Buffalo Grove hopes to save $1.2 million by outsourcing golf course maintenance

Buffalo Grove will be outsourcing maintenance services at its two golf courses, a move its head of golf operations said could save the village more than $1.2 million over five years.

On Monday, the village board approved a three-year contract with Reliable Property Services Inc., of St. Paul, Minnesota, for an amount not to exceed about $3.16 million.

Reliable will provide maintenance at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course and The Arboretum Club. The agreement covers 2015-2017, with an option for two additional two-season periods.

"It's good to see," Village President Jeffrey Braiman said of the agreement. "We have talked about this from time to time over the last couple of decades."

Geoff Tollefson, the village's director of golf operations, said the outsourcing would save the village $398,000 this year. Additional savings are expected from the sale of maintenance equipment, tools and chemical and fertilizer inventory over five years.

The village has consistently had to subsidize operations at both golf courses. For 2015, the village expected to transfer $159,166 from its general fund to the Buffalo Grove Golf Course, and another $187,150 to The Arboretum.

The Buffalo Grove Course operates on a budget of $1,264,596, while The Arboretum has a budget of $1,361,050.

Four permanent, full-time employees, along with seasonal workers, would lose their positions as a result of the contract, but officials say they will be invited to interview with Reliable.

"They will have the opportunity to interview with the company. There is no guarantee, obviously," Village Manager Dane Bragg said.

Bragg said there also is the possibility that the employees could land jobs in the forestry division of the village's public works department, providing positions are open.