City of Ronan hears golf course proposal
RONAN — Though a number of details need to be hammered out, the Ronan City Council seems interested in the idea of buying Mission Mountain County Club.
At a special meeting Monday night, the board and several MMCC representatives discussed a myriad of issues regarding the proposed sale, which is only in the initial stages of discussion at this point.
"Both sides are going to have to list their needs in order to get this thing done," said MMCC general manager and head golf pro Chris Nowlen. "Everything needs to be listed on paper."
The nearly two-hour meeting was spent listing the needs and discussing the political and legal issues that go along with this kind of transaction.
"Right now we're just listing all the pros and cons," said Mayor Kim Aipperspach after the meeting.
Certainly one benefit, he said, would be sustaining the financial viability of the golf course.
"The better the economy is in the valley, the better it is for the city," he said.
In order to acquire funds, the city would have to apply for an Industrial Revenue Bond, a bond used to finance a commercial facility for a private user. The public would be allowed to invest in the bond and make money on the interest of the debt, explained city council board member Rich Gebhardt.
Only the building and the land is up for sale, Nowlen said, with a price tag around $850,000. The council speculated that the cost could be paid over a 20 to 40 year period.
MMCC representatives said they'd continue to operate and manage the golf course and be responsible for establishing facility fees and membership costs.
The board agreed to schedule another special meeting in the near future.
Whatever is decided, "We want to make sure it's done in the best interest of the city," said Gebhardt.
And no decisions will be made without first approaching the MMCC stock holders, Nowlen explained in an interview after the meeting.
The golf course was originally established by group of people who promised stock holders an inexpensive place to play golf.
"It worked at first," Nowlen said. The facility drew people from Canada, Missoula and other neighboring areas. But as more courses cropped up, the MMCC found itself in a financial bind.
Nowlen said that a relationship between the course and the city would be most advantageous as the course would be self-sustained by golfers from the valley.
"We are trying to maintain public facility with inexpensive fees rather than have it privately owned with fees that are out of line," he said.
In other city council news
The preliminary budget for the City of Ronan for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, as prepared, is on file at Ronan City Hall and open to inspection by all taxpayers. A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at Ronan City Hall on Aug. 7.