Tarpon gets advice: Fix up golf course

A consultant also suggests that the city devise a plan to identify its involvement in and financing of cultural and civic activities.

By ED QUIOCO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 15, 2002

TARPON SPRINGS -- The municipal golf course and the city's department of cultural and civic services can be tweaked so that they are less of a drain on the city's general fund, a consultant has told the city.

The 18-hole, par-72 golf course at 1310 S Pinellas Ave. is in bad shape and needs several big improvements, according to a 27-page report from LaRue Planning & Management Services.

With regard to cultural and civic services, an area in which Tarpon Springs has some of the best-known programs of any Tampa Bay area city, the consultant lauded city officials for being involved in the cultural life of the city but called for more strategic planning and new or enhanced sources of revenue for those areas.

The City Commission is scheduled to discuss the report later this month or in September.

"It gave a good picture of how things are and how things are going and let us know what is carrying their weight and what isn't," said Mayor Frank DiDonato.

One of the most important things the golf course needs to focus on, the report says, is being less reliant on the city treasury. The course already owes the city about $321,000 because the city had to cover some of the course's annual operating or capital expenses during the past three years, the report says.

"Borrowing money (albeit from the city) to cover operating expenses is an indicator of poor financial health and leads to an ever-increasing reliance on artificial income to cover expenses," the report says.

The golf course clubhouse, built in 1960, is too small and "has some failings in regard to architecture and ambiance, which hinder the customer's desire to spend money on anything other than on golf," the report says. The pro shop, restrooms, cart barn and playing areas also need improvements.

"It is apparent that the course has experienced the consequences of insufficient renewal and replacement of its capital assets over a long period of time," according to the report. "Many of the facilities on the property are in need of repair, renovation or replacement, the landscaping needs to be addressed, the parking area needs to be reviewed, and the playing surfaces need more attention."

The report offers some suggestions on how the course can make more money to pay for these improvements. Among those suggestions: The course could impose a $1 capital project surcharge on each nine-hole round of golf. It could get a liquor license. And it could pursue making more money from food and beverage sales.

The city has already done some improvements on the course through the years, DiDonato said.

"We have made some great strides, but that doesn't mean we are finished," he said. "We always want to work at doing our best and being our best."

The consultant noted that the city's cultural programs have grown impressively through the years but without the guidance of a bigger plan that considers how each piece fits together.

In 1987 the city had one person and no venues providing cultural services. Today it has nine full-time positions, plus part-time and volunteer positions, and six venues: the performing arts center inside City Hall, the Cultural Center, the Safford House, the Historic Railroad Depot, the Heritage Center and the 5-year-old library.

The cost of providing cultural services accounts for 9.1 percent of the city's general fund.

"It is unusual for any city, much less a small one like Tarpon Springs, to be providing complete financial operational support for such a vast array of cultural services and venues," the consultant said. "Unfortunately, this type of growth has reflected reaction and acceptance of various grant funds over the years by city officials rather than the consistent implementation of a city strategic plan."

Along with calling for a long-term plan to help the city identify its involvement in cultural and civic activities and ways to finance those areas, the report suggests transferring city-funded cultural programs to a newly created or existing nonprofit community-based organization.

The report also calls for more studies to determine the full cost for the city to provide performing arts and other cultural activities, and to get a better handle on the attendance at cultural and civic facilities.

The city entered into a $34,800 contract with the Fort Myers-based company to have it study the golf course, the city's department of cultural and civic services and other departments, said city finance director Arie Walker. The company is working on other studies for the city.

"We owe that to the taxpayers to be as efficient as we can be," DiDonato said.

-- Ed Quioco can be reached at (727) 445-4183 or quioco@sptimes.com.

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