Priority golf memberships in The Villages will no longer cover trail fees at executive golf courses under a proposed agreement.
The Amenity Authority Committee on Wednesday reviewed a revised tee time and trail pass services agreement between the Developer and The Villages government.
The championship courses in The Villages are owned by the Developer. The executive courses are supported by amenity fees and owned by the residents.
Under the proposed agreement, a resident’s purchase of a priority membership from the Developer will have no impact on playing executive courses.
If a resident chooses to walk the executive course rather than use a golf cart, a resident does not have to pay a trail fee. The trail fees are aimed at protecting the golf courses from use by golf carts.
District staff is “conservatively” estimating that the AAC may see an increase in revenue from residents who will now have to pay for trail fees currently covered by the priority membership. The AAC could realize an approximate $38,000 boost in revenue.
The agreement has been in negotiations for several months after numerous questions from the AAC, which oversees amenities north of County Road 466, and the Project Wide Advisory Committee, which oversees amenities south of County Road 466. PWAC is scheduled to review the revised agreement Monday morning at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
“This agreement is very complicated,” said AAC member Ann Forrester.
You can read the proposed agreement at this link: Tee_Time_and_Trail_Pass_Services_Agreement_Final
AAC Chairman Don Deakin said the agreement requires careful decision-making.
“We are making a decision that will affect the residents in a direct way. The trail fees are an important issue because of lot of our people are aging and have difficulty walking the courses. Our residents need to use their golf carts,” he said.
The 10-year agreement would begin March 1.
Deakin said AAC members received a copy of the proposed agreement five days prior to Wednesday’s meeting. He said the agreement is too important to be rushed through without proper input from residents.
He wanted to table the vote on the agreement until the March meeting.
“These things all need to come out into the open, until at least PWAC has a chance to voice their opinions and objections, if they have any,” said AAC member Donna Kempa.
The AAC voted 3-2 to table the agreement until the March meeting. Deakin, Forrester and Kempa voted to table. AAC members Carl Bell and Sandy Mott voted against tabling the agreement.
Robert Chandler IV, the Developer’s representative on the AAC, helped draw up the agreement. He indicated he would not be casting a vote on the agreement.