HomeMy WebLinkAboutDesert Willow Golf Resort - Resident RateCITY OF PALM DESERT
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
STAFF REPORT
REQUEST: Resident Rate for Desert Willow
SUBMITTED BY: John M. Wohlmuth, City Manager
DATE: May 10, 2012
Recommendation
By Minute Motion:
1. Approve a resident fee policy to increase the $45.00 resident rate at Desert
Willow by CPI on whole dollar increments; and,
2. Direct staff to bring a resolution back to the City Council at the appropriate time
to raise the rate when applicable.
Background
The resident rate for Desert Willow was set by City Council in FY 1996/97, upon the
opening of Desert Willow, at $45.00. Since the opening of Desert Willow, the rate for the
resident has not changed.
KemperSports Management submitted the successful proposal to operate and manage
Desert Willow in 1996. The original proposal identified the in -season resident rate at
$80.00 per round. However, Indian Wells established their public golf course prior to
Desert Willow and charged $35.00 for a resident rate. When the resident rate was
addressed by the City Council, many residents attended the Council meeting and argued
for the same rate as Indian Wells. Ultimately, the Council compromised at a rate of
$45.00.
The cost per round was calculated to be $68.71 in 2010/11 and $69.22 for 2011/12
year-to-date. These costs are calculated by adding the golf -related expenses and
dividing the total by rounds played. However, the costs do not include depreciation.
The Average Daily Rate (ADR) for FY 2010/11 was $69.71 and the ADR for FY 2011/12
year-to-date is $72.00. Given that 20-25% of all rounds played are resident rounds at
Desert Willow, the non-resident play subsidizes the resident play by $24-$32 a round and
the resort is subsidizing the round cost by $23-$24.
Staff Report
Resident Rate for Desert Willow
May 10, 2012
Page 2of3
Executive Summary
The concept would be to measure the Consumer Price Index, all items, from March to
March, for Los Angeles, Long Beach and the Riverside area to determine the impact on
the resident rate and utilize the 2012 year as the baseline. Each year, staff will calculate
the increase due by adding CPI to the $45.00, but only increase the rate by whole dollars.
As an example, if the CPI was 3.1 %, the rate would increase to $46.395 but the rate
charged would be $46 and the $.395 would be added to next year's calculation with 2012
as the baseline.
The following chart shows the actual rate, the rounded down whole dollar, and the CPI
from 1997 to present:
CPI -All Items
Resident Rate
Adjusted
For CPI
Percentage Change
Fiscal Year 1997-98
$45.79
$45.00
1.76%
Fiscal Year 1998-99
$46.69
$46.00
1.97%
Fiscal Year 1999-00
$48.27
$48.00
3.39%
Fiscal Year 2000-01
$50.50
$50.00
4.62%
Fiscal Year 2001-02
$51.35
$51.00
1.68%
Fiscal Year 2002-03
$52.59
$52.00
2.42%
Fiscal Year 2003-04
$54.68
$54.00
3.97%
Fiscal Year 2004-05
$56.65
$56.00
3.61 %
Fiscal Year 2005-06
$59.58
$59.00
5.18%
Fiscal Year 2006-07
$61.32
$61.00
2.92%
Fiscal Year 2007-08
$64.64
$64.00
5.41
Fiscal Year 2008-09
$63.19
$63.00
-2.24%
Fiscal Year 2009-10
$63.75
$63.00
0.88%
Fiscal Year 2010-11
$65.57
$65.00
2.86%
Viewing the past 14 years, one can see how the resident rate would be impacted by CPI
and how the resident rate would modify slightly from year to year.
The arguments for utilizing CPI is that adjusting the resident rate would slightly modify the
rate from year to year avoiding larger, more controversial, increases while allowing the
cost of increased expenses due to increases of water, fertilizer, seed, labor, equipment,
etc., to be covered by charges fairly across all tier of players.
Staff Report
Resident Rate for Desert Willow
May 10, 2012
Page 3 of 3
The other argument for increasing the resident rate is that artificially keeping the resident
rate far below the cost of golf rounds impacts the private golf club's ability to attract new
members, especially residents.
FISCAL IMPACT
Although Desert Willow is not a current burden on the City's General Fund, without RDA
funds for large capital expenditures, an increase in revenues will allow the City and
Kemper to build a capital replacement account to maintain and make continual
improvements.
One caution is that in this current economy and perhaps in the future, golf rounds in the
Coachella Valley and nationally are declining. Golf pricing is far more competitive today
versus five years ago. It would be unwise to lose more play at Desert Willow, both the
20-25% resident play or to see a reduction in the 86,000 plus rounds per year.
Submitted By:
Jahn M. Wohlmuth, City Manager Paul Gibson, Finance Director
CITY COUNCIL A.CTION
.r� APPROVED DENTED
RECEIVED OTHER
MEETING DATE /
AVF,S i q
NOES: lldfnikqC
ABSENT: /
ABSTAIN:Al"
VERIFIED BY:
Original on File with Ci erk's Office
* By Minute Motion, authorized taking no action
at this time. 3-2 (Harnik, Spiegel NO)