it over” and  Ontario City Manager Henry Lawrence would soon be involved in the talks when the business representatives come to town. Mayor Joe Dominick said he believed this plan would not include the sprinkler system, which the city is still paying off.

“I don’t think they are going to want to take that over,” Tuttle said.

Tuttle said he believed the business would favor a long-term lease “because it’s going to be awhile before they could get any money out of this.” If the business does take over, Tuttle said, its representatives discussed improvements such as lighting the driving range.

“I’m very optimistic,” he said of the potential purchase. “They’ve done this 100 times or better.”

Treasure Valley Community College head coach for men and women’s Golf, Chuck Tate, who was not at the meeting, also expressed optimism about the purchase. He said he believed the company would succeed.

“They have a formula,” he said. “They will be able to do that same thing.”

Tuttle also said another point of discussion would involve the newly-purchased golf carts.

“A lot of the equipment they’ll tell us to put on eBay,” he said. “But a lot of the newer equipment they’ll take a look at.”

Tuttle also said the future of golf course manager Mark Copley was also up in the air.

“I talked to the company rep to see if they would be interested in hiring Mark,” he said, adding that Copley knows a great deal about the course, such as valve placements. However, he said he did not think Copley would retain his manager position if added to the undisclosed company’s force.

Council members also expressed informal support for the Ontario School District’s bond measure which, if passed, would give the school district $18.5 million dollars to fund facility improvements. The $18.5 million bond is based on approximately $1.49 per $1,000 of property value.

“It’s a good plan,” Dominick said. “We talked about it. It’s a good plan.”

Dominick said he especially liked the slated facade improvements to the high school science wing.

“That’s all I get asked,” he said. “Is ‘When are you going to fix the high school?’” The resolution in support of the bond was written by Ontario City Councilman Dan Cummings since city staff are not permitted to draft recommendations for items that will be on future ballots.

“Because it’s on the ballot,” Lawrence said. “We can’t spend public resources on it.”

However, Tuttle recommended City Attorney Larry Sullivan review the document.

“I don’t think there is any reason Larry can’t look at it,” Tuttle said.

Lawrence said Sullivan would review the resolution.

In other recommendations, Cummings and Ontario City Councilman John Gaskill agreed to draft a resolution in support of the proposed Ontario Library District. However, Cummings said he was under the impression the council had given its informal support for the ballot item at a previous council meeting.

“I think it was the consensus ‘Yeah, go for it,’” Tuttle said. The council also heard from Ontario resident Charlie Chapin, who expressed his continued concern with van-accessible disabled parking. Chapin asserted disabled drivers often park in spaces that are only to be utilized by those who are wheelchair bound. Chapin recommended volunteers take pictures of the offending vehicles and send them to the police department for citations.

“Once you start,” he said. “People won’t be so brave.”