Regardless of various uncertainties going into Monday’s City
Council meeting, officials expect to either revive or kill the
Hollister Independence Rally, the fate of which has endured a
turbulent lifeline over the past month.
Regardless of various uncertainties going into Monday’s City Council meeting, officials expect to either revive or kill the Hollister Independence Rally, the fate of which has endured a turbulent lifeline over the past month.
This week, city leaders and rally organizers struck agreement on several key points in the proposed contract – which is on the table for Monday’s meeting.
The contract would be for three years. Though the city would maintain authority to cancel it at any time – a stipulation in the previous contract that allowed the city to terminate that deal in October.
However, and of highest priority to officials, no outside agencies have officially committed, as of Thursday, to sending officers to help secure the event.
“We pretty much got everything we wanted in the contract,” said Bob Beals, executive director of the Hollister Independence Rally Committee (HIRC), who added he was pleased with the city’s level of cooperation.
“But we still have the law enforcement thing hanging over our head – that hasn’t changed.”
Hollister’s top brass wants 40 cops from outside the county. They await signed confirmations from 12 officers whose departments have tentatively agreed – along with 18 other cops’ departments on the fence, whom Police Chief Jeff Miller is trying to corral.
The issue of lacking security for the annual July 4 event arose about a month ago when Miller started calling previously involved outside agencies. Initially, none would come if Hollister couldn’t pick up workers’ compensation liability, and some declined outright – citing budget problems and depleted staffs.
Even though Hollister hasn’t budged on the insurance liability issue, the 12 tentative commitments have trickled in.
Whether the city gains those confirmations along with other hopefuls before Monday night – and depending on the Council’s willingness to accept a certain level of risk – should heavily play into a decision on the rally’s future.
City Manager Dale Shaddox said, despite recent progress on the contract, the security issue “remains serious.” He said he expects a decision Monday – “a go or no go” for a 2004 rally.
“Our police department’s working on it every day,” Shaddox said. “And we do remain frustrated at the lack of police officers throughout the state of California.”
Miller recently assigned two Police Department staffers to continue making calls – on a full-time basis until it’s resolved – to departments throughout the state, he said.
As far as what Miller planned to recommend to the Council, he said, “I’m not prepared to go there yet.”
Miller and other city officials, including Shaddox, say they’re skeptical of HIRC’s hope to supplement local police forces with private security officers.
Beals acknowledged sworn peace officers would be ideal – especially “if something goes wrong,” he said. But other large events throughout the state, he said, have hired private firms. He hopes a reluctance for that possibility here doesn’t end the 7-year-old tradition.
“People have to recognize it’s not business as usual (this year),” Beals said.
Shaddox and other officials acknowledged there’s plenty of unfinished work before Monday’s meeting.
Still, the Council’s rally liaison, Councilman Robert Scattini, remains optimistic – saying he believes there’s a “99-percent chance” for the event’s continuance.
Though he, like other Council members, also remains realistic about the security problem. As a last resort, Scattini, who doubles as county marshal, says he’ll work rally security at no charge. He has more than 40 years of law enforcement experience.
“We don’t have the officers, and the chief doesn’t want to work with less officers,” Scattini said. “That could be a spike in it.”
Mayor Tony Bruscia mentioned the possibility of approving a contract Monday – yet with the “caveat” of trying to attain the needed cops before the July event.
Although, as he acknowledged, “It’s a pretty big caveat. Not having sufficient law enforcement is not an option.”
He and other officials say they feel more comfortable with other issues surrounding the contract, particularly HIRC’s obligation to more than double its revenues over previous years.
To break even, HIRC has to make about $280,000 extra in 2004 – they routinely generate about $200,000 a year.
That’s because the HPD, the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies will no longer assign officers without compensation – as they did in the past.
To ascend in revenues so significantly, HIRC plans to charge a $5 parking fee – to cover the entire weekend – for motorcycles downtown. HIRC also raised vendor fees and expanded the rally boundaries.
Furthermore, Beals said HIRC’s expecting a jump in sponsorships for 2004. Commitments so far include Good Sports, Corbin Pacific, The Vault and possibly Jack Daniels. He’s shooting for $100,000 from sponsorship revenues, he said.
Shaddox previously requested an upfront check for the city’s services. But the two sides reached a compromise this week.
HIRC agreed to open a joint escrow account with the city, in which HIRC is to deposit half of Hollister’s estimated payback of $130,000 by June 15.
Compared with negotiations a month ago, Beals believes city officials have become “more reasonable,” he said.
Come Monday, whether a rationality over security clashes with the recent level of compromise remains to be seen.
“It’s just a matter of working our way through on this thing,” Beals said.
The Hollister City Council meeting at City Hall, 375 Fifth St., will take place at 7 p.m. Monday.
