Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | PenMet isn’t obligated to make Madrona improvements
In my opinion, not representing anyone other than myself, I feel that Mr. Cupit fails to mention some of the following in his letter to the editor dated September 20th, 2024.
The Tyson’s entity is currently in default under the Lease for failing to correct numerous course deficiencies. Tyson has been in default since November 2023. Since then, Tyson has not taken any actions to correct the deficiencies. Instead in December of 2023, they sold their 14 acres to ZTM Holdings.
The Tyson entity and their attorney likes to blame the current sublessee, and wants PenMet to work directly with the sublessee, PenMet holds no contract with the sublessee. It’s the Tyson entity that is responsible for keeping the course in good standing with PenMet, and who will need to correct the issues listed in the 90-day default notice that expires next month. (read the Notice of defaults, NGF report, offer letter to ZTM, and PenMet’s appraisal at: https://penmetparks.org/madrona-links-golf-course/.
He fails to mention the lease does not require PenMet (Or the city of Tacoma when they held the lease) to make capital facility improvements as he is trying to place blame on PenMet for his entity’s own shortcomings.
He fails to mention that PenMet in a prior lease amendment PenMet gave the lease holder an additional .5% of green fees to help with capital improvements, up from 1%, thereby giving more than a penny.
He fails to mention the $1,000,000 PenMet has earmarked for Madrona Links was to help offset the purchase the 14 acres from his family, so that it could be a 100% publicly owned golf course, instead his family sold it financial investors who I personally believe have ties to Apartment Complex REITS, and that the new owners keep threatening to develop their 14 acres if they don’t get their way, and that the new owners have zero prior experience in operating golf courses.
He fails to mention PenMet invested $2,000,000 of public funds into the golf course by purchasing the larger parcel from Tacoma when the City of Tacoma sold the what it called the “Airport properties” to Pierce County & PenMet.
He fails to mention that the NGF report has never seen an operating structure like the current one, and recommends not moving forward with a like-minded operating structure in the future.
He fails to mention that his family has no right to try to determine or strong-arm a public agency into who should be the next operator and or lease holder.
He fails to mention that as a public agency, when the current lease is up and or about to expire, PenMet will need to put out a proposal to the public and pick the best qualified and lowest cost operator out of those that reply to PenMet’s RFP for an operator per state law.
He fails to mention that golf came in 2nd to the last by what our citizens desire in PenMet’s 2023 PROS plan when asked to rank amenities by importance (page 47 of the PROS plan https://penmetparks.org/district-pros-plan/), right above a weight room… (i.e. the tax paying citizens of PenMet think there are other things we should really invest our tax funds into.)
I personally have met with the new owners of the 14 acres, and they brought who they had thought would be helping them operate and improve the course, if they are the ones that win the RFP, and it wasn’t Mr. Cupit, so this is the first I’ve heard that he would be willing to be a consultant … but why would PenMet want someone who has failed to keep the course in good shape already and doesn’t do anything to correct actions until they’re served with default notices.
I also don’t believe it should be ZTM that needs to correct some of the maintenance issues and that it should be the Tyson entity. Yes, if ZTM was awarded the proposal and wish to make facility improvements to the clubhouse, course, buildings, that can be discussed at the time of an RFP being sought, but first, we need to make sure the current lease holder corrects their issues from operating it the last ~46+ years…
I personally wish to see Madrona Links stay as a golf course, and I hope that PenMet can come to an agreement with ZTM to gain control of the 14 acres that the Tyson’s decided not to sell to PenMet… ZTM can still submit operational desires to PenMet’s RFP if they own the 14 acres or not…
Again, the above is just my opinion.
Respectfully,
Billy Sehmel
Commissioner #5, PenMet Parks
Fox Island
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