Late water bill payments from the non-profit association which operates the Frank Govern Memorial Golf Course are neither of immediate concern, nor a new phenomenon for the Wilmette Park District, director Steve Wilson said Monday.
“This is not an unusual occurrence over the past several years,” Wilson said of the overdue water bill, which stands at roughly $8,000. “Historically, we’ve said ‘When you get the money, and you’re able to pay us, pay us.’ Usually sometime in the fall, they’ve been able to make their payments.
“Right now we are not in a position of worrying.”
Wilson said the association, on whose board two Wilmette Park District staff members sit, has informally asked whether the district might consider forgiving the entire $8,000 debt. Until course officials formally broach the question, however, the district won’t examine that possibility, he said.
The park district isn’t the only entity to which the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association owes money; the group has another past-due invoice of more than $12,000 for water, this one owed to the city of Evanston.
Evanston alderman last week approved a resolution that said the city would hold off seeking payment from association on the charges owed, at least until Dec. 31. However the council, also left open the possibility that they might end their sublease with the association, and instructed city staff to examine that possibility.
The community course runs along the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Sanitary Channel, and lies on land that is leased from the district to both Evanston and Wilmette parks. Those governments then sublease the land to the association.
Most of the course lies on the Evanston-leased property, but seven of its 18 holes lie on Wilmette Park District-leased land.
