Amenities should be self-sustaining
What makes a city attractive? Proximity to work, good schools, a busy downtown, a church of one's faith nearby, quality fire and police protection, and last but not least, quality housing at a reasonable price. When most or all of these needs are met, people will consider what a city has to offer in the way of amenities.
Most cities our size will offer the usual: swimming pools, tennis courts, ball fields and recreational areas. Some will have a lake or two, some nice walking trails and perhaps a golf course. We offer an abundance of these things. In fact, when it comes to golf, the facts would say we have an overabundance.
The game of golf over the past 10 years has seen the following occur:
1. One-half million players per year have left the game.
2. Between 80 and 120-plus courses are closing per year. A recent study indicates that a course closes every 48 hours.
3. One hundred thousand rounds have been lost to the Bella Vista golf courses (nine-year figure).
4. Thirty-five percent of golfers between the ages of 18 and 35 have left the game.
I hope the point is clear. Golf is regressing to a new normal, and no one knows for sure when it will stop. It's not just Bella Vista where the numbers are dropping; it is all across the country.
Charlie Teal states that user fees are the reason there has been a decline in the number of members using the amenities. Based on the above figures, and the fact that there have been only four increases in almost 50 years, makes that statement truly questionable. I would place that statement in the same pile with the $60 million deficit and the 10 to 20 percent loss in home values, if we didn't vote "yes."
Members aren't using the amenities because our population has changed.
We have more working people and fewer retirees. With this changing population, the board needs to assess the current allocation of amenities. The board may find we need more walking trails, more and easier access to our lakes, some soccer fields and perhaps a ball field or two.
Before we increase the assessment fee, the membership needs to be sure that the amenities are self-sustaining. If users are unprepared to accept an appropriate fee structure, then there has to be a reduction in service. The amenities we have enhance the quality of life, but they are not the reason the city exists.
It's time for the voters to tell the POA they have to make some tough business decisions. Asking for more money is the easy answer. It is not the best one.
In closing, let me quote a man who is in the best position to understand Bella Vista and its needs. Tommy Bailey said it best: "Most of the population of Bella Vista is not here for the amenities."
Dick Hove
Bella Vista
Editorial on 08/27/2014