Goose Pond Colony a Beautiful Location with Financial Problems - Plantation Point

The Docks Restaurant

Cabins and Lodge

The amphitheater at Goose Pond Colony

The Marina

Beautiful scenery, great fishing and golf may be found in this wonderful family setting. There is also a campground at Goose Pond Colony. More information on the Jewel of Scottsboro and Jackson County Alabama. http://www.goosepond.org/
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PROBLEMS AT PLANTATION POINT

There seems to be a disconnect concerning the viability of the Plantation Point Golf Course.

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The Plantation Point Golf Course was built as a private business venture. When it was financially strapped, it was sold to the City of Scottsboro's Park and Recreation Board, Goose Pond Colony Board (GPC Board).

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The course was built in a terrible location which has resulted in a failed sewage system due to low elevation and a high water table, an area called Sauty (Sauta) Bottoms. A failure which has cost the citizens of Scottsboro near one million dollars to fix.

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Some city council members claim it is not fair to sell or close the course due to the homeowners living around the course. Some on the city council have suggested they could manage the course better than the banker, accountant, engineer and business men on the current City Parks and Recreation Board (GPC Board). My reply, it is not fair that citizens at large are forced to pay for the residents of Plantation Point living around the golf course privilege, since they contribute nothing toward that privilege, no maintenance or privilege fees--nothing, a fact conveniently overlooked by some on the City Council who use this as another opportunity to push forward their private agendas.

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Normally a homeowner living on a golf course pays dues for that privilege, not so in the case of Plantation Point.

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Because of the loss of income, the Plantation Point Golf Course is being placed up for sale for the amount of $1.3 million. If it can not be sold, it is to be closed, according to the Chairperson of the City Parks and Recreation Board (GPC Board), a seperate corporate entity of the City of Scottsboro.

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The current Scottsboro Parks and Recreation Board consists of astute, well organized professionals who have the best interests of Scottsboro and Goose Pond Colony in mind. While some on the City Council of Scottsboro have previously catered to private interest groups who offer the most money for their reelection.

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Less than 10 years previous the Goose Pond Colony Board and facility was near bankruptcy due to poor management and the "good ole boys" giving away GPC property and services.

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The current GPC board, coupled with innovative thinking of a previous city council, brought GPC out of a pending failure and collapse. Some on the current city council need to refresh their memories concerning the facts of the situation and stop with the deceit.

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The Citizens of Scottsboro must ask of themselves, "do we want to loose all of Goose Pond Colony due to the problems of a seperate Golf Course in which the home owners living on the Plantation Point Golf Course pay no money to maintain? Perhaps the citizens which live on or at Plantation Point should purchase the course and maintain it.
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Articles from our local paper on the issue. http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_9b1aaba2-3ed6-11e0-bbfb-001cc4c002e0.htmland http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_fe237b0a-3fa5-11e0-940e-001cc4c03286.html All articles from this blog related to this subject (includes this posting): http://arklite.blogspot.com/search/label/Plantation%20Point%20Golf%20Course

Trouble in Paradise--Scottsboro City Council and Goosepond Colony

Work Session agenda. Click on image for expanded view. Item 9 was added, Discussion on Goosepond, discussed below.

Council regular meeting agenda. I spoke after the work session meeting, signing up at the regular council meeting to remind the distinguished council members that the GPC Board is the legal authority to make decisions concerning Goosepond Colony, after Mr. Smith's presentation concerning GPC in the work session.

Plantation Point - Goosepond Colony - City Council - Issue - Debt - Viability

More controversy has arose concerning Goosepond Colony (GPC) as a result of political posturing by city council members and finacial troubles of the Goosepond Colony Plantation Point. This is not the first time that controversy has embroiled the Scottsboro City Council and the Goosepond Colony's Park Board.

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Goosepond Colony is the crown jewel of the City of Scottsboro. http://goosepond.org/ .
The current park board has performed an excellent job of managing the complex. They were forced to undertake a monumental task of bringing the park out of a near bankrupt status due to previous boards inept and corrupt influences in the management of the Goosepond facility.
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The current financial situation is a result of past park boards poor management, the purchase of the Plantation Point Golf Course and the adjoining home lot properties. The current park board, consisting of a bank officer, accountant, business persons and an engineer are stating the Plantation Point facility is not a profitable operation. Unfortunately, now enter city officials in the attempt to propagandize and further complicate the issue by political posturing.

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When the Plantation Point brings the whole Goosepond Colony complex to near ruination Council Member Smith, who has been a life long city employee, comes forward and attempts to inflict further damage to Goosepond Colony with the suggestion that the "city should take over the entire complex." Unfortunately, this philosophical socialist fails to recognize the Code of Alabama's requirements of this situation, which is nothing new as laws have been broken, bent and threw in the trash previously in relationship to Goosepond Colony by the city council and previous park boards.
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The Scottsboro Parks and Recreation Board, Goosepond Colony Board, is a seperate corporate entity of the State of Alabama, Code of Alabama, 11-60-1 thru 20, like the School Board, like the Water Sewer and Gas Board, like the Electric Power Board. Just as in the case of Goosepond Colony, the city signs off on the loans of the school board and the water board as guarantors of those boards loans. Some city officials might have you think the city guarantees only the Goosepond Colony loans.
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Now comes some city officials and expect the citizens of Scottsboro to fund a special group of golf course homeowners for their living style around a golf course in which they pay nothing in the form of fees to live? NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

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Allow the Goosepond Colony Park Board officials to do their job. The city council and other city officials should work close with the officials of Goosepond Colony to resolve this situation, not compound the problems by political posturing and deceitful propaganda.

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The answer is simple, charge appropriate fees for living around and/or on the golf course if the home owners wish to save the course. If that does not work, sell or lease the money loosing Plantation Point course in order to save Goosepond Colony.

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Link to the Clarion's article concerning Goosepond Colony's financial statements. http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=727:chairman-explains-finances-concerning-plantation&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

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Previous Daily Sentinel article on Plantation Point Appraisal: http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_d0047644-0192-11e0-ad91-001cc4c002e0.html
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Today's article in the Daily Sentinel concerning Mondays Scottsboro City Council meeting: http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_b65cb8ac-07b2-11e0-af83-001cc4c002e0.html

Goose Pond Colony Board Reports Serious Financial Losses

http://goosepond.org/

The Goose Pond Colony--Scottsboro Parks and Recreation Board.

Board Chairman and General Manager divulge bleak financial news at last nights board meeting.

Last night the Goose Pond Colony Park Board met and disclosed very sobering news. The Plantation Point Golf Course is creating a serious financial problem which may result in the loss of Goose Pond Colony, Plantation Point is a money looser. Plantation Point will have to be closed, sold or leased or there may not be a Goose Pond Colony for anyone to enjoy.

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At Monday's Scottsboro City Council Work Session a presentation was presented by the Plantation Point homeowners representative. http://arklite.blogspot.com/2010/11/scottsboro-city-council-work-session.html Related Story from the Daily Sentinel. "Council vows to support Plantation Point homeowners:" http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_7629c91e-f1c8-11df-a8a3-001cc4c002e0.html

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Questions arise. The question now is will the city council take responsibility for a failed Goose Pond Colony in their support of the home owners? Will the City Council back off and stop with the political posturing and realize the facts of the situation?" It would seem some Scottsboro Council members are catering to "special interests" to make themselves look good at the expense of the City as a whole. This would not be the first time this has occurred, such as with the old Goose Pond Aluminum Plant Industrial Site.

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Here are the loss figures for Plantation Point since 2007. 2007-$221,576; 2008- $157,579; 2009- $234,086; 2010- $269,728; 2011 projected loss-$346,581 Total 5 year loss with the projected 2011 figures is in excess of $1.2 million.

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It was reported total repairs and updates needed to Goose Pond Colony is near $3 million.