LAKEPORT – Will BoardStock take place in Lakeport this September? The question was opened once more at Tuesday night's City Council meeting, but the event organizer says he now has an offer from Konocti Vista Casino to host the event.

Rob Stimmel of BoardStock Promotions has been trying to find a new home for his event since mid-February, when Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa said the event wouldn't be welcomed back for a third year.

Stimmel said the reason cited at the time was a concern about the resort losing its alcohol license, an issue that Stimmel maintains is less about his event and more about the resort's security operations.

Not long after that decision, Stimmel and Ron Campos of Campos Casuals approached the City of Lakeport to ask that BoardStock be hosted there.

Talks continued for about a month before the City Council voted on March 20 to decline hosting the August event.

Stimmel went back to the council Tuesday to ask them to reconsider. The council voted to do just that, and to have a May 1 public hearing. But the council once again voiced numerous concerns about BoardStock, and showed little enthusiasm about seeing the event come to town.

“It wasn't bad but it wasn't good,” said Stimmel Wednesday of the previous night's meeting.

Stimmel said he had expected more of a public workshop at Tuesday's meeting. Instead, the council limited discussion to its members, setting the public meeting for another two weeks out.

The original August dates for the event aren't workable now, said Stimmel, and he's instead asking the city to consider the third or fourth weekend of September. That date change already has lost him some event sponsors, he said.

“I'm really at a point of critical mass,” Stimmel said. “I have to make a decision really quick about where I'm going to go and what I'm going to do.”

Enter Konocti Vista. Stimmel said he's been talking with the casino for several weeks about holding the event there.

Having the event go to Konocti Vista was a concern Mayor Roy Parmentier voiced at Tuesday night's meeting.

If BoardStock was based in Lakeport, said Parmentier, they could require Stimmel to pay upfront for police and emergency services. That wouldn't be possible if it went somewhere else nearby, he said.

That may well be what ends up happening with BoardStock, said Stimmel.

On Wednesday, Stimmel said Konocti Vista “handed me a contract today.”

The casino, he said, is asking for a few stipulations, one of them being that if they reach an agreement to host the event, that Stimmel must commit to stay there and not to pull out should the city decide to welcome him.

“They pretty well want me locked in,” Stimmel said, on either of the September weekends he's already suggesting.

Stimmel said he's going to go over the Konocti Vista contract with his attorney before making any decision.

Where is he inclined to go? Stimmel isn't sure.

“I honestly don't know what I'm going to do,” said Stimmel, noting there are benefits for both locations.

While downtown Lakeport would look great on television, the lake near Konocti Vista might end up being better for event competitors, Stimmel said.

“If my attorney tells me that this is all good and I should go forward with the deal with Konocti Vista, I would probably do that,” he said.

Stimmel said he's still considering whether to continue discussions with Lakeport's city staff and council.

“I can't really afford to wait another two weeks and then have the council vote it down again,” Stimmel said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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