Coffee and questions with Judson

The topics ranged from hunting on the Ark.-Mo. land to a proposed hydrology study for Sugar Creek when Tom Judson sat with about 10 members for his regular Coffee and Questions session on Aug. 8.

The morning session is scheduled at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Riordan Hall.

The evening session takes place at 5 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Riordan Hall.

Judson said that the sessions help him identify issues that he and his staff may not notice, like the handicapped entrance at Metfield. There is handicapped parking available with a ramp to enter the clubhouse, but what he didn't realize until a member pointed it out was that the parking on the far side of the building would not be obvious to a member who doesn't play golf. Golfers park on that far end of the building and enter through the Pro Shop, but someone headed to membership services may not realize that there is special parking and a much-easier entry on the other end of the building. Last week he told the member who had pointed out the issue that a new sign has been installed identifying the handicapped parking.

The future of the Berksdale Golf Course depends on the hydrology study that the board may approve this month, Judson said. Nine holes of the course were opened and people have been playing them.

So far, four engineering firms have been contacted about submitting a bid. Meetings have taken place with both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city. The city may share some costs for the study, he said.

While the POA in the past successfully stabilized some sections of the creek bank, it's possible that effort led to even more damage downstream, Judson said. The study should determine if it's feasible to continue using the land adjacent to the creek as a golf course.

Judson couldn't answer one member's question about Lake Bella Vista. Even before he started with the POA, the board decided not to take any position on the controversy centered around the failed dam. The POA never owned Lake Bella Vista, which passed from Cooper Communities' ownership to a small nonprofit, then to the city of Bentonville. Judson said that one engineer told him that removing the dam wouldn't help the flooding problem because the lake is so small compared to the watershed that fills it.

One member asked him about hunting leases for the Ark.-Mo. land and would it set a precedent for the POA leasing common property to hunters. The Ark.-Mo. land, 367 acres that spill into Missouri, has never been common property, Judson explained. The board purchased it in 2000 and has leased it to farmers who cut hay on the land. Bow hunting leases are another way to gain some income from the property.

It's already legal to bow hunt on common property, he said.

Judson also had progress reports on two projects now underway. The Country Club renovation has been proceeding slowly because it's difficult for contractors to hire workers. There's so much construction going on in the area that workers are in high demand.

Meanwhile, POA staff has been working at Lake Avalon where a sand beach will be installed next spring. Drainage work and an addition to the parking lot are underway. Judson said the beach will probably be very popular when it opens in 2018.

A member asked if the lights at the tennis court could be turned off at night and Judson told him that was the policy. He said someone would remind the staff at the courts to make sure the lights are off.