Redding Rodeo photo by Jon Lewis.
To the Members of the Redding City Council
Redding City Manager
Director Travis Menne, Community Services Department
I am writing to express my support for renewing a long-term lease for the Redding Rodeo Grounds. The rodeo is a long-established historic part of what makes Redding a successful and diverse community. It also has a significant positive financial impact on the city. I also believe that the citizens of Redding have made it crystal clear that they support the continuation of the rodeo at its current location, unless and until the city can provide an equally amenable location.
Several things have me currently concerned about the direction the City could be moving in regards to the lease renewal. A recent move by some members of the City Council to appoint a committee to “review” the options regarding a lease extension brings up some questions I have. One, who are the individuals serving on this committee? Second, why do those council members feel the need to appoint a committee at this time? Is this part of a larger issue of “re-imagining” the long-term planning and use of the entire riverfront and civic auditorium properties?
It is a normal course of city business to periodically review and reassess its planning goals, however, any changes to this specific area would need to be sensitive to the already existing components such as Turtle Bay, the Civic Auditorium, some private entities and of course the Rodeo Grounds. If the Council is meaning to argue that an extension of the lease for the Rodeo Grounds cannot be fully considered without first considering a revisit to the Riverfront Long Term plan, I counter that any potential planning adjustments would of necessity still have to include the existing realities of those parts already mentioned such as Turtle Bay, the Civic Auditorium and the Rodeo Grounds. Planning ideas could still be offered that focus on the remaining riverfront areas.
In politics, which is something I am very familiar with, elected officials trying to avoid giving specific answers to sometimes difficult problems will typically “appoint a committee” to “study” the issue. This gets them, at least temporarily off the hook and less accountable for the final outcome. I certainly wonder about the convenience during an election year, of council members choosing to appoint a committee rather than accepting accountability to the citizenry for whatever viewpoint they take.
It is not like this issue is a big surprise. The issue of how to deal with the renewal of the rodeo grounds lease has been brewing for some time and everyone knew what the timeline would be for preparing and making a decision. In the meantime, the Redding Rodeo has expanded its operation and worked hard to create a nationally recognized and televised championship event bringing positive attention and income to the city with an absolute certainty for growth in the future. It is as if the City has created a situation which puts the Rodeo Association in a very difficult position while under the pressure of a ticking clock. Meanwhile, the Council kicks the can away from themselves and down the road with the appointment of a committee, which is not directly accountable to the people of Redding. So now what does the Council do in response?
What I want to know is what does each member of this City Council want to do about the Rodeo Grounds? Certainly, they must have an educated opinion on it at this time? I want each member to stand up and voice their opinion for public review and stop hemming and hawing around about studies, committees and long-term plan reviews. I believe the public has a vested interest in where their council members stand and do not want to keep guessing about the answers.
As to a related topic of the revisit of the Riverfront Specific Long-term plan. I want to emphatically express my opinion that the area surrounding Turtle Bay, the Civic Auditorium and the Rodeo Grounds should remain for public use and not designated surplus land. For one, the law is very clear about the potential terrible and permanent impact that would have should the city be foolish enough to consider such a designation. It would open such lands to private developers with a priority to low-income housing. I believe the citizens have made their voices heard, loud and clear on this issue. This land is for the public’s greater good and not for private development.
Sincerely,
Senator K. Maurice Johannessen (ret)
