Participant apologizes for course damage as commission debates tighter outing rules

Richard C., a resident who identified himself during the public-comment period, apologized to the Pro Town Commission for driving a Workman utility vehicle onto greens during the June 5 TCOP tournament at Timberland, saying the damage was unintentional and that he delayed notifying staff because he was on vacation.

"I shouldn't have been on the greens... I made marks on a couple of them and I own that," Richard C. said, adding that a rear tire went flat on the work vehicle and a bridge rubbing incident caused a side to fall off. He said he has contacted Saul and the town manager and is awaiting bills for a flat tire and wall repair.

The commission heard from other residents who supported Richard and described notification challenges. Robin Cop said volunteers typically help clean up after outings and questioned whether an email-only notification was sufficient when participants are on vacation. Fran Masarella said she had consulted staff by email but did not know Richard was the driver and would have contacted him sooner had she known.

Commission members separated responsibilities: staff and the town manager will handle financial reimbursement and any HR matters, and course staff will manage repairs and billing. "That's what the town manager and HR are hired for," one commissioner said, noting that discipline is an HR matter while course-repair costs will be settled with staff and the event organizer.

The episode prompted broader policy questions. Peter DeFazio, a resident who spoke later, urged the commission to reconsider who is allowed to operate town equipment during outings and proposed stricter pairing rules for carts to reduce wear, fuel use and turf damage. Commissioners debated a longstanding policy that allows up to two carts per foursome and whether the single-cart surcharge has ever been enforced; staff said the surcharge is part of the price structure but has not been charged this year.

Members also discussed possible contract changes for future outings: limiting the total size of certain events, requiring proof of liability insurance for large tournaments, and clarifying which party is responsible for cleanup and equipment use. Several commissioners emphasized standardizing rules for all organizers so the policy is applied uniformly.

The commission did not adopt a new rule at the meeting but directed staff to review policies, coordinate with the town manager and HR on next steps and present standardized outage-permitting and cleanup procedures at a future meeting.