No green fees for Burnet council members has some residents seeing red

JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF

BURNET — Possible changes to a Burnet ordinance that waives green fees for council members have caused an uproar from citizens.

In the past, council members’ green fees at Delaware Springs Municipal Golf Course were waived for life. That changed five years ago to say only council members currently serving received the benefit.

The issue was revisited to clear up whether former council members were grandfathered into the benefits.

Since a first reading of an amending ordinance March 5, the issue has ignited feedback from citizens.

City Council candidate Mary Jane Shanes spoke against the benefits at the council’s March 26 regular meeting, and dozens came out to a workshop meeting April 3.

“We felt like we needed the people’s input; there was a huge firestorm of opinions,” Mayor Gary Wideman said. “Some said if you serve six full years, you get a lifetime of no green fees. Some said you don’t deserve anything. Those were two polar opposite views.”

Opinions on both sides of the arguments, and many places in between, were heard during the April 3 workshop.

Now the council must take that input and decide what action to take next.

Wideman said council members still have questions to be answered. The council’s next regular meeting is April 9, and officials were uncertain when the item would be placed on an upcoming agenda.

jared@thepicayune.com