By Robert Haugh
Last night, the Santa Clara City Council finally received and publicly discussed the FIFA terms for the 2026 World Cup games to be played in Levi’s Stadium.
Here are some interesting things we learned:
- The vote was 5-2. Newly elected Councilmember Albert Gonzalez was elected in November with the help of approximately $600,000 of 49er independent expenditure money. This was his first opportunity to pay back the team that’s managing the FIFA events. He delivered.
Councilmembers Raj Chahal, Karen Hardy, Suds Jain, and Kevin Park also voted for the agreement.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Vice Mayor Kelly Cox voted against it.
- City Attorney Glen Googins said that the games would be a “net loss event” for the Mission City. Googins did not disclose how much the loss would be.
But last year, Googins wrote a confidential report to the City Council that said the loss could be $38 million.
- Gillmor and Cox raised questions about how the FIFA agreement would violate Measure J. That’s the voter-approved 2010 measure that prohibits City general fund money from being used at the stadium. “There are cracks in this agreement that open the door to our general fund,” said Gillmor.
Googins, who negotiated the FIFA agreement said he believes it complies with Measure J. But Former City Attorney Brian Doyle commented during public testimony that it is a violation because the World Cup games will be money-losing events. That means the costs paid by the Stadium Authority under the agreement will result in the reduction of potential revenue to the general fund.
- The Youth Soccer Park can be taken over by FIFA. Language in the agreement says that the displaced teams and players need to be accommodated with other facilities. But the language is vague. And when City Manager Jovan Grogan was asked how many other soccer fields are available in Santa Clara, he didn’t know. Grogan also negotiated the agreement.
It probably doesn’t matter much but I wonder if yed jork and his minions choose our city mgr and city atty because they were complicit in the conspiracy to screw Santa Clara or because they were dumb enough to be duped? I kinda vacillate on the answer, sometimes I think they can’t be that dumb, but they seem up to the challenge.
[…] San Francisco Chronicle wrote a story about the 49er Five approving the FIFA contracts at the Tuesday Santa Clara City Council […]
I hope that projection of a big loss is untrue. If the city had protected itself by implementing my plan to put a tariff on attendees of all events in Santa Clara, it would guarantee some income for the general fund from every event. Of course my idea was never really considered by this group of council members, city attorney and manager. Perhaps what is needed is an organization to intimidate the city council, ManCo, StadCo and 49ers executives.
Deanna Santana…. Where are you??????
You and our City of Santa Clara Attorney, Mr. Brian Doyle have both been so dearly missed.
None of this could have ever transpired if you two were left in place to do the job that you both hired to do for our City.
To protect us, and guide us, to help our City to prosper.
It’s obvious now, getting rid of you two guys just had to happen, in fact sooner was better than later for the 49ers.
Looking back, it was their 2nd point on their plan to take over control of our City.
Dividing up our City into “District” had to be the first order of agenda. Why? Real simple…money.
From a cost control standpoint for the 49ers it just made good, sound business, not for the Residents of Santa Clara, but for the 49ers.
“Districts” are cheaper, more predictable, and easier to buy, control and operate. Think just how much more it would have cost them to buy Albert Gonzales if he had to go against the whole City? Let’s not even discuss Park and Jain.
Please, many of us in Santa Clara so dearly need to hear what you can add to both our former City Council Member, (Kath Watanabe), and former City Attorney, (Brian Doyle) very astute comments.
Burt Field
Albert is now paying back the 49ers for the $600k they backed him with. We may as well call them the 49er six or seven. The city manager and city attorney seem to be more concerned with the interests of the 49ers than they do for the residents of Santa Clara that pay their salaries.
To myself, is it not insanity, really unmitigated craziness, that Glen Googins negotiated the FIFA agreement on behalf of the city?? He does not impress me as being either very legally astute nor caring of what is the best for the city and citizens. Googins has proven over and over he is beholden to the 49er 5 and Jed York. He and our city manager both need to go. Googins does NOT have the expertise to negotiate what is going to be the biggest, and potentially most financially devastating contract in Santa Clara’s history. Googins and Grogan will be long gone when Santa Clara is possibly bankrupted by their, and the 49er 5’s actions.
GOOGINS HAD NO BUSINESS NEGOTIATING THIS CONTRACT FOR SO MANY REASONS. BIG TIME LAWYERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIRED ON THE CITIZENS BEHALF TO SAVE US FROM FINANCIAL RUIN BUT THE 49ER 5, OUR CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY, AND JED YORK HAVE ACTIVELY OBFUSCATED THE FACTS. To this day, the actual figures have been redacted from the contracts to hide these figures re the Fifa and Superbowl contracts. How in the bloody hell could the 49er 5 have voted last night to approve the contract when we do not even know the actual financial details???? Please, please, please some law firm out there take this on and sue the city on the citizens behalf. I know I will make a good donation to fund this as I am sure many others are too. This can’t be legal and your expertise is needed to save Santa Clara from financial ruin. To DA Rosen et al, your job is not finished in the city of Santa Clara. This goes way deeper than Anthony Becker. Same message to the Civil and Criminal Grand Jury. This is an absolute screwing and ruining of our once great city. Thank you to Lisa, Kathy, and Kelly Cox for doing the right thing. Googins and Grogan NEED TO BE FIRED.
The low point of the meeting was when City Manager Grogan TWICE badmouthed Santa Clara by saying that we had a “bad reputation” for have having disputes with the 49ers. A city manager is supposed to defend his city, not attack it. And when you are in negotiations, you are supposed to dispute every ridiculous draft provision that they put in front of you, not concede their negotiating points from the get-go. No wonder staff completely caved in to the 49ers’ hilariously complicated garble of red tape in order for the City to be reimbursed for the expenditure of tax dollars to support the World Cup. Mr. Grogan must have attended the Neville Chamberlin* School of Negotiation.
*For non-history buffs: Neville Chamberlin was the British Prime Minister who agreed just before World War II that Hitler could march into Czechoslovakia in order to “have peace in our time.”
Agreed 200%, Brian! I was watching and couldn’t believe how this agreement was just pushed through and the City denigrated by the City Manager. Past city councils (before gradually being bought to get a council majority by Jed York) voted to hold ManCo, StadCo, etc. accountable. ManCo, etc. turned around and sued the City 7 times because they were the ones who didn’t want to play fair. They are the ones who are hard to work with but use their PR to spin false narratives. And it sounds like the CM has bought it all hook, line and sinker.
I tuned in late but based on questions, I didn’t hear answers to any questions about the Northside or any protections. I know public safety will do their utmost best despite the crooked agreements agreed to last year – how convenient- that now leave the Stadium Authority on the hook for whatever Jed won’t cover. Why wasn’t there a DEMAND for that $6 fee instead of just hoping? Did anyone really try to negotiate that?
Thank you Mayor Gillmor and VM Cox for standing up for the residents despite the expected 5-2 vote.
@kathy where have I seen this play out before?
“They are the ones who are hard to work with but use their PR to spin false narratives. And it sounds like the CM has bought it all hook, line and sinker.”
You were once the CM who was buying false narratives and listening to PR spin and not to your overwhelming constituents. Welcome to the other side of the dias and it’s rough being on this side so get comfy, quick.
🎶@Nick! And the haters gonna’ hate hate hate hate hate! 🤣🎶🤣
@adam you know I can’t stand to see great programming die just because of egos and loyalty relationships. It is my hope that we can still resurrect that program now that some people won’t feel they must be loyal to the point of ending programs. Time will tell I suppose! How ya been man?