February 16, 2017 10:17 a.m.
Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin has shared the following with local media:
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I would hope that they make a greater effort to get more responses, especially from visitors. One or two reviews a month can be subject to such distortion – either positive or negative. But good to see that overall the responses are positive ones.
Would like to know the financials behind this update as well. Where is the city at with regards to revenues, expenditures, etc.? And how does this all come in to focus with the city’s current consideration to sell Amelia River property due to over saturation of the market for golf in our area? Lots of questions that need to be answered in a comprehensive manner I think. Especially with the airport expenditures looming…
Betsie,
The current golf course financials are easily obtainable from the City as the city golf course operates as an enterprise fund and all income and expenditures are separately recorded. What might be misleading at this point however is that the annual membership revenues are booked early in the fiscal year so that distorts the revenue numbers if you simply try to annualize the numbers without separating that component. According to the Finance Department as reported to the City Commission at the Feb. 21 meeting, the income to expense ratios have been favorable to what was budgeted for the first 4 months of the fiscal year and annual memberships revenues are about $13,000 more than last year’s. That being said, there is still the expectation that due to the debt service primarily, the golf course will still require a subsidy from the City’s general fund.
Selling the Amelia River golf course to pay for the latest AirPort boon doggle would be a dirty shame.The course is very popular with residents and tourists alike.Selling Amelia River would be the ultimate throwing the baby out with the bath water.I wonder if the water in the city hall is poisoned to cause this and other weird events to occur by city leaders????
Boon doggle – I couldn’t have put it better! Of course their estimates are more than they’d budgeted for, it’s a boneheaded design that’ll require endless revenue to construct and maintain.
Meanwhile, to wave the flimsy justification that there’s an “over saturation” of golf defies logic. The 2 ultra exclusive resort courses lie outside city limits, so they’re exempt from comparison. We are members at Amelia River, my husband walks the course every single day. It’s a beautifully-maintained course in a lovely location [unlike the city course, Amelia River’s fairway vistas are not dotted with residences], unlike the city course in every way.
I’d appreciate continued reporting on this issue, including anticipated dates for FBCC debate/vote.