Staff report

WARREN

The current operator of the city-owned Old Avalon Golf Course on East Market Street in Howland told city officials he does not plan to continue operating it next year, provoking discussion at a Warren City Council committee meeting Tuesday about what to do with the property.

Larry Petrozzi of Petrozzi Accounting and Consulting of Lisbon has operated the course since 2014 and has another year left on his contract, but he can quit operating the course effective Jan. 1 by notifying the city by Nov. 1, Law Director Greg Hicks said.

The city already sent an operations department employee to the course to talk to a Petrozzi employee about the steps that will be needed to “winterize” the course, Safety Service Director Enzo Cantalamessa said.

Petrozzi has spoken with Scott Karabin, Professional Golfers’ Association head professional at Tam O’ Shanter Golf Course in Hermitage, Pa., and others about operating the course during the final year of the contract.

Cantalamessa said Petrozzi is about $11,800 behind on his payments to the city. The contract called for him to pay $34,154 in 2014, the amount of the property taxes, and $6,000 more starting in 2017.

Councilman John Brown, D-3rd, said losing the course operator again after it happened a few times before makes him wonder whether “maybe it’s time to sell that asset.”

Brown suggested looking at Petrozzi’s financial records to determine whether its a viable enterprise for the city or if it should be sold.

The Western Reserve Port Authority, which has been marketing several pieces of city-owned land, also has proposed to the federal government that it consider the Old Avalon property as the future home of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service and/or National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The USDA announced it plans to move the agencies and their hundreds of employees by the end of 2019 and requested “expressions of interest” from communities across the country.