The slalom track is seen at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo. The extended eviction notice for the Guam Racing Federation will expire June 2, 2023, and, according to GRF President Henry Simpson, if there are no legislative changes by then, the organization will have to leave the property.
Henry Simpson speaks Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay at the Hyatt Regency Guam to voice his concerns on potentially losing the Guam International Raceway.
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The extended eviction notice for the Guam Racing Federation will expire June 2 and, according to GRF President Henry Simpson, if there are no legislative changes by then, the organization will have to leave the Yigo property that had for years served as home to the Guam International Raceway. Simpson told The Guam Daily Post on Tuesday that there is no legal recourse for GRF to stay.
“What happens? It’s over. It’s done. (The Chamorro Land Trust Commission) owns the property. And they’re given their rights to that property by the Legislature. So, if the Legislature doesn’t do anything, there’s no legal backup to it,” Simpson said.
The CLTC issued GRF a 30-day eviction notice in late January, effective Feb. 1, which terminated the month-to-month tenancy that was created after the license for the federation expired in 2018.
A number of issues led to the notice, including lagging payments, the reported subcontract or sublease with Smithbridge Guam to access a private development in the area, conflicts with CLTC’s mission, concerns over what the best use of the land should be and damage to the property.
Some commissioners described activities at the property as a quarry operation or strip mining, which Simpson disputed, stating GRF had been clearing and grading the raceway.
The CLTC extended the eviction notice in February by 90 days to allow then-upcoming events at the Guam International Raceway to continue, which delayed the eviction to June.
Proposal
Simpson said Tuesday that the federation’s legal team had advised them to see if ownership of the property could be transferred from the CLTC to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
“Then, now we (will) have somebody that has the same mission statement – to provide recreational park facilities for the people of Guam,” Simpson said.
If DPR did obtain authority over the raceway property, Simpson said, he did not believe the federation would need to undergo a procurement process to use the property.
“I think we could just negotiate a lease with them, get it approved by the Legislature again. But, at least, we would be working with somebody who wants to work with us,” Simpson said. “(CLTC) doesn’t want to work with us.”
A group of lawmakers has introduced a measure to transfer authority of the raceway property from CLTC to DPR with Bill 56-37.
The CLTC opposes the measure.
CLTC concerns
During a meeting on April 20, the commission voted to instruct staff to draft a resolution in opposition to Bill 56-37.
Several concerns had been discussed at the April meeting. Commissioner Earl Garrido said he wanted the resolution to cite reasons for the eviction, and to state that it had nothing to do with sports activities at the raceway, but for activities “behind the scenes.”
“I think it’s all the improprieties that have happened,” CLTC Chair John Reyes interjected.
There was a brief discussion over adding that language, as there is an ongoing audit by the Office of Public Accountability. CLTC administrative director Alice Taijeron said she would work with legal counsel on the resolution’s language.
Reyes said earlier at the meeting that he believed the OPA audit would uncover improprieties, “especially knowing what we know with everything that we have documented.”
Simpson was the guest speaker Tuesday at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay at the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon, where he went over some of the history of the raceway and its status.
Simpson said GRF welcomed the OPA audit.
“It’s auditing the materials that have been removed (from the property). (Lawmakers) want to wait and hear that that has all been accounted for,” Simpson said.
