Councilors approve Watertown Golf Club deal after public barred from speaking

Dec. 13—WATERTOWN — With City Council about to spend $3.4 million to purchase the Watertown Golf Club, about 30 residents expressed their anger that they were not able to speak about why they're against the deal Monday night.

A special meeting was called to vote on the deal Monday, but according to city charter rules, the public isn't allowed to express their views during a special meeting. That angered the residents who showed up to the meeting.

Mayor Jeffery M. Smith tried to allow public participation but he was shot down.

City attorney Robert J. Slye ruled it would be up to the majority of council to appeal and vote on whether residents could speak.

The three council members who support the deal — Lisa A. Ruggiero, Cliff G. Olney III and Patrick J. Hickey — voted to stop the public speaking, citing that it was a special meeting and it was past practice.

One person yelled out, "Let the people talk about the $3.4 million."

Another yelled, "Try to ram it through."

Donnie Lee Barrigar, who has spoken frequently at council meetings in the past and was arrested in May 2021 after disrupting a meeting, sang out the Twisted Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It" Monday night.

After a long, heated debate, the three council members voted for the $3.4 million agreement to buy nine holes, or nearly 64 acres of land on the golf course, from owner Michael E. Lundy.

"It's shameful," Mayor Smith said, adding that he has never heard the public silenced during a public debate before.

In explaining his vote, Councilman Hickey said acquiring the 64 acres was fulfilling the goal of John Thompson, the man who donated the land more than 100 years ago to the city.

"I have made it noticeably clear that I want to unite Thompson Park with the acreage that even Mr. Thompson was unable to do, prior to his gift to the city," Councilman Hickey said.

Councilman Olney quoted Teddy Roosevelt in explaining why he supports the purchase agreement.

"It's for my child's future, your child's future," he said.

Councilwoman Ruggiero clarified why council had to vote a week earlier than planned on the purchase agreement.

The special meeting was called to speed up the process a week so that the city could provide a signed purchase agreement to the state Department of Finance and Taxation, which then could confirm all the golf club's sales taxes are paid.

An abstract on the property, a survey and the sales tax proof must be completed before the closing on the deal can happen, City Manager Kenneth A. Mix said.

Mr. Lundy owns holes one through nine of the golf course, while the city possesses the other nine that it has been leasing to him.

Mayor Smith and Councilwoman Sarah V. Compo Pierce continued to vehemently oppose the deal.

The mayor again insisted that the city should complete an appraisal on the golf club before the city purchases it. Mr. Lundy made some financial information available to council members on Friday.

The pending purchase of the golf club has prompted a lot of public debate, with residents both in support and against the purchase since it was first proposed earlier this year.

Councilwoman Ruggiero said Mr. Lundy told her on Friday that if the deal hadn't gone through, he was ready to sell his nine holes to P.J. Simao, who owns Ives Hill Country Club.

Mr. Lundy and his sister, Colleen, have agreed to provide their expertise as consultants to help the city run golf tournaments and day-to-day operations next season.

Under the deal, the city will pay the agreed $3.4 million for two parcels totaling 63.84 acres, one in the city and the other in the town of Watertown.

Councilwoman Ruggiero noted that there were 24 pages of assets included in the purchase agreement that shows what the city is getting for the agreement.

The price tag will include $2.1 million for land, $450,000 for buildings and $850,000 for golf, bar, kitchen and dining-room equipment.

The deal also includes personal property, such as 60 golf carts and other equipment.

"It's an asset to add to the park," Councilwoman Ruggiero said.

Councilwoman Compo Pierce criticized the three council members for silencing the public before the vote.

"This is not how it's supposed to work. It's your money, you should have the right to speak," she said.

Purchasing the golf club is bailing Mr. Lundy and Mr. Simao out, Councilwoman Compo Pierce added.

"You're supposed to be putting the public first, but you're putting the two developers first," she said. "It's a slap in the face to people you're supposed to be representing."

Describing it as "reckless spending," Mayor Smith wondered why the council wasn't taking more time to obtain more information about the golf club's finances.

He contended that the golf club will be a losing proposition saying that golf courses in the north country do not make money.

"We're running out of time," Councilwoman Ruggiero said, adding that the city has to prepare for the golf club to open in May.

The purchase also includes a competition covenant that will be put into the deeds, limiting Mr. Simao from operating no more than nine holes at Ives Hill.

For years, the golf club has been the source of legal action by both Mr. Lundy and Mr. Simao.

Mr. Lundy will not pursue a potential lawsuit he was considering against the city and council members Ruggiero and Olney, but it does not include a release from any claims made by Mr. Simao.

Council members still will have to decide how to pay for the golf club.

Mr. Mix recommends using money from the capital reserve fund, not American Rescue Plan Act funding as was first discussed.

Mr. Simao will receive an unspecified amount of money from Mr. Lundy for turning his 18-hole golf course into nine holes.