Help Me Save a Local Muni (Airco GC in Clearwater, FL)

[The Road Dog]

Hi All, I was advised today by a staffer at a local muni close to my Clearwater suboffice that the County Commissioners are planning to meet to discuss closing the course to set the land aside for future airport expansion. Our county is one of the hardest hit financially by the economic downturn and resultant loss of tax revenue. I deal with the county on IT expense issues and I know they are beyond broke. Any discussion of airport expansion would have to be a future plan with funding coming from some source to be identified in the future also.

The Airport today has two main uses. First it is a commercial secondary facility that handles midsize and small commercial jets. Allegiant, CanJet, Vision, and Sunwing Airlines operate here. Also UPS runs flights in and out. Of course small private planes make use of the facilities also.

The second use is Military. It is home to a US Coast Guard air station, the largest, flying C-130s and H-60s patrolling the Gulf, the Caribbean basin, and the Bahamas.

My opposition to closing the Course centers on the lack of need for expansion of the airport and is supported by the lack of local funds to fund any expansion on the hope of future growth.

What I am asking you for is ideas or strategies you are familiar with to help me go about this task. I fully realize I am a potential David about to go against a Goliath and I need some good rocks.  I will solicit local help in this task also.

[clubchamp]

Basically you will have to prove that it will benefit the county to keep the course open. I would assume they are thinking expanding the airport creates jobs and will bring more revenue to the county. If they can get 1 or 2 major airlines to fly into there then it should bring more jobs and I'd assume it would help the tourism if people can get to clearwater easier. You need to see if the golf course is profitable and prove that there is an opportunity for growth that will benefit the county.

[WUTiger]

I am a college professor who specializes in strategic management.

What you have here is a complex scenario involving a public-private partnership, an airport with both military and civilian clientele. Stakeholders include the airport itself, the aircraft companies, the Dept. of Defense, county government, plus the golf side: Airco employees and the local golfers.

I live near Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, and have seen some of the complications which can arise in the public-private coordination.

Another thing to be aware of: the "land bank" concept as it relates to golf courses. In many parts of the USA, developers would build a golf course on the outskirts of a metro area, anticipating growth. The golf course would allow the land to generate moderate revenues for 20 to 30 years. If the metro area grows, however, the land may eventually have more valuable for something other than a golf course. The Airco map and course website indicates it is 18 holes, but if it is near an airport - the "land bank" reassessment may be surfacing.

As far as whether the expansion is needed, I would contact economic development people of all stripes. Air freight is expanding quickly on a global basis, so there may be some economic justification for expanding the airport. See if any "free trade zone" initiatives are afoot. One quirk of air freight is the major passenger airports have mixed feelings about such traffic. Air freight  adds revenue, but it also creates an air traffic and materiels logjam in crowded airports.

Back in my area, we have the commercial operation MidAmerica Airport adjoining Scott AFB. Opened back in the 1990s, MidAmerica has never really paid for itself, and each year runs millions of dollars in the red, a deficit which St. Clair County has to eat.

Extra capacity is great - if someone needs it. Airport expansions, however, can also have the net economic drain on regional government that publicly funded sports stadiums do. A fancier airport or a bigger pro football stadium are nice, as long as local taxpayers don't have to foot the bill for annual financial shortfalls.

Wish I could be of more help, but you are going to have be a real detective to determine all the forces which are at play.

Also, the Recession has been taking a toll on USA golf courses. You have to take a look at public golf facilities available in Clearwater region. If several of the courses - including Airco - are struggling and losing money, it would make fiscal sense to prune one. For reasons cited, a course adjacent to an airport would an attractive one to cut.

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For future discussion: The whole idea of municipal- or county-funded golf courses is a lively subtopic of public policy debate. If you have a rainy afternoon, do a search on public golf courses and San Francisco . Some have hailed public golf as "the only welfare-state program which benefits middle-class males."

[The Road Dog]

Thanks for replies. Looks like I will be doing some research on the course revenues and the county plans. I have to work fast, to be able find some local help also. Thanks again. Tiger if I have more questions I may msg you privately.

[WUTiger]

If you have ideas, PM me.

Circa 1970, St. Louis area had a lot of public courses subdivided or turned into industrial parks. Hard on everyday golfers.

[The Road Dog]

Champ and Tiger it was a lost cause. the land is owned by the Airport and they are under contract with FAA to have most of it available and paying for itself.  Analysis shows the golf course has been losing money every year the past three and over the last ten years is in the hole over $500K.  So they have to cut their losses and allow some development that will pay the Airport a positive revenue flow.  Thanks for the support. I will be out there that last day it's open enjoying myself, May 15, 2011.

[clubchamp]

Sorry to hear that course isn't going to make it but owning a golf course is a business and from you said it clearly wasn't going well for them.