Foothills Sentry June 2024

Foothills Sentry Page 8 JUNE 2024 Happy Father’s Day! dan@DanSlater.com 714-744-2202 1537 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92866 DAN SLATER St ar t s at 1 0 am o n T h u rsd ay , J u l y 4 t h at Sal em L u t h eran Fo r Regi st rat i o n & Inf o r m at i o n: G o t o : o rangep arkacres. o rg Orange Park Acres NO FIREWORKS ZONE Fairgrounds rate hikes face legal challenge By Stephanie Tilhof An attorney representing horse boarders at the OC Fairgrounds Equestrian Center is challenging the vote to nearly double monthly stall rental rates. In a May 7 letter, attorney Brooke Miller states,"... pursu- ant to Policy 3.05, Board Meet- ings and Agendas, of the OCFEC Board of Directors’ Policy Manu- al, the motion on Item 9C of that meeting’s agenda (“to approve the new Equestrian Center phase- in rental rates as presented”), failed.” Miller, who is with the law firm SheppardMullin added, “We request your Board im- mediately correct its minutes to reflect the failure of this motion and cease any activities under- taken pursuant to the failed mo- tion, specifically including but not limited to implementation of rental rate increases.” At the fair board’s March 28 meeting, six board directors were present. According to board poli- cy, a favorable vote must include a majority of members present, regardless of abstentions. There- fore, according to Miller, a ma- jority constitutes more than 50%, or, in this case, at least four fa- vorable votes. With 3 in favor, 2 opposed and one abstention, the motion should have failed. Highest prices in the county The 3-2 vote accepted staff’s recommendation for a phased- in plan to raise the monthly rate for 100 horse stalls over the next nine months. Costs were to climb from $644 per month for a 12’ x 12’ stall to $1,130 by January 2025. At its April 25 meeting, OC Fair CEO Michele Richards announced that staff had worked with the current operator, Lopez Works Inc. to find some savings. Rate increases would be lessened by $151, bringing the new fees to $979 per month. Equestrians say that fee would make the Fairgrounds Eques- trian Center the most expensive in Southern California. “Thank you for working on the pricing,” Changing Strides Therapy Rid - ing Instructor Lisa Sabor told the board. “But you have to un- derstand, I have no place to go. I have 16 horses and I am pan- icked. As of June 15, my riding school clients’ horses are gone. I’ve barely been breaking even.” Board members who voted in favor tried to justify their vote by claiming that riding instructors who profit from boarding horses at the center benefit from a “gift of public funds.” However, Miller disputes this, stating, “The courts have confirmed time and again that the appropriation of public funds that serves a public purpose is not considered a gift.” Miller listed four categories of programs currently offered by center eques - trians that meet this need: thera- peutic programs, free public ex- hibitions, educational programs for youths and adults and equine instruction. But in a phone inter- view, Board Chair Nick Kovacev- ich downplayed those programs, saying, “It’s hard to quantify those programs because they’re not being run through us.” Not-so-smooth operator Last year, the board acted on staff’s recommendation to re - structure the center by offering free to low-cost public programs. However, equestrians questioned how this is different than what is currently being offered. “These rates are going to destroy the programs that are already going on here,” equestrian Kelly Babbs told the board. “We do programs with Girl Scouts, show them how to groom horses. We do programs with children of military families. How can you be so excited about equity when you are destroying the equity that’s already being provided?” Staff has also stated that the center is losing more than $1 million per year. Former opera- tor, the Hanson family, ran the public boarding stable for two decades at a profit. However, when fair staff took over in 2023, they awarded the contract to the sole bidder, Lopez Works Inc., a street-sweeping company. Equestrians say costs are gross- ly exaggerated and claim that awarding Lopez a “bloated” $1.8 million contract is a misuse of public funds. According to Kovacevich, the board elected to work with Lopez Works on price reductions versus cancelling the contract and put- ting it back out to bid because, “We may only end up with one bidder again, and what if that bid is Lopez, only this time his bid is higher?” “I have two daughters riding here,” Carolyn MacIntosh told the board. “This is not personal, it’s business. It’s taxpayer money. The fact that this has gone on un- der your watch with nothing done to stop it, is fiscal irresponsibil - ity.” No equestrians in the equation Richards said staff will pro - vide particulars about the new free or low-cost programs in the fall. However, equestrians say the board is putting the “cart before the horse.” They question who will pay for the “free or low-cost programs,” where they will get the horses for the programs, who will train the horses, the riders or even if riding programs will be offered. Kovacevich says he’s proud of the work staff has done, claiming, “This is one of the most fiscally sound centers in the state. We have a bigger, bolder vision for the center,” he added. However, equestrians say they’re just put- ting “lipstick on a pig.” The cen- ter is visibly run down, with rust covering the outside of stalls. “Over the last year, we’ve watched a decline at this facil- ity,” equestrian Laura Maxinoski advised. “Lopez Works Street Sweeping has zero equestrian background and their work shows it. To continue a contract like that is ignorant and fiscally irrespon - sible, and it’s starting to look a bit like sabotage.” Sarah Klifa, a trainer at Chang - ing Strides Therapy said, “The horses I care for are losing weight. Rocks and rusty metal are being found in the footings. Lessons are getting shorter and there is no jumping because it’s too dangerous for the horses and riders. We are getting Motel 6 ser- vice at Ritz-Carlton prices.” Regarding the legal challenge to the April 25 vote, Kovacevich said it’s against OCFEC’s policy to comment on pending litigation. The first of the fee hikes is set to take effect June 15. Boarders and riders who use the Equestrian Center at the OC Fairgrounds oppose the Fair Board's misman- agement of the stables and, possibly illegally approved, fee increases. The fairgrounds stables, operated by a street sweeping company, are rusting and falling into disrepair. Equestrian Center proponents gathered 1,270 letters of support.