Golf course lease, operations under review by City Council
The Madera Tribune
Golfers use motorized carts to get around Madera Municipal Golf Course.
The Madera City Council has begun reviewing the lease, expenses and operation of the Madera Municipal Golf Course, located just north of the city adjacent to Avenue 17.
The five-year lease with Sierra Golf Management for operation of the course, club house and banquet facility was due to expire Oct. 31, according to city officials.
The current lease operator contributes about $50,000 annually of smaller maintenance items and repairs, according to the contract, but larger costs such as recent major well repairs and other infrastructure costs such as irrigation lines, and repairing a leaking lake (ponding basin) the course uses for irrigation are city expenses.
The council appointed an ad hoc committee consisting of Mayor Andy Medellin and Council Member Jose Rodriguez, both of whom are golfers. The council rejected an offer from non-golfing council member Derek Robinson to join the ad hoc committee, which has begun the initial review.
The council Wednesday night voted to extend the contract 180 days to give Sierra Golf time to make certain improvements to the golf course.
Rodriguez said all parts of the operation would be under review, and the council would review all options for the facility, including continuing to lease the operation as it exists, selling the land and operation to another operator, or selling all or part of the land for residential development.
Medellin said the ad hoc committee’s report could be ready sometime in November.
