Meridian improved Lakeview Golf Course. Prices may rise to cover inflation of goods, services
When the city of Meridian took over operations of the Lakeview Golf Course last year, it knew improvements would be needed.
After completing most of the improvements last year, the course now faces a deficit if it doesn’t increase prices for golfers.
The result is a 6% increase in green fees, or the charge for playing a round of golf, and increases of 20% or more in the cost of some season passes this year.
The Meridian Parks and Recreation Department and the Western Ada Recreation District began operating the golf course in September.
Mayor Robert Simison in a letter on the city’s website, said the course “faced ... a number of maintenance and capital needs along with key public policy decisions related to the long-term management structure of the facility.”
In 14 months, Lakeview golfers played nearly 40,000 rounds of golf, said Steve Siddoway, director of Meridian Parks and Recreation, to the City Council on Tuesday.
“It has been a good year,” Siddoway said.
Even so, the department faces inflationary pressures for the goods and services needed for the course, Siddoway said.
“If we expect to come closer to recovering all of the operational costs, we need to increase fees in accordance with what we are seeing with inflationary pressures out there,” he said.
The course is operating with a 12-month rolling deficit of about $76,711, Siddoway told the council.
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He proposed two options to the council for fee increases, and the council selected the second one. The city will publish those price increases and hold a public hearing at a City Council meeting later this month.
The suggested option adds new passes to Lakeview and increases current pass prices by $300, or 21%, for single unlimited passes and $450, or 20%, for couples’ unlimited passes. The price for a single unlimited pass would be $1,749 and the price for a couples’ unlimited pass would be $2,699.
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This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
