05/17/2016
We support the Motor Park in Lompoc, The Foundation & John Linn
People of Lompoc you have an opportunity tonight to vocalize your disgust in the 3 council members that did not support this project.
I will be standing up to say something.
The group just got a 20k donation!!!!
***********************URGENT***********************
Dear FRIENDS OF THE MOTORSPORTS PARK,
Please come to the City Council meeting TONIGHT at 6:30 PM.
As most of you know, at the City Council Meeting of May 12, Mayor Bob Lingl lead the council in canceling the Motorsports Park by a 3 to 2 vote. The Lompoc Valley Parks Recreation and Pool Foundation Motorsports Committee has worked on the Motorsports Park for 6 years.
Because of an error the City Planning Manager made back in November the Council was told that the Motorsports Committee needed to pay 50% of the Motorsports Project cost. At the Meeting the Assistant City Manager tried to correct the mistake and explain that the Foundation only had to pay 27.5% and had already paid most of that amount.
Mayor Lingl did not listen to City Staff and moved and voted to kill the project.
The Council’s action to kill the Motorsports Project had several unintended consequences. First the Environmental Impact report that would have been out this week will never be seen by the public. Second the Mayor felt that even though the Council canceled the project the Foundation should have to pay the City for the $179,000.00 the City spent on the environmental work. The Foundation is a single non-profit public benefit Corporation. That means that the City could take all of the money and assets from all of the foundation committees. That could close the Dog Park, River Bend Bicycle Skills Park, Kids Moto Fun Park and take the funds from the Fallen Warriors Committee which the Committee has raised to build a veterans memorial.
The Motorsports Park needs your help to get Mayor Lingl, Councilman Vega and Councilman Holmdahl to change their votes through a process called reconsideration.
Please come to the City Council meeting TONIGHT at 6:30 PM. At the second Public Comment period after the Consent Calendar please form a line on the left side of the Council Chamber to speak and when it is your turn say the following:
“I am _____________, I live in the City of Lompoc (or Lompoc Valley). I support the Motorsports Park and ask the council to RECONSIDER last week’s vote.”
You may add a sentence or two if you want to but try to finish quickly as there will be many speakers.
Thank you, again, to all of you who have supported this project.
[Update: This morning, State Parks by email provided the Committee with the exact amount of match dollars needed for the CEQA and NEPA environmental documents.
The total is $101,504, which is substantially less than the city staff had previously estimated.
This afternoon, the Committee received a donation of $20,000, bringing the total money raised and available to pay the city to $101,504.
In the future, the City and the Foundation will work jointly to fund the $73,000 airport layout update in accordance with the MOU.]
