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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
City golf courses not for sale
Report on links that lose money nixes concept
The proposed sale of city-owned golf courses is off the table at city hall, as a long-awaited report into the future of seven financially troubled sets of links calls for the city to hold onto all of them.
Last fall, the city put out an expression of interest to see if anyone wants to purchase or take over the long-term leases of the Canoe Club, Crescent Drive, Harbour View, John Blumberg, Kildonan Park, Tuxedo or Windsor Park golf courses.
City auditors found the courses racked up large debts and suggested Winnipeg sell off some of them or convert them into parks. Winnipeg Golf Services, a city special operating agency, owns 12 public courses in total and loses approximately $1 million a year.
The call for golf-course proposals yielded 73 submissions, including 32 from private companies interesting in leasing a course, said St. James Coun. Scott Fielding, who is chairman of council's alternate service delivery committee, which is responsible for special operating agencies.
Next Friday, his committee is scheduled to consider a report that recommends none of the courses be sold. Instead, it recommends Winnipeg use a process called "managed competition," which involves working with its unions to see if they can provide services for less money than cost estimates submitted by the private sector.
A similar process allowed the city to start up the 311 telephone service, using unionized staff.
Fielding said the city will look at the cost of operating Kildonan, Windsor, Crescent Drive and Harbour View courses under public or private agreements. "Our priority is to fix the troubled golf courses and stop the bleeding," he said Friday.
In the months leading up to the report's release, several community groups voiced concerns the city would sell off some of the properties before considering whether the land could have other public uses or remain green space.
Some of Mayor Sam Katz's critics on council credited this grassroots opposition for convincing the city to shy away from selling any courses. Such a move would require the approval of a two-thirds majority of city council, or 11 out of 16 members.
"They've clearly backed off from a proposal that didn't sit well with a large number of citizens," claimed Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, who maintains the entire purpose of the expression of interest was to sell off city land. "I was surprised how far they retreated."
Daniel McIntyre Coun. Harvey Smith claimed the mayor became gun-shy after council backed away from a plan to hike Winnipeg Transit fares by 25 cents and then failed to endorse a plan to sell off land at The Forks to an Alberta water-park developer.
"The mayor doesn't want to lose. He's been on the losing side of a number of issues lately," Smith said.
Katz dismissed these claims, insisting he made a point of not reviewing any of the submissions and left the recommendations up to city staff. They determined some of the courses could not be sold due to serious riverbank-erosion problems, the mayor said.
Katz did accuse some of his critics of engaging in propaganda by exaggerating the likelihood some courses would be sold. "There are several councillors who will tell you the sky is falling," he said.
Katz also questioned the notion golf courses actually serve as green space, noting the public can not visit them without paying to play golf. He said he would like to see more winter use of the properties.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 1, 2012 0
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