Whether to close the L.E. Ramey Golf Course or keep it open remains undecided for the Kleberg County Commissioners Court after several meetings. A two-hour discussion at Monday afternoon’s special meeting of the commissioners court failed to steer county officials to a yes or no vote.

Instead, commissioners tabled the decision on the future of the golf course. The commissioners court will have the golf course issue on the agenda at its regular meeting on Monday.

The vote was 4 to 1 to table the matter with Precinct 1 Commissioner David Rosse voting against this motion.

Escobar said he still wanted to meet with City of Kingsville officials for their input on making the final golf course decision.

The county’s latest agreement with Balt Ramos, golf course contractor, ends March 15.

Rosse presented options for keeping the golf course operational, and he also reported on the outcome of his presentation when he appeared Feb. 28 before the Kingsville City Commission asking for its assistance in keeping the golf course open. The city commissioners voted on a motion to pay one half of the golf course’s electrical bill and provide a worker for 32 hours a month to assist with ground maintenance and other needed work.

The agreement would begin March 15 and end Sept. 30; however, the commissioners court asked for the agreement in writing and Escobar said they had not received the city’s interlocal agreement at that time.

During his presentation to the commissioners, Rosse suggested establishing a golf course committee that could seek more golf tournaments. Rosse also suggested a drive to solicit more golf course memberships.

“We need to hustle some golf tournaments that left Kingsville for some reasons,” Rosse said.

He recommended bringing all employees on either a temporary or full time status or a temporary part time employee status. This recommendation initiated a lot of comments from the commissioners court that seemed unclear with their salaries and benefits at times.

Rosse also suggested the county repair three-fourths of the equipment at the main golf course barn for mowing. He said workers from precincts 1, 3, 4 and the county parks department could provide up to 2 man days a month for maintenance work that would include pruning, weed eating, painting. The golf course staff would do all the mowing.

“We need to get the façade in good condition,” he said.

“We cannot stick our heads in the stand, and we cannot wait until it burns up (from dry weather and lack of watering) and the deterioration of the building,” Rosse said.

He said the commissioners court should work with the golf course manager, telling his fellow commissioners that the commissioners court had put the golf course “out of sight, out of mind in the past.”

He said that he was included in not keeping up with golf course.

“We have failed to hold the contractor accountable and have been remiss in handling this golf course,” he said. “We should take a more hands approach.”

Balt Ramos, the golf course contractor, said he wanted to work with commissioners during the transition period. He reported that the past week the golf course hosted 98 high school students in a golf course tournament.

“The golf course is a huge asset and you have to get other entities involved,” Ramos said. “Once you close it; it will be hell to open it again.”

He cited two golf courses that closed in Corpus Christi, which might attract more golfers to come here.

Ramos said if he were a leader, he would find ways to keep the golf course open.

“I would make a plea on how important is the quality of life here,” he said.

Escobar interjected that the county was not against the golf course, but the county did not have any money to keep it running. “We don’t have any money,” he repeated throughout the meeting.

“We have not seen anything in writing from the city,” Escobar said, referring to its agreement to help the golf course stay open.

Once again, he emphasized the county did not have any money for these types of expenditures. He also said the county did not have the luxury to maintain a golf course because of the current stringent economic times.

“Right now we need $987,000 just to make payroll,” he said. “We have collected 93 percent in taxes and that is probably all that is coming in right now.”

Precinct 4 Commissioners Romeo Lomas told Ramos that he would make a motion if they (the golf course management) would not spend any money from the general revenue fund and support themselves. “I would vote on it today,” he said.

Rosse said that weather permitting the golf course would make revenue, but that would be a gamble.

“That is a gamble, and we do not have money to gamble,” Lomas replied.

Ramos said the golfers would have to make a commitment to acquire more memberships than they have.

“They would have to put their money where their mouths are,” Ramos said.

Rosse suggested that the commissioners court authorize someone to meet with the golfers for their input.

Escobar named Ken Kelley and Larry Lee, who had spoken earlier in support of the golf course. However, County Attorney Delma Rios told Escobar he could not appoint them yet because it was not on the agenda.

Escobar suggested that Rosse bring back more information concerning the golf course.

“Why is that my responsibility,” Rosse asked.

“I’m glad you said that because you’ve been telling everyone you will run it,” Lomas replied.

“With all respect, you took on the role to (bring) the information … to us,” Escobar told Rosse.

Lee told the commissioners court that if the county did not have any money then leave the employees under Ramos and that would eliminate the retirement pay.

“I also think this commissioners court is responsible for this situation because you have let it run down,” Lee said.

Another man in the audience also told the commissioners court that he was having a little trouble understanding the situation and he saw turmoil in negotiations with the city and county.

“I don’t see both parties getting along; the problem is negotiating here and several workshops where they did not show up,” he said.

Ramos also stated at the commissioners court that the golf course had revenues of $445,000 in 2009 and last year had revenues of $265,000. He said it cost $33,350 a month to operate the golf course currently.

The commissioners court made a final payment of $12,000 last month for the operations of the golf course on a contract with Ramos.

Lomas also said at the end of the meeting that the county had paid $25,000 for golf and that the city had not kept their part of the bargain of paying the same amount.