hillcrestJamestown (CSi) On a 3-1 vote, the Jamestown City Park Board has decided to keep the existing irrigation pond for Hillcrest Municipal Golf Course, with Mark Ukestad opposed. A new irrigation pond project was part of a $486,000 change order the commission approved in October, which included new irrigation pumps and improvements to the green at hole Number 16 and removing about 1,000 feet of a paved golf cart path.

Golf course architect, Kevin Norby previously suggested building a new irrigation pond with the existing pond having leakage issues and failed to meet watering needs of the golf course in a timely manner.

Hillcrest’s golf course superintendent, John Miller, has said the existing pond is big enough to fill the course’s wet well, the water source for the course’s irrigation system, adding that the existing pond has not been maintained.

Repairs to the existing pond was estimates to cost $176,000 and to install a new liner and drain that allow the pond to be drained for maintenance.

The commission has a contract with Duininck Construction Inc.,for the new irrigation pond and related work.

The contract indicated that the park board would have to pay Duinick $132,534 to get out of the contract, and to have the existing irrigation pond repaired, the project would cost about $346,000.

Parks and Recreation Director, Doug Hogan, said he wanted the project completed as planned, concerned that the commission had approved selling bonds to pay for the golf course improvement project and pay off $290,000 remaining on the winter sports building.

He said he wasn’t sure if the commission could use the bond funds that were going to pay for the new irrigation pond for a different use.

Also

The park board has approved increasing ice rink rental rates by $5 for the 2015-16 hockey/ice skating season.

The non-prime hour rate goes to $50, $55 for primetime. The rental rate for public use, that is not for use by hockey or figure skating clubs, increased to $70 an hour.