Hollister
– The City Council received a giant $382,000 check from promoter
Seth Doulton and the Hollister Motorcycle Rally Committee on
Thursday.
Hollister – The City Council received a giant $382,000 check from promoter Seth Doulton and the Hollister Motorcycle Rally Committee on Thursday.
“I think this had to happen,” former Mayor Robert Scattini said. “And it’s good for Hollister.”
The $382,000 will cover the city’s public safety costs and payment in full by March 31 was required by the council as a condition of approving the motorcycle rally, which is scheduled to take place July 6-8 in Hollister.
Symbolic oversized checks aside, Doulton actually made a payment of $132,000 this week to the city. He had earlier made payments totalling $250,000.
“It looks just fine,” Councilman Doug Emerson said. “Everything seems to be going pretty smoothly.”
The event, which commemorates the infamous 1947 motorcycle invasion of Hollister, normally draws around 100,000 people to the area.
Some residents and business owners have said the rally can bring a big windfall to the local economy, while others have called the event destructive and detrimental to the city.
The council voted to cancel last year’s rally due to escalating costs, but 10,000 bikers rode into town anyway, leaving the city to foot the law enforcement bill.
Emerson said he doesn’t have strong feelings about the rally one way or the other, so he only looks at the event from a business standpoint.
Doulton estimated that the rally’s total operating budget will be more than $650,000. He said he’s raised almost $550,000 so far.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected]. Staff writer Michael Van Cassell contributed to this report.
