City Council announces plan to help DeBell Golf Course
City Council in Burbank is ready to pay a loan of $1 million to municipal golf course, DeBell Golf Course, when the course is going through a rough patch.
Mayor Jess Talamantes, who is a spokesperson for the City Council made the announcement on Tuesday in press conference. He said, “As far as I'm concerned, there's a jewel up there that's too big to fail in my opinion.”
The mayor explained the financial condition of the course and presented a plan to help them get back on their feet. He said that the course was facing loss, owing to the recession in economy. In 2001-02, the course recorded 75,723
rounds of golf, but the number came down with approaching years and in 2010, it reached 56,397.
Due to the gradual loss, the course encountered a loss of $300,000 every year, which compelled the course to think on the lines of filing bankruptcy. During the same tenure, they failed to pay the annual instalments of the loan,
which they took two years back.
Looking at the frail picture of the course, the city council decided to announce a package, which would provide the flexibility in paying off the instalments and provide them a cushion, while renovating the clubhouse in the vicinity
for the members.
However, a general vote of concern was called on Tuesday in which the majority voted in favour of the course, as it is the only source of entertainment in the area. In the same meeting, the golf management was asked to present
the financial reports of last ten years, so that a clear picture of the course could be apprehended.
Councilman David Gordon, who was also part of the meeting, said that the golf course had been part of financial setback since a long time; therefore, it was city council’s responsibility to save the vicinity.
He added that the council had allocated a huge number of funds for the club, but there were waiting for the club management to provide them with the financial record. He stated, “It's an awful lot of money to commit on good faith,
and I think we're in an awful situation right now.”
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