The Golf Course Committee of the Town of Southborough spent the bulk of its Oct. 14 meeting focused on a newly received irrigation bid and how the town will pay any shortfall. Committee members said the Select Board voted at its recent meeting to seek more bids after rejecting the low bid for the project, and committee members are now pressing town staff and Select Board leadership for clear numbers and a funding path before a special town meeting on Oct. 27.

Committee members said the lowest bid they were told about was $718,000, and several participants said the bid appeared to exceed prior estimates by roughly $150,000–$250,000. Committee members also discussed previously committed Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds and a $50,000 contingency that had been included in earlier planning; speakers gave differing summaries of the total available and said the precise figures should be confirmed with town finance staff.

Why it matters: the committee said an irrigation system is the largest capital project ahead for the course and that gaps in funding could delay installation, increase costs, or require reallocating funds from other course projects. Committee members repeatedly urged an expedited review of the numbers so they can present a clear plan to the Select Board and to town meeting voters.

During the discussion, committee members sketched several possible approaches: get additional bids (Select Board direction), ask the Select Board to indefinitely postpone a warrant article that would automatically transfer unencumbered golf course revolving-fund balances above $75,000 into the town general fund, or use the golf course revolving fund to cover some or all of the gap. Multiple committee members said they believed using the revolving fund to bridge the gap would be reasonable if the necessary approvals were obtained.

Committee members identified two procedural steps they intend to take immediately: (1) have a small group meet with Mark (town staff) to verify the bid amount, the CPA award, and the contingency language, and (2) have committee leadership (Jen) talk first with Select Board Chair Andrew Dennington and, if needed, with the warrant article sponsor, Kathy Cook, to seek clarity on whether the revolving fund can be encumbered for the irrigation work or whether the warrant article should be postponed.

Several committee members emphasized timing risks. One member said CPA awards are typically valid for five years but expressed concern that delaying the procurement until a later bid window or next spring could leave the project vulnerable to additional price escalation. Others noted that labor costs appear to have risen and account for much of the bid increase.

Committee members also discussed interim options should the committee decide to proceed in stages—reducing immediate scope or installing a base system that can be expanded later—to reduce the upfront cost and ease scheduling challenges for contractors.

The committee agreed to arrange a short, immediate meeting with Mark and at least one committee member (Tony Shoner volunteered to participate) to confirm the CPA amounts, the town contribution already spent, and the bid amount so the committee can present a consistent set of figures to the Select Board and to voters at the Oct. 27 special town meeting. The committee will seek the Select Board’s confirmation that the committee can encumber revolving funds for irrigation work, and it will ask the Select Board to consider indefinitely postponing the warrant article if that would allow time to resolve the funding plan.

The committee did not make a formal vote on funding at this meeting; members instructed staff to get precise figures and to follow up with Select Board leadership.

The committee moved on to other agenda items after agreeing who will meet with town staff to pull numbers and who will speak with Select Board leadership before the Oct. 27 special town meeting.