Palmer council approves golf course contract extension, again

For a second time Palmer’s city council authorized a one-year extension to a management contract for the city’s golf course. An initial approval came at the council’s final 2025 meeting in late December but issues related to the agreement were unresolved. The council again approved the extension at a special meeting Monday, Jan. 12, but removed provisions allowing for revenues from sales of alcohol although there could be further amendments.

The approval Monday came after an extended executive session (executive sessions are closed). When the public meeting resumed the golf course contractor, Eagle Golf Course Management Inc., said it could accept the change but asked that the city bear an increase in fuel costs for 2027, which the council agreed to do.

During a December council meeting a request from Eagle Golf Course Management for an increase of $80,000 was discussed for the$475,000 contract, with $30,000 of that for fuel. City manager Kolby Zerkel held off on approving the contract extension in early January to await documentation to support the increase. The issue of alcohol sales appeared to be the main issue that held things up. The resolution approved unanimously last Monday gives Zerkel authority to resolve the alcohol questions.

Council member Victoria Hudson made the motion Monday to approve the contact minus the allowance for alcohol sales but would have had the issue brought back to the council for final approval. Palmer Mayor Jim proposed amending the measure to have Zerkel do it. “She is a professional who we hired to make decisions,” Cooper said. “We shouldn’t have the council micro-managing things like this.” Heath approved the change voted for the final resolution with others on the council.

Zerkel said earlier that the contractor, had “not provided routine operating documents that would typically be readily available and would support the requested increases.” Issues affecting the city-owned golf course have become a hot button issue in the Palmer community. There is strong local support for the gold course and concerns for contract changes by the city that may affect its economic viability.

The large turnout of golf course supporters at recent council meetings have demonstrated this.