Council presses for business case for Mason Theatre and golf-course supports

Councilors spent a sustained block reviewing financial performance at the Mason Theatre (Landex) and the municipal golf course. Speaker 6 and others said the theater's current net revenue is low and urged a business plan, private fundraising and possible staffing changes. "If you put full time, throw the Hail Mary, and if it doesn't work in a year, pull back," Speaker 1 said in urging a trial of dedicated management.

Speaker 9, who works with the theater, said programming beyond movies — concerts, local acts and rentals — could increase ticket and concession revenue. "Just showing movies alone is not gonna be (frequent enough)," Speaker 9 said, recommending outreach to touring acts and membership-driven programming. Staff and councilors agreed a proposal estimating costs for a full-time manager and projected incremental revenue should be prepared.

On the golf course, council discussed an existing $20,000 placeholder for path repairs and the trade-offs of raising green fees. Speaker 6 sketched revenue scenarios and suggested modest fee increases could narrow projected deficits; golf-course staff said past small increases have not driven noticeable customer loss. Council asked staff to provide a clearer business case, including projected revenue impacts of fee changes and fundraising options such as tournaments.