BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — A liquor license at Harrison Park Golf Course is again closer to reality.
There was little discussion among aldermen and no objections to the liquor license Tuesday night, as three members of the city council’s Public Works Committee voted to approve the license. Ward 1 Alderman Rickey Williams Jr. abstained from voting. Those who voted in favor were Mike Puhr, Steve Foster and Rick Strebing.
Williams said he was “not certain how I feel” about the license. He heard from one constituent for it and two against it.
Aldermen absent were Sharon McMahon, Dale Brandenburg and Jon Cooper.
The full city council will act on the liquor license next week.
Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said a goal has been to eliminate about $27,000 in city property taxes going to the golf course.
The liquor license and golf pro agreement provisions, including the creation of a golf shop lease and liquor license with limited hours of operation, eliminate the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund/Federal Insurance Contributions Act contributions to the golf course from city property taxes, Ahrens said.
After the fiscal year 2011 budget, IMRF/FICA will be paid in full through the golf course operational budget.
Under the three-year golf pro agreement with John Smith, his base salary will be $42,435 effective Jan. 1, 2010, and $40,000 starting Jan. 1, 2011. His salary effective Jan. 1, 2012 will be $40,800.
Commissions are redistributed for golf fees, pull carts, private cars, city golf cars and driving range, and account for the salary reduction and the inclusion of lease and liquor license impacts.
Also with the license approval, the golf shop would be leased to J&L; (John and Lori Smith) Golf Pro Shop for $1,150 a year starting in fiscal year 2011.
Smith will be the golf course’s liquor license holder. He’ll receive the revenue.
Beverage-related revenues in 2010 will go toward the purchase of shelving, containers, coolers, refrigerators, cash registers, stock and storage items related to the alcohol sales.
Sales, liquor and food and beverage taxes apply to the sold items. Also, revenues generated through the lease would cover the property taxes on the golf shop.
Ahrens said the property tax amount hasn’t been determined yet, but has been budgeted at $4,000.
Alcohol has been sold on the golf course property in the past through special permits sponsoring agencies obtain for special events.
Ward 3 Alderman Bill Gilbert said he’d rather the golf course have a liquor license to better control alcohol consumption. Persons could bring a cooler full of alcoholic beverages and drink all they wanted, he said.
Under the license, the alcohol must be consumed on the premises.
Also Tuesday, aldermen continued budget discussions, including the enterprise funds such as the arena and library.
In other business, the committee recommended:
-- Authorizing $58,500 in professional services by Farnsworth Group of Champaign for the Carver Park renovation project.
“This is the first formal vote to initiate the project,” Ahrens said.
Construction is expected this summer and fall.
The city received $373,500 in grant funding through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development Program to renovate and add new facilities to the park on East Williams Street.
-- Authorizing funding applications for the Fairchild Subway replacement project.
Aldermen discussed this issue for a while because of one sentence in the resolution: The city may need to commit up to $10 million of local funding for certain grant applications.
City Engineer David Schnelle said the replacement project is estimated at $20 million. The city has $7 earmarked already through state capital funding. At least another $6 million could come from the Illinois Commerce Commission.
But a local contribution could be upward of the remaining $7 million needed.
However, city officials continue to seek more grant funding, such as more stimulus money.
“What I can guarantee you is that we’re going to scrap for every dollar we can get,” Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said about various grant funding sources including homeland security monies, as Puhr suggested.
Eisenhauer said many grants require a city commitment for a local match.
City officials feel $10 million is the most the city would be able to bond or come up with for the project.
Ahrens said of the $12 million Winter Avenue project, $2 million was the local match.
