Getting out of the rough… Hampton Golf explains pricing model to City Council during September meeting
Published 3:49 pm Friday, September 11, 2020
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander gets some help from his daughter during Thursday's regular-scheduled September Elizabethton City Council meeting held via Zoom.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton City Councilman Richard Barker listens in during Thursday's meeting.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton City Council Mayor Pro Tem Bill Carter listens to discussion during Thursday's Zoom meeting.
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
The regularly-scheduled September meeting of the Elizabethton City Council took place Thursday via Zoom and figuratively got off to a rough start.
Recent visitors to the Elizabethton Municipal Golf Course encountered differences in green fees that sent a few golfers from the course over confusion over why one golfer had a low rate while another golfer was paying a premium fee.
There were two different instances that impacted 20 golfers.
Administrators of Hampton Golf joined the meeting to help clarify how the new pricing model works and to answer any questions that Council might have had in regard to the way charges are being applied.
“We are using the Pre-Swing pricing model that other courses are using,” said M.G. Orender with Hampton Golf. “The last couple of weeks we have dealt with computer problems and some human error — we had a couple of fumbles.
“I feel confident that those have been addressed and shouldn’t happen again.”
The way the pricing model works is similar to the Travelocity booking platform for travel. An example would be where a golfer may register to play a round of golf five to seven days in advance might get a better rate than someone playing in the same foursome booking the day before due to occupancy or demand for that particular time frame.
Orender also shared that for the first two months of the fiscal year that the golf course is $50,000 ahead of the same period for 2019. He further added that this shows the new pricing model with the growth is driving the value of being a member of the course.
City employees will still receive a discount off their round of golf with the proper identification and Hampton Golf is working on getting a discount set up for the citizens of Elizabethton since the golf course is a municipal course.
Mike Mains, Director of the Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department, advised the Council about a recent tour of the Franklin Health Center that was recently closed by Ballad Health that owns the facility.
“The Franklin Fitness Center would certainly help with our recreational needs,” Mains stated. “Our current site will need to have work done and this facility is very accommodating.
“It has lots of potentials. All in all, there are a lot of things that could take place there.”
The Council requested city attorney Roger Day to send a letter to Ballad Health and find out their intentions with what the plans are with the Health Center to see if they would be interested in selling the facility.
In old business, the Council approved unanimously the purchase of 19 utility easements for the TDOT SR-91 Project and a budget ordinance amendment for the general fund in regards to the Elizabethton City Schools federal projects and school nutrition funds.
The Council also approved an ordinance to approve the regulation of temporary storage containers for commercial and residential purposes and to rescind Ordinance 56-17 passed on June 11, 2020 at the regular session meeting. This ordinance included wording that was left off in error to the original ordinance voted on in June.
In a 5-1 vote, Council also approved the purchase of real property located at 218 Spring Street in Hampton which is adjacent to the Hampton Springs to protect the water quality from the springs.
Wes Frazier was the lone vote against the purchase.
In new business, the Council was made aware of a donation by a private donor in the amount of $89,461 to the City of Elizabethton for the purchase of playground equipment at Kiwanis Park which wasn’t known during the 2020-2021 budget process and will need this budget amendment to appropriately account for the funding and related expenditures.
Mains said the donation was invaluable as it was something that had been discussed by the Parks and Recreation Department but hadn’t been able to do. The donation will allow for upgrades to the playground equipment at the highly used park.
Other new business included first readings on the following:
—an amendment to the general fund for the matching portion of the Elk Avenue Bridge Project.
—an amendment to the capital projects fund for the matching portion of the Elk Avenue Bridge Project.
Resolutions discussed and approved were:
—a resolution to authorize the revision of two accounting job descriptions and removal of a requirement for the new hire/entry-level police testing process.
—a resolution to approve the FY 2020-21 public library Maintenance of Effort (MOE) agreement with the Tennessee State Library and archives for the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library.
—a resolution to approve a technology consultant to assist with technology projects with the Elizabethton Police Department.
—a resolution to authorize an application to the State of Tennessee, Department of Criminal Justice Programs for the FY 2020/21 Project Safe Neighborhood Grant Funding Program.
—a resolution to approve a contract with Morristown Roofing Company, Inc. for the re-roof of the upper roof area of the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library.
—a resolution to call a public hearing on the proposed annexation of territory into the City of Elizabethton City Limits by owner consent for property located at 1400 and 1402 State Line Road.
After the regular session of the Elizabethton City Council was adjourned, the Elizabethton Beverage Board approved a temporary beer permit by the Friends of the Bonnie Kate Theatre for a “Jazz at the Bonnie Kate” fundraising event on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020.
The board also approved a blanket temporary beer permit request for the Bonnie Kate Theater Board for October 2020 through December 31, 2020, pending meeting requirements such as Certificates of Insurance listing the City of Elizabethton as additional insured and Certificate Holder.
