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SALT LAKE CITY — Speculation over the city's struggling golf fund drew a passionate crowd of Rose Park residents to tell the Salt Lake City Council how much they love their public courses.
Rose Park resident Joe Tonumai'pe'a was the first to stand, asking his neighbors to stand with him.
Almost everyone in the packed council chambers got to their feet.
"This report has created a lot of angst and a lot of excitement, and not the good kind," Tonumai'pe'a said.
Like others who addressed the council, Tonumai'pe'a said he believes changing the Rose Park course into an executive course wouldn't bring in the money the fund needs, but switching the watering system from culinary to secondary water could greatly reduce the budget.
Tonumai'pe'a lauded the open green space the course provides and the animal life it houses.
"There's a family of foxes running all over the place, and there are skunks. Yes, they're skunks, but they're our skunks," he said, drawing a laugh.
The golf fund is projected to finish the current fiscal year more than $500,000 in the hole after a hot summer drove up maintenance costs and kept golfers off the courses. A disparaging report by the National Golf Foundation suggests a complete rethinking or closure of the Wingpointe and Rose Park courses.
The City Council voted in April to close one of its eight courses, the Jordan River par-3 course, at the end of this season.
The golf fund is not subsidized by general tax dollars and is expected to be self-sustaining. Issues with the fund do not need to be resolved for the council to pass the budget currently being considered, but a long-term plan advises the problems mist be dealt with soon.
Professing themselves as "golfaholics," golfers from other cities who come to play on Salt Lake City's courses praised the variety they offer.
With its postage stamp greens and the numerous lane turns, there is an opportunity in this golf course to have a real gem in the city.
–Brian Faulkner, Rose Park resident
Brian Faulkner, also a Rose Park resident, said his neighborhood course's configuration offers challenging play to his fellow "golf addicts."
"With its postage stamp greens and the numerous lane turns, there is an opportunity in this golf course to have a real gem in the city," Faulkner said.
Tuesday's public hearing was continued until June 10, when the council is expected to vote on Mayor Ralph Becker's proposed $229 million budget. The mayor's budget is free of tax increases and offers a 3 percent pay raise for city employees.
Following the long parade of comments, Councilman Charlie Luke tried to reassure the crowd that all options for plugging the leaky golf fund are being considered and no decisions have been made about course closures.
Rose Park resident Maria Sweeten urged the council not to discredit the community's concerns, even if no decisions have been made.
"This is community involvement at its finest," Sweeten said. "I hope as you consider all of these things and the ideas that have been brought forward, that you bring together a group of concerned citizens and that we can find ways to bring secondary water into our parks and onto our courses, and that we can hold on to that precious commodity of green space."
Brief mention was also made of Becker's proposal to cancel two local fireworks demonstrations — at Jordan Park on the Fourth of July and at Liberty Park on Pioneer Day — in the name of air quality. Eliminating the shows would save the city about $25,000.
Douglas Cotant voiced support for the plan, saying there are other ways to celebrate the holidays.
"Maybe this should be citywide because we all know fireworks create a lot of noise," he said, speaking on behalf of those who would rather sleep.
Contribusing: Devon Dolan
