Charbonneau Villager Newspaper August 2020 | Page 4

4 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER August 2020 Golf club, country club consolidate efforts Organizations signed merger agreement in late June By COREY BUCHANAN • Panel Changes • Hot tubs • Remodels • Generators • Lighting Additions After many months of negotiation, Charbonneau Country Club — a nonprofit homeowners association — and the for-profit Charbonneau Golf Club have joined forces. The two sides finalized what is called a “reverse triangular merger,” in late June. Under this structure, the country club formed a new subsidiary and that subsidiary merged with the golf club. The country club is now the sole shareholder of the new subsidiary, which is a for-profit corporation. Eugene Tish, the CCC vice president, said this structure was chosen “because it allowed for the transaction to take place without the country club expending funds.” Both sides lauded the quasi-merger as an opportunity to ensure financial security and expand services. “For nearly 30 years, our golf course has been owned, operated, maintained, and supported by private share-holder residents. We all owe a debt of gratitude to these past and current residents. Now the long-term protection of our golf course is in the hands of our entire community,” Charbonneau Golf Club President Joe Brouillette and Charbonneau Country Club President Kathy Harp wrote in a joint statement. According to Brouillette, the agreement will allow the country club to financially support the golf club in case its financial situation worsens. As part of the negotiations, the country club agreed not to change the golf course to another use for at least 20 years. “If somehow we needed it the country club would step in and provide whatever support is necessary to sustain the golf course,” he said. However, he said the golf club currently has a $1 million reserve fund and is doing well as a business. Brouillette also posited that the golf course props up home values in the community. “Our financial situation is very good and has been very good since we sold the driving range four years ago,” he said. “We’ve had an incredible boost of business during this season. The virus has driven a lot of people out of their homes and into the golf course because it’s a safe place to get some exercise.” The two entities hope to pull resources together to put on more largescale events like weddings, and Brouillette said the current CCC clubhouse could be used as an entertainment center once a new recreation center at an annex building the club purchased is complete. They hope to host such events at a pavilion located on property licensed to the golf course, which CCC Manager Jim Meierotto said would be completed in August. “Now we’re going to be able to have enhanced ability to do weddings, golf tournaments, host parties, ceremonies and special events. We built a beautiful facility,” Brouillette said. Though a few Charbonneau residents worried that the agreement would force country club homeowners to pay higher dues to subsidize the golf course, an overwhelming majority of the community supports it, as evidenced by a community vote during a special meeting in January. Shareholders of the golf club also voted 315- 6 to sell their shares so that the country club would be the sole owner of the course. “The community was behind it and shareholders of the golf course were behind it,” Brouillette said. And Harp said the board made a commitment to homeowners not to use dues to subsidize the course. Instead, Harp hopes that new revenue sources created by the entertainment center and pavilion will help make the course sustainable on its own long term. “The golf course will become part of our regular budget but will have its own sustainability,” she said. Brouillette said the golf club will maintain its board of directors and operate mostly autonomously but that the country club has some budgetary oversight. “They don’t control what we do. We have some guidelines,” he said. Harp thanked the many volunteers who worked to contact and collect information from shareholders so that they could be paid. “It took an immense amount of volunteers to put this together, both residents and shareholders,” Harp said. “It was an amazing effort.” MEMBERS OF THE AAUW LAKE OSWEGO SEW QUILT Commemorative quilt celebrates 100th anniversary of women’s voting rights By KAREN ROTTINK Members of the American Association of University Women Lake Oswego hand-sewed and calligraphed a gorgeous heirloom quilt. Depicting suffragettes who fought for the historical passage of the 19th Amendment Aug. 26, 1920, the quilt is on display now until Aug. 25, 2020, at Montavilla Sewing Center, 429 1st St., Lake Oswego. The public and members can purchase raffle tickets at this website: www.loaauw.org. This interactive website also provides information about individuals depicted on the quilt. Proceeds will be used to support education for women. The drawing will be online Aug. 26. They persisted Did you know that some of the women were jailed, beaten and even force fed because of their persistent demands and protest marches to secure voting rights for women in the See AAUW / Page 5 503-780-6207 “Single Source Electrical Solutions” 17937 SW McEwan RD Ste 200A Tualatin, OR E-mail: [email protected] www.pro-tech-power.com Merged with Lighthouse Electric and continuing with their same great service. 503-582-9600 We Specialize in All Things Glass 503.969.5719 • GlassDoctor.com/Molalla Serving Canby, Molalla & Surrounding Cities Formerly All About Windows Locally Owned and Operated Franchise ����������