HELIPADS AND HORSES

At Bishop City Council on Monday, two items of note. 

The first was a visit and public comment from Joel Church, California High School National Director for the California High School Rodeo Assn. (CHSRA) He asked the City of Bishop for some subsidy of his event (the annual High School Rodeo Finals, which has taken place in Bishop since 2005). He did not make a specific ask. 

Bishop’s Chamber of Commerce, according to its most recent budget, spent more than $14,000 on the event last year. 

I do know the event has not been as well attended over the past few years. Some of that could be attributed to the decision to start the “evening” sessions at 5 p.m. (still in the heat of the day) versus 7 p.m. (what it had been traditionally). 

Don’t know who made that bonehead decision, but I’m sure it’s affected turnout. 

The larger issue is that the Fairgrounds has had an interim, state-appointed, half-time, half-distracted director (Mike Francesconi) for the past several years, or ever since it ran the previous board and director (Jen McGuire) out of Dodge. 

And the Fairgrounds has had difficulty repopulating a board and appointing a new director because it’s virtually impossible to convene a quorum – it has a nine-member board spread across three counties but only six of those seats are filled and Alpine County doesn’t have anyone willing to sit on the board. 

Meaning, the Fairgrounds has been essentially reduced to a Zombie corporation. It does the bare minimum. And it’s lack of vibrance and energy is noticeable. 

As Inyo County Supervisor Jennifer Roeser stated plainly, “Bottom line is that the State is disinterested in fairgrounds.” Several fairgrounds throughout the State have been downsized or neglected. Four days ago, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the State official overseeing state fairgrounds “has opened doors for a company that wants to revitalize venues by adding data centers and helipads. His daughter works for the firm.” 

Roeser does give Interim Director Francesconi credit for bringing in some state support to get maintenance projects done. 

It’s not enough. 

The current contract with CHSRA is up after next year. It would be no surprise if the contract didn’t renew. 

Then on the issue of commercial air service, the city decided to pledge $35,000 towards the program from its $85,000 marketing budget it typically directs to the Chamber. 

The Chamber will add $15,000 from its Bishop Tourism Improvement District (BTID). 

The Chamber has a budget of $1.06 million. Approximately $329,000 of that goes to staff expense, and another $63,000 to “admin and facility.” 

That leaves approximately $600,000 for sales and marketing. 

The air service pledge amounts to less than 10% of that pie. 

Nevertheless, Councilman Dennis Freundt, whose wife was in the audience (she serves as the Chamber President), knows where his bread is buttered. 

He argued that the Chamber pulling $50,000 out of existing marketing for air service will result in a decline in marketing and visitation. 

This implies that air service offers no tangible marketing benefit. 

Hmmm. This isn’t what Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) thinks. It spends about 45% of its budget on flight subsidies. 

According to MLT President and CEO Brian Wright, MLT spends $3.4 million of its $8.1 million TBID budget on air service (42%). And $1.5 million of its $2.9 million of its Measure A budget on air service (53%). 

Freundt’s desire to have the extra $50,000 to instead come out of the General Fund was shot down by his fellow councilmembers.