In 1996 a group of local motorcycle enthusiasts came together to form a committee to develop and manage a motorcycle rally on the streets of down town Hollister over the Fourth of July weekend. The Hollister Independence Rally Committee, a nonprofit corporation, contracted with the city each year. From 1997 through 2004 the committee fulfilled its obligation. During the period the profits were dispersed throughout the nonprofits and school programs in the community.
In 2005 all of that changed with the new police chief and ramping up of policing and the related cost. The cost went from less then $200,000 to $360,000. The committee at that time also had some internal problems, and needed to bring in some professional help, and could not absorb the doubling of the cost and ended up in bankruptcy. Now no matter what the county's two law enforcement head tells you - there was no real reason for the ramp up other than their dislike of bikers and they just don't want a rally in this community.
The rally had been held for eight years with no major problems. We then experienced the year of the un-rally with its over policing and related $100,000 cost to the taxpayers of this community.
Later in 2006 leaders and members of this community formed another committee to continue a rally. This time they selected promoter. The only problem was is that the big guys would not bid because there was no cap on the cost of policing. Discussions then settled on $360,000. During this time two critical decisions were made that doomed this rally to a slow death.
Take away the street and move the date back a week. All successful rallies have a soul; Hollister had the street. Changing the date moved it away from the vacation week and relegated it to a region rally. The promoter after all the changes gathered half of that amount from old rally vendors who did not want to see the rally end. That money was not available this year as they did not make it back. The folks that attended the old rally came to see and most did not return.
This year the chamber and the city ran the rally with the promoter. The city apparently agreed to cover half the policing costs with its failed T-shirt sale, monies from food vendor and a $170,000 payment from the promoter. What happened to the promoter's responsibilities to pay the policing costs?
As Marty Richman stated previously, the city has no business going into the retail business with taxpayers' monies. I will also add that if the city were going to make money for its self it would be one thing, to cover the rally cost that should be born by the promoter is another. Oh and that includes the food vendor cost. Good luck on getting that. The local bars and restaurant did well. That is probably due to the Bay Area sports venue prices in the beverage and food gardens.
So now I guess the question is, do we continue this over policed Flee Market with its diminishing yearly attendance and income, or do we set down and reorganize and get a profitable rally back on the street? Either way it should not included what has happened this year.
Charlie Scott, Hollister
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