Missy Buchanan, who has organized the rodeo for Grubstake Days for the past few years, told council members at its meeting last night that a property owner has offered the use of a parcel in town limits for the Grubstake Days rodeo. She asked that the town develop and maintain the property to be used for the rodeo.
Town staff explained why this was not feasible in such a short amount of time—due to biological surveys, CEQA, and permits that often take years and which would need to be done before the grounds could be developed. In addition, development costs are about $400,000 to $800,000 per acre, which for a 15-to 20-acre parcel, adds up to $6 to $12 million.
Buchanan said the land is basically cleared; the rodeo would just need to bring in dirt for the rodeo ring. Nevertheless, the council voted 4-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Drozd voting no, to only sponsor the rodeo in the amount of $5,000, contingent upon a successful rodeo event.
Drozd said he voted no because the location wasn’t a permanent location for the rodeo; if it was a permanent place he’d be more in favor of supporting it.
In a closed session meeting, the council voted unanimously that the town should defend itself in a lawsuit filed by Cherryl Lamar and Tim Stredney.
