Williams City Council terminates management contract at Elephant Rock golf course

Current management staff to continue working through March

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Elephant Rocks Golf Course will have new management next year after the Williams City Council voted to terminate the current management contract with Brent Redman at the Dec. 13 regular meeting.

Redman's contract with the city began in 2009, City Manager Brandon Buchanan said after the meeting. Redman oversees operations, including the pro shop and food and beverage services. He provides his own personnel for those areas, who are not city employees and therefore will also be terminated. The contract termination will not affect city maintenance staff.

Representatives from two nonprofit organizations expressed concern with the current golf course management at the meeting.

Bobby Patricca, vice chair of the Friends of the Williams Aquatic Center (FWAC), said the organization has had "numerous problems in communication" with their golf tournaments.

For their 2011 tournament, Patricca said the golf course did not provide FWAC with a contract and then changed the fee per golfer after the tournament "from what word of mouth had been."

"It cost our organization a decent little chunk of money," Patricca said, adding that other nonprofits have had similar issues.

"A lot of our non-profits rely on golf tournaments and other fundraisers for our money, and we do put a lot of money back into the community," he said. "So if the next person could work a little better with us on that that would be very much appreciated."

Patty Williams, who serves on the Habitat for Humanity board, said the organization was unable to put on their annual golf tournament this year because of communication and scheduling issues.

"We've had a tournament there for several years," she said. "We were just out of luck this year because of whatever's going on over there."

Redman's contract was supposed to continue through the end of next season, or about November of next year. The city will give him 90 days notice, so the termination will take effect in mid to late March. In the meantime, Buchanan said the city will look for a new manager.

The council also voted to continue working on a draft of an ordinance to move the Economic Development Committee from under the jurisdiction of the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce to the City of Williams.

"The good thing about having it under the city is it would remove a level of reporting," said Mayor John Moore, explaining that the committee could report directly to the city, rather than going through the Chamber first. He added that a member of the Chamber should serve on the Economic Development Committee.

Gioia Goodrum, president and CEO of the Chamber said the Economic Development Committee and Chamber have always worked well together, but the Chamber does not object to the move.

"Hopefully though there would be a continued relationship between that committee and the Chamber of Commerce so we can help our business community through the Economic Development Committee."

Carol Glassburn, an Economic Development Committee member, said she supported the council investigating the matter further.

"I'd like to know what will improve by putting it under the city," she said.

In other council news, the council approved an ordinance to increase privilege taxes by 0.5 percent and eliminate the current food tax of 2 percent.

The council also approved a one-year extension for the Facility Use Agreement with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University for the use of H.A. Clark Memorial Field.

In addition, the council approved a new fee schedule for the Parks and Recreation Department.