The Pond Scum Rises to the Top of Cypress Lakes (Golf Club)

 

Cypress Lakes Golf Club - Located on the fringe of Muscle Shoals, the club was originally built by industrialist Neil Whitesell who later donated the white elephant to the city in 2012. If the endeavor has ever been profitable, we're not aware of it. In a 2014 attempt to balance the budget, the city terminated the golf pro who came with the club.

Matt McCollum -

Perhaps you know our friend Matt? If you don't, we'll give you a little background. The Decatur native was working as the golf pro at a private country club in Morgan County when it was forced to close for financial reasons. The head of a young family, Matt took a job at Cypress Lakes around four years ago as a part-time employee in the golf shop.

Matt supplemented his income by giving private golf lessons in his free time and became a respected member of the local golfing community. In fact, Matt was so good at what he did, he not only became an important part of the Cypress Lakes family, he was touted by several "in authority" to be the next golf pro should the position ever be reinstated.

Rusty Wheeles - Rusty is the head of Muscle Shoals Parks & Recreation, and has always, at least on the surface, supported Matt in his quest for a full-time golf pro position. Or has he?

In a TimesDaily article from early June of this year, Wheeles stated he was "not aware" of anyone currently employed by the city having a Class A PGA certification. There are three possibilities:

1. The author of the TD article misquoted Wheeles.

2. Wheeles had a lapse of thought and misspoke.

3. Wheeles issued a deliberate falsehood concerning Matt McCollum.

The Job Applicants/Finalists - Matt McCollum and Scott Clayton (pictured above) of Birmingham.

Scott Clayton - Clayton has worked at four separate country clubs in the past decade. He also purchased a home in Birmingham last year. Everyone should ask why he now wants to leave his latest job. Any forward thinking person should ask just how long Clayton will stay in Muscle Shoals if he takes this position.

We understand that Clayton toured Muscle Shoals on Thursday after being offered the job. At that time he presented his list of demands for extra perks. Can we all say cheeky?

There are conflicting reports of Clayton actually accepting the position. If indeed he has, we'll have more on his background later.

The Civil Service Board - Five individuals make up the Muscle Shoals board. The two male members voted for Matt, while the three female members (Bethany Malone, Paula Michael, and Jean Madden) voted for Clayton. It's been suggested to us that these women were not voting against Matt, but to oppose current administrators of the golf course. Whatever their reason, they didn't help their city with a choice based on vitriol.

Note: While we were contacted by and spoke to several sources, we have not spoken to Matt McCollum about the surprise decision. There is currently a petition circulating to redo the civil service board vote on the position. Obviously, there will be more to come.

Departments: Necessary v. Unnecessary

We commented yesterday that no Muscle Shoals department lost money at the same record pace as the recreation department (think specifically golf course). A reader quickly commented that these other departments are essential, the recreation/golf course isn't. 

This is an astute observation. Police services are essential. Fire services are essential. Utility services are essential. Recreation services? No, they're not anywhere close to essential. 

We're not marketing experts, but the golf course as it's structured today with club house and tennis courts may never be profitable. No, no one wants to buy it either. Perhaps the city should admit defeat before it loses any more of the taxpayers' money?

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A second look at the Florence tennis courts? Originally they were supposed to be indoor. What happened to that idea?  

There's nothing wrong with new ideas, but there is something wrong with spending money on these ideas before they're approved. It's rather like a woman purchasing a wedding dress before she's engaged or a man buying a ring before his girlfriend says yes. 

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Nigel Knorr has promised us some interesting information on the Spirit of Freedom celebration. It should be extremely revealing.

The Money Pit Deepens at Cypress Lakes

Yesterday we looked at a proposed Florence tennis court complex; today we'll look at something worse, something that is already a reality.

From Leslie M. Shoals:

http://www.timesdaily.com/news/local/city-committed-to-cypress-lakes-despite-expense/article_669a9b11-a9f7-5e25-b8fa-9b9dd9424a8d.html

Let's see if we understand this right, 2013 through APRIL 2017, the Cypress Lakes Golf Course (AKA Muscle Shoals City Council) has LOST close to ONE MILLION DOLLARS of the tax payers' money.

104 MEMBERS and only 45 are CITY RESIDENTS.

MORE THAN HALF of the members of the Golf Course are NOT M.S. residents but are COSTING MUSCLE SHOALS TAX PAYERS CLOSE TO ONE MILLION DOLLARS?

Mr. Chris Hall, when is the light bulb going to go off in your head? I know your background and understand how you think everyone else should pay for your expertise, but at this rate, you're only one year in but it appears you have consumed gallons of the Kool-Aid if you think this is a smart proposition. Mr. Whitesell knew exactly what he was doing when he suckered all of you. Too bad we can't make y'all pay for your bad decisions out of your own pockets.

Lucy, you have some "splaining to do".

Mr. Arndt, you think those 59 non resident golf club members and others occasionally visiting the course are "probably" spending money on food and gas that justifies these massive losses? When will your light bulb start lighting up?

Sounds like you boys need to take a few accounting and budgeting classes along with those lame brains on the city council.

Leslie M. Shoals

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The only way to remedy this situation is to show up at council meetings and demand change. Make sure the press knows what is going to happen. Write letters to the TimesDaily. Write letters to and call your council members.

No, no city department may be making money, but how many are losing it in these amounts? 

Nepotism Policy

Muscle Shoals councilman Joe Pampinto has stated he's hoping for more bids on land adjacent to the less than profitable Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club. We believe he meant to say “any bids” since the city's first attempt to auction the lots produced no one interested in the parcels.

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The position of Arts & Museums Director for Florence has now been publicly posted. We await...

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Any one out there heard the changes to the nepotism policy at Muscle Shoals schools? The City of Florence may need to copy some of its legalese.



Shoalanda