*Why this council is seeking public input on Mulligans* From the desk of the mayor 2 September, 2014 Tonight, this council will be hearing three resolutions pertaining to Mulligans golf and games. Each of these resolutions deal with the process that will unfold between now and February, when we hope to have all of our work done and a clear direction for the future of Mulligans. We are developing the options with the help of various consultants and will then seek public input. In short, tonights votes will give the city staff the tools and funding to seek public input for all of the options pertaining to Mulligans. Some may be wondering, why continue to seek public input on the issue, especially now that Hale Center Theatre is off the table? I believe there are three compelling reasons to obtain the publics input. They are: 1) There is no consensus on the issue in the minds of the council. Some on the council want to turn Mulligans into a traditional park. Others want the golf to be improved upon, and have more money invested into it. I and a few others want to simply leave it alone until and when such time a very attractive option presents itself that the city cannot refuse. One councilman sees Mulligans as key to the economic success of the city, and so commercial development is his desire. Another idea is to sell the course to a private golf business, provided it remain golf. As you can imagine, without the publics input, the six of us currently on the council may never be able to produce a plan to move forward. Public input will give our council direction to guide Mulligans into the future. 2) Mulligans is too important for one council to decide its fate. Mulligans is also too important for one special-interest group to dictate. Its too big for a land developer to call the shots. In the end, the residents at large need to make the decision. Were a city of 60,000 residents, but our meetings are only attended by 50-200 people, at most. Some people have asked me why this item not simply be placed on the ballot? After reviewing this issue with our legal counsel, it was evident that State Law does not allow a council to place land issues on a ballot (residents can refer a decision by a council...which can show up on a ballot, but we of ourselves cannot simply put it on a ballot). It seems that our lawmakers expect your duly elected representatives to make the decision. In most cases, we do exactly that. We decide land issues almost monthly. But Mulligans sits on such a large piece of land with so much history, that we feel its best to give the tax payers public input on this important issue. 3) If Mulligans is to receive continued public support, in the form of subsidies, or other means, it should do so by the consent of the people. Government by the consent of the people is the American model, after all. Mulligans was purchased by a city council, and not by the full consent of the people. No public surveys were done to ask the question as to whether the city should engage in golf. I have stated my opinion that golf should not be the business of government. Others feel that a golf course is more akin to a park, and as such, could be justified in receiving tax subsidies. Its time for the public to weigh-in. Ill sleep better knowing that we at least asked the question: Do you want your city government in the golf business? If the residents say Yes, then I will respect the will of the people on this issue. If the residents agree with me, then a survey will be all the more important as to the future for Mulligans. Now, it should be noted that perhaps Mulligans could be managed better. Perhaps theres a path ahead that will provide blue-sky revenues for the golf course. Anything can be improved upon If the residents surveyed favor keeping Mulligans open for golf, then it would be in the best-interests of the city to figure out how to make it more profitable. But before making any such effort, we need to know that the people are willing to take the golf course, in sickness and in health, so to speak. No one knows for sure the outcomes of Mulligans. We should be prepared to subsidize it, if residents truly favor keeping it golf. The vast majority of municipal golf courses are subsidized, as the national norm. We should not expect to defy gravity in South Jordan. SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS and FOCUS groups Tuesday night, if the resolutions receive at least three votes, we will set the stage for an impressive effort in seeking the residents input on Mulligans. We will commission golf consultants, Y2 analytics (a professional polling firm), the Boyer company, and other professionals. Our staff will provide plans for keeping mulligans as-is. I want to congratulate this council in making contributions, each of them, to this effort. We have a diverse council with varied backgrounds, that individually made this effort possible. I want to personally acknowledge Mark Seethaller, Don Shelton, Chris Rogers, and Chuck Newton for their efforts on these resolutions. I dont have a dog in this fight other than seeing this process through fairly and with as much transparency as possible.This effort will prove to be a fascinating demonstration of democracy in action, as your elected representatives seek your input to find solid footing in which to make the best decisions for the good of our fair city. Respectfully, Mayor Dave Alvord
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:25:13 +0000