Patriot Bremerton
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013 | Vol. 16, No. 10 www.bremertonpatriot.com | 50¢
Powering down RePower Kitsap savings are still available until middle of July Page 7
Bremerton police break up commercial sex ring involving minor victims By Kevan Moore kmoore@soundpublishing.com
File photo
Dozens of golf carts are lined up in front of Bremerton’s Gold Mountain clubhouse. Late last year, the city leased 15,000 square feet of land at the site to a golf cart rental company for $1 and also agreed to pay all of the businesses’ utility costs.
Golf cart company pays $1 a year to run business on city property
By KEVAN MOORE kmoore@soundpublishing.com
After securing a no-bid contract from the Bremerton City Council in October last year, Columbia Hospitality took over operations at the city-owned Gold Mountain Golf Club Jan. 1. But just days prior to that, with no public notice or fanfare as 2012 came to a close, Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent and City Attorney Roger Lubovich signed a contract with the longtime former manager of the course, Scott Alexander, to run his private golf cart rental company, Alexander Cart Rentals, Inc., at the site. The cost to Alexander to use 15,000 square feet of land at the course to run his private business is just $1 per year. “As consideration for this lease, the Lessee agrees to rent carts to the Operator of the Golf Club at a substantially reduced rate,” the contract states. “Such reduced rate being beneficial to both the Operator of the Golf Club and the City, the rent for this Lease shall be One Dollar ($1.00) per year.” In addition, the contract stipulates that the city “agrees to pay all charges for electricity, water, sewer, gas/propane, garbage, telephone, and for all other public utilities used at the premises.” The contract was signed Dec. 20, 2012, and runs through the end of this year. In addition to the $1 in rent, Alexander must pay a leasehold excise tax. “The leasehold excise tax will be determined by the base lease payment Lessee
paid for the Cart Pad in 2012 in the amount of $3,400 adjusted slightly to $3,600,” the contract states. Mayor Lent said this week that she did not negotiate the contract with Alexander, but did approve it. She also said that the city is not giving away taxpayer money to Alexander and his business by not having him pay utilities, noting that the city owned Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and Admiral Theatre also do not pay utility costs. “What the city is doing is we own that pad. We own that golf course and to make money we felt Columbia Hospitality would have to negotiate all those things to make it work,” she said. “Everybody that comes out to play golf will use those carts. If we got a break on those carts, it makes sense to me that we’re willing to spend money to make money. I don’t look at it as if we’re giving anything away.” Lent said she wants to look at statements from the golf course for the first quarter of this year and evaluate income from greens fees, the driving range, carts, the pro shop and food service. “We allowed Columbia to make the arrangements and we’re looking at the bottom line — whatever it takes to market our golf course and make that a profitable situation for the city,” she said. Lent also emphasized that she is always cognizant of every tax dollar that goes through the city’s general fund. “When I’ve got a contract for a year that the public doesn’t feel is worthy or is a gift or is frivolous or doesn’t make any
sense, I want to monitor that contract throughout the year and show them that our return on investment is going to prove that this was a good way to go in transitioning to new management at the golf course,” she said. Prior to Columbia Hospitality taking over Gold Mountain, Alexander was in charge. In 2012, he earned a course and facility management fee of $360,000, paid in weekly installments of $6,923. Plus, he was promised 10 percent of revenues over $2 million received from greens fees (not to exceed the management fee of $360,000). While running Gold Mountain last year, Alexander paid $3,400 in rent for the 15,000-square-foot cart pad; $39,000 in rent for the clubhouse; and six percent of the gross revenue from cart rental and eight percent of the gross revenue from the driving range. According to his company’s website, Alexander founded his business at the golf course in 1991 with a six-cart trailer and 15 rental carts. The firm now has more than 500 golf carts in its inventory, along with five trucks and trailers that can move 78 carts at any one time. The website boasts that during his 28 years as director of golf at Gold Mountain, the complex and his business “grew exponentially.” City Councilwoman Leslie Daugs, who used to serve on the city’s Gold Mountain committee before Columbia Hospitality See CARTS, A13
Since December of 2012, detectives with the Bremerton Police Department have been working a rape and human trafficking investigation involving two juvenile victims (ages 16 and 17) and one adult victim. To date, five individuals have been arrested and charged for their involvement and are currently in-custody at the Kitsap County Jail. Two others have been charged with felonies, but are currently out of custody. The charges on these individuals range from second degree rape, second degree trafficking, promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor, tampering with a witness, to commercial sexual abuse of a minor. “This kind of activity will not be tolerated in
our community, and we will aggressively investigate anyone involved in exploiting kids,” said Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan. He added, “The young girls are victims, and the pimps, their adult employees, and the Johns are nothing but predatory criminals.” Here is a rundown of arrests in the case so far, according to police: • The leader of the criminal organization, 23-year-old Allixzander Park was arrested Dec. 31. Park has since been charged with second degree rape, second degree trafficking and promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor. Park is being held on those charges at the Kitsap County Jail. • On Jan 17, 25-yearold Andre Herron was See trafficking, A13
Bremerton cracks down on graffiti By KEVAN MOORE kmoore@soundpublishing.com
The City of Bremerton is stepping up its efforts to get rid of graffiti with a new online reporting system and iPhone application that allows regular folks to pitch in and make a difference. The new website, www. cleanupbremerton.com, and free iPhone app available for download at the site, allow citizens to make online reports of graffiti as soon as they spot it so that crews can be dispatched
to clean it up right away or private property owners can be alerted to the vandalism. An interactive map with photos and notes about graffiti locations and cleanup efforts is also viewable on the new website. In addition, the city has made portable cleanup kits available to those that request them through Public Works. Included in the kits are paper towels, rubber gloves, bottled water, eye protection and an environmentally See GRAFFITI, A13