Efforts to reach out to non-Sands Point residents for membership has paid dividends for the Village Club, according to a report from Tuesday’s village Board of Trustees meeting.
While the number of village residents who were members was down nine from last year, 35 non-residents joined the club.
Two hundred members are Sands Point residents, while 292 members come from outside the village. Trustee Peter Forman said that growth was due to a discount offered to nonresidents to lure them to the Village Club.
“That’s a reflection of the discovery program… and that’s a good sign,” he said. “If you hear what’s going on at other clubs, things are sounding more distressing.”
Mayor Ed Adler noted that 46 new members joined the club through the discovery program, which he said was “very significant.”
“That’s a much-needed step that we were hoping we’d be able to have this year,” he said. “But it’s beyond what I thought we’d be able to achieve.”
Resident membership was down for golf and pool access but was again up for nonresidents. A spokeswoman for the Village Club said at the meeting that the club was reaching out to residents to determine why they canceled their membership.
Forman said that revenue was down month-to-month, but up $248,000 over the last year. Revenue from membership and cart fees were higher than anticipated while revenue from the snack bar came in lower because it was not fully functional by the start of the summer season.
That kitchen and bar was part of the renovation of the pool house that opened behind schedule.
The pool and one section of the poolhouse opened on Memorial Day weekend, but the entire project was not completed until last week. The board also authorized the purchase of a new gas range for the grille kitchen after the previous one caught fire.
In non-Village Club news, the trustees agreed to use J.D. Three Construction to perform roof repairs on Village Hall. Water has begun to leak into the locker rooms for the Sands Point Police Department. An attempt to patch the roof several months ago was insufficient.
J.D. Three Construction was the lowest bid received. Parts of the roof — but not all — were replaced in 2009.
Reach reporter Luke Torrance by email at ltorrance@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 214, or follow him on Twitter @LukeATorrance.
