By Robert Haugh
Last Tuesday, Former City Attorney Brian Doyle raised major questions about the validity of contracts that 49ers CEO Al Guido signed for Super Bowl 60 and FIFA World Cup games that will be played at Levi’s Stadium in 2026.
Doyle had previously sent a letter to the City Council that claims Measure J may have been violated. That’s the law that Mission City voters passed in 2010 allowing the stadium to be built for the 49ers as long as the City’s general fund money wasn’t used for construction or operations.
At the meeting, Doyle said City Manager Jovan Grogan’s report contained “a glaring omission’” because the agreements that Guido signed have not been publicly disclosed. So the public and the City Council do not know what the City’s obligations are for the events.
“Perhaps of greater importance than the question of assignability is the unanswered question of how Mr. Guido could sign the heavily redacted FIFA agreements on behalf of both the stadium management company (49ers) and the Bay Area Host Committee and not render those reported agreements void,” said Doyle.
Doyle claims that because of Guido’s conflict of interest, the City has leverage to demand the disclosure of the agreements or renegotiated terms that are favorable to the City.
After a brief discussion, Councilmember Kathy Watanabe moved to continue the item to a later date to gather more information. Mayor Lisa Gillmor seconded her motion.
But the 49er Five voted against the motion and it failed, 5-2.
Later in the meeting, City staff presented a detailed update of Super Bowl and FIFA preparations. Santa Clara News Online will report on that next week, after Labor Day.
49er 5 = blatant and unimpeded public corruption. City Manager + current City Attorney = Schills for the 49er 5 and Jed York. They all think that they are above the law and to date, aside from Becker, they have been and do so with no fear of political repercussion. This is by far the absolute worst and most unethical city council, city attorney, and city manager that Santa Clara has ever had. The FIFA agreement is null and void and gives the city a huge negotiating chip yet the 49er 5 on the advice of our city attorney and city manager just voted to protect the 49ers and leave the citizens of Santa Clara on the hook for literally tens of millions of dollars. When are the voters going to wake up and realize the 49er 5 are not only incompetent but immoral and unethical when it comes to protecting the citizens of Santa Clara over the 49ers.
My hope is the residents and voters wake up before the November Election. If not, we just have 30 more years of this…..
Fun note
Tomorrow Saturday 8/31/24, 2pm @ The Pavilion in Central Park there will be a great kick off to the up coming Elections.
Feel free to come by and meet the people who have stepped up to take on the 49ers and their money.
Free Food, Drink given out.
Grab a Lawn Sign and proudly display it….
Grab a few extra ones and talk to your neighbors.
We need a ton of help, but because this is Santa Clara,I really believe we can get it done, and get our City back.
See you all tomorrow at Central Park,
Thanks Burt Field
Not surprised by this. Why would they listen to someone who actually knows what he’s talking about. Another 5-2 sell out by the 49er five.