County Reassigns And Adjusts Concession Arrangements In Calico

As the summer heat nears its zenith, the concessions at the county’s hottest regional park are changing somewhat.
This week the board of supervisors approved a termination of its previous revenue lease agreement with John and Cathryn Major and consented to a new arrangement with Raindance LLC for the operation Calico Candle and Calico Bath House at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park. At the same time, the board of supervisors approved a revenue lease agreement with Albert and LaLana Rickwalt for the Calico Pottery Works concession.
The board’s action will allow the continued operation of the Calico Candle and Calico Bath House and Calico Rock and Gift shops under new ownership where the regional parks department will receive a monthly lease fee for the five-year agreements.
Mr. and Mrs. Major have been a part of Calico Ghost Town Regional Parks for several years, managing the Calico Candle and Calico Bath House and Calico Rock and Gift shop. They have decided to sell the businesses for the purpose of retirement. In March 2017, the Majors notified the regional parks department of their intent to sell both the Calico Candle and Calico Bath House and Calico Rock and Gift shops to Xavier Canale. Canale has purchased the Calico Candle and Calico Bath House under his company, Raindance, LLC. Additionally, Canale created Calico Mining Co. LLC for the purchase of Calico Rock and Gift which will be co-owned by Raindance, LLC at an 80/20 percent ownership split. Canale currently owns a Southwestern, Western, Native American and South/Central American themed jewelry, gift and souvenir store, located in Shoreline Village on the downtown waterfront of Long Beach and has been operating since 2000. With Canale’s success in
owning a retail store, the department, through its interim director, Maureen Snelgrove, recommended that the board of supervisors approve the two revenue lease agreements.
The department of regional parks ran an advertisement from mid-March to the beginning of April of this year in the
Desert Dispatch and Daily Press newspapers notifying the public of available concession opportunities at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park. Canale responded to the solicitation for concession opportunities at Calico Ghost Town and submitted the appropriate concessionaire proposals and contract fees for both businesses. No other responses were received from that advertisement.
The new revenue lease agreement with Raindance LLC for the Calico Candle and Calico Bath House concession from July 11, 2017 through June 30, 2022 whereby the county will receive monthly lease fee revenue in the amount of $1,000 or 6 percent, whichever is greater for the first two years, with gradual increases to 6.5 percent from July 2019 until July 2020, 7 percent from July 2020 to July 2021, and 7.5 percent from July 2021 until July 2022. The revenue lease agreement with Calico Mining Co. LLC for the Calico Rock and Gift Shop concession from July 11, 2017 through June 30, 2002 will have a similar graduated scale of increase from 7 percent from July 2017 until July 2019, 7.5 percent from July 2019 until July 2020, 8 percent from July 2020 until July 2021 and 8.5 percent from July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2022.
Raindance LLC, and Calico Mining Co. LLC will also pay 3.5 percent of their monthly gross income as an advertising fee for promotion of Calico Ghost Town Regional Park. The regional parks department will match their payment equal to a minimum of one and a half times the total 3.5 percent collected. There is also a $500 option fee if the concessionaires decide to renew the contracts for an additional five year period. A non-operational fee of $100 per day will be charged when the concession, without county approval, is not open during agreed-upon hours and a late payment penalty of $50 will apply each time rent is late.
In the case of Albert and LaLana Rickwalt, they have been operating the Calico Pottery Works concession at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park since 2015, selling pottery items including but not limited to, handcrafted terra cotta clay stoneware, dinnerware, vases wall decorations, masks and ceramic tiles. That agreement had been scheduled to expire on July 31, 2017.
This week the board of supervisors voted to approve a revenue lease agreement with the Rickwalts.
Works concession at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park going forward, whereby the county will receive monthly lease fee revenue in the amount of $500 or 7 percent of gross income, whichever is greater, from August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2022 and with the option to renew the lease for one additional three-year period.
In addition, the Rickwalts will pay a 3.5 percent advertising fee, to be matched by the county at one and a half times the total 3.5 percent in order to advertise and promote the park. There is also a $500 option fee if the Rickwalts decide to renew the contract for an additional three years. A non-operational fee of $100 per day will be charged when the concession, without county approval, is not open during agreed-upon hours and a late payment penalty of $50 will apply each time rent is late.

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