Golf course is being mismanaged

Regarding your article of Nov. 27, “Chelan looks for ways to bring golf course out of the hole,” Chelan Mayor Bob Goedde and the City Council is ignoring the input given to them in writing by numerous golfers in the Chelan area. Otherwise you would have heard many of the problems that we golfers see regarding golf course management.

When the city put the golf course under the management of the Parks Department, revenues changed little but expenses grew. The golf course superintendent is now responsible for managing all of the parks, which reduces his attention to the golf course maintenance considerably. However, his salary is considered a golf course expense. Additionally, the golf course has three other full-time employees who spend considerable time doing functions for the parks that include snow removal, fall cleanup, etc.

There is no cost collection system in place to allow proper charging of man hours or, I doubt, equipment purchases. If charges were made properly, the golf course would not be losing money. Just the man-hour mischarges are enough to make up for a supposed $40,000 loss last year. It should be noted that before the golf course was put under the Parks Department there was no golf course deficit.

It is time for the City Council to request a full audit of the Parks Department by an independent group to determine proper accountability of the department.

Don Mollet

Chelan