Aldermen Delay Decision on Golf Course

If you are interested in operating the Smithville Golf Course and Swimming Pool you have until noon Friday, November 12th to submit a proposal.
The Smithville Aldermen Monday night voted to delay a decision on the golf course until the next meeting, November 15th. That will give interested parties more time to offer a proposal, specifically someone Mayor Taft Hendrixson has talked to, who has asked for more time.
Alderman Steve White said the city needs to act soon.”We just keep dragging it out. I think we need to set some type of deadline (on accepting proposals). We’ve been here for six weeks already. I think after two more weeks we need to make some type of decision on what we’re going to do.”
Smithville Golf Management LLC submitted their letter of 60 days (notice) for termination to the city on August 24th. The termination became effective on Saturday, October 23rd. The golf course has been closed since Monday, October 25th.
Mayor Hendrixson said he thought it best to close the golf course to the public until the city gets someone over there to run it. “Since no one was over there to run the golf course, I did have some chains put across the entrances (to the golf course) and closed it down last week until we do something. I don’t think you can let it stay open to the public with no one over there to see after anything. So I did the best I knew what to do and that’s what I did. If the board has any other thing they need to do or wants to do, that’s fine. But I didn’t know what else to do with it. The utilities have been changed over in our (city) name. I also had some people look at the greens to see what, if anything needed to be done, and to get the water drained out of the irrigation pipes in case it freezes. So that’s what’s happened over there. As it stands right now, it is closed unless you desire to do something else.”
The city has already received proposals from Faron Hendrix and Tony Poss, who are interested in managing the golf course for the city, but Mayor Hendrixson wants to give others a chance to put in a proposal. “I have been in touch with two or three people that has a possible interest in it that are knowledgeable in the golf course business. There is a possibility that they may be interested. They asked me to ask the board to give them just a few days to come up with some sort of proposal, if they are all interested. Both of them been out of town.”
Mayor Hendrixson said he wanted to see all proposals before the city makes a decision. ” We did get two other proposals from the people that’s just given up their lease (Hendrix) but I would like to see all proposals before we make a decision. We already have two people (Hendrix and Poss) with proposals and hopefully we’ll have a third one. We’ll review them and the board can make a decision.
Alderman Aaron Meeks suggested that the city wait two more weeks to give the people that the mayor has talked to more time to submit a proposal. “Sounds like you (mayor) have done what’s necessary at the present time. My opinion is that we leave everything as it stands now until the next meeting.”
The board set a deadline for noon, Friday, November 12th for all proposals to be in. Again, the next meeting is Monday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. at city hall.