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Repairs to Cooke Municipal Golf course stalled

May 3, 2016 | 6:00 AM

Golfing season has kicked off in Prince Albert but repairs to a well-known golf course are lagging behind.

City staff presented a Cooke Municipal Golf Course Asset Management plan to the executive committee at a meeting on Monday, May 2.

The report recommended a 10-year management plan (2016 to 2026) be put into place to address much-needed repairs, and a financing plan be made to pay for the upgrades.

Upgrades would include the replacement of the irrigation system at the course, which is estimated to cost over $2 million.

Some councillors felt the recommendations should be carried forward to council, while others felt they needed to know how the plan would be financed first.

Coun. Lee Atkinson said the funding of the plan needed to be elaborated.

“I’m not in favour of approving a plan and going out to try and find out how to do it,” he said. “I’m more interested in how the financing (is) going to work and is that palatable, then we can say ‘okay, let’s see what that plan is, what the details are.’”

Coun. Don Cody said both the recommendations needed to pass to speed up repairs to the course.

“I think it’s a shame and a crime to think we have a facility like this, sitting here in the centre of the city, which makes nothing but good sense, which makes nothing but money for the city, brings in tourism and we the city council here are going to delay it,” he said.

The irrigation system has surpassed its shelf life by over 10 years and it is hard to predict how long it will last according to Jody Boulet, director of community services.

“The last nine days have been really challenging with the system (since the course has opened). It has delayed some other services to the course that rely on the irrigation system to feed water such as washrooms. We are probably in the best position for a lot of the cases to start the work in the fall,” Boulet said.

The committee eventually opted for a financial plan to be brought forward to council for further consideration.

 

jkadzviti@panow.com

Twitter: @julietkadzviti