HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-07-041 - Deferred Golf Carts: FIN-07-029 Quotation: Q07-004
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Community Services
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Report To:
Date of Meeting:
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
Mayor C. Zehr and Members of Council
April 2, 2007
Keith Baulk, Director, Enterprise Division, 2393
Gary Hastings, Manager of Golf Courses
all
March 26, 2007.
CSD-07 -041
DEFERRED GOLF CARTS: FIN 07-029
QUaT A TION:Q07 -004
RECOMMENDATION:
That Quotation Q07-004 for golf carts be awarded to Club Car Inc. Cambridge Ontario, at
their quoted price of $51,812.80 including GST as per the original recommendation in the
Finance report FIN 07-09.
BACKGROUND:
On March 19, 2007 Council deferred awarding Quotation Q07-004, Golf Carts as outlined in
Finance report Fin 07-029 because Council inquired about the possibility of using electric
instead of gas golf carts at Doon Valley Golf Course. For clarification purposes FIN report 07-
029 indicated of the 22 golf carts up for replacement; 10 were electric carts for Rockway G.C.
and 12 gas powered were for Doon Valley G.C.
Doon Valley Golf Course has a total fleet of 42 gasoline golf carts. By comparison Rockway Golf
Course has a fleet total of 42 electric golf carts.
This report will also answer a Council inquiry about the additional funds in the golf cart
equipment reserve fund.
REPORT:
Doon Valley Golf Course does not currently have a golf cart storage building facility. It is
imperative that a golf cart storage building is in place because charging electric carts in an
outside environment is neither practical nor safe. As well, sufficient electrical supply is not
currently available at the site where a charging facility could be located.
A proper power cart charging and storage facility similar to Rockway golf course and a
conversion to electric carts will be part of the Doon Valley Golf Expansion proposal. The cost to
provide the infrastructure will be approximately $100,000. The plan is to replace the carts over a
3 -4 year period at a total cost of approximately $100,000 after trade-in. Staff have been
proceeding on the basis that the proposed Doon expansion budget will include the infrastructure
to support electric golf carts and the conversion to electric carts. The next phase of the
expansion proposal is to be presented to Council on April 2, 2007.
Staff is suggesting that proceeding to approve the charging/storage facility in unison with the
expansion still makes the most sense because the design, permitting, tendering and
construction of the cart charging/storage facility would take a year or more anyway. As a result,
this report recommendation supports proceeding with the original quotation recommendation to
purchase the gas carts for Doon Valley with the recognition that staff will include the amenities
for electric cart use at Doon Valley in the expansion business case. This allows the golf course
to meet its immediate business needs of providing newer, high quality, well operating carts for
golfers in 2007 but still provides a commitment through the expansion business case to phase
out gas carts in a short timeframe.
Should Council not approve the expansion business case, a separate proposal to move to
electric carts could still be undertaken as a stand-alone initiative.
For information purposes the gas carts are relatively environmentally friendly as they conform to
the strict California Emission standards and use only about 1 litre of fuel per 18 holes of golf.
There is no idling involved, as the engines completely stop and start automatically each time
you take your foot off and put your foot on the gas pedal. As well, Energy Management staff is
investigating a new technology that involves using solar panels to help power the electric carts.
With regard to the question about the surplus in the golf cart replacement reserve fund, money
has been added each year in order to fund the purchase of an expanded fleet of golf carts on
the premise that the Doon Valley Golf Course Expansion project would be approved. As a
result, the purchase of the future additional electrical golf carts is fully funded should Council
approve the business case. In the event the business case is not approved, the funds could be
used to partially fund the construction of the charging/storage facility for the conversion to
electric carts.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The construction of a golf cart maintenance and charging facility to hold up to 60 golf carts
would be in the range of $100,000 for the design, building, electrical supply, ventilation and
contingency. The cost to completely replace the gas golf cart fleet with electric carts would be in
the range of an additional $100,000 after trade-ins. The golf unit has no capacity to fund this as
the unit is operating in a deficit position at this time.
It is recommended that the move to electric carts be financed as part of the Doon expansion
project since the move to electric carts requires infrastructure that is both expensive and takes
time to construct. This would require the unit to continue to serve the golfers needs through the
gas cart fleet in the meantime. This approach best fulfills the golf business and customer service
requirements while keeping a commitment to the environmental objectives.
CONCLUSION:
Based on the above report, staff is advising Council to approve the quotation Q07-004 as
outlined in report FIN 07-029. Following Council's decision on the Doon Valley Golf Course
Expansion; staff will move forward with planning construction of a Golf Cart Storage facility, with
the purpose of converting its fleet of 42 gasoline golf carts, to electrical powered carts in a
further effort to support City of Kitchener Environmental initiatives.
Keith Baulk
Director Enterprise Division, Community Services
AP