COUNCIL MOVES FORWARD WITH BOS LANDEN DEAL

Bos Landen Golf Club (submitted image)

by Marty Racheter

There were three resolutions related to the Bos Landen Golf Course acted upon at the Pella City Council meeting May 20. The City has always owned the golf course ground, and recently offered to purchase the pro shop, conference center, restaurant, and two maintenance buildings from R&R Management, the firm that closed the course last fall. R&R remained as the leaseholder, but did not open the course this spring. All three resolutions had to do with transferring that lease to Warrior Golf Venture, Inc., the operator planning to open the course this June. The lease would be for 99 years at $1.00 per year. When the sale of the buildings takes place, the resolution will be amended to include those facilities. (The resolutions do not affect the City’s ownership in any way.) A public hearing was already scheduled for June 3.

The Council also approved a resolution related to the Shades of Blue concert on the Pella square June 13 at 7:30 p.m. A jazz ensemble, Shades of Blue, is the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America on tour through the midwest, with stops in Kansas City, MO and Clarinda, Waukee, Holstein, and Pella, IA. (See www.bandofmidamerican.af.mil)

The schedule of closings of streets and/or grounds in connection with this years’ Thursdays in Pella evenings was approved. With a weekly attendance of about 1500, this is a popular summer program series in Pella. Celebrating Family, Dutch Dynasty, Pet-A-Palooza, Summer Fest, Be a Hero, Ag in the City, and Summer Bash are some of the new and returning themes. Activities are planned for every Thursday evening in June and July. With vendors and contest to go with, the fun starts about 6:00 p.m.

Items of interest from the Policy and Planning meeting following the regular Council meeting included a report that the demolition work at the indoor pool has been completed and renovation is beginning, and that the Aquatic Center is ready for its Memorial Day opening. The Pella Sports Park is about a month behind schedule, but the street is paved and the fields are being seeded. Construction of the concession stand has begun, and the maintenance building construction begins June 9. Slowly but surely, the old power plant is coming down. Great care was taken with asbestos removal and metal salvage, and the stacks come down next week.