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MONTEVALLO – An ordinance transferring Montevallo’s public golf course assets to the University of Montevallo passed in a 3-2 vote following a lengthy discussion at the Montevallo City Council meeting on Sept. 14.

The ordinance authorizes the university to operate the golf course with the help of a third-party professional management company and financial support from the city in the amount of $15,000 in the first year and $37,500 in the second year.

“The university does want to keep it open to the public,” University of Montevallo Athletic Director Mark Richard said. “It brings commerce to the city.”

The city’s lease for the golf course was set to expire Sept. 30.

During a discussion in the Council’s work session, Councilmember Rusty Nix recommended the city retain ownership of the golf course with continued payments from the university.

Mayor Hollie Cost said the golf course has been a “significant and continual loss of revenue for the city,” adding the city has lost roughly $600,000 in the last 10-12 years.

Richard said the university’s goal would be to enter into a two-year agreement with the management company initially and then possibly extend it if appropriate.

The Council voted to leave the regular order of business to vote on the matter Sept. 14 instead of tabling it until the Sept. 28 meeting, which would be two days before the lease expires.

Councilmembers Arthur Herbert, Jason Peterson and Mayor Hollie Cost voted in favor of the ordinance, while Councilmembers Tiffany Bunt and Rusty Nix voted against it.

“We don’t take this decision lightly,” Cost said. “Obviously, we all care and want what’s best for the community, and we all still want it to be a golf course. We just might have different ideas about how that could come about.”

In other business, the Council:

• Approved an ordinance approving the cell tower sale for $600,000. A portion of the funds will be redirected to pay off the existing fire truck loan, and any other funds will be reinvested into assets as approved by the Council.
• Approved the Colonial Oaks phase 7 amended master plan.
• Approved plans for Montevallo’s annual Fire Prevention Parade to have an extended route to allow for social distancing.
• Approved a recycling center proposal to use $6,600 from the sanitation fund for welding needed in order to reformat the compactor so that citizens can use it.
• Approved a Chamber of Commerce Memorandum of Agreement.
• Approved the purchase of a vehicle for the fire chief using unallocated funds in the Regions Capital Reserve in the amount of $59,228.
• Approved the purchase of a Lucas CPR Device for $15,524 using funds from the Regions Capital Reserve with plans to apply for reimbursement under the CARES Act.
• Approved a City Hall server and firewall upgrade project using unallocated funds in the Regions Capital Reserve in the amount of $26,212.
• Approved to declare surplus and recycle electronic items.
• Approved a policy to provide police officers with guidelines of approved use of miniature red dot sights (MRDS) on the duty handgun.
• Tabled a capital project financing bid.
• Entered 2020-2021 budget resolution as the first reading and set a budget work session for Sept. 22 at 4 p.m.
• Approved the adoption of the city’s walkability priority list.
• Heard updates on paving in the Ammersee Lakes subdivision and moving forward with work on the restrooms at Dailey Park.
• For the Trails Committee, approved the ratification of the terms of Kelly Wacker and Michele Pawlik and the appointment of Dee Woodham.
• Approved establishing a bank account for Impact Montevallo’s grant funding.