HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-11-16, Page 11Goderich investigates taking over struggling Maitland golf club
Darryl Coote
Editor
Goderich council will
investigate whether the town
should take over ownership
of the struggling Maitland
Golf and Country Club.
Over the past 12 years the
club has been suffering from a
dwindling membership, and
while the grounds is worth $1.2
million, the company has no
cash to pay off its $300,000 debt
With hat in hand, Grant
Dawson, the head of the
Maitland Country Golf Club
future options committee,
told council Nov. 7 that if
nothing changes, the facility
will fall into receivership by
the spring and will be sold to
the highest bidder.
He said the facility has
been pairing back on all but
necessities and year on year
they break even, but capital
projects to fix and maintain
the grounds has forced the
company to fall into the red.
With four golf courses
within a 20 -minute drive of
Goderich, the country club
faces too much competition
for members, he said.
The ideal option, Dawson
told council, is for the city to
take over the club and run it
as a municipal golf course.
They have also approached
Golf North to run the course,
but to no response, he said.
"We have several months
left before we go into receiver-
ship. If that happens the Mait-
land will collapse, there will
be an immediate sale to the
highest bidder, the debt will
be paid off of the organization
and any remaining funds
available after that will be
returned to the federal non-
profit organization, which
would then be redistributed to
local organizations doing
work in the nature to the Mait-
Darryl Coote/Editor
Head of the Maitland Golf and
Country Club future options
committee Grant Dawson
said the club will go into
receivership by the spring if
the city or a private investor
doesn't intervene.
land," Dawson said.
Councillor Myles Murdock
then suggested that council
form an investigative com-
mittee to see what the town
can do to save the facilities,
as it is a "significant prop-
erty" for the community.
However, haunted by the
last investigation by council
that the Ontario ombudsman
found to have violated the
municipal act, CAO Larry
McCabe reminded council
that if they form a committee
of council that they need to
adhere to all municipal rules.
He then said first they
should first speak to the
Maitland Valley Conserva-
tion Authority and see what
environmental restrictions
are in place on the property.
Both councillor Michele
Hansen and councillor Matt
Hoy said they support creat-
ing a committee of council.
"I would definitely sup-
port the motion," said Hoy.
"And defiantly [there] should
be a committee of council
and it should be a public
Deputy mayor Jim Donnelly, the sole vote against creating
a committee of council, said Goderich should not take over
ownership of the golf club as the town already has too much
money invested in recreation.
meeting because we have
such a vested interest in that
property."
Not everyone agreed. Dep-
uty mayor Jim Donnelly took
a staunch stance against the
investigation, saying the
property is a "guaranteed
looser of money."
He said with the mini-
mum of $3 million ear-
marked for the revitalization
of the agricultural park plus
the expected increase in the
town's portion for the local
YMCA they are already
spending a lot on recreation.
He added that the golf
club enjoys the benefit of
volunteer labour, which
would end under the city's
helm. So the costs to run the
grounds would increase
compared to the club's cur-
rent books. Also, he said he
suspects the facility needs an
assortment of upgrades.
Council should stay out of
it, he said.
"If the golf club has deci-
sions to make it is their
responsibility and they
should make their decisions
and we ought not to inter-
ferer," he said.
Councillor Luke Elliot said
he shares Donnelly's con-
cerns, but the land is an
"indisputable" asset.
"We owe it to our citizens
to explore and see the feasi-
bility of any new revenue
streams, not that I'm saying
we should buy and operate
it. But we'd be foolish if not
at least explore the option
and take a look at it," he said.
Hoy agreed and said it
would be "irresponsible" for
the town to let the golf club
fend for its self, especially
since the town set the prece-
dent of owning property when
it bought the Victoria Street
Public School back in 2013.
Donnelly asked for a
recorded vote with he being
the only no against creating
a committee of council. The
vote was 6-1 in favour.
The three councillors to sit
on the committee of council
will be Elliot, Hoy and Trevor
Bazinet.
Lucknow Tuesday Night Bowling for Nov. 8
Tuesday Night Bowling
Nov 8, 2016.
Over 200 Scores: Kevin
Finnigan 204
HIGH SINGLE -
FEMALE: Anita Elliott
186, MALE: Kevin Finni-
gan 213.
HIGH TRIPLE -
FEMALE: Anita Elliott 492,
MALE: Kevin Finnigan
608.
TEAM STANDINGS: Team
2 - 181/2, Sir Booms - 171/2,
Smack Down - 15, Hart
Brothers - 13.
Lucknow Legends take down Milverton 5-0
On Saturday night
Milverton came to Luc -
know to take on your
Legends.
Riley Aitchison defi-
nitely gave the crowd
something to cheer about
with a shootout in a 5-0
game.
The Legends got off to a
slow start scoring wise until
Julie Binning shelfed one
early in the second with
assists going to Caitlin
Hamilton and Missy Kuik. It
seemed that Lady Luck
would pay a visit to Kuik
leading her to score 4 times
in the third. 2 goals were
unassisted and Katie Smith
would set Kuik up on the
other two with the help of
new comer Jessica Small on
the last one. The Legends
travel to Woodstock on
Thursday night and return
home on Nov. 26 at 5:30
p.m.
FOR MOVIE INFORMATION...
www, rnovieIilnks.c.e «,Y d p i -800-265-3438
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 • Lucknow Sentinel 11
Shoot scores for Nov. 16
Lucknow Town Hall
Shoot Party is held Mon-
days and Fridays.
White Card Winners:
Ross Errington, Stewart
Lane, Frank Alton
Lucky Draw Winner:
Lloyd Latour
Pink Card Winners: Joan
Robinson, Erlma Jean Hal-
denby, Shirley Bolt, Nancy
Radke.
Lucky Draw Winner:
Irene Haldenby
Lucknow Minor
Novice Rep Saturday Nov.
12
Lucknow (1) vs Wallace
(1) - Goals by Colton
Maki.
Novice Development Nov
2, 2016
Lucknow (4) vs Blyth -
Brussels (4) - Goals: Nolan
Moffat (3), Marlee Courtney.
Assists: Sam Donnelly (2),
Hunter Greig.
Lucknow Atoms travelled
to Kincardine to face Team 1
on Nov. 13, shutting them
out 8-0!
Goals - Joe MacDonald 1,
Joel Hogan 2, Annan Moffatt
Hockey scores
2, Travis Vaughan 1, Nelson
Helm 2. Assists - Justin
Rintoul 3, Nelson Helm 2,
Joe MacDonald 1, Travis
Vaughan 1, Andrew Metske
1.
Jack MacDonald picks up
the shut out his first time in
net!
Lucknow 6, Wingham 8
Josh Courtney (2G, 1A),
Ainslie Johnston (2G, 1A),
Brody Doiron (1G), Hunter
Greig (1G, 1A), Jordan
Cooper (2A), Parker Doiron
(1A), Olivia Mabon (1A).
Great goaltending by Layla
Andrew.
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