Woodward, Okla. —
Woodward City Commissioners took action Tuesday to terminate the lease agreement with the company operating the Boiling Springs Golf Course.
Commissioner Michelle Williamson, who had recently toured the course and appraised it's condition, said the lease termination was "the right thing to do."
Click below to watch a video of the commissioners' discussion and vote on the Boiling Springs Golf Course lease termination.
Williamson told The News that the city has a responsibility to "protect our asset."
"We have a multi-million dollar asset out there and it's not being taken care of," she said.
Williamson told her fellow commissioners that the conditions of the course are "worse" than they were 2 years ago when the city's former lease with the Boiling Springs Golf Association was terminated because the association didn't have the funds to properly maintain the greens.
"The greens are completely killed and need to be reseeded," she told The News when asked how she would describe current conditions.
The course is currently managed by JCLA Enterprises LLC.
In a prepared statement that was e-mailed to The News on Monday evening, Jonathan Hart, one of the managing parnters of JCLA Enterprises, said the company has had difficulties in recuperating from a fire on July 11 that destroyed the maintenance building at the course.
"Given the enormous difficulties in maintaining and rebuilding the golf course following the July fire that destroyed the maintenance building and equipment, Chris Moya [another managing partner of JCLA] and I agree with the City Council that a fresh start is best for the future of Boiling Springs Golf Course,"Hart wrote in the statement.
According to the information in the city's agenda packet, the decision to terminate the lease was mutual.
The termination will become effective on Sept. 16.
As for what the future will be after that date, City Manager Alan Riffel said that is still to be determined.
However, Riffel made it clear that "our last option is to close" the course.
"Right now it is open, still under it's current management, for the next 2 weeks," he said.
Determining how the course can be kept open for the third week and beyond is something that Riffel said city officials "will be focused on" throughout the upcoming transition period as JCLA transfers control of the course back to the city.
He said he plans to be able to present city commissioners with "an action plan for the golf course for the short term" during their next meeting on Sept. 17.
As for the long-term plan, Riffel said, "we will be devising that over the next several weeks."
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