Tuesday, April 24, 2007
from Dimmick Ranch
This just in... [Note: this too came with scanned PDFs (referenced herein) that I will try to post some other way. Any tips?]
Dimmick Ranch Press Release
April 24, 2007
In fulfilling the Dimmick Ranch commitment to this community, we have been in active settlement talks with the Mateel Community Center as evidenced by the documents posted to the MCC Web site and those that follow. In the interest of transparency, we have included the following to ensure the public a near complete view of negotiations. We have excluded a “100-Year Deal” offer presented by Boots Hughston and Taunya Staupp over Easter weekend as the MCC has stated that the third-party negotiations are not legitimate offers, despite the board’s approval of Boots’ negotiation attempts. These details were not made available previously in the interest of advancing the discussion; however, at this point, the parties are at an impasse.
Our goal in these proposals, as we have maintained since last fall, is to produce a successful event on Dimmick Ranch that supports our community and makes public safety a priority. This is why I originally entered into the contract for public use of the Ranch and included “Item 10” in the original lease agreement that assures People Productions will be the event producer for the term of the lease. I was banking on 23 years of production history and the capable local groups and individuals that have made the annual reggae festival happen.
Based on these failed negotiations and aggressive tactics, we question the MCC’s goal and call on the community to question its goal, as well.
Prior to drafting the formal proposals you see here and in the interest of avoiding a public spectacle, I suggested to the MCC board that I was willing to negotiate a truce. This included leaving the Reggae on the River name untouched (to avoid our current dispute over its value), substantial payments to MCC, provisions for reimbursing the MCC for the infrastructure improvements and ending the Dimmick Ranch’s relationship with the MCC. These early attempts were rejected.
The last offer made to the MCC by Dimmick Ranch includes:
· $342,000 to 2B1 for the 2007 license of the trademark in "Reggae on the River" name, and
· A guarantee of $240,000 per year (nearly $2 million total) to the MCC for the remaining eight years of the conditional use permit (CUP).
This offer wasn't accepted either, as the MCC has acknowledged. The counter proposals put forth by the board are exorbitantly expensive and filled with aggressive controls and constraints on the use of my property, not just for the term of the lease, but forever. All seems aimed at ensuring the MCC a steady income stream from the ROTR name in perpetuity – an unreasonable goal given that no trade name has infinite value, and I have been willing to preserve the event for the community under the Reggae Rising name. In fact, two other annual music festivals in the U.S are already using the Reggae on the River name. The MCC has also refused, despite repeated requests that might help to inform our offers, to make the details of its agreement with 2B1 available for review.
With the launch of Reggae Rising in February, we paved the way toward fulfilling our goal. In developing the Web site, talking with the local non-profits and coordinators and securing top-notch talent, we’re moving forward to put on the best reggae festival and community fundraiser yet.
We are truly disappointed that we’ve been unable to resolve our differences quickly and quietly.
Very sincerely,
Tom Dimmick
Dimmick Ranch Press Release
April 24, 2007
In fulfilling the Dimmick Ranch commitment to this community, we have been in active settlement talks with the Mateel Community Center as evidenced by the documents posted to the MCC Web site and those that follow. In the interest of transparency, we have included the following to ensure the public a near complete view of negotiations. We have excluded a “100-Year Deal” offer presented by Boots Hughston and Taunya Staupp over Easter weekend as the MCC has stated that the third-party negotiations are not legitimate offers, despite the board’s approval of Boots’ negotiation attempts. These details were not made available previously in the interest of advancing the discussion; however, at this point, the parties are at an impasse.
Our goal in these proposals, as we have maintained since last fall, is to produce a successful event on Dimmick Ranch that supports our community and makes public safety a priority. This is why I originally entered into the contract for public use of the Ranch and included “Item 10” in the original lease agreement that assures People Productions will be the event producer for the term of the lease. I was banking on 23 years of production history and the capable local groups and individuals that have made the annual reggae festival happen.
Based on these failed negotiations and aggressive tactics, we question the MCC’s goal and call on the community to question its goal, as well.
Prior to drafting the formal proposals you see here and in the interest of avoiding a public spectacle, I suggested to the MCC board that I was willing to negotiate a truce. This included leaving the Reggae on the River name untouched (to avoid our current dispute over its value), substantial payments to MCC, provisions for reimbursing the MCC for the infrastructure improvements and ending the Dimmick Ranch’s relationship with the MCC. These early attempts were rejected.
The last offer made to the MCC by Dimmick Ranch includes:
· $342,000 to 2B1 for the 2007 license of the trademark in "Reggae on the River" name, and
· A guarantee of $240,000 per year (nearly $2 million total) to the MCC for the remaining eight years of the conditional use permit (CUP).
This offer wasn't accepted either, as the MCC has acknowledged. The counter proposals put forth by the board are exorbitantly expensive and filled with aggressive controls and constraints on the use of my property, not just for the term of the lease, but forever. All seems aimed at ensuring the MCC a steady income stream from the ROTR name in perpetuity – an unreasonable goal given that no trade name has infinite value, and I have been willing to preserve the event for the community under the Reggae Rising name. In fact, two other annual music festivals in the U.S are already using the Reggae on the River name. The MCC has also refused, despite repeated requests that might help to inform our offers, to make the details of its agreement with 2B1 available for review.
With the launch of Reggae Rising in February, we paved the way toward fulfilling our goal. In developing the Web site, talking with the local non-profits and coordinators and securing top-notch talent, we’re moving forward to put on the best reggae festival and community fundraiser yet.
We are truly disappointed that we’ve been unable to resolve our differences quickly and quietly.
Very sincerely,
Tom Dimmick
