Politics & Government
Two Race Events In Two Weeks Create Conflict
Two separate organizers plan to use the City Hall parking lot to stage races two weeks apart in October.
The Healdsburg Park and Rec Commission met last night with several items on their agenda to clear. After spending more than an hour listening to public support for the that culminated with the commissioners' decision to strike Attachment A from their report and to send the recommendation to the city council for a call for a third party proposals to operate .
Further business included “review, comment, and approve the Sunrise Rotary Club event application.” The Sunrise Rotary, represented by Matt Dockstader, and organized by Destination Races, applied for a special event for a Wine Country Marathon. Staff recommended approval of the event.
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Brad Illing, representative of Events with Sole, has created the California Wine Country Marathon & Half Marathon, on Saturday, Oct. 14. He objected to the application. His concerns included name of the event and the timing.
The Sunrise Rotary event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 27, just two weeks later. It is known as the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon.
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Citing confusion over the name and a reduced number of entries to his event, Illing requested that the commission deny the application.
“The challenge is the many service organizations and only so many donation dollars,” said Commissioner Richard Burgarske. “But I do not feel, even with the dilution of folks, that it is our job to dictate competition.”
Both events will bring about 2400 runners into Healdsburg on those weekends.
“We have both moved events,” said Dockstader. “We can co-exist.”
“I just wish the events were four weeks or even eight weeks apart,” said Illing.
Commissioners requested that Dockstader clarify several items checked, “to be determined,” by simply checking the boxes market yes. These included the intent of the event to serve wine.
Dockstader said their reason for not checking the boxes was to show the organization’s willingness to work with the city. They did not want the issue of wine or no wine to determine the application.
According to Recreation supervisor Elizabeth Haskell, all wine events are first vetted by the Park and Rec Commission.
“It’s unfortunate that the events are back to back, but we’re not in the business to tell a business how to run their business,” said Jay Tripathi Commission chair.
The commission voted to accept the event, after Dockstader agreed to change the application in the manner requested by the commissioners.
The application will now be forwarded to the Healdsburg City Council.
