1/17/2006

Sidebar

The Tribune ran this article today, but they did not post the sidebar online. In the sidebar, the Tribune notes that the City staff proposes to spend another $5,000.00 with the golf course consultant (who we already paid $24,000.00) to get help writing a Request for Proposals for someone, perhaps a private firm, to provide management services at the golf courses.

First, did someone decide that we were hiring a private management firm? And is their cost coming out of existing golf/park and rec payroll budgets?

Second, is our City staff so inept, so unfamiliar with golf course management, that they need help writing a job application? Someone emailed me and told me that Park and Rec presently has 5 people 'managing' four workers. If this is true, it would seem that would leave enough time to write a job description.

Third, if our City staff is incapable of writing a job description for the golf courses, why are they our City staff? Patty Reardon makes 60,000+ in a year in a city where the median income is less than half of that (and where the median income is less than the City proposes to spend on golf course consultants in 5 months!). There's no one else who could actually perform this job?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

City considers new contract with consultant

The city of Great Falls paid the National Golf Foundation $ 24,000 for a comprehensive study of the area golf market and recommendations on how operations might be improved at its two courses. Now, the city may pay another $5,000 to NGF for advice. The city wants help in preparing a formal Request For Proposals for services related to management and operation of Eagle Falls and Anaconda Hills, the city’s two courses. The NGF report outlined several management options, one of which would transfer management responsibility from the city Park and Recreation department to private enterprise. For its services, NGF would charge $ 125 an hour, up to a maximum of $5,000 (40 hours). City commissioners are expected to vote on the item tonight at their regular meeting.
—George Geise

Anonymous said...

"Park and Rec presently has 5 people 'managing' four workers"....is this really the case? Could this be part of the reason city taxes are so high?