Rockville Looking for New Management for RedGate

The City of Rockville is looking for a new steward for the financially flailing RedGate Golf Course. 

The City Council voted unanimously on Monday to pay the National Golf Foundation $6,000 to solicit, advertise and evaluate proposals for companies interested in either taking over the management of the golf course or leasing the 18-hole championship course from the city. 

The council also voted 3 to 2 to have NGF look into the viability of the city creating a director of golf position.

A report issued last week by the RedGate Advisory Committee and presented to the City Council on Monday recommended hiring a golf director and not outsourcing management of the course.

The city in September agreed to pay NGF up to $25,000 to conduct a study of the course’s management. An NGF consultant presented a report on that study last month that said that the city should improve conditions at RedGate and turn over the day-to-day management of the course to an outside management company. 

Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton said that the NGF report highlighted the need for a staff member to oversee the course.

“Even though they didn’t mention a director of golf they laid out a lot of areas where we need a specific management person responsible and—there’s a word for it—accountable,” Newton said.

Councilmen Piotr Gajewski and Mark Pierzchala voted against pursuing the director of golf position.

Gajewski said he could not support something that has an unknown price tag. Pierzchala said that outsourcing course management or leasing the course would preclude the need for a golf director.

By considering a golf director while soliciting proposals to outsource course management “you are sending mixed messages now,” Pierzchala said. “If you want clarity, the motion that just passed, alone, provides clarity. You want to go a management firm route. Now, if you are keeping off to the side the possibility of having a director of golf—which implies a whole different structure—you’re not providing clarity. We’re still being ambiguous about it.”

“Well, what we’re saying is we’re looking at all the options,” Newton said.

Pierzchala, who earlier in the debate said that he supported closing the course and leaving it as green space as “the least costly” option, asked why the council is still considering multiple options.

“Let’s do the management RFP and that should be the way we want to go,” he said.

City staff recommended that the city look to outsource course management. Newton tacked on the provision that allows the city to also consider leasing the course, a remedy that was not endorsed by the NGF report, nor by a city advisory committee.

“We didn’t want to see leasing as part of the [request for proposals],” said Joseph Jordan, chairman of the RedGate Advisory Committee. “We had no problems with sending out an RFP asking for proposals. All that does is set the stage for the next round of discussions.” 

The proposals will give the city a better idea of what it would cost to outsource the course’s management, he said.

Considering a golf director "is in our opinion, a little premature," Jordan said.

Critics of the leasing proposal say the city would not benefit if the course’s revenues increased, but would only receive the same fixed rent payment from the lessee.

If the city decides to hire a private firm to manage RedGate, city staff recommends that the firm take over day-to-day operations of the course on Jan. 1, 2012.

School construction

City staff will draft modifications to the city’s Adequate Public Facilities Standards that drop requirements from the permitting process for new construction on county schools within the city limits.

The council voted to direct staff to make the changes, which would remove a requirement that the school system conduct a traffic and transportation report whenever more than six portable classrooms are proposed.

Another modification would drop a requirement that any new school construction, including portables, be within a 10-minute response time of three fire stations. There are only two fire stations within the 10-minute response time of College Gardens Elementary School.

In September, the Rockville Planning Commission cited the fire station requirement in rejecting the school system’s plans to install two portables at the school. The decision led to acrimonious discussions between city and school officials and to give the county government exclusive authority to issue permits and enforce regulations and codes related to new school construction, including portables.

The city is strongly opposed to the bill. Marcuccio said that city officials are schedule to hold a conference call on Tuesday to discuss the legislation with members of the District 17 delegation, which represents the city in the General Assembly. In December, delegation members pledged to fight the bill, which is being consider as local legislation by the Montgomery County delegation.

The city will continue working with the county school system to develop a review process for future portable classrooms and for new school construction, additions and renovations.

Business communication

The council also gave its blessing to a proposal by Councilman John Britton to consider ways to improve communication between the business community and the community at large.

City staff will form a planning committee that includes representatives of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce and Rockville Economic Development Inc. Britton requested that he also be included in the group, which will consider ways and the cost of fostering communication, such as a business summit.