Golf course builder wants rest of money

Dan Kulin

Monday, June 2, 2003 | 9:58 a.m.

The company that built the Boulder Creek golf course is suing Boulder City for $842,933 plus attorney fees and court costs, claiming the city has owed the money since the work was completed in October.

The lawsuit over the final bills from the $12 million construction contract was filed in Clark County District Court on Friday by lawyers for Wadsworth Golf Construction Co.

City and golf course officials acknowledge that payment has been withheld from Wadsworth. They said the company still needs to finish work on the course, primarily leaks in four of the nine lakes, before the city will pay the remainder of the contract.

"It's completed, but there's a never-ending series of 'you're not done' from the city," Wadsworth attorney Albert Marquis said. "The drops in the lake levels are due to evaporation. The leaks have been repaired. There are no further problems."

The $842,933 is made up of $613,000 the city retained under the construction contract until project was finished, plus $229,933 in changes to the contract, Marquis said.

Wadsworth, whose western headquarters are in Phoenix, finished construction of the first 18 holes of the Boulder Creek golf course around Oct. 1, according to their lawsuit. Those 18 holes opened for play on Jan. 4. An additional nine holes, also constructed by Wadsworth, could be open by September, said Scott Jones, general manager of the city-owned course and president of Triad Golf Management, the private company hired by the city to operate the course.

Triad also plans to eventually build a lighted, par-3, nine-hole course at Boulder Creek.

While Wadsworth's contract was worth $12 million, the total cost of the golf club, including clubhouse building and some money to subsidize early debt payments, was about $22 million.

Boulder Creek's finances have been the center of controversy during the last week, and an issue during the mayoral race for months.

On Tuesday, Jones presented figures showing course operations cost about $480,000 more than the course brought in through the end of April. The figures were contrary to pre-construction projections that showed course operations turning a $60,000 operating profit after its first six months of operation.

Mayor Bob Ferraro said the conflicting figures prompted him to call for City Manager John Sullard's resignation last week.

Ferraro, a strong supporter of the golf course, said he still thinks the course will turn a profit although it won't meet the earlier projections.

Bill Smith, a former Boulder City councilman, is challenging Ferraro in Tuesday's mayoral election. Smith has long said the new course is losing money.

Jones said the city has the money to pay Wadsworth.

"It isn't a problem with the money," Jones said.

Boulder City Finance Director Bob Kenney also said the city has enough money in the Boulder Creek golf fund to pay the bill. Kenney declined to comment on the lawsuit Friday because he had not seen it.

City Attorney Dave Olsen also said he had not seen the lawsuit so he would not comment on it either.