Tonight the City Council again sits down to discuss the
Hollister Independence Rally, the future of which is in doubt. It’s
just the latest in a series of City Council meetings where our
leaders will chew over what they should do with the local ode to
Marlon Brando, Harleys and the rebel spirit. But the meeting agenda
gives no hint about what the Council will do, if anything, about
deciding the Rally’s fate.
Tonight the City Council again sits down to discuss the Hollister Independence Rally, the future of which is in doubt. It’s just the latest in a series of City Council meetings where our leaders will chew over what they should do with the local ode to Marlon Brando, Harleys and the rebel spirit. But the meeting agenda gives no hint about what the Council will do, if anything, about deciding the Rally’s fate.
The Rally’s future has been hanging in the balance for far too long. It’s time to decide. Are we going to have a Rally this year or not?
There has been plenty of time to mull over the decision. The debate about the Rally’s future began when Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller raised his concerns about the potential for violence between outlaw biker groups in October. Since then, the Council canceled it’s contract with the Hollister Independence Rally Committee – the nonprofit group that founded the event – to host the event because it wasn’t pleased with how much it cost the city. And Ghostrider Productions – a for-profit group composed of some former HIRC organizers – has presented an alternative plan to host the Rally out of town.
Now, in mid-January, it seems to us that there is enough information on the table to make a decision. No one should make a hasty choice that would put the city or its money at risk, but the Council has had months to think this over and it should make a decision tonight. Commit to holding a Rally this year or dump it.
If the event is going to go forward, organizers need to time to do just that – organize the Rally. It’s a huge task, vendors must be notified, security arrangements must be made and entertainers must be booked.
Even if the Council wants to kill the Rally, time is of the essence. Local businesses that make money during the event need to know so they can make other arrangements and officials need time to spread the word so a horde of bikers doesn’t descend on downtown Hollister expecting the usual host of festivities.
But, we say keep the Rally rolling. The Rally draws 100,000 people and their money to Hollister every Fourth of July weekend. While it has wound up costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in law enforcement costs, it is hard to believe there is no way to capitalize on such a popular event.
What the Rally needs is a professional organization with sharp business minds to make it work. The Council should vote to keep the Rally, then dedicate itself to finding the right organization to make it profitable and safe.
The Rally is the most significant event of the year in Hollister, and further dithering will hamper its success. It’s time for the Council to take decisive action.
