From staff reports

Some trustees of El Reno Recreational Authority who oversee Crimson Creek Golf Club have hit the rough on what they say is lack of communication with city staff.

“They keep telling us they’re going to help us in every way they possibly can,” said trustee Jerry Robertson.

But he said their action speaks differently and has caused tension between the two entities that are responsible for making the course a success.

During the summer of 2004, El Reno resident Barry Schroeder made a complaint to the state Department of En-vironmental Quality regarding the use of “gray water” — partially untreated sewer water — at the golf course.

Robertson said city staff told the ERRA about the complaint but not its full extent, and it was two years before ERRA saw the written documentation.

“We knew about the complaint but … the staff misled us, telling us DEQ wanted us to stop using the gray water, period. Instead the complaint was about it not going onto the neighbors’ property,” Robertson said.

Neighbors around the course had complained of the odor, blaming the use of the gray water.

In July 2004, Public Works Director Jim Luckett Jr. sent a memo to then course pro Cory Twedell, Millennium Golf Properties Inc. employee, to inform him of the complaint and three suggestions DEQ environmental specialist Bruce Vande Lune had made.

The three men had had a meeting the previous week “exploring various alternatives to improve future water,” Luckett said in the memo.

The memo said the DEQ representative “reiterated several times that the regulations don’t allow the irrigation water to go off of the golf course property” and onto private property in nearby housing additions.

The three “suggestions” were: 1. Golf course staff to check all irrigation heads near the (housing addition) to make sure that the correct head for the application area is installed; 2. Hand water the greens-tee box (areas) when it is extremely windy; 3. Water the areas that are further away from the (houses) first, which may improve the odor problem near the homes.

The official letter from DEQ came five days later, addressed to Luckett regarding DEQ complaint No. 300-00-00-42465. Nothing in the complaint indicated the city should cease in its use of gray water.

“We are investigating a complaint on the Crimson Creek Golf Club reclaimed water irrigation system,” Vande Lune wrote. “The complaint alleges that the irrigation water was blowing off the golf course property at or near hole number seven green.” Vande Lune again laid out the earlier suggestions.

Seventeen days later, then City Manager Douglas Henley sent a letter to Twedell de-manding he and greenskeeper Roy Maynard develop a plan of action immediately addressing the problem of “reclaimed irrigation water … blowing off the golf course property” near the seventh green.

“We must all realize that at this time we cannot keep up with your demand for fresh water with one water well. It will require us to supplement your needs with reclaimed water until we develop another source for fresh water,” Henley said.

Henley added, “The need for better communication between my staff and the golf course is absolutely necessary to meet the needs of the community and all golfers using the club.”

By the following May, dissatisfied with the course management, ERRA took over the club operation from Millennium, vowing to make the course profitable or at least break even.

Robertson said trustees are just now learning of the true details of the DEQ complaint and at last month’s meeting asked for the written documentation.

By midwinter after the trust had taken over the course, the golf pro and greenskeeper reported the greens and fairways were slowly recovering from “years of untreated water.” At that time, Luckett reported to ERRA only a small amount of gray water was being sent to the course for irrigation. The mix he said at the time was about 90 percent fresh water with the goal of eventually piping only fresh water to the course.

But the greenskeeper disagreed. Maynard said it was more like 50 percent.

Robertson said he understands now that no gray water is being used on the course, that raw water from the dedicated well and treated water from a nearby fire hydrant is being used to irrigate the course.

The greenskeeper had earlier estimated about 30 percent of the course had been destroyed because of the use of gray water. As well, the former course manager had complained the untreated water was harmful to the grass and the former golf pro told trustees last year he believed the chlorine added to hold down the odor of the water was hurting the greens, also.

One golfer-trustee has said the sensitive bent grass used on the fairways and greens cannot handle the gray water, but the Bermuda in the rough “love it.” That same trustee said communication between the ERRA and city staff should improve once a new city manager is hired.

ERRA trustee Tony Maldonado, a city councilman, questioned why city officials changed the lock on a pump house at the course without telling course employees. The pump house shelters computerized equipment used to irrigate the course.

Maldonado said Maynard reported the lock at the pump house was changed a few days after he had given a key to a city employee. Maynard said the employee works in the wastewater department.
Maynard said he normally checks to make sure everything is working properly at the pump house every evening before leaving Crimson Creek. He said he gave a key to the city employee when requested to do so. A few days later he said he was unable to enter the pump house because the lock had been changed.

Crimson Creek has been battling problems with some greens and several trees along the course appear to be dying. Maynard said the problems started in August, around the time the lock at the pump house was changed.

In response, Luckett said, “Maynard has always had a key to the pump house.” He said the city wanted a key in order to verify the water usage. He said city records did not correlate with the amount of water Maynard had reported using on the course.

Interim City Manager Ruth Beal said the city did not change the lock on the pump house. “The first time I heard about locks being changed was last Thursday. We wouldn’t do that. We know they need access to those facilities.” She said several months ago, the city asked, and was given, a key to the pump house.

“Because of a complaint from them, we turned the key back, although I feel the city has every right to have it,” she said.
She said she is aware of “tensions” between the city and golf officials and that “they’ve been there for quite awhile.” She would not speculate as to why. Beal has been acting city manager since July 1.

Beal said she does not believe the staff ever intentionally misled golf officials about the DEQ complaint.

“We want that course to succeed. It is an asset to the city, a good draw to the city and we’ll assist in any way we can. And we have been,” she said.

Maldonado said he met briefly at the course last week with Luckett and Beal. Luckett told Maldonado the cause of the grass problems at the course was not yet known. He said the greens and trees may have been “shocked” by the extreme heat experienced over the summer.

Maldonado said ERRA is contacting area agronomists to determine the cause of the damage.

On the Web: More information on the use of gray water in irrigation is available at Graywater Central.