The Finance Committee of the Blytheville City Council held a special meeting Tuesday afternoon and approved $35,000 in expenditures to once again extend funding for Thunder Bayou Golf Links (TB), this time through April 30. If approved by the full council Wednesday afternoon, this extension will bring the total expenditures for TB from Jan. 1 through April 30 to $154,000.
Councilman Kevin Snow addressed the committee and proposed that the committee approve funding through the end of August. Snow said that "about 75 percent of golf season happens between now and the end of August."
Snow also took a "budget plan," prepared by the Facilities Board, for the months of January through August that estimated expenditures at $415,335, including $198,600 in personnel, $4,300 in supplies and $213,435 in operations expenses. Snow then, while looking at both last year's numbers and this year's actuals, suggested that the golf course could lower its budget by $36,500 in personnel expenses, $17,000 in chemicals, $7,580 in costs of concessions, $1,500 in resale inventory, $1,800 in building maintenance and $23,8l75 in equipment leases for a total additional cut of $88,355.
"I have read the leases and there is a non-allocation clause in it," Snow said.
Snow added that if the additional cuts are made, the actual amount needed to fund TB through August would be $327,980. Then projecting that TB could receive 75 percent of actual 2015 revenues by August 31, leaving a net cost to the city budget of $147,980.
Snow then compared that total to what is already approved for the other four departments within Parks and Recreation: "Parks and Pools" $238,000, "Delta Gateway Museum" $72,706.40, "Ritz Civic Center" $45,000 and the "Sportsplex" $142,513.
When all five departments are added together, using Snow's figures, the total expenditure for Parks and Recreation would be $646,199.40. That would leave a surplus of $36,080.60 for Parks and Recreation, if the city receives the $682,280 in projected revenues from the Parks and Recreation Sales Tax. After explaining his findings, Snow then made a motion that the committee approve funding through August for TB.
"I know I won't get a second, but I just want it on the record," Snow said.
The motion did die for lack of a second.
Councilman John Musgraves then made a motion that financing be approved for TB for the month of April. Committee Chairman Stan Parks seconded the motion.
The full city council will meet Wednesday at 4:30 to decide whether to amend the city budget by extending TB funding through April.
Once again numerous questions were asked of the committee by members of the audience. The committee was asked if they knew when the state's decision would be made known. Committee members did not know. Another question was "if the state says you can repurpose it, is it a done deal, the golf course is gone or do you guys have to vote on it". Snow said that the council could vote against repurposing if they had the votes, to which the audience said "so it goes back on you all then, thanks".
thenry@blythevillecourier.com