LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is supporting a plan to allow the Lake County Rodeo Association to lease — and eventually purchase — county-owned property for its events.
Special Districts Administrator Scott Harter and members of the Lake County Rodeo Association Board took the proposal to the Board of Supervisors at its Oct. 3 meeting.
Harter said his staff and rodeo board members have been discussing the idea for six to eight months.
Specifically, the rodeo board is interested in making its long-term home on an 86-acre portion of an 1,186-acre Special Districts property in north Lakeport, northwest of Highway 29 and Whalen Way.
Harter said Public Services Director Lars Ewing supports using the property in conjunction with county parks. There is also the possibility of using it as a public access trail head for equestrian trails.
He said the supervisors have talked with Animal Care and Control Director Jonathan Armas about using the site to facilitate large animal sheltering during emergencies and evacuations.
Harter said he has met three to four times with the rodeo board to talk through the concept and explore the potential impact on Special Districts operations, “and we finally reached a point now where it makes sense to come to the board,” before they start negotiating a lease.
He said he wanted to know if the board is supportive before moving on to the next steps.
Board Chair Jessica Pyska thanked Harter for bringing the matter to the board. “This is a very exciting opportunity.”
Lake County Rodeo Association Board member Aaron Hiatt was on hand to speak to the board about the proposal.
He said he had contacted Harter eight months ago about the property, which at that time was leased from the county by a cattle rancher.
Hiatt said it had been brought to his attention that the county was no longer interested in continuing the lease with the rancher, and that the rodeo could possibly lease it.
“We as a rodeo organization have been around for 93 years,” said Hiatt.
When he first joined the board years ago, he said he couldn’t understand why they kept doing things over and over again without a permanent home.
Every year, they go through the labor intensive process of putting up panels and then taking them down again in a short period of time, Hiatt said.
“We were looking for a place that we could call our own,” he said.
That’s when Hiatt said he called Harter.
Ultimately if it’s possible, Hiatt said the rodeo association would like to purchase the property so it could be a permanent home.
In the meantime, they would like to move forward with leasing the property and putting in place the infrastructure needed to do an event.
“You’re right, you need a permanent home,” said Supervisor Michael Green, whose district includes the property in question. “I think kicking the tires on this property is appropriate.”
Green said he loved the proposed interim use of the property, thinks it could lead to even greater things and he supported moving forward.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said it’s an “absolutely appropriate” use for the property. Sabatier said the county owns about 7,000 acres of land and he doesn’t want the county to own what it doesn’t need. He suggested there are opportunities for private enterprise and development.
Vice Chair Moke Simon said Lake County has young people who compete and qualify for competitions. “The rodeo is a big part of what we are in Lake County,” he said.
Simon said it would not only support youth but also be an economic driver.
Pyska said all of her nieces and nephews compete in rodeo, with her nieces having gone to rodeo national competitions. She said having a facility where a big rodeo event can be hosted would instill some pride in Lake County.
Supervisor EJ Crandell said a lot of people also ride horses on Hogback Ridge and that would be a good area to connect to the proposed rodeo site.
The board reached consensus to have staff move forward with discussions on next steps with the rodeo association.
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Supervisors support proposal for rodeo association to use Special Districts property
- Elizabeth Larson
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