For immediate release: June 21, 2017
Press release by:
Councilmember Don S. Guzman, Chair
Parks, Recreation, Energy, and Legal Affairs Committee
WAILUKU, Hawaii – On Tuesday at 10 a.m., the Council’s Parks, Recreation, Energy and Legal Affairs Committee will have its first meeting to discuss options to enhance the sustainability of the Waiehu golf course since the Mayor proposed its closure, announced Committee Chair Don S. Guzman today.
“Each Budget session, the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee is faced with numbers that show the golf course is falling short of the goal of becoming self-supporting, as envisioned by Section 13.16.040 of the Maui County Code,” said Guzman. “Options to address financial and operational expectations and improvements simply cannot be handled during discussions on the County’s annual budget. For that reason, the PRL Committee has been given this task, and Tuesday’s meeting will get the conversation started.”
To assist the Committee, representatives from Kauai and Oahu will be on hand to contribute their insight and expertise on municipal golf course administration, finance, greens, and maintenance.
“We can learn from our sister counties,” said Guzman. “They confront the same challenges we do when it comes to managing municipal courses. It’s my hope that folks familiar with the Ala Wai and Wailua Golf Courses will provide the Committee with good information on which sound decisions can be made for Waiehu.”
No proposed legislation has been posted for this meeting. The Waiehu Golf Course Superintendent and Maintenance Supervisor will also participate, and the Committee anticipates hearing from representatives from the County’s Department of Finance and Budget office.
The meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend or view the meeting on Akaku. Written testimony may be emailed to prl.committee@mauicounty.us, referencing PRL-30.
