#Denver parks and rec license#

The audit also details significant differences in compensation terms for golf course food and beverage contracts.įor example, Wellshire pays the City a flat rate, which was $50,0.Īt Evergreen, the concessionaire must pay the City $25,000 or 8 percent of gross revenues, whichever is higher. 'I think if they had the kind of documentation I’d like to see in the files, we’d be able to answer a question like that,' said O'Brien. Is including the house some sort of handshake deal negotiated under the table? By allowing an employee to inhabit the residence, he or she would be responsible for upkeep rather than the City.'

'We identified a unique term that allows employees of the concessionaire to occupy an on-site residence,' the audit states, and while it states there is no documentation as to why a residence is included for a concessionaire, 'Denver Auditor and Administration explained that the contract term was included because a residence existed on the golf course and the City did not want to be responsible for maintaining it. On the Evergreen Golf Course, the city has another unusual agreement with the concessionaire: a house.

#Denver parks and rec license#

In the audit, Parks and Rec states: 'The Director of Finance and Administration explained that this term was negotiated because the concession license owners are aging and wanted to be able to transfer ownership of the license to their estates.'īut again, no documentation of the negotiation process and contracting decisions could be found, the audit states. The contract also states the license owner can transfer it to his estate without the city ever approving. It wasn't the only perk in Wellshire Event Center's contract that came under scrutiny in the audit. However, O'Brien said Parks & Recreation offered no documentation to justify that decision While the Department of Parks and Recreation declined Denver7's request for an interview, according to the audit: 'The Director of Finance and Administration explained that, in this instance, the lengthy term was justified because the concessionaire is responsible for significant investment related to maintenance and repair costs of the facility, which is aging.' If this is a nuclear power plant, I could understand 50 years, but not to operate a concession at a golf course,' said O'Brien. 'Fifty years is way too long in my opinion. Under Executive Order 8, the City of Denver limits contracts to three to five years absent special circumstances. This summer, O'Brien released an audit raising questions about so called 'unique contract terms' in Denver Parks & Recreation agreements, especially at city-owned golf courses.įor example, at Wellshire golf course the contract for the concessionaire, Wellshire Event center, has a highly unusual length - extending up to fifty years. 'The inherent risk level goes up when they disagree over these kinds of recommendations for documentation, for proper segregation of duties,' said Timothy O'Brien, Denver's City Auditor. The Denver City Auditor is presently re-auditing the department after Fred Weiss, the Director of Finance, disagreed with key recommendations from an audit this summer. Now, taxpayer money is under the microscope.

Parks & Recreation is one of the largest city departments with a $93 million annual budget and about 240 contracts. That is the question raised by deals like these:Ī golf course concession contract that extends up to 50 years.Ī house that comes with a golf course concession.Ī contract that goes to the license owner's estate without needing city approval. DENVER - Is Denver Parks and Recreation making sweetheart deals with your taxpayer money?