Alameda County and the nonprofit association that runs the county fairgrounds have settled on three changes to their long-term operating contract, Supervisor David Haubert said in a public text message sent early Friday. Final wording still has to be drafted and approved by both boards, and the fair's chief executive said talks are not finished.
The agreement covers the county-owned, 267-acre fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The contract renewed automatically on Sept. 30 and runs another 21 years, but the two sides can amend it whenever both agree. The supervisors discussed the negotiations in public on Sept. 22, the Pleasanton Weekly reported.
The three changes
According to Haubert's message, as reported by the Weekly:
- Permits and inspections. The fair has relied on its own construction crew for decades without pulling building permits or getting routine inspections. Under the new terms, work would need permits, inspections and compliance with state and local building codes, and facilities found out of code would be brought up to standard.
- A standing oversight committee. An informal ad hoc committee would become a formal one that meets every quarter to handle budget approvals and revisions, project updates and a long-range plan for the property. The county already approves the fair's annual budget and must sign off on any long-term lease of the land.
- Open board meetings. The association's board would meet in public, post agendas 72 hours ahead, list closed-session topics and put agendas, minutes and audio recordings on its website, a setup close to what state open-meeting law requires of public agencies.
