The former president of the Hollister Independence Rally
Committee is making a bid to take over the city’s annual Fourth of
July rally, which has been run by local volunteers for nine years,
with a for-profit corporation with plans to move the event out of
downtown Hollister.
Hollister – The former president of the Hollister Independence Rally Committee is making a bid to take over the city’s annual Fourth of July rally, which has been run by local volunteers for nine years, with a for-profit corporation with plans to move the event out of downtown Hollister.
Recently-resigned HIRC President Dave Ventura said that the rally, which drew about 120,000 people this year, has become so large that it should be run by a for-profit group with paid employees to see that the event is properly organized and supervised. He’s working with a handful of others to form a corporation with plans to take over the rally immediately. The nonprofit Hollister Independence Rally Committee, which is comprised of local volunteers, has organized the rally for the past nine years.
“This rally has grown bigger than anyone thought it would,” Ventura said. “A nonprofit can’t handle something this big.”
Paid employees are more accountable than volunteers, he added.
“If something goes wrong, you can discipline or replace an employee,” he said.
After five years of involvement with the rally, Ventura resigned in September after submitting a proposal that would have garnered him a commission for selling rally sponsorships – an idea that caused two HIRC founders to resign from the board. Board members voted down Ventura’s proposal.
It was at that time, Ventura said, that he began to seriously consider forming a corporation for the purpose of organizing the rally as a for-profit event. The group, which consists of about five people, has financial backing for the venture and is in the midst of drafting a charter, which will outline the group’s objectives, according to Ventura.
Last month, Ventura said he verbally proposed his idea to City Manager Clint Quilter, who would not discuss if it was a viable option for the city.
John Loyd, acting HIRC president, said that after Ventura’s sponsorship selling proposal he wasn’t surprised by his plans to turn the rally into a for-profit event.
“It doesn’t surprise me a lot,” he said. “He was interested in selling sponsorships and basically making money off of selling sponsorships. Now he’s trying to float a for-profit rally.”
Loyd said that he thought volunteers have done a fine job of organizing the rally, even though HIRC might need more help for future events.
“I’d hate to think he’s minimizing the effort of our volunteers,” he said. “I think comments from the City Council make it clear that HIRC can use more help, but I don’t know if that should be a paid staff or more community resources.”
Under Ventura’s proposal the rally, which raised about $12,000 for local nonprofit groups this year, would continue to contribute to local charities. The big change would be moving the rally from downtown Hollister to another venue. Ventura said he is currently negotiating with two possible sites located within the county, but he would not disclose their location.
Recently, the rally, along with HIRC, has been the subject of considerable criticism. Several weeks ago, Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller heavily criticized the rally in a law enforcement report, stating he cannot guarantee adequate public safety staffing at future events due to the escalating threat of violence between rival motorcycle gangs.
In an effort to figure out how to make the rally work, city council members created two subcommittees – one which will look into law enforcement and public safety for the event, and another that will look into financial aspects of the rally.
Most on the council aren’t ready to either support or discount the idea of the rally contract being given to a for-profit group.
Councilwoman Monica Johnson said she still doesn’t have enough information to throw her support behind a for-profit group taking over the rally. She did say, however, that she is dead-set against the idea.
“I think there’s a few things, I still don’t know who all the players are,” she said. “I’m still open to everything. I think the bottom line is we can’t do it the way we’ve been doing it. I think that there’s always room for discussion.”
Councilman Brad Pike said that at this point he would prefer to work within the community to see what can be done to keep the rally a nonprofit event. But whatever happens, he said, he wants to be sure that the rally continues to benefit local charities.
“Even if a for-profit group came in and helped with restructuring the event, it would still have to continue to benefit nonprofits in the community,” he said.
Vice-Mayor Robert Scattini was the only council member who seemed to have a firm opinion about the possibility of a for-profit taking over of the rally. He said the rally should remain in HIRC’s hands.
“Right off the bat, I’m not for a profit organization taking over,” he said. “You might be able to convince me the other way, but from the beginning it was set up for charity. That’s why the city bought into it.”
The City Council was anticipated to make a decision on Nov. 7 regarding HIRC’s contract with the city, but that has been postponed until Nov. 21 to give the council more time to study this issue, according to Quilter, who said he was going to suggest that the council hold a workshop on the subject on Nov. 14. Between now and then, Ventura said he is waiting for word of whether the city is interested in his proposal.
“I’m waiting for them to call back,” he said.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at
lr****@fr***********.com
.
