Municipal Golf Course.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The council unanimously voted to raise the fines for violations. The item is expected to return at the April 21 meeting for further discussion, according to City Clerk Laura Campagnolo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Editors\u2019 Note<\/strong>: This dispatch is part of the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service<\/a><\/strong>, working with student journalists to cover public policy issues across Orange County. If you would like to submit your own student media project related to Orange County civics or if you have any response to this work, contact admin@voiceofoc.org.<\/p>\n Fines for resellers could start at $100. Council members haven\u2019t determined final fine amounts at this time, but they\u2019re considering raising that initial amount by several hundred dollars.<\/p>\n The changes prohibits selling, transferring, advertising or getting paid for a tee time and using bots or automated tools to book reservations without permission from the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the public comment portion of the March 3 city council meeting, one resident told city council members he hasn\u2019t been able to book a tee time.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been a member for five years, and in the last two, I can\u2019t play, so you can\u2019t get a time if you try to book,\u201d said Siomar, who only identified himself by first name. \u201cI\u2019m just as fast as anyone else. Within three seconds, it\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Fines were originally proposed to follow the regular city administrative fine structure, starting at $100 for the first offense and rising to a maximum of $500, according to the staff report.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, Councilmember Steve Knoblock said that he thinks the fine is too low.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not much of a disincentive,\u201d Knoblock said during the meeting. \u201cI\u2019d like to see that number increase to $250, or $500, and then boost it\u2026 until maybe the third event, and then go into the misdemeanor situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Councilmember Zhen Wu supported the idea and said raised fines were necessary, even if obtaining the payments is difficult.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI support raising the amount, I just don\u2019t know how effective that can be,\u201d Wu said.<\/p>\n Councilmember Victor Cabral and Mayor Rick Loeffler also agreed that the starting fine should be raised.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in favor of raising the fines, if nothing else, just to send a message,\u201d Loeffler said.<\/p>\n Councilmember Mark Enmeier disagreed, saying he wants to get the policy going now.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, I\u2019d just go along with the staff recommendation,\u201d Enmeier said. \u201cIf it\u2019s still a problem, then I say come back and then let\u2019s address it.\u201d<\/p>\n After discussion, the council voted to amend the ordinance and re-notice a public hearing for the amended version.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t collect on a bot, whether it\u2019s a million dollars or $1, but it might be an incentive for some participants in golf to play by the rules more,\u201d said Loeffler.<\/p>\n Other municipal golf courses in the county have faced various challenges in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Irvine city officials have been considering a residential village to replace the Oak Creek Golf Course, a decision that some residents and officials argue contradicts a voter-approved measure from 37 years ago.<\/p>\n