WINNIPEG - The City of Winnipeg Public Service is taking next steps in the process of its review of City-owned golf courses.
The City Auditor's November 2010 Operational Review of Winnipeg Golf Services found that the City's golf courses, as measured by value, are not affordable and that current operations render the golf division unsustainable.
As a result of the Audit, in May of 2011, the Alternate Service Delivery (ASD) Committee of City Council directed the Public Service to, in the short term, conduct a competitive bid process for City-run golf courses.
The Public Service issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) on September 30, 2011, for seven City-owned golf courses: Canoe Club, Crescent Drive, Harbour View, John Blumberg, Kildonan Park, Tuxedo and Windsor Park. To date, the Public Service has received 73 proposals regarding to these courses.
Based on the submissions to the EOI, the Public Service is recommending using a Modified Managed Competition model as a next step in determining how City-run golf courses will be operated.
"This report demonstrates how we are taking a balanced approach to the operations of the City of Winnipeg's golf courses,� said ASD Chair Scott Fielding. "As the City Auditor pointed out, we need to stop the over one million dollars of losses each and every year to protect taxpayers. By looking at options such as Modified Managed Competition we have the opportunity to keep our golf courses but stop the losses so we have funds to go to our top priorities such as preventing crime, fixing our streets and roads, and investing in our Community Centres.�
In a Modified Managed Competition approach, costing and human resource information would first be shared with the civic unions involved to seek input on solutions. Subsequent to those discussions, the City would be in a position to decide whether to seek full proposals from external service providers for operating the City-run golf courses.
Having external service providers operate municipal golf courses is not new to the City as, of the seven courses considered in the EOI, three are exclusively City-run, while the other four are already contract managed and/or leased.
The Public Service will bring these recommendations forward at the July 6, 2012 meeting of the Alternate Service Delivery Committee.