In a memo dated two days after the results of the Oro Valley Recall Election were certified, Town Manager Greg Caton reveals that revenues related to the purchase of the El Conquistador County Club and golf courses from HSL Properties “have been trending under budget and expenses have been trending above budget for the first several months of this fiscal year.”
Attached to the memo was a report from Troon Vice President Rob DeMore with “recommended changes” to the Troon-managed functions including golf, tennis, swimming, and the newly refurbished restaurant, The Overlook. Demore noted that services and operating hours would be reduced due to the “current membership levels and projected revenue streams for the balance of the fiscal year.”
The Recall Election was held in part due to the purchase of the aging Country Club and its failing golf courses. It was the secrecy by Mayor Satish Hiremath, Vice Mayor Lou Waters and Councilmembers Joe Hornat and Mary Snider that drove thousands of residents to support the recall effort.
That recall effort failed after Hiremath and the rest outspent recall challengers Shirl Lamonna, Steve Dido, Pat Straney, and Ryan Hartung by about 3 to 1. The incumbents were the beneficiaries of HSL, and other interested parties – primarily developers. .
Long before the first ballot was cast in the Recall Election, Town Councilman Mike Zinkin was urging Town Manager Greg Caton to release financial information related to the purchase of the El Conquistador County Club and golf courses. Zinkin had questioned the few numbers available for review and how long the Town could support what appeared to be a losing proposition.
During the days running up to the election, an incumbent associated organization, the Triple E PAC, which received $500 each in donations from Waters and Hornat’s candidate PACs, claimed in a mailer (view here) that the community center was offsetting golf course losses as planned. That claim was clearly false. Hiremath also used scare tactics going so far as tell tennis players the the challengers wanted to cut service to them. While that claim about the challengers was false, Troon is now proposing a cut in services.
In an email dated September 9, Zinkin told interested parties, “All the recalled candidates, Mayor Hiremath, Vice-Mayor Waters, and Council Members Joe Hornat and Mary Snider desire to talk about is the Community and Recreation Center. What they are not disclosing, is that the 45 holes of golf, that were also forced through the Town Council without proper vetting, are experiencing tremendous losses during just the first four months of ownership. They wish to limit the information they share with the public, at least until after the election on Nov. 3, because they are solely responsible for a decision that was contrary to the desires of the people.”
Zinkin had been going back-and-forth with Caton over the actual numbers. At the October 7 meeting of the Town Council, an agenda item an agenda item was brought forth to consider whether Town staff should review and possibly readjust the forecast for golf. That item was rejected in a 4-3 split vote by Hiremath, Waters, Snider and Hornat. Later, Zinkin said that his questions remained unanswered, but continued to assert that “the Town has forecasted golf revenues that are not in line with what happened during the same 10 months the prior year” when under Hilton ownership.
Based on the November 13 memo, he was right. Only now will the public be included in discussions about the failing enterprise. “Since these modifications will impact existing members, these changes will be discussed with the members of the facility at meetings over the next several weeks. Troon staff will also present these changes to Town Council at the December 2nd regular Council meeting. Updated yearend revenue and expense projections for the Troon-managed operations will also be presented to Town Council on December 2nd,” Caton wrote in the memo.
Demore proposed “operating hours changes combined with several other key reductions in the work force” for the next 7 months:
Golf Course Maintenance: Reduction to 9 full time associates and 16 part time associates ($152,000)
Golf Operations: Reduction in operating hours and staffing ($123,000)
General Manager Position: Vacated until at least July 1, 2016 ($66,500)
Lifeguard Elimination until May 1st with OVCRCC Pool Closure: ($65,000)
Food and Beverage Staff: Reduction of hours and elimination of positions: ($63,000)
TOTAL APPROXIMATED LABOR & RELATED REDUCTION: $469,500
| Offering | Currently Open | Revised Schedule | Notes |
| The Overlook | 10am-6pm, Sun-Wed/10am-8pm Thu- Sat closed Mondays, Open Tue-Thu, Sat 11am-6pm, Open for Dinner 11am-8pm Thu-Fri | The Overlook will be available for special parties on Saturday nights | |
| Garden Café | 630am-10:30am 7 days per week | Closed | space will be reimagined |
| Beverage Cart | 7 days per week approx 65 hours per week | 5 days and approximately 30 hours per week | |
| OVCRC Golf Shop | open 7 days per week 7am-6pm | closed Mon, Tue-Sunday open 830am-4pm | |
| OVCRC Golf-Members | open 7 days per week | Open 6 days per week (Tues-Sun) | Any previously scheduled events will be honored |
| OVCRC Golf-Daily Fee | open 7 days per week | Open 6 days per week (Tues-Sun) | |
| OVCRC Fitness | open 7 days per week | open 7 days per week | |
| OVCRC Tennis | open 7 days per week | open 7 days per week | |
| OVCRC Swim | open 7 days per week | open 7 days per week | revised winter hours |
| Pusch Tennis/X9 Shop | 7am-noon, 3pm-7:30pm | 7 days per week 8:30am-6pm (Mon-Sat), Sun (8:30am-4pm) | old Pusch Golf Shop closed for reimagined offering |
| Pusch Tennis | 7am-10pm, 7 days per week | 8am-9pm 7 days per week | |
| Pusch Golf | closed for renovation | open 9am-3pm for tee times, in by 5 pm | opens Nov 25 as Pusch X9 |
Caton received the Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). According to ICMA, “Promoting an ethical culture is a key leadership responsibility. Equity, transparency, honor, integrity, commitment, and stewardship are standards for excellence in democratic local governance.” ICMA members “pledge to uphold these principles in their conduct and decisions in order to merit the trust of the public, elected officials, and staff they serve.”
“To further this mission, certain principles, as enforced by the Rules of Procedure, shall govern the conduct of every member of ICMA.” Those principles include:
·Recognize that the chief function of local government at all times is to serve the best interests of all people.
· Keep the community informed on local government affairs; encourage communication between the citizens and all local government officers; emphasize friendly and courteous service to the public; and seek to improve the quality and image of public service.
In his September 9 email, Zinkin concluded: “So, was the $1 million purchase of the golf course/Community and Recreation Center a smart decision? For HSL the answer is yes because they can keep the resort status on the back of the Oro Valley residents. For the Citizens of Oro Valley, the answer is a resounding NO.”
Residents say now that either Zinkin is a remarkable sage, or Caton and crew simply hid what most everyone but the voters of Oro Valley already knew.
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