Jul. 12—The Exeter Township supervisors voted down a pair of proposals for managing and revamping the Reading Country Club's golf course and restaurant facilities.

The township bought the country club in 2006 for about $12 million, in an eminent domain acquisition to stop plans for a 550-house development on the site.

In 2017, the township closed the club's restaurant facilities after evicting JMH Inc., the company that ran the former ViVa restaurant in Wyomissing, over a liquor license dispute.

New Jersey-based Morningstar Golf & Hospitality LLC was hired by the township in October 2021 in a five-year deal to reopen banquet and catering services at the country club.

That agreement was terminated in February, after supervisors claimed that the contract, as well as the work already performed by Morningstar, was unsatisfactory.

Supervisors then agreed to put out a new request for proposals, this time for management of the club's golf and food services.

Two proposals the township received were voted down 4-1 at a meeting Monday.

Supervisors voted not to have either Brown Golf Management of Camp Hill, Cumberland County, or Corsi Associates LLC, of Springfield, Delaware County, manage the club.

Supervisor Ted Gardella said the township appreciated the timely submissions, but the proposals' costs were beyond what Exeter is willing to pay.

Brown's proposal was to manage all areas of the property, including an 18-hole golf course, pro shop, snack bar, bar, restaurant and catering facilities, at a cost of $80,000 up front, and 25% of all profits.

"We're taking on all of the costs of the front end, and paying an open-ended 25%, I'm not comfortable with that," board Chairman George Bell said.

The proposal by Corsi offered to revamp the club's shuttered food and beverage operations at an upfront cost of about $228,000, not including the costs for furniture, equipment, personnel, or monthly check-ins by Corsi following their redesign.

"This is nearly three times the (Brown's) amount up front, with really no guarantee of making improvements to the golf course," Gardella said.

Supervisors David Vollmer Jr. and Michelle Kircher agreed that the costs of both proposals were excessive.

Supervisor David Hughes gave the sole vote against notifying the companies of Exeter's disinterest.

"How much time did you spend talking to these two businesses and understanding what their proposals are?" Hughes asked, "What's your alternate plan, since you rejected both of these?"

Hughes then called Exeter's request for proposal process "extremely flawed" but did not elaborate.

Hughes and Gardella traded barbs in another discussion Monday, involving a request from club maintenance personnel to exchange a John Deere PrecisionCut mower for a Steiner 450 mower, at an additional cost of $6,210.

Hughes asked for a cost-benefit analysis to back up maintenance staff's claims that the requested mower would allow more work to be done in less time, saving $30,000.

"I question whether we trust the people we've hired to do their job, or whether we continue to constantly question every decision they make, every recommendation they make," Gardella said in response, "we either don't believe we can do their job, or we do."

Supervisors then voted 4-1 to approve exchanging the mowers, with Hughes voting no.

Following the vote, Hughes silently donned a hat sporting the word "THINK" in capital letters.

Also at the meeting Monday, two police officers were sworn into the township department.

Interim Chief Matthew Harley said the first new officer, Andrew Lukash, is a New Jersey native and graduate of DeSales University.

The second officer, Alexander Trout, is a Wilson High School graduate who served in the Marine Corps and worked with the Berks County Sheriff's Office, Harley said.

District Judge Sandra Fegley performed the swearing-in ceremony.