The Britt City Council and Mayor Jim Nelson have been entertaining the idea of selling the Britt Golf Course. The city purchased the course and clubhouse in 2020 as a means to keep the course going. Councilman Curt Gast explained that the city had to pay off a substantial debt to keep the course viable.
Britt City Clerk Elizabeth Ibarra explained that there was one last payment on the debt to be made on July 7th.
Golfers on the course say the irrigation system, greens and fairways are in desperate need of repair and have worsened over the years while the city has owned it. According to the current lease agreement between the city and the non-profit golf course board, the city is obligated for large scale repairs and to make improvements to the infrastructure, structural aspects of the buildings, and the irrigation system. The non-profit golf course board (lessee) is responsible for the day-to-day operations, supplies and maintenance. Patrons of the golf course who attended the recent city council meeting say the city has not fulfilled their end of the contract.
Other residents echoed the problem as they saw it.
A few golf course donors have inquired about getting their donations back, including one at the meeting, as they have not seen the city make the necessary contractual repairs. Many patrons have even held off from renewing their golf course membership, as a number of citizens admitted at the meeting.
It was noted at the meeting by Britt City Administrator Elizabeth Ibarra, that former Mayor Ryan Arndorfer continued to remove the non-profit golf course board updates from the agenda last year, despite ongoing repairs needed to the course and buildings. It is unclear, however, as to why the two city council representatives on the golf course board did not bring the golf course issues up at those regular monthly council meetings. Britt Golf Course Board President Angie Hinton said the council was notified many times about the issues, and although the golf course board didn’t always have regular monthly meetings last year after September, they did have a final one in December with only two non-city council people in attendance.
According to Hinton, the restaurant’s walk-in freezer is currently in need of repair at an estimated cost of $6,700, while the greens and irrigation system are expected to cost more than $50,ooo. There are numerous building repairs needed as well.
Hinton and her partner Matt Vaske have offered to purchase the property and turn it into a privately-owned golf course, but it is up to the city council on whether that sale will take place.
The majority of the audience were in favor of a potential sale. Britt City Councilperson Angela Nelson asked the golf course board their opinions on whether or not the city should sell, followed with an audience member concurring.
Golf course board members Jamie Hagen and Jake Gear voice their approval of a potential sale that they feel would give the course a better future for the citizens of Britt.
Prior to the end of the meeting, there was talk from golf course board members not in favor of the board renewing its lease agreement with the city, which would need to be renewed no later than April 1, 2024. The city council adjourned with plans to meet again next week.
