The Wichita City Council voted Tuesday to reject a proposed contract with an Illinois firm to take over management of the city’s four public golf courses.
Kemper Sports was chosen from seven bids received last year to handle management and operations at the municipal courses. The city’s park board voted in February to approve the selection of Kemper. Under the contract, the city would provide a management fee of $200,000 a year to Kemper, along with 10 percent of the gross revenues from food and beverage sales and 90 percent of the Pro Shop Concession gross revenues. Kemper spokesman Jeremy Goldblatt told the council that this is not a privatization of the golf courses, it’s the hiring of a company to provide professional management. Park and Recreation Director Troy Houtman said Kemper would help improve course conditions, provide marketing and sales initiatives to generate more revenue for the system and enhance youth and instructional golf programs.
Several golfers spoke against the contract. Dale Goter said the city should fill the vacant position of golf division manager and establish a golf leadership board to take control of the courses from the park board and the current golf advisory board.
Council member Brandon Johnson said he was willing to bet on the city to provide management for the four golf courses, but Council member Bryan Frye said that was tried ten years ago and he feels the city needs to do something different now.
The council voted 2-5 for a motion to approve the contract, with Vice Mayor Becky Tuttle and Frye as the only yes votes.
