Roof repairs on the clubhouse at Stone Creek Golf Course should be done by the end of March and the search for a restaurant for that space continues, Chanute city commissioners heard this week.
City Manager Todd Newman told commissioners the work would be done before golf season starts in April.
Commissioners asked about the kitchen and if it would need work before a restaurant would move in the space. Newman didn’t think that would be a problem, depending on the menu the business would cater to.
Dalton’s Back 9 was in the restaurant for seven years and Colborn’s Kitchen was there less than a year more recently. Colborn’s signed a year lease in April 2023.
When Dalton’s moved, the city purchased restaurant equipment for $60,000. The city already owned the vent hood and the walkin freezer at the restaurant space.
Newman said Colborn’s used a flat top instead of the grill that Dalton’s used. He said the kitchen equipment is still in place. Once he roof is done, the state can inspect the space and hopefully the city can get another restaurateur to move in.
Newman didn’t think the restaurant would need much work. It should be move-in ready. “The building is sound,” he said.
The main issue is the limited toilets in the men’s bathroom. It has a urinal and a toilet.
He said the city will do a request for proposals in February to fill the restaurant space.
In other matters, commissioners: — Discussed the practice of shutting off utilities upon non-payment of a bill. Newman said unpaid bills may eventually go to the state’s setoff program, which would pay down enrolled debt when the debtor gets a tax return. Newman said the utilities remain on for 27 to 28 days after non-payment before they are shut off. The city has 4,200 electric meters and only 43 of those had outstanding bills recently.
— Discussed absentee property ownership when current owners may live out of state and don’t oversee maintenance issues on their properties, which end up on the code violation list.
