April 2023 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 17
Charbonneau Golf Club
By BILL BRAY
How we are organized
While there have been attempts to explain our organization , in particular our relationship to the Charbonneau community , there still seems to be questions and misconceptions . Hopefully this
BRAY article will clear up how we are organized .
In June 2020 , the Charbonneau Golf Club ( CGC ) merged with the Charbonneau Country Club master HOA ( CCC ) in a cashless transaction . The previous ownership of CGC dated back to 542 individuals who originally bought shares to take over the course from the original Charbonneau developer . The shares were not actively traded and had no real market value . Increasingly , CGC had difficulty locating our shareholders and faced the possibility that it would no longer even be able to gather a quorum needed to approve annual operating plans and governance . As the golf course was both a private entity and a significant piece of the Charbonneau community , a merger was made in which the Charbonneau Country Club would become the sole shareholder . A trust was set up to pay out a portion of CGC ’ s capital reserve to the 542 previous shareholders . Part of the merger agreement was that CGC would bring a capital reserve of $ 1 million dollars and pay off all debts before CCC took ownership . This all took place in 2020 , resulting in the merger .
What does this mean for the Charbonneau Country Club , the Charbonneau Golf Club and the Charbonneau community ? CCC is the master HOA for our community and all property owners pay dues to CCC , making them members . All governance within CCC goes through a board of directors elected by the community members . Individual members do not make policy or governance decisions . As part of the merger , it was agreed that the Charbonneau Golf Course , which is a for-profit , public play golf course , would maintain its independence provided that it met certain metrics established between it and the CCC board of directors . To that end , CGC has its own independent board of directors .
A member of the CCC board sits on the CGC board as a non-voting liaison between the two boards . Additionally , CGC provides the CCC board with confidential financial information and advises the CCC board on major capital expenditures . CCC ’ s primary goal with CGC is that the golf course and its operations are self-sustaining and do not require financial support from CCC .
Issues sometime arise when individual community residents believe that if CCC is the only shareholder in CGC , then they must have rights and access to the golf course and its maintenance services . This is incorrect . The Charbonneau Golf Club is a completely separate operation . Aside from achieving our financial metrics , our responsibility is to our paying customers not our neighbors . We are an integral part of the Charbonneau community and we want to do our part to keep Charbonneau the great place it is to live . Reporting back to the CCC board of directors insures that CGC does its part .
Within the Charbonneau Golf Club are essentially a couple of entities . There is the golf course operation which includes all aspects of the golf course itself , the pro shop and the Market Café restaurant . There is also the Charbonneau Water Company ( CWC ), a subsidiary of CGC with its own charter and financial statements . The CGC board of directors and the general manager , Chris Bensel , are responsible for the governance and management of both the golf course operations and CWC .
The Charbonneau Water Company is a registered public utility with the state of Oregon with approved access to non-potable water for irrigation from the Willamette River . We are under strict regulations from the state public utility commission ( PUC ) in terms of capacity , rate charges and maintaining financial independence . The Charbonneau golf course is the biggest customer of CWC . Additionally , CWC distributes water to main distribution points in eleven of Charbonneau ’ s individual HOAs and common ground in CCC . Overall , we distribute 89 million-plus gallons of water annually . The golf course and the individual HOAs all pay the same rate for units of water . On occasion , homeowners with water issues on their property will contact Chris Bensel or golf course superintendent , Matt Collier , only to be told to contact their individual HOA property manager on any water issues . Please remember that CWC is a wholesale supplier of water to the individual HOAs and each
See GOLF / A18