I need to serve when I know you are.

All right, it's 2 30 something.

Sorry, it's late.

We're gonna call the March 5th Fair Board ad hoc meeting to order.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Supervisor Miley.

President Hubbard.

Present.

Present Jerome Hoban.

Present.

Rose Johnson.

Francis Tuck Moore.

John Smith.

Gordon Galvin.

Here.

Sure.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate the clerk calling the committee members.

I don't know that we have always truly understood exactly who is on this committee, but now we do.

And welcome to Susan Ranchi for being here.

And I know you can't stay here the whole time.

But your presence is appreciated.

I note that we have members of the public in person.

And do we have anybody online?

We do have somebody online.

So your presence and participation is welcome and appreciate.

Um land surplus at informational item.

Who wants to start?

Good afternoon, Supervisor.

We are uh still evaluating potential options, and so it's a big challenge that Andrew and I have discussed a couple times.

Um opportunities around the surplus land act and what can and cannot be done, and we have to do this uh body, we will continue to do that in an effort to move forward.

We do know that the market is a challenge for the developer that you can press with.

So it was on our activities list, and we have had initial conversations with the two.

These are initial conversations with GSA and our council account cycle on what the path forward is because we'll go.

Any questions from the others on the fair board committee?

Questions about that.

Do you have a timeline?

We'll bring more details at the next meeting.

Or anything to add, not really.

Okay, I think we're we where we want to uh disseminate on this, okay.

But we do want to have a point on the understanding what that process is.

So I think at some point, hopefully over the next six months or so, we can get a better idea of the timeline and uh a process.

Would it be fair to keep this item on the agendas until we do have more to update on uh Kimberly?

Or would you prefer that we simply add this when we do have?

You can leave it there.

It's an open item, okay.

Okay.

Alright, very good.

Um, is there any public comment on item one, which is hotel land surplus act informational?

Seeing none, I'll ask for item two to be an update on the 2026 capital improvement marketing plan.

An informational item, an update from the Allen the County Fair.

Morning supervisors.

Or afternoon now.

Sorry.

This is the same uh CapEx plan that uh was put in budget, and you guys uh worked through last time.

I think I went to the calendar, but um, we did talk about this at our last meeting.

I took the liberty of highlighting uh in yellow the projects that are actually moving forward at this moment, mostly pre-fair.

Uh the first one is the RB Adobe Building Clubhouse.

Uh this is ongoing, it's really just a remodel, but it's on a capital disk because it's over the our capital threshold.

Um the next one down is the RV campground restroom and laundry.

Uh this is just A and E or architecture and engineering.

There's no construction at the moment, because that's got to go through permitting.

Uh, the next one down is the grandstand staircase.

Uh that was a major um repair.

Uh, do you have more copies of this?

Are there copies that you need to just went right?

I thought it was yeah, yeah.

Well, both are no, but thank you tens, though.

Yeah, I have we could get more.

There might be more at the end of that.

Okay.

I can 15 of them.

Frank, are there any more copies?

Uh, last one.

Yeah, you need it at all.

We just just I don't necessarily need it, but just that we have fit for the record and that we have enough bill with public.

All right, uh, then we have the sheriff's lot asphalt project that's in architecture and engineering right now.

Moving down, there's the audio uh phase seven.

This should be installed prior to fair, is our game plan.

Amador pavilion wash racks.

This is under construction as we speak.

Uh hopefully uh be done prior to fair.

This is to make sure the animal wash rack in the uh junior livestock auction area in that pavilion is uh appropriately going to the sanitation.

Then if you drop all the way down uh grandstand plaza, that is in um the architecture phase and is about to be submitted to the county for permitting um after this next board meeting, probably.

Uh on the other page, next page, wine courtyard plaza.

That's in AE, and so is roadway 12.

So those are ones actively being uh worked on, uh either in architecture engineering or construction.

Grandstand Plaza, no shade structure included.

Was there not a shade structure?

Or that there's a space structure in the courtyard by the fountain.

This is a different area.

Um, so yes, you're right.

Directly out in front of that fountain and shade area.

We call that triangle the grandstand courtyard or the grandstand plaza.

What we're specifically saying in this is that this budget item does not have the shade structure in it, but if you click to the next page, grandstand shape structure, it's there, it's just separate projects because the way we capitalize the asset.

So there's 550,000 and 400,000.

So the total if combined is nearly a million.

Correct.

Okay.

And it's work in process.

I thought it was already done.

See this.

No, no, you're the West Plaza is now being completed on, and that's a different plaza from desert losses.

This is right in front of the grandstand.

Oh, yeah.

Got it.

Okay.

See it from my office.

Yeah, like we're in our board room, we've report a map.

And so those are ones, those are the ones in process.

Um, so you're building a HVAC, doesn't need to be done just yet.

You can do that later.

It would be building cottage.

Building A is complete.

Building A HVAC.

Oh, if it's not highlighted, means it's completed.

Correct.

No, no.

No, I'm just highlighting the ones that are actively being worked on at the last meeting.

Uh building A HVAC was swapped.

Oh, you know, this is a I'm gonna just say trying to focus your eyes on things that are so building a fire sprinkler replacement.

Sprinklers are important.

Yep, we're still in the contracting mode.

Yeah, we're getting quotes and bids.

Stables, storm water solution, 500 grand acquiring more storm testing.

Correct, which is further down the agenda item, item four, all right.

Cameras, all right, RV, cameras, farm phase two, proposals, fundraising, okay.

All right.

Um, this is the capital improvements portion.

Is there a marketing plan?

Oh, there is.

I brought Angel.

She gets to talk about all the exciting stuff that the team works on.

I'll grab that's important.

Good afternoon.

Uh so what we have here is just a very high level um summary of our marketing plan that we work on um and distribute annually.

So it just kind of goes over our traditional advertising mediums, our digital, um, social media marketing, our promotional partnerships, uh, those over uh other advertising that we do and promotions that we work on, events that we have within the fair, and then contests and competitions.

Um we additionally have our very first version of our fair brochure, and we have a new version coming out shortly.

Um, some of the things that we're really excited about this year is we're really looking forward to celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, so we're really jumping in and really owning that and bringing that to the fair.

Um, so we will have um special decor throughout the fair this year.

We'll have special banners really highlighting the 250th anniversary of America.

Um, we are looking at bringing in military branches to help us celebrate this year, and then we are embracing giving the community something to really jump in on by creating contests and competitions that focus on the 250th anniversary.

So we'll have a baked goods competition for adults and youth.

Um, we'll have painting, photography, quilts, tables all wrapped around the 250th anniversary.

I'm hoping people really grab on to that 250th.

Um we are looking at doing a time capsule this year.

We're actually doing a time capsule this year.

Um, which we're so excited about because it'll really allow us to take a snapshot in time of our community uh at the 250th, and then our goal is to have it opened at the 300 300th anniversary of America.

So 100 years from now in 50 years, 50 years.

So three.

So in 2076.

So we are working really hard to make sure that we have, you know, the vision of the fair today, our core values incorporated at things about our community, blue ribbon, um, really speaking to the youth and having um understanding where 4H and FFA are photos, uh, t-shirts of what's of our of our fair program this year, um, voices of our people, voices of staff, voices of youth in the community, voices of um our guests to really kind of when they open that in at the 300th anniversary, and my great grandkids are there, that they really know what the hard work that we were putting into and what our community looks like 50 years prior.

Um, messages to the future, we'll be really looking forward to to sending messages in our hopes for them.

Um the types of year-round events that we do today.

Uh, a day in the life, what does it look like at the fair from a crowd perspective?

Um, what is selfie culture look like?

Just things that we we maybe just do every day, that selfie picture that it's gonna look completely different, maybe in 50 years.

Um, all laugh at us.

They are gonna I my great grandchildren.

Can you put a racing forum in there?

We do.

See, maybe, yeah, I've I got one that was signed by Daniel.

Yeah.

I have a racing form that was given to me by Jeannie Wasserman, who was our racing director.

It kind of felt to me like a racer.

And it was signed by Desi Arnez.

She just gave it to me a few weeks ago.

That's cool.

Yeah, it's very cool.

Um, and so just our hopes for our future community.

And then this year we're really excited with some support from District One.

We had a great meeting with Melissa Fernandez.

I feel like that was three or four months ago when we really started talking about Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary.

And so those conversations really led us to um bringing back Fourth of July fireworks um on the 4th in 2026.

And so we are incredibly excited about that because we know that that is just such a great gift to the community.

Um, it drives a lot of people into the fair, working with um, you know, maybe military bands or before we've worked with the Oakland East Bay Symphony to come and perform live while the fireworks are happening.

If you haven't seen it, it's beautiful.

Um, and then also working with the city of Pleasant right now, Pleasanton right now on operational plans because we know when we have uh fireworks on 4th of July, we get a lot of people coming into the community.

So we want to make sure it's easy to get in and easy to get out after that fireworks event.

So we're those are just some of the things that we're working on.

Um, happy to share, answer any questions.

Excuse me.

Do a parade.

We had a planned on one this year, but but we have one every day when fair opens with the gumbo band that comes in and plays at our gates.

We have a parade.

Every day.

Yeah.

Angela, if you could maybe uh expound upon the size of the the time capsule because I I know there were some ideas of items that could be included in there that won't be that will fit in the will or won't won't fit.

You can't fit us.

A car.

So the it's about 20 inches high.

22 by 22 by about 14.

22 by 22 by 14.

So some of the items that we hope to put in there, flags, marketing materials, um, tickets, posters, fair posters, um, fair maps, photos, t-shirts.

Um, we'll be reaching out to the supervisors.

Absolutely.

For what you would like to include a small self-specific.

Yeah, one of the things that we're we of course.

So some ideas, some ideas that we've seen other communities do with their board of supervisors is like letters to the future, or your hopes for your community.

What's happening in your community today and what could be happening in the future?

Open to other ideas, but I want to make sure, you know, we've got a um, we've got to make sure we preserve them really well, whatever we're doing.

So we are also everything has to be on acid free paper, things like that.

What about the um concerts?

Uh, what about them?

It's program, right?

It is the program, yes.

So we don't we don't have the concerts.

We haven't at a brochure, but that is a version one brochure.

We have a new version coming out soon.

Um, would you like to know who's playing?

Is that what you're asking?

I mean, we have some great acts.

People too or better or worse.

So I would say it's our best lineup that we've had in a very long time.

Um, what you don't see on this is do we have voice to men on there?

Yeah, yes.

We have voice to men, we have Flow Rida, uh Tower of Power is coming.

We have a K-pop group, which is there was a wildly popular show on Netflix called The Demon Hunters.

And so there is a demon hunters type band coming to the fair.

We also have uh Banda McGay, who is a Banda, which will be playing on a Sunday.

Um we also have Gene Simmons, the Gene Simmons band.

If anybody knows who that is.

The Gene Simmons, yeah.

Yes, way that's the only one that's not dead.

Uh we also have a is it going to be adult content or children's content?

For example, that one concert last year that we're talking about.

No, no, that was not e-boarding.

Too sure.

Yes.

So this year, coming soon.

He's not coming soon.

He's not coming soon.

But you know, if we do, we'll have bleeps for the kids.

I guess is uh uh an adult show.

The lyrics that they sing, we should find out uh well some of the acts that we're haven't quite signed a contract.

We've got contracts on them, but can't release them for a bit yet.

Right, but I will tell you there's some really good acts coming.

Okay, huge, and um, yeah, I think it's great that people can sit outside with their kids and watch, you know, because not a lot of kids go into the concert, but they do hear things.

That's awesome.

Uh, but we allocated a few more books for concerts this year, all right, and some are already papers.

So tell me about the programming of the grandstand.

Yes.

So this year the team has said in here, it should be on the map.

I mean, on the calendar, I'm sorry.

So on the calendar, it looks like the first weekend we are partnering with the Hayward Fire Department, and their uh union does a demolition derby that is a fundraiser.

And so the fundraiser um raises money for education and then also for firefighters families um that may need assistance in some way.

So that's happening the first weekend, the first Saturday and Sunday of the fair.

Um just so you know, the good guys did this, and it was really, really well received with the fire departments.

And what we hear from Hayward Fire is that they are able to bring in fire departments from up and down the state to participate.

So we're doing it early in the fair so that if anything happens, if any wildfires come up, we know the further we get into the summer, the busier they become.

So they they really wanted to come in early.

The second weekend, um, we have Monster Trucks.

So that will be the 26th through the 28th.

The third weekend we're having Arena Cross, and so Arena Cross.

I've seen that at the Coliseum before where they where they do jumps, and that's actually a competition.

So we'll not only bring in youth, but we'll bring in families.

Um, and then additionally, the final weekend we're bringing back tractor pools, and we're doing two shows this year versus one show last year.

So last year we did one evening show, now we're doing a day show and an evening show.

What is a silent disco?

A silent disco is where you put on headphones and you could have a DJ playing or a certain radio station.

It's around like that's pretty it's unbelievable.

It doesn't even need headphones, it doesn't even need headphones, too.

You see people up there, David, you're going, what's going on?

Me either.

I don't need headphones.

I have heard about it, I've never seen it.

Yeah, it's kind of so help me out with one, this the programming.

When when did we sign up the firefighters?

Um, we haven't technically officially signed them up, meaning we don't even we don't have contract signed, but we've been talking to them.

Printed up here like it's it is so it's a done deal.

And I heard them talking about it last summer.

Because I go to it every year during the good guys, it's a lot of fun.

I've seen it, and um, but it's just curious that even last summer they were all jazzed to go and be in the fair.

That's interesting because we didn't even talk to them until November.

Somebody had to have.

They didn't just make it up.

Yeah, that's interesting.

So well, we call a paper fire that friendly.

We can have but it it we'll talk about it when we get to number three, but it's kind of like you know, can't have horse racing if you have this stuff happening.

I wish there was a way to do them both at the same time, change over.

The rodeo in the Oracle Arena changes over to a concert the next day, but it's just not able to do that.

So we could do both, yeah.

We have done both.

Matter of fact, the uh the derby cars were yeah, we're in the sports arena.

So is super cross.

Yeah, and the next day it's a concert.

They'd go real fast.

No, no, that's at the arena.

We have done both.

Horse racing in one venue, and in a different venue, we've done Demolition Derry, rodeo, and supercross.

We can't do tractor polls, but that's okay.

So they can be done in a different part in a different part of the park setup.

Oh, gotta gotta go.

In this situation, though, um there was no racing last year, so as we planned, and as our budget explains, is that these items were budgeted all the way back in October.

And horse racing was not budgeted in October.

Do you typically would you have typically budgeted 400,000 for horse racing, or did you budget again 400,000 this year for this programming the same way you did last year for that program?

That is correct.

And it would would it have typically been spent on horse racing if you had it, or was horse racing just one of those things that happens every year.

So you don't need to spend 400,000.

Oh no, horse racing is three million dollars.

To spend on marketing the events, the fact that we're having this is 400,000 to tell the community we're having no tractor polls.

This is 400,000 to book the events, the talent.

Oh, you have to pay for them to come in.

Oh yeah, that's yes.

You don't mark it so this is where you how you market to the community that it comes in.

400,000 is spent to bring them in and pay them their salary, it's the same as last year to this year.

The advertising budget is separate from what we're talking about at the 400,000 dollars.

The advertising budget.

Oh, the advertising budget for the well, or whatever it is, yeah, to let the community know.

For the fair for whatever it's called.

I I want to okay.

Before we get too far away from this, I just want to back up and uh mention a couple of things.

One the sensory morning that we're having.

This is kind of a new uh opportunity.

Uh, Angela, you're gonna be much better at explaining.

Ah, thank you, John.

I appreciate that.

Um, yes.

So this year what the so that is on July 8th.

So last year, remember you brought in um the you brought in a group of youth and adults.

Um, we thought that was a great idea.

We brought in our sensory station last year, um, where we were where those that had sense sensory issues were able to go in and maybe have a quiet space if the fair became too overwhelming.

So, what we decided to do this year is actually on July 8th open the fair an entire hour early, so that it is more of a quiet zone for uh the community.

What we're also doing for those that need it for that morning, so the carnival will be going, the rides will there will be no lights, it will be very quiet.

Um, we're also giving each organization that we work with a free admission ticket for uh the either the adult or the child and a caregiver.

So we'll be we are working with from all over Alameda County to ensure that we can get in touch with the groups that need it and that we can give them tickets to come in.

Your telephone stuff.

So anyhow, something new that we're doing this year that's adding on to what I think you tried to do last year before that uh uh we're excited about it.

The other thing, you were talking about, a parade, the 9-11 memorial.

Would you just talk a little bit about that and how we're going to introduce that?

Absolutely.

Yeah, so we um were able to acquire a piece of one of the twin towers, a piece of the structure is still beam.

And so we are bringing that um into the fair this year, and really because it's the 25th anniversary.

So we're trying to we're doing a remembrance of 9-11, and really bringing that in and just honoring those who lost their lives and a tribute to the memorial park in New York City.

So we're really trying to make the display feel like memorial park.

So that will be coming in on May 21st, ahead of Memorial Day, and we're working with the sheriff's department so that when it comes in from the Altamont Pass on its flatbed, that it will be escorted by Alameda.

How vegas is steel?

Do you know how big it is?

Uh there's two pieces on the semi truck.

Uh, one of them I'm gonna guess is the length of this, you know.

Other one is the size of this table, but more of an upright, like cross piece.

Are we gonna affix it into the memorial square for good or just leave it there?

We do not own it.

We're renting it.

Okay.

We are we have it on loan.

Okay, loaned.

And then how long will we have it?

We will have it all through fair, all through fair.

It'll be 521 and then till the end of fair.

It could be a ceremony when it arrives or anything like that.

Yeah, there will be a ceremony when it arrives.

Yes.

We're gonna get press and all that stuff.

Yes.

Well, what we have will come on that day.

And I think it's there, I believe the Pleasanton police are gonna meet it at the So the Sheriff's Alameda County Sheriffs are really helping us with this.

So once we come over the Altamont, it's gonna be met by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department.

They are then working with other departments on route to the fairground so that we pick up more police officers to STEM.

Yes, absolutely.

Hey, part police too.

Everybody and fire, yes, and fire.

Maybe we give the truck driver a call where you guys can get the brook.

It's gonna be located between farmhouse, or not the farmhouse, the it is and the grandstand.

So in that kind of back alcove.

So yeah, I I've seen of it from what I've heard of it.

I think it's gonna be impressive.

I understand you did something five years ago for the 20th on fairgrounds.

Yep.

Uh we hope that this is gonna be well received by the community, and it's gonna be great advertising for the fairgrounds.

Alcofire is already looking for speakers that we can have to redo what we did five years ago for the 20th or the 25th on 9-11.

Yeah, on 9-11.

So we had a big event on the 20th anniversary, and we're gonna have a big event.

The 25th anniversary.

Anyhow, I guess um, well, copying is a sincere form of flattery thing.

Absolutely.

Back to the sensory deprived, uh, it's gonna be great.

Um, it exists to follow your lead.

I'll share sure.

I'll chip in um ice creams for the kids or whatever.

Not a dollar saucer, listen.

You can have who's gonna be scooping that.

Yeah.

Okay, they're pretty good.

We gave them cupcakes, that's right.

We're really excited about it.

It's been uh this will be county wide, not just the I think we did Sunflower Hill kids.

Yes, it is county wide.

Every district should be represented, represented.

Absolutely.

We're looking at districts, we're looking at support organizations just like Sunflower Hill, uh, reaching out.

My team is actively calling.

Okay, lower sensitivity kinds of out early quiet.

So it actually, can senior citizens go early, like Chuck to get, you know.

If he has a sensory issue, they're all quiet time.

They're all quiet time.

All right.

Thank you.

Um so I do want to go back to the capital.

And I think we talked about it the last time.

I'm not sure, but we have budget, expenses to date, and the percent percent complete, so you can see how complete we are versus our budget well i mean let's just let's just take one the first one rv adobe building budget 30 thousand expenses to date 31 thousand 105% of budget but it's only 40% complete remodeling is underway so if that's gonna go over just a question how much can it go over in this case it looks like it's maybe we're gonna double so when do you reconcile projects that are going over budget how do you understand if it's going over budget by certain amount 100,000 200,000 300 000 or whatever do you bring it back does it come back to the board for approval does it just which board are you referencing your board our board I mean this comes this this comes to us once a year but if something goes over budget by a lot you would you would just fit you would typically handle it at your board level.

Yes that's correct we have a building the grounds meeting next week on Tuesday.

And we go to a committee we'll go to the building and grounds committee and we'll take a look at where we're at where we need to be to finish the project and then we'll come back and look at the board with the recommendations that we need to make and the board would include improve those increases.

Okay like three points two three seven million and then if we're um grossly over budget on any particular project that the scope is changed then yes we might take action uh to make sure that that scope is approved but if the scope is the same for example right here on your the one you pave as an example um just because it's 40% complete that's because purchases were made that cost a lot of money but uh you know it doesn't look like much for example just finishing painting out the building doesn't take a whole lot so um but that wouldn't go back we would just update that's where we're at today because these are really budget allocations at the beginning of the year um some of these get a lot more firm if we've got bids and quotes because we're hiring uh contractors and it's going through that process if if elements of this are done in-house like painting um then we can shave dollars off i mean that's what we're always trying to do and when you look at the building um some of these buildings you open up a wall we had no idea what was in that wall when you start doing a remodel and some of them you kind of work on time and material and some of them you get a hard bit and uh you know if it's so you just don't know sometimes because of some of the like the fountains when we were doing those you dig up the ground and all of a sudden you find your abandoned lines actual lines that um go to other reasons for uh cost uh increase over original budget I get it just want to make sure that everybody knows about it at least at your level um I mean obviously at some level this is meant for us to know what the expenditures are if that changes a lot I might suggest that you bring it back to one of these meetings because we're gonna have more of them but not you know anyway at least you guys understand that and I'm not talking about five percent or ten percent over but if something doubles in cost or as an extra hundred thousand dollars or generally there's a limit to how much an increase can be I think for Susan it's fifty thousand dollars so anyway that's that's my question that's the impetus for the question yeah but to your point for the contract what happens is we make sure that we report all this out at the end of the year as to what actually happened yeah along with the coming year that's going to come so um so there's a full loop uh back to you guys.

Right.

Um I don't see on here the crow's nest.

On top of the grandstand, but yet I also thought I had been told or heard the crow's nest is red tagged.

So just a question is the crow's nest red tagged or not?

And if so, or does it need repairs or not?

I should be on here as a cost.

The crow's nest is not being used.

It's not gonna be used.

Originally we bought some windows for it to put in.

And um, we're gonna kind of clean it up a little bit.

Um when we were getting ready to use it.

I did bring uh Alan from public works out and we did walk the roof and look at it, and um, so we put everything on hold because we're in the so the crow's nest is on hold because we're not using it.

We're not using it.

We're gonna put windows, but now you're not.

Okay.

And we bought we bought the horse racing in the winter 92 days a year.

So the crows would need to be enclosed.

So it's not enclosed because we only get raced in the summer months.

Okay.

So when we decided to do that, we started the process, and someone reported us, I guess, and they said, stop, you need a permit to do that.

Okay, sure.

So we stopped, and then we didn't have horse racing anymore, 92 days.

And I brought public works out, and we him Alan and I toured it, and Alan said, Yeah, you know, it's great, you know what?

I said we're not gonna do it.

And he said, perfect.

So it's not red tagged, but at one point we thought we needed permits, and now we don't permits.

Okay, racing in the winter time.

Um, for the record, it was never red tagged.

Okay, that was that.

That is the discrepancy I'm trying to understand better.

Okay, it was never.

We know, Sean.

Okay, look back.

No, we're gonna tag.

We ask Alan to come out and have a look at it.

Alan who?

He's the head of the building department.

It works directly for Alan's hand.

It works directly for the annual, okay.

And uh in public works, okay.

So just so we got clarification, that's why we asked him to come out.

Do we need a permit?

Yeah, and I get it.

If you're gonna put windows in, you would need permits, and don't need windows if it's not racing in the cold, so right, you don't need permits.

Maybe it's a just question between needed permits.

Versus nothing, not being able to use it.

Why did it sound like if you were to use it, you would still be able to use it.

If you were to have horse racing, you could still we'll call it.

Well, my concern is you can still use it.

Supervisor tell them we got red tag or something.

When it was like not true, maybe it's a question of permitted need needs for permits, that could be confused with not operational.

Yeah.

Well, red tags are pretty serious, but yeah, so so any other questions on marketing plan, Nate.

We have any public comment on item number two, which is updates on the 2026 capital improvement plan marketing plan.

No public comments, no, nobody's on comment.

Okay.

Number three, Nate.

Any other questions?

You're good.

Number three, a horse racing update information.

Sure.

Can you pass this around?

This is a sheet uh roughly of uh steps and the uh action items and the things that we related to horse racing with some dates on it.

I can walk you through each one of these.

We have a sign.

Um, and then um on December the uh 12th, um we received a letter from council.

Yeah, and uh January the 15th, that should be down below the 24th, but um uh we sent a letter uh from the association council to county council on the 24th of December.

Uh Jerome and uh uh negotiated with uh BPR and for the for a license agreement and uh to conduct all those specs of racing, request racing dates and guarantee that uh ACAFA would uh incur no losses.

That was done on the 24th.

Um on January the 6th, uh we had an unscheduled meeting and proved uh MOU that was uh generated on the 24th.

Um on January the 12th, um we sent uh a letter from the association council um back to county council.

Um I haven't seen anything on that back yet for comment.

No response, no, um on January uh the 14th, the California Horse Racing Board did not approve uh BPR's request for race dates.

The CHRB requested the fair applied directly for race dates and guaranteed at the race meet, um, and assuming all full responsibility.

Um on January the 28th, uh the racing committee met, and it's another subcommittee, and um they approved 5.2 to recommend to the full board to direct our CEO proposed race dates during the 2026 fair at the February 26th CHRV meeting and uh California uh and that passed uh 5.2 from the board to go to the full board from the racing committee from the racing committee.

So that was a recommendation from the racing committee to go to the full board board.

Okay, and um the none of our committees can direct the CEO to do anything without going to the full board for a full none of the subcommittees can direct the CPO.

Okay, um the 30th, the um received a um Alameda County Association received an underwriting framework from BPR and Alameda County Fair and BPR requested approval during the week of the 26th on February the 4th 2026, Alameda County Fair Racing Business and Operation Plan for BPR.

We received it.

Okay, on February the 5th, there was an email that was came to us from George Schmidt stating that the document contained errors, and he objected to the list of items below here.

On February the 10th, the executive committee met, and the sec the executive committee approved the 6-2 to recommend to the full board that they consider pursuing race dates and licensure in 2027 race season and beyond after execute it executing a binding contract with a qualified operating entity.

So one second, I'm confused because I understand that there was a 5-2 recommendation on January 28th from the racing committee, and then so the recommendation that was made at that racing committee was for the CEO to go and get dates, 26.

For the 26th fair, yeah, yes, but then here we're talking about all of a sudden 27th, we February 10th, executive board meeting approved a motion 6-2 to go get dates for 27.

Correct.

What happened to 26?

I'm just trying to understand.

Okay.

Let's back up.

They did not approve to go get race dates in 2027.

They created a framework that if they want to go for racing in 2027 and beyond, certain criteria have to be met.

That is what the motion was, not go get race dates in 2027.

The reason for this, just trying to understand what happened in 26.

Right.

Because we're not there yet.

We're not there yet.

Oh, so before you even talked about 26, you talked about 27.

It was an executive board meeting on the 10th.

And was it a motion made by the executive committee to move to the full board?

And then on the 17th, both motions.

The motion from the racing committee as well as the motion from the executive board was considered.

Two different years.

But the reason for this was is so that we could reach out, or if anybody reached out to us going forward for race dates and doing racing at the fairgrounds, which we like to have, we said, okay, what do we need as a policy or a practice to tell someone that would be interested in doing racing?

So that's the reason why we developed the full uh financial and these uh bullet points down below.

Okay.

That was the reason for that.

So we could reach out and they could reach out.

Matter of fact, we sent a letter to the Stronics group, and we said, hey, we're interested in doing racing at the fairgrounds.

Would you be interested in doing racing at the fairgrounds?

Since Stronics Group already has all the infrastructure, they can they control all the betting platforms to speak of, and thought that, okay, we really want horse racing.

Is there a third party out there that would be interested in that putting in doing it?

Is it very much good faith to be talking to one entity about establishing horse racing, especially for the for this year and perhaps future years, and to at the same time, in fact, even before really concluding that discussion, you're already talking about future years either with yourself or with others.

Well, I I think you if you would have received the letter on January emailed that we got a copy of that said there was some disagreements in what was produced, it created some significant concern, and we thought maybe we should reach out to somebody else that might be interested in doing that had infrastructure.

We're protecting the fairgrounds and having horse racing at the fairgrounds.

And when we saw that, we thought, let's see if we can find somebody else that might be interested, so to at least we made an attempt to do it.

Okay, so it's your intention to bring horse racing in the 27th, if you can.

If we can stand these criteria, absolutely, we would I keep hearing horse racing is you can't you just can't do it, it's not profitable, loses money, and it can't be resolved.

I keep hearing that.

If you and I hear that, oh yes, you can.

So now it's like maybe we can't, we're gonna try.

Well, clarification.

We are the lease or of the track, okay?

Yeah.

So if somebody comes in and is as fully cash flow, the race meet, if somebody demonstrates a legal authority and operation capacity to comply with all the Apple laws and regulations, guaranteed that the association against any financial losses, operate without combining our association operations, finances, liabilities with any other fair entity.

Those guidelines were thought about protect the fairgrounds and uh voted on and supported by the um uh by the uh executive board and recommended to the full board.

They seem like things that you should be considering whether it was 26 or 27 or 25 or 24 or 23, which we were we did.

So I get it.

These are all these were all largely kind of understood and agreed to.

But not from the standpoint that if somebody else called us and said we'd like to have horse racing on the fairgrounds, we could say.

We can say did you discuss this with the people you were partnering with?

BPR?

Like was this part of the deal with Penn?

All of these things were discussed with BPR in the process of negotiating.

Okay.

Okay.

Back in December on December the 24th.

But now you're doing it in for 27 going forward, or formalizing your policies.

Looking for other potential dance partners and whatever.

Right.

Kind of what this says.

Okay.

That's what happened on the 10th.

Right.

Okay.

And there was some confusion about whether confusing.

Yeah.

Oh, whether the executive board was overriding the racing committee.

And it was two different issues here.

So it was maybe the confusion.

These executive board meetings open to the public.

No.

Yes, no.

Yes, they are open to the public.

Oh, except if it's a closed session of something.

Okay.

Like a contract.

So executive, okay.

Executive session means closed session, but executive board meeting means an executive board meeting.

It's over the public.

The board member comes.

Okay.

In elevised so everybody can watch.

No.

We don't have to.

Recorded, put on your website?

No.

No.

Okay.

Maybe that's why I'm confused.

You agendize that and publish it three days in advance so people know what you're talking about.

Yes.

Good.

Okay.

Um on February the 17th.

Uh, we had an unscheduled meeting.

Uh, both of the motions from the two different committees were discussed.

The executive committee recommendation passed uh 11-4, uh one abstention.

The racing committee recommendation failed 13 to 3 on February the 26th, the racing, the California Horse Racing Board denied Tahema and Humboldt County Fair at the requesting dates.

Because nobody was there from us because the full board denied that.

We weren't we didn't apply for these dates.

Didn't apply for the dates, right?

We didn't apply for these dates because it was voted on not to apply for these dates.

And I will say that um until some leadership changes in the state of California and how they look at horse racing in the north and spreading it around.

Uh it's gonna be a difficult situation.

Uh guaranteed to have a change, we know that.

Yeah.

Um, need any questions?

Yeah.

I'm gonna have public comment before I have any questions.

So do we have any public speakers on item three, either online or in person?

What we typically do is I'll ask the clerk to take uh count of in-person and online, and we'll rotate back and forth three in person, three online.

How many do we have online?

We have one person online and two people in those.

Okay, so why don't we have the first two in line and uh in person and one online?

Sure, and we sometimes have 50.

Yeah, so that's why we have to go back and forth.

Sorry, there's two online now.

Two online.

Well, we do in person first, the first three, and um we don't have a podium, but um maybe the public speaker could come to the front of the room and make their comments, Anthony Cordova.

Yeah, thank you.

Um I was at that meeting uh with the CHRB and overheard a conversation uh with uh Brenda Davis and and um Stern, one of the other commissioners that overheard a conversation saying that it's it's too bad.

I think Pleasanton in this mix, this all would have made sense.

You know, they probably would have got the votes potentially.

They were ready to vote on the first meeting in January.

So I'm overhearing two commissioners saying it's it's too bad.

You know, this could have this could have floated.

So I don't know if this was it got torpedoed, obviously.

In regards to this uh email that gave you pause from George.

I put that together.

What you all got was my fault was a revision, the next last revision where George wanted some changes, the three million to start time at training 9 30 or 10.

So those were all that was all minor stuff.

That was stuff that was with a phone call, could have been worked through, and you guys gave it complete pause, like this whole thing is is done.

Wasn't the case, it was it was it was my fault that that wrong revision went out, not his, and you guys should have really brought that up with him and talked about that and talked that through.

So that's that's just my feeling on my take on on that.

I think that was uh, I think that was uh in bad form, obviously.

Thank you for your comments.

George Smith.

Good afternoon, thank you.

Um couple things that that I need to help a little with, I think.

First of all, the executive committee meeting that Mr.

Moore referred to was a closed session, it was not an open session.

We had no idea what was going on.

Nobody asked me to participate or answer any questions.

After that meeting, Mr.

Hoban sent a letter to Scott Cheney, which is not in here saying that Alameda County was not gonna apply for dates because of what happened in that executive committee meeting.

Again, something that you should have had in here for the supervisor to hear, in my opinion.

The brochures you received today were already printed, and the website was already updated.

By the time they had the board meeting where the two motions were discussed and voted on, it's already fate a company that there was going to be no horse racing, because the brochures clearly show no horse racing, and that was those brochures were handed out at the board meeting.

Only one board member managed to take a little umbrage at the fact that it looked like the decision was already made before that meeting ever even started.

I'm not gonna argue any more about cost accounting.

Um, cost accounting, as I think all of you know, has no rules.

Financial accounting has all kinds of rules, and we can argue forever about what changed 12 years ago when all of a sudden horse racing started losing money or barely breaking even where before that it always made money.

There was a change in management at the time that that happened, and management has the right to do cost accounting any way they want to.

So we can I can make any numbers look good or bad anytime I want to.

I guarantee you if you do Costa County the same way on Monster Trucks and on rodeo or any other event you have, you'll lose money on every event if you do it the same way.

Um and that's just the way it is.

Also, in that meeting, we were told that between everybody goes to concert spends between 200 and 225 dollars.

I'm not so sure about that.

Mr.

Smith, your time is you have more to say?

I do, I a little bit.

Um, between Brunell Park Racing and the Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association, we had all the management and support that the paragraphs needed.

Had they applied for dates?

They can do everything except handle purses and wagering, which in this state by state law has to be handled by the TOC or not link.

So that's absolutely true.

We had a three million dollar line of credit in place for Tamman County and Humble County when we went to when they went to the board last week.

I would encourage you if you're serious about wanting horse racing next year.

The counties that want it, and there are now five of them.

Stockton called me, called us a week before last and asked if we would consider doing horse racing in Stockton again.

Amazingly, in Jerome, you'll remember this.

That was the guy who seconded the motion to kill horse racing a year ago.

Now it's killing him.

Um, and he wants horse racing back.

Um we did send a proposal for a joint powers agreement, which I if all the counties that want to do horse racing, they should do that.

Why should they do that?

When I was I pushed the wrong button at one in the morning when when and Anthony, you don't have to take what the blame for this because I was the dope who pushed the wrong button and hit a reply all that was meant to only go to my people um the reason that that that the three million is is is an issue with alameda county is the way the cash flows work on wagering you go through two months so you need to put up the first money for the first half of for June the money comes in the first week in July and it covers your second half so you don't need three million the other reason for the joint powers agreement is that's what allows I don't I don't think we need you don't need a state law to do this but it allows the purses and the money that's put up by organizations to flow from one fair to the other so not wink the people who take the bets and process the money and keep it for a little while they require 750 thousand dollars for the joint powers agreement that 750 would flow from one to the other just like it did with carfine the requirements that the board has put forward for horse racing in 2027 can never be fulfilled the reason we're now park racing was denied the dates in January was because there's a little silly little law that said you had to be racing before 2010 to be able to do it.

So nobody else Delmar and Santa and Los Alamitos are not going to run a county fair date in northern California.

Every time they do that it costs them half a million dollars a week that's where the numbers are now there is a bill in in in the Senate right now to change the law that was changed three years ago to stop the money from the north flowing south it will not pass.

The South has more votes than the north does guarantee it ain't gonna pass but at least it puts them on notice that people from the north are not happy with the money all flowing to the south and that's the money that makes horse racing go.

There is a possibility Santa's suing the state now over the they no longer call them historic horse racing machines they call them paramutual machines if that gets through anybody who has a license in Alameda County does because they have off track betting who can take paramutual bets can put these machines in.

Based on what happened with the card room suit with the tribes I got to call them the tribes with the tribes the the casinos um last year the card rooms won they they beat them in court and and the tribes are not going to win anymore and they're using that same logic to push these perimutual machines can't tell you what the judges are going to do with it but that that's where that is I'm I'm happy to answer any questions if you have any um and I'll shut up and sit down because I'm way over my two minutes.

George I just do have the questions that the items that were listed with the fully financing the demonstrate legal authority guarantee the association that legal authority problem okay 2010 so they have to be you're saying that you gotta you have to have operated a meet before 2010 Alam County did that for many years before carf was established so you guys have an exemption but nobody else I can't so if they partner with somebody that they meet that part of the they yeah the only people in the state that can do that are the county affairs that have had horse racing in the last hundred years.

Yeah.

And the District Agricultural Association and Santa Nito Los Alamitos.

So was that put in there because to take BPR out of the running because they weren't since 2010?

No.

No.

Well, okay.

If you want dialogue, I can give explanation.

But this is public comment.

So let me know if you want more.

I just want to finish by saying, do you other than that, do you feel that you fulfill the rest of these?

Yes.

And then you've explained how you know training hours off by half hour.

Okay.

Identified as a co-founder versus a manager.

Okay.

Stated and not approved the document.

Okay, well, whatever.

Um the reference agreement.

I haven't seen the email, Chuck, but this is pause for you to say we this isn't our guy anymore.

We're not gonna partner with him.

Instead, let's go talk about partners 2727.

Because these are things that to the other speakers just pick up the phone and call the guy.

This is not pause for anything other than anybody.

Regardless of whether it's uh George's group or any group that would like to come in.

New horse witnesses at the fairgrounds.

These are the guidelines that we're looking for.

I get it.

You got an email that said you had a half hour wrong on the time, and you use that to say, well, we don't want to work with him anymore.

Are we in the comment?

Or you want to discuss it or I I just wanted to ask George that you feel that you've complied with it, and you the last question I have for you is I think you said it or the other speaker said it, um, that you feel the decision had already been made, i.e., things printed, plans made, before decisions were made to tell you thanks but no thanks.

Yeah, that for sure was handed out board meeting where they made the resolution.

That was the other kind.

So any other public comment?

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Two speakers online, all right, Gloria Haley.

There we go.

Sorry.

Okay, yes, Gloria Haley.

Uh first of all, I wanted to say how happy I was to hear that history is important to the uh Alameda County fair team.

So they must truly want horse racing since it is such a historical fact from our past.

And first of all, I would like to address the perception that the fair was successful without racing.

We have been told the attendance was great.

That was not evidenced by empty parking lots during the days, but entertainment and the uh singing groups that they employed were very expensive.

Why not combine the entertainment groups with horse racing, increase your revenue and attendance?

The community wants racing back.

It is rich in its historical and cultural past.

The community needs the fairgrounds as designed to represent its agricultural roots through the racing fair, pleasanton areas, restaurants were devastated by the loss of racing.

Turning the busiest time of the year into the slowest time.

The vendors who pay to hawk their wares have expressed the loss of racing as a distraction and a situation where they cannot make enough money to return.

Therefore, racing has an economic benefit for the entire community, as well as creating a family first event.

I my myself was first introduced to racing at a county fair.

The sport of racing needs to return to Alameda County.

Where is the sport watching monster trucks pollute the air and crash into the ground?

Entertainment maybe, but the excitement of kids and parents caring for a beautiful equine athlete, performing as God intended, as a spectacle of power and exhilaration does much for the human soul.

Our connection to our past, past and our present.

Thanks so much.

Thank you for your comments.

Don Smith you may unmute.

Yes.

This is Donald Smith.

I'm not a veterinarian.

I've been um carrying for horses at uh Alameda County Fair for over 40 years, so I've got an enduring relationship with uh Alameda County Fairgrounds.

What I wanted to question was the um denial of the uh horse racing after the horse racing committee had uh recommended that it be accepted.

My understanding is that the issue was assigned to the horse racing committee to consider the pros and cons, and they decided that it was in the best interest of uh the fairgrounds, the citizens of Alamina County and supervisors' intentions to go ahead and have horse racing.

Obviously, somebody had an agenda excluding horse racing, and that's what carried the issue.

I just like to say that the denial of horse racing in Northern California has been promoted primarily to establish a monopoly of the sport in Southern California, and I don't think it's right for the citizens of Alameda County to be denied the entertainment and the profits of horse racing in order to facilitate a monopoly of horse racing for Southern California.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments.

Next, Chelsea Langan.

Hi, my name is Chelsea Langan.

I'm a four-year resident of Pleasanton.

It doesn't appear that the fair board is operating with the community in mind.

You know, even though this is supposed to be a community event.

I live down the street and I drive or I drove past the fairgrounds multiple times a day throughout the event last year, and I've never seen the parking lots so consistently either empty or partially full, which makes it very difficult to understand how attendance could have been up as reported.

Additionally, downtown was unusually quiet.

You know, in past years, many fair visitors would leave the fairgrounds and head downtown for dinner, which created a strong spill over traffic for local businesses, and many of the establishments that I frequent mentioned that foot traffic and revenue were noticeably down during the fair.

And what's most frustrating is the lack of transparency around decisions being made.

You know, many community members continue to show up to these meetings and raise the same concerns, yet it's unclear whether that feedback is actively being meaningfully considered.

And if this event is truly meant to serve the community, there needs to be clear communication, greater transparency, and evidence that community input is actually shaping decisions.

So in closing, I'd like to see horse racing back, and I just don't understand why the board and the CEO appear to fight so hard against it.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

There are no other public commenters.

Okay, thank you.

We'll close public comment.

Any response to public comment?

So I think I think the the big issue.

Yeah, I didn't write them all down.

Um, but I can start with you know the printing of a brochure.

We've had a plan since August.

Um, plan has been marching forward.

The budget was created without horse racing.

Everything has been moving forward until we get an affirmative action to do something.

And so, as you can see, this brochure is going to be remade a lot of times.

There's a lot of to be continues on the back of this.

If you notice to be determined coming soon.

This is a normal uh thing that we do.

Things change constantly.

Um, this is just the first dash of a brochure, printed 500 of them.

Yes, we publish us on the website.

It is the most current information that we have.

This is similar to any other given year, just so everybody's aware.

It does not preclude, it would, it did not preclude us from having horse race.

I don't know.

Um all of this could have been done in a sports arena, separate from the from the grandstand, and then we could have had horse racing.

So one was not excluding the other.

The only one that would have been freshable would have been tractors, tractor rules, yeah.

Um you could edit it easily, easy.

I mean, we do.

The marketing team has to was this on the website?

Yes.

So I'm gonna show it to the public, but you can always edit it and change it and say we do it all day long, just like the warriors do.

But uh putting this out on the website with tractor pulls and monster trucks and derby.

You you're you would then be willing to change it on the website, like and I can understand printing a mock-up until it's done, but you actually will put it on the website for the public to see, and then they get excited about it and then change it.

Absolutely.

Let's say that's been on sale since Black Friday, yeah.

So absolutely it gets published immediately, and it changes continuously as all event facilities do.

Our income was changed significantly on pre-sales to the fair because people see things on there if they say, Oh, I want to go to that, and they'll buy their tickets ahead of time.

Okay, I'm just I'm just learning.

Um, the reference to the February 10th uh vote of the board, where there's a discussion about what the criteria is to move forward in 2027, is a direct uh response to what we've gone through for the past year.

So we partnered with BPR, we created a MOU that spelled out what the relationship would be.

All the while we believed that would work, that we would license or lease them the racetrack in the facility, we put together a deal that would allow them to do that in the MOU, it basically said, go get the race dates.

We support you.

I sent a rate a letter to the uh racing commission and to their uh executive director saying, Yes, we support this, it is the CHRB that put criteria that said BPR was not allowed to apply for the dates, and therefore, the fair would have to do.

So that was not meant to put BPR out, it's meant to say whoever we partner with has to take this full risk.

Now there are other partners that might be able to do this.

In fact, Oak Tree Racing is one that we partnered with back in 2017.

Um there are other racing associations in the South that we reached out to, including Del Mar, Thoroughbred Club, and Stronic Group against my desire to even speak to the group, okay.

Sorry, John, uh, because I don't have a real affinity for them.

They are the monopoly that put us out of business.

And we thought we could partner with them, so we asked Jerome against his will wanting to, and to send the letter to say, hey, is there a chance that you can do it?

This is fair should apply directly for race dates.

That's from the CHRB.

And yet the board said don't.

So what happened between there?

Because our board had already voted that the fair was not going to apply for race dates themselves because of the liabilities.

That vote had already taken place.

Then we had a new vote that allowed BPR to go try.

Even though there was discussion of, I don't know if this is gonna work.

You're gonna have to get the the approval of the California Department of Food NAG Karen Ross, which she did not grant.

You're gonna have to get the approval of this DHRB, which they did not grant the approval, but that was the deal that was struck.

And so once they did not approve that, that deal was essentially defunct.

The language in the MOU said, if the race dates aren't granted by this date, then this is done.

And we continued to move on.

That is when more options came at us for evaluation.

And this board evaluated and said no.

So I just want to say that it's been clear on our side, as referenced in the contract with the fair board.

It's our desire to have horse racing.

My disappointment is that in the end, right or wrong, we didn't even go down and try.

It feels like.

I'm allowed to have disappointment.

We took on horse racing and law, slug of money.

Because we believe it's stop.

I'm talking.

No, no, I'm talking.

And I'm just gonna say, I'm disappointed that you didn't even go down to apply.

I heard testimony that one of the directors thought that was a shame.

Maybe it would have happened if you could.

I hear that they said the fare should be applied.

Well, right here, you wrote fair apply directly.

You heard her saying go down.

That they heard another person say something.

Okay.

I can go text Peter Stern right now and ask him, but and maybe I will.

Actually, that would be he was a no vote.

He was a no vote, but because we weren't there, seems like seems like.

Well, we can anyway, if you were there when they said before that the fare should apply directly, and we didn't even apply.

So that's that's just a disappointment.

All fares needed to apply directly, yeah.

In their direction, if they wanted to race, okay, this board determined that the financial ramifications of it being us was not acceptable.

Disappointing.

Disappointing because we want it to happen, it's in the contract to happen.

I'm sorry to say, I at least one person feels that a breach of contract has been made, that you're not living up to our desired outcome, which is to have horse racing, evidenced by you didn't apply.

Let me ask you this then.

Since we're on the record, would the county absorb the losses that we would incur on horse racing.

If you had decided that you really want to have horse racing and really live up to the contract and really want to come ask us, maybe, but I'm not gonna opine upon a hypothetical.

I'm gonna tell you that complying with the contract would be something more like applying for the dates, and it and I'm just saying, I'm just one guy.

I don't feel that you're living up to the contract point taking.

I feel that we exceeded beyond the contract.

Okay, we took on and reasonable people can do it.

We can agree to disagree.

So I I want to bring up just a couple of points about some of the things that have been said and thoughts, uh, George brought up uh a joint powers authority, and that would be the way that the purse accounts would be handled, correct, George?

Yes, sir, right?

We we can't do that.

That is something that only the county could do with the other counties that would be involved.

We're not we don't have the authority, all the supervisors I talked to from all the other counties.

Love the idea, okay.

So doesn't mean they're gonna do it.

Well, so I'm just saying, if that's the case, then you need to nobody came and asked me.

Nobody came and asked us.

We've been talking about it for it's been part of the requirements from BPR since as long as I've been talking with BPR.

Anyhow, uh, I've not been talking about a JPA for a year.

Well, we've been talking about having horse racing, and if you say that requires county collaboration, then come ask for it.

We've beaten the horse dead.

I totally agree.

Anything else?

Um, I'm just gonna end with it.

Um, it seems like we have maybe an unclear contract, it's maybe not stated as clearly as it could be or should be.

I'd like to ask my county council if we need to clarify language in the contract to make it abundantly clear of what we mean.

Can we do that before the contract technically expires?

We have an ambiguity.

Well, I don't know that we have ambiguity, but if you want to make changes, I desire con horse racing, they didn't even apply.

Well, if you wanted to change the contract to read that that the association must apply, okay, then uh the process would be to propose that here at this committee.

So that should be proposed in writing.

Yeah, association could respond, could have dialogue about that as a potential.

If that language is agreeable, then both the uh board of directors of the association and the board of supervisors would have to vote to approve that change.

I understand.

So, short of that, if they're if the board of supervisors would act to declare the board in breach of contract, there's a process for that.

There is a dispute resolution process, yes.

Okay.

If we go through that dispute resolution process, we could find a breach and then make changes at that time.

Is that possible?

I'm just trying to clarify our contract because it doesn't seem to be very clear.

There's two separate trusts.

One is want to make a change to the contract.

The process is propose it in writing to the ad hoc committee, parties discuss it, there's an agreement, then it goes to the board, the two boards for approval.

If there's a dispute between the parties, uh there to uh the complaining party is to write to the other party, uh, explaining the nature of the dispute.

It's 30 days for the other side to respond, um, if the letters don't resolve the issue, it's to come to the ad hoc committee for discussion, then resolution.

Uh if uh resolution cannot be reached before the ad hoc committee, then uh the parties are to resolve it in the mediation.

Okay.

Very good.

And so that that's kind of where we're at right now, because you sent us a letter saying that you thought that we were in breach.

We replied to that letter saying telling you that we did not think that we were in breach, and we have not gone any further or heard anything other than that.

Is that correct?

We asked for assurance of performance, and you provided a response, and we're here at the committee to discuss that.

And so I just want to make be clear.

If your intent is to say you will apply for racing dates and be responsible for a race mate for 17 days, that you're aware that the cost of that is someplace around $4 million at risk, and that we had lost money racing during the last three years that we raced during the fair, 22, 23, and 24, and we lost about a million dollars, and that did not include the purse account, it was up uh upside down $500,000 in 24.

So the the that right there is the reason that this board has been unwilling to move forward on our own to have horse racing because we've lost money, and we lost a lot of money.

So, I just so that we're we're all on the same page.

And one other thing is that the CHRB in the group is saying the fair takes full responsibility, that means every aspect of the horse racing becomes the fair's responsibility.

In the past we shared that with CARF, and um it was with joint powers of authority, so now all of a sudden, where does it fair be responsible?

100% for any losses, any damage or anything, and that's a scary thought.

I don't know where it's gonna go, but I can tell you that um we will be discussing perhaps even in our closed session, a closed session of our board, our desire to have horse racing.

Um there are many different options.

Your 2027 plan may be an option, carving off the racetrack and having somebody else do it may be an option.

Redoing our contract by declaring it in breach and redoing it entirely may be an option.

All options are on the table, just being transparent about that.

Our desire is that there will be horse racing at the fairgrounds.

We would hope you can do it.

If you can't, maybe somebody else can.

I'm just disappointed that we didn't even apply.

That's all.

Stormwater compliance.

Supervisor, sure.

I need to clarify something.

Yeah.

Um, thank you for describing the dispute resolution.

And it is our opinion that the dispute is no longer in dispute.

We have responded.

There has been no response back.

Now to use this meeting would be appropriate if we agendized the dispute.

Well, we have it.

Horse racing update.

That's an update.

We gave you the update.

So discussing that.

I think it's great.

Anything we've had discussed, is it out of line with what's agendized, Andrew?

If I made a mistake and we should be discussing that here, would you stop me?

Okay, I'm being told that basically a total overlap between pulse racing update and the dispute over.

No, you're we're okay with that.

I had no issue with it.

Because we were not aware that we were discussing the dispute.

I think you're still in, we're still in dispute.

We haven't responded yet.

I was waiting for this meeting.

Probably get more dialogue after this meeting.

But yeah, I think there's still a dispute.

Clearly, there's still a dispute.

We don't have horse racing.

There will be a dispute until we have horse racing with the best foot forward that we can get it.

And if we go down with a bloody nose, then so be it.

But we didn't even show up.

We already did go down with a bloody nose.

Didn't even show up.

Move on to the next item.

Stormwater compliance.

Do we even need to do that if we don't?

I'm gonna have horse racing.

But I mean, that's just not stormwater compliance.

Are we still working on it?

We got $500,000 in the budget.

No, what was it?

Yeah, $500,000 somewhere in here.

It's on there.

What's the update?

We need it.

Yeah, the update is um we finally just had rain.

We're waiting for our lab results to come back to see if we get two clear days of um of testing.

If we don't, then we have to continue to figure things out.

Uh, and that's where the 500,000 may come in.

But in addition, uh under construction right now is the wash rack at the Amador Pavilion, which is one of the compliance issues we were having.

Um, so we're moving down the road and we've got the money allocated in that budget.

Should we need to do a con a full-blown construction project?

Right now we've done a huge amount of uh drain inlet filter filtration systems, and there are no horses on property, and our numbers that we have seen just keep getting better.

So you're not gonna put those boxes in because you don't have any tests that show bad.

Remember the way that is no, we may have to put them in still.

Once the tests come back from what we have done, will tell us okay, are these boxes the next step or do the engineer say something different?

With the $500,000, will that allow you if horse racing dates are approved for 27 that you will be able to achieve the CAFO permit that would be required to house horses for that?

Uh no, I don't want to mix up terminology.

KFO permit is something that would be required for over 500 horses for more than 45 days collectively or separately.

I'm not after a KFO permit.

This board is not after a CAFO permit.

Because horses will be trying to be compliant with the existing um regulations or uh M4 and Pleasanton.

Temporary possible during the fair time frame only.

Temporary what?

You would have you could have horse if you could get dates in 27, you'll have horses, but less than 45 days.

Correct.

That would be the intention.

And that that's why the BPR uh proposal we believe could work for us.

And you don't have um, CAFO is for animals for the 45 days all the 4 H club animals they they don't be there more than 45 days.

Uh they're not but that is one of the reasons for the Amador Pavilion wash rack that were under construction now.

David or Supervisor Howard what what they're asking for is that anytime we have a wash rack it'd be covered.

Yeah.

So it's raining yeah so it goes into the sewer system and any drainage outside of your covered area can go into the storm brain system.

And currently the wash racks are outside of a covered area so the wash racks would be going into the storm break system.

Been that way forever.

So uh it's a significant change and we're making it right now.

Is there any public comment on stormwater compliance?

I don't have public comments.

Any questions?

Number five we have public comments again.

Supervisor might just for 30 or 40 seconds I wandered around all that drainage stuff with a bunch of and we found a drain that was on nobody's plans um the city's plans the county's plans or anybody else's when we looked at the water from the fairgrounds when there's high water no matter what is going on it goes into the retention pond that's owned by the city and this whole thing goes away if somehow the city and the county agree to drop the diversion down so that the water never goes directly from the count from the fairgrounds into the tree.

We probably have to have an engineer look at it no I shouldn't say probably we would have to have but now that we know that the water already diverged into the retention pond when it's high water the solution seems to me should be a lot simpler than everything all of us have beaten our heads about and all because nobody knew that drain was there and nobody knows where the hell it came from when it came in or anything else I ran into a bunch of young people from the city that were looking to make sure all the drains were clear and and took them back there and I said to this one it goes back into your where to come from it's not on our plans not on the county plans not on the city plans but it's there and it's doing it already with most of the water.

You let our team know George our general services team and or public works team and or the fair people.

Yeah yeah I mean it's get it on the plans.

There may be a way it solves this thing we'll sit in the for clarification George is talking about an inlet that is on the city property over in the park.

Right.

And I've seen it with George where the where the did your ditch ends you go into a pipe and when it gets high in that pipe it goes into the retention ditch.

That's what that drain does okay maybe we can collaborate with the city placement it's happened before.

Item five building the replacement you have a public comment on the I think no other oh thank you said no idea.

Building B replacement building B replacement I uh placed on the agenda this has been on our vision plan projects for about five years.

We developed these plans about five years ago and we did this because there was a huge grant available uh through the state and federal government with what you see in front of you, you've you've seen it before.

Um, it's basically building A, then knock down building B and duplicate it and put a breezeway between it.

Uh when this estimate was done, it was estimated about 14, 15 million dollars today.

I believe we probably eighteen nineteen million dollars.

Um these plans were kind of worked through with us uh with Whiting Turner and Dolan and Kuren Wright, so we could get some really beefed up um uh more accurate numbers.

All right.

Um so this is still on our workflow plan, but it is not something very affordable.

We will continue to uh look at grant funding for a building like this, but the reason it's it's with us is because this is meant to be an essential services building for the county uh for law enforcement for fire for everything, as you know.

Uh the fairgrounds was used exclusively during the pandemic and the lightning fires.

Uh, that building B that you see there today, nobody unlocked it because it did not meet compliance for essential services.

Uh, it couldn't be used as the hospital, couldn't be used for storage during the fire.

They would not even allow our the inmate firefighters in that building.

Um, so it's on our work plan to get rid of uh if this is something that the county had any interest in partnering uh with fairgrounds on, I just put it out there.

We had a great board workshop last month, and this was discussed about where can we find the funding for this building in this essential services building?

Um so I bring it here today just so you're very aware that this is on our radar.

Which building is building where's the barn looking around it?

Right next to A, Nate, and it's the one that goes like this.

Oh trust.

And you think about it, this is building A.

Next to it is building B.

You don't see a picture of it here, but if you're on the fairgrounds and you look out the back of the heritage house, you'll see one building that goes like this, and another building that looks laptop, laptop like this, and they want to make them both look like this by tearing down the B.

It was built in the 50s, 40s, something like that.

40s, and no longer.

It's seismic, but it's not up to standards of what hospital would make a day.

No ADA.

It's a beautiful building, but it doesn't meet the new codes and standards.

Beautiful.

Right.

Well, I mean, they'd use it during the fair.

You have something in there, right?

Oh, it's spoken like not red tag.

Red tag.

No, you sure?

No, yeah.

All right.

Any public comment on building B replacement?

Fair number.

Any other comments?

Economic impact report.

Yes.

I hand most of them this way.

Yeah.

This way.

We worked with uh one of our trade organizations, which is the International Association Affairs and Expedition.

And working with them, uh, they commissioned Johnson Consulting for fairs across the nation um on their economic impact studies.

So we just received this about maybe about a month ago.

And so we really wanted to share the impact that the fair and the year-round events bring to the greater community.

Um it really helps us when trying to bring even more new events to the community to generate greater tax revenues and overnight.

So our sales tax revenues uh from sales throughout the year generated are about 14.3 million.

Hotel tax revenues generated from stays resulting from the property.

It's about a hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars.

This means a lot to visit Tri-Valley, who is the marketing destination organization for the region because it helps them to um their goal is to put more heads and beds in the region.

So when they put heads and beds on the weekends, obviously that has a great economic impact to the Tri-Valley.

Um the fiscal impact is about 14.5 million, and that comes from health permits, business licenses.

Ongoing jobs in the region are just under 2,000 from events that happen on property.

Wages created by the fairgrounds in the region are about 104 million dollars, almost 105.

Hotel room nights generated from the fairgrounds are about just under 17,000.

So that is really meaningful to the community ongoing jobs.

In addition to those ongoing jobs, we are able to get more events in the region by by boasting how we are able to accommodate large events.

Total impact to the local economy is about 312 million.

So that comes from shopping, whether it's at the mall or it's downtown, or if it's at a grocery store or at a gas station.

So that is the revenue generated to the local economy.

And then total visits on property per year are about 1.4 million.

I will note that that does not include the golf course.

So, and that does not include off track betting, but in on fairgrounds.

And now we have FUTSOL, which will also generate more people to the property.

Why doesn't it include us?

So we did not own, we did not have stats on the golf course at that time.

So we'll be able to include that in the future.

Then the second copy is we're really proud to share that at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions and the Western Fairs Association.

The fair received over 60 awards this year, which makes us the most winning fair in California.

We won the most awards out of any fair.

Really proud that some of the categories that we won awards in was the new Safeway Barn, which you know is a great impact to the community because it allows guests to come in and learn about agriculture.

I have a question about that the Safeway Barn.

So we signed a contract with Safeway to be it named the Safeway Mark.

Yes, naming rights, naming rights.

Do we have a copy of that contract?

Sure.

Do we?

Yeah.

Do we have a copy?

Um, we can provide it.

Okay.

Oh, thank you.

Then we also received awards uh at the fair, we uh highlight agriculture in the region and farmers.

So we have these giant displays that we have made.

They're about 12 feet tall, and we started them in 2024, and we've added additional farmers each year.

So last year we won for a farmer out of San Leandro, which is uh sweet serendipity honey.

So we were able to win in that category.

Um we were also able to win awards for non-fair time facility usage, and then we were able to that one for that one non-fair time, it was it was actually or was it good guys?

It was actually our advertising material, how we promote the facility out in the world.

Um, and then we were also able to win.

We worked on a program this year, called the Trailblazer Award, and it was really so that we could get more schools entering exhibits into the fair.

So whether that be um wood shop wood shop, thank you, Chuck, or it be entering their art into the fair or photographs, and so we won for creating an award that actually the schools who stood out, maybe a teacher who had the most students participate.

They were able to earn funds to go back to their programs.

So we saw a huge increase in entries from schools this year, and we won the work for that.

So we're really proud of that.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

And then we also won uh our exhibits department, who is really our community.

Like, like they are out hitting the pavement to get the community involved in the fair, and they had a commodity.

So they really tie their um their department around a commodity.

And this year it was strawberries.

So if you walk in buildings, you would have saw big strawberries everywhere.

Um there might be a special category.

If you enter your favorite strawberry jam, or you decorate a cake with strawberries.

So really tying into agriculture in our community, and we won an award for that.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

How does you win?

How do you want an award for serendipity honey?

It's made in San Leandro, right?

So we won an award for highlighting agriculture in our community.

And really sharing that with the rest of the county, right?

Those who come to the fair.

So our goal is really to show, you know what, we're always trying to educate on agriculture.

And so that was one of the ways that we do it.

The forum was really heightened that.

And right down next to the pig races, David's uh supervisor.

I'm glad you didn't have well, not say glad, but you know, there's Alameda County famous for another green crop.

You know, I can't think you could maybe win an award for.

What do you think?

But it is an egg.

It is as it is, it is egg.

So Angel was pretty modest.

Uh at the Western Fair Association, she put on a um seminar for the other uh fairs that we were attending, and it was for emergency response, the way that that's handled, and she uh Kristen did an outstanding job of that, and I think you got a lot of feedback from a lot of the smaller fairs to give them a blueprint of the process for uh dealing with that because it's something that we we have every year to vary in degrees.

Uh and it's very important for the force to be able to have a inserted concentrated response during those situations.

So we get a great job.

Thank you so much.

And we've actually entered in because of that, we've entered a mentorship program.

So we're entry, we are mentoring communications teams at uh other fairs across the state.

Outstanding.

Great job.

You mentioned though um golf, right?

And it reminds me that so I don't want to go back to three, but we'll just call it in six.

What is the status of I think we lent money to an organization, CARF?

They used it, I might get this wrong, so correct me.

They used it to buy out a golf contract, so they I guess own that contract, but rather they owe us money for it.

So did they pay us?

No, they were still in dispute with them, or we're gonna write it off, or we wrote off the debt in 2024 uh 2024, 24.

2024.

That's why we had a negative EV it up because our auditors said nope, that's just a flat out expense.

So we took a hit of 3.2 million, um, and that was reflected in the audit.

And now we own a golf course, or we the county always owned the golf course, but we bought back the lease, so there's no further any control by jetter.

Um, we do use jetter to cut the grass, operated on our behalf, but it's so how's it going?

Are we making money each month on it?

We are.

I'm gonna pay back the 3.2 million.

It's gonna take about eight years.

Eight years.

Okay, but how many more years?

How many years were left on the thing that we bought out?

Uh at the 10.

So there were 10 years left, we bought it back, and it's gonna take your cigar to get our money back, okay.

So it's a wash, it's just a matter of it's just an accounting thing, then it sounds like.

Except for there's one good thing about it is we do have control of it now.

Yeah, and we do not have to every time we want to use a tent or something out of the golf course, we don't have to pay jetters for using it.

That was not all the money though, that we went to carving it was another one, we know we wrote about 500 years was there's an additional amount that we lent carf that was to operate horse racing or whatever and they still owe that we have that back they gave that back so whatever they did not they give it back when your department of food and ag negotiated to get it back on our behalf okay so we have it back yes yes I would say we're made whole with the exception of the golf course or operating for us instead of having the money correct which was in part the risk that the board knew they were taking because if we didn't get our money back and then well we just you foreclose on the people that you lent money to I get it just asking to know made haul um any public comment on the economic impact report there are no public commenters besides item seven can I say something um public comment I just want to yes on that last topic um last time I walked by building S, both of the racehorse murals have been covered.

I don't know if don't know if they've been painted but I find it ironic that you're promoting agriculture but I don't see the racehorses on both sides of the building anymore.

Which building is that building S okay yes the grandstand I might have a picture of it but I think those are banners that go up airtime not near not paint.

It needs to be up year round do we have a printout of the annual meeting schedule because that's item number seven are you typing what annually item seven is to approve the ad hoc committee's annual meeting schedule and location I had previously advised this committee that it needed to establish the meeting schedule here location.

Do we have uh future dates identified Sean?

We do have one in May but I don't have that with me we've been working with Miley's scheduler to try to figure out the dates for the remainder of the year but I know that there's one upcoming in May and then not another one till after I believe the middle of August.

So we will at May have the rest of the year yep.

Nate is very busy and his schedule is very difficult to schedule is this on the agenda from Joni because we wanted to clarify the process here I mean I believe it's on the agenda because me.

Oh, the Brown Act requires each legislative body which this committee is one to establish a regular meeting time and location.

And so that's why this items on here is that because this is no longer an ad hoc committee and it's a standing committee.

It's been a standing committee for a long time this committee's been in place since at least 1997 and it's supposed to last years or something that we so we shouldn't name it ad hoc anymore.

I think we're going to I would recommend amending the contract to remove the name ad hoc that's why it continues to be referred to because that is it's a well when we have additional correspondence uh between our groups verifying functions whatever we're gonna call it for open to having as many meetings as you'd like to have a good idea to get them on.

Well you can get reason how's that within Nate Miley's schedule yeah within Nate Miley's schedule that makes a very easy I think um thank you all for coming is there any other public comment?

Seeing that yes there's more public comment because we do have, indeed, that's right.

The last item is public comment on items not on the agenda.

Pleasanton residents.

You may unmute.

Hello, uh, I'm Maureen Morley, a longtime Pleasanton resident living near the Alameda County fairgrounds.

I could speak extensively on horse racing, but others have addressed that issue.

I will simply say that I hope all entities will work cooperatively and support the return of horse racing to Pleasanton.

Today I am addressing the current use and future development of the fairgrounds property as it directly impacts City of Pleasanton residents.

I only learned of this committee this past week and appreciate the opportunity to be heard.

My request to all relevant boards and committees is to proactively engage City of Pleasanton residents, particularly those living in proximity to the fairgrounds in discussions prior to decisions about current and future uses of the fairgrounds property.

This is a particular concern considering the shift already underway in the use of the horse racetrack.

Discussions and decisions regarding the fairgrounds are fairly obscure.

Perhaps most decisions are done as routine administrative matters, but I believe changes in historic uses of the fairgrounds property should require proactive notice, open discussions, and transparent decision making, specifically involving local residents.

Last year, neighbors were taken back by the extreme noise of monster trucks, tractor pools, and demolition derbies, which replaced horse racing during the fair.

Sadly, with the loss of horse racing again this year, the fair association was very quick to promote the return of action sports.

Well, there have been historically demolition derbies and monster trucks on the track.

These single-day events were tolerated.

But now action sports are being promoted on the fair website for every weekend of the fair for 10 days.

The website even warns action sports events can be extremely loud.

Hearing protection is strongly encouraged.

Last year it was impossible to sit down to dinner with windows closed without hearing the disturbing grind of tractor pools.

This is an unacceptable change in the historic use of the racetrack, considering its location next to residential neighborhoods.

Simply put, the horse racetrack is not a thank you for your comments.

Your uh time has elapsed.

However, I want to acknowledge I hear you, I understand, and we will take that up in our May meeting.

Um thank you.

No other public comment.

John's yeah, uh super.

I had made a list of things that um I labeled under unresolved and require clarification because we've had over the last 12 14 months some varying issues.

Um Sean's still here, so we're clear now on the Melissa Hunt youth barn operating costs and how that's going to be handled going forward.

I'm not clear how it was ever handled.

I didn't get a response from a CEO on how we paid for it in the past.

I think there's an issue on how it was paid and how it is used.

Is that the operating costs?

These items on the agenda, these items you want to put on the future agenda or how these are items that uh have occurred over the last year that have been on our some of these have been on our agenda, some of them haven't.

I thought I was gonna get a much quicker response on that.

Yeah, I'll be happy to take that up later.

Um why don't we take it offline?

Yeah.

So we talked about the crow's nest.

Are you satisfied with the crow's nest situation?

Yeah.

I mean, great.

If we're not going to need it, we're it's not red tagged and we're not going to put windows in it because we're not going to race in the winter.

Members thought we would, but I understand that we could use it in the future if we race in the summer.

Correct.

You don't need to permit modifications because you're not going to do it in winter.

You it's good to go as is.

There was a what I understand a request from your office from uh council about the historic racetrack and how we were modifying the railroad.

Yeah, yeah.

And we came back to you and we gave you some information and with what you're planning to do this summer.

Monster truck and derby.

Are you gonna take down any remote?

There will be railing removed for the uh and it'll be put back when we're done by saying, and it won't be damaged.

It can be put back when we're done.

It will go in storage like the rest of our rail.

But if there's not a purpose to put it back, we will keep it in storage.

We won't just put it back to put it back.

So it's not being destroyed, we're not dismantling the the the track the track.

I think we're all in agreement on that, correct?

Okay.

All right.

Uh the association's bylaws and authority of the committee to overturn a racing committee recommendation.

There was a accusation that we were somehow another not operating correctly according to Robert's rules of orders or something.

Are you are we clear now on how I would like to get a copy of your bylaws?

Be happy to get that to you.

Are we clear now on what happened when it happened and how it happened?

It was really um confusing that you have um two different meetings within a couple of days of each other, and one is on twenty twenty six and another one is on twenty twenty-seven, but um it was clarified.

It's also a little bit disheartening that uh an executive committee was convened, and for an all-park racing wasn't invited to it or told about it or whatever, but I have greater issues around how meetings are conducted, noticed, open, transparent.

My county council has told me that they've always believed that the fair board is a brown acted body, should be a brown acted body, was not made a brown acted body for certain whatever reasons, and that'll be on our May meeting.

Right.

There is has not been a response about the uh county association operating agreement.

We've talked a little bit about this uh that we delivered to you back in December.

Uh and subsequently the you was sent to council and we're sending a response about what now?

The extension of our contract.

I'm not following.

So we have sent you a uh formal outline of extending preempting the contract to extend it, and we sent that to you in December and you came back and said uh that you need to take a look at it and think about it, and oh we haven't even talked about that.

And you were gonna and then it was at council, which let's put it on our May agenda.

I I haven't seen that happy to look at it.

I think we want to get through some of these things first.

And then uh, and then the operating agreement, we'll see when we're we're gonna agree on that when we get to May.

Operating our our agreement.

The agreement that expires in 2027, twenty twenty-seven.

Yeah, uh is the operating agreement different than the contract?

No, it's the same.

At this point, we're not um prepared to talk about extending that.

I think what between now and May we'll probably tell how it might be modified.

Okay.

And in fact, um that's something that we maybe should take offline with just a small, small, small number of people, and then bring it in May.

We can do that.

We can all meet one on one-on-one.

Yeah, I uh absolutely and uh let's get it done before May.

How about that?

I can tell you, from the association's point of view, we think things are going very well, and we think that we have been very successful and that we have reinvested over 20 some odd million dollars in the last 10 years into the fairgrounds.

Uh we continue to have large community events on the fairgrounds.

And I wouldn't want to say we're fat, dumb and happy, but we do feel like things are going pretty well.

So which one fat or dumb or happy how we got how about we go with that I wouldn't argue with uh the exception of again my reiterated disappointment about so that's it.

Thanks.

Thank you.

No, we're going to say