Source: Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal
All three Shawnee County commissioners expressed interest Monday in bidding to have the county run Topeka's public golf course.
Commission Chairman Vic Miller instructed county staff to look into the financial ramifications of taking over management of Cypress Ridge Golf Course, 2533 S.W. Urish Road. Miller and Commissioners Ted Ensley and Marice Kane voted 3-0 to continue a discussion of the matter next Monday.
Topeka City Councilman Jeff Preisner, head of a city task force that recommended the city seek private management for the course, said in a phone interview Monday that he would welcome having the county run Cypress Ridge.
"It's always better to work with a neighbor than it is to work with someone from out of state," he said.
Topeka Mayor James McClinton announced last week the city was putting together a request for proposals for bids to assume management of Cypress Ridge. The city has been losing money at the course.
Miller said that because the county already runs two public courses --- Lake Shawnee Golf Course, 4141 S.E. East Edge Road, and Forbes Golf Course, 700 S.E. Capehart Road --- it could take advantage of joint purchases and shared equipment and staffing to operate a third.
Tom Opat, county golf course superintendent, said Cypress Ridge's current staff likely would stay in place if the county took it over.
Commissioners on Tuesday also:
n Questioned officials from Valeo Behavioral Health Care about their request for more than $73,000 that the county chose Dec. 2 to hold onto rather than allocate to Valeo programs that serve elderly clients and people with substance abuse problems. Commissioners postponed a move on the matter until March 7.
n Voted 3-0 to buy for the Kansas Expocentre a four-wheel-drive utility vehicle from KanEquip, which offered the low bid of $7,800; and 81 office chairs from Thompson-Crawley Furniture for $13,827 --- an average of about $171 per chair.
n Voted 3-0 to approve Shawnee County Health Agency director Anne Freeze's request to waive the county's formal bidding process and contract with Alexander Clark Printing to print and distribute 21,000 Spanish-language versions of a guide to emergency preparedness. The county would pay for the booklets with $4,000 it received in state and federal grant money.