The excess of revenues on Nampa’s golf courses was $389,953 for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2019. I became chief of staff in January of 2020, and Mayor Kling was committed to solidifying the viability and success of the golf courses, as was the city council and golf commission. There had been speculation in the past that the state (who owned the land) would prefer selling it for development rather than continue in a lease to the city. In the analysis while reviewing this back at the time, the surrounding infrastructure, especially transportation, would be inadequate for any such development. Our perspective was that the leased land for the golf courses would remain zoned as “park” in our current and future land use map. Centennial was built by the community on leased land decades ago and Ridgecrest was added later after increased popularity and demand.
The community also preferred to see the golf courses remain open green space rather than dense development on inadequate infrastructure that would’ve added significant congestion. 500 acres of recreational green space is an amenity and asset. The city worked through a process to purchase the land from the state (Dept. of Health and Welfare) to not be stuck in constant lease renewals or hold back significant capital upgrades on land we didn’t own. Upgrades were needed, but it’s hard investing significant capital on land facing the end of a lease. The state recognized that the city was not going to entertain a change of use and that the potential sale should reflect the value of its use. This was the position of the city and why efforts were taken to secure an appraisal as golf courses as a baseline for negotiations.
I was part of the team to negotiate with the state, and needless to say, we got a deal done for purchase to ensure future ownership of the land on which the golf courses were built. So many worked to make this happen, notably then parks/rec director Darrin Johnson (and staff), then legal counsel Joe Borton, finance director Doug Racine, the dedicated and supportive golf commission, Councilman Victor Rodriguez (as advocate and liaison to to the golf commission), the city council, and Mayor Kling. Mayor Kling not only supported these efforts but helped seal the deal. The purchase price was just below $5.7M (with many qualified uses ironed out).
This unleashed needed capital investment, a restructuring of operations, and excess of revenues for FY2024 at $1.76M, an over 4X increase in 5 years. The ROI on the purchase is about 4 years. Not to be forgotten, there’s an RC Airfield embedded on the campus, and this deal helped preserve this continued use. Side note: My son is now an avid member of the Nampa Model Aviators Club and loves this amenity.
I was part of the negotiation team and the project/hiring team (in the restructuring of operations) and also worked as a liaison to the golf commission. This was all a thrilling accomplishment for the city, this amenity, and long-term revenue projections. This is just one example of many projects that required careful analysis and strategic effort. It’s also a testament to what can be accomplished when all parties work together to ensure success.
As the next potential mayor, I look forward to putting my administrative, financial, and negotiation training/education/experience to use. I will involve stakeholders to draw on collective knowledge and wisdom. I will work with the city council in providing thorough information and options to build consensus and pursue objectives that improve our city. And I’m committed to performing these tasks transparently and with input from the citizens we serve.
