The Daily Dispatch

Following a recommendation from the Wahpeton Economic Development Commission (EDC), the city council voted 7-0 Monday to grant the Bois de Sioux Public Golf Course $25,000, intended to be distributed over a three-month time period.

The funds, to be drawn from Wahpeton's recreation set-aside fund, are to assist the golf course in meeting payroll, paying for monthly utility bills and other miscellaneous expenses.

Council members cited the golf course's economic impact on the city as reason to assist the entity for the second time in one year. In November 2008, the city approved a $108,000 subsidy in response to immediate challenges, such as long-term indebtedness, posed by golf board officials.

"This is a difficult thing. To infuse the golf course with more money, I think it's a controversial decision, but they seem to be getting on track despite huge obstacles of weather," said Alisa Mitskog, council member and EDC chair.

Wahpeton Finance Director Darcie Huwe said the golf course has complied with the more than 10 parameters laid out by the council last year as tie-ons to the subsidy, including not entering into any credit agreements without city approval. The covenants were to prevent additional indebtedness due to operating loans and to deter the course from borrowing future reserves for past expenses.

"The golf course has done a very good job of addressing each of those conditions. They really invented their board and I think the efficiency of the board of directors," Huwe said. "I was expecting actually a greater ask than this, I'm very pleased that they were able to make the turn arounds they made."

Jason Sirek, golf board president, was present at the council meeting to elaborate on the course's expenses. Sirek said the board was charged more than $13,000 alone to reseed the back nine holes, while they accrued additional costs when they had to replace all the electrical workings of the course's cart shed buildings.

In addition, the course's memberships declined.

"We did raise all of the rates 10 percent, which may have effected some of the memberships, no question about it, but most of our other income was up even with us being down for so long, which is encouraging as far as we're concerned," said Arden Anderson, golf board and EDC member.

Despite financial challenges, the golf course brought in a number of tournaments this summer, including the North Dakota State Girl's Golf Tournament.

"Some teams, because they came from farther west, were here for three nights in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, shopping downtown. There is an economic impact of this course on our community," Mitskog said. "If we turn our back now, it becomes our problem."

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