<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Folks, A little clarification is needed here. Many of you are aware that John, Dick, and I attended a meeting with the Fair CEO over a month ago. We reported on the meeting at our March business meeting. At some point, we need to develop go forward plan or plans to not only convince the fair we add value but to develop alternate plans for us to survive. At the meeting we were told it would probably be 3-5 years before anything happened, so we have some time to develop our plans, but we need to get started. Rain permitting, we hope that a lot of members show up tomorrow night to help start the process. The BOD will meet from 7:00-8:00 to agree on some recommendations and general approach including the brain storming during the 8:00 general meeting. Phil has business experience which will be of value in organizing the input we get from membership which then can be fleshed out into workable action plans. It may take more than one of these sessions, but we need to start the process. There is no indication of eminent action on the part of the fair. So let's calm down and think this thru. The President will conduct the business meeting. Decisions regarding the format of the brain storming part of the business meeting will be made and agreed to in the BOD meeting prior to the business meeting. If we have light attendance due to heavy rain, we'll just have to reschedule. Gary <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/3/2018 3:22 PM, Alameda County Central Railroad Society wrote: </div> <blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:mailman.113.1522799826.13049.accrs@mail.accrs.org"> <pre wrap="">Message From: Phil Edholm <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pedholm@pkeconsulting.com">pedholm@pkeconsulting.com</a> </pre> <fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"> <style></style> <div class="WordSection1"> As many of you are aware, recent interactions with the Fairground staff, including the CEO, Jerome Hoban, have confirmed that the current and approved Fairgrounds strategic plan does not include the ACCRS and that the plan is to demolish the current railroad building at some point. Based on this confirmation, we, as the ACCRS membership, must decide what options and actions are available to us and what our strategy/plan is.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Gary asked me to lead a discussion this Friday at the membership meeting on this topic. We will review the state of our relationship with Hoban, Fair Staff, and the Fair Board with discussions by our team that met with him. We will review and discuss the potential options going forward, the financial cost and time investment as well as the action timing and potential outcomes. The goal of the meeting is to eliminate any "fake news" about the ACCRS and the fair, get the facts clearly understood and the options clearly defined so all of us can make intelligent decisions about the directions for our club.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Gary indicated that Hoban said that he sees a 3-7 year window for the time frame of projects/construction work that would demolish our building. Based on this, we are facing an existential threat to the existence of the ACCRS layouts and a model railroad club in the tri-valley area. We will have to make tough choices and work together as a team if we are to prevail in maintaining the current layout/location or attaining a new facility to build layouts in. We also need to discuss our capacity for the investment levels necessary to construct new layouts in a new facility.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This may be the most important meeting in the recent history of the layout. Our decisions on the path/options we are to take and how we are to proceed will be the keys to the future existence of the ACCRS. Your attendance and participation in this meeting is critical if you are interested in continuing to have the ACCRS exist.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Phil Edholm<o:p></o:p> 4088325618<o:p></o:p> </div> <fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset> <pre wrap="">_______________________________________________ Accrs mailing list <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Accrs@mail.accrs.org">Accrs@mail.accrs.org</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://mail.accrs.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/accrs">https://mail.accrs.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/accrs</a> </pre> </blockquote> </body> </html>