The Spreading of Misleading Statements and Falsehoods.

The city council *members and the City Attorney, Dave Aleshire, are spreading misleading statements and falsehoods concerning Riggers Loft. They have used various platforms, including Nextdoor, Everybody's Richmond Facebook page, their official council member websites, email updates to their constituents, as well as statements to reporters, to disseminate inaccurate information about Riggers Loft in support of their eviction efforts. We possess email correspondence and documents that directly contradict their claims.

1. **Claim** That we did not adhere to a "signed" repayment plan for deferred rent from the COVID-19 emergency.
**Reality** This is false. There was no signed repayment plan. While we negotiated a four-year repayment plan with City Attorney Dave Aleshire in 2022 to repay the deferred Covid rent, the RPA City Council members rejected it. They also inflated the repayment amount by $100,000 with interest, penalties, and attorney fees. 8 months...

2. **Claim** That we illegally subleased to other businesses (wineries) at Riggers Loft.
**Reality** This is false. These businesses are "Alternating Proprietors," which is specifically addressed as a permitted use in our lease agreement.

3. **Claim** That our rent payments were sporadic.
**Reality** We did fall behind on rent in 2016 and 2017 when the major funding for the renovation of Riggers Loft fell through, requiring us to self-finance the entire project by selling our home in Alameda. We invested $2 million of our own money into the city-owned building. In late 2017, we established a repayment plan with the city. This was fully paid and retired within five years. Since agreeing to the initial repayment plan in 2017, we faithfully paid our rent every year and every month. Sometimes the rent was made in two payments within a month as cash flow dictated. (Cash flow is king in the small business world.) We only stopped paying rent a year ago when the City initiated an "Unlawful Detainer" action to evict us.

4. **Claim** That the city was "patient" with us while waiting for us to repay the deferred rent.
**Reality** This is false and implies a collaborative effort. It also implies that there was a signed repayment plan for the deferred COVID-19 rent. There was no signed repayment plan because they had rejected it. They were not working with us, and there was absolutely no communication from them during this whole time.

5. **Claim** That Riggers Loft did not comply with BCDC (Bay Conservation & Development Commission)

5. **Claim** That Riggers Loft is a "money pit" and requires capital improvements from the City to remain open.
**Reality** This is false. We completed a total renovation in 2016, and the interior building is in fantastic condition. The city is responsible for the outside of the building and has been grossly negligent in maintaining not only the building but the surrounding pier.

6. **Claim** The City Attorney, Dave Aleshire was quoted in a recent Richmondside article stating that "The city was happy to come up with a plan where some of the debt would be forgiven, but they didn't make any effort to pay any of the back rent." The Spreading of Misleading Statements and Falsehoods

Falsehoods and Misinformation:

1. **Claim** That we did not adhere to a "signed" repayment plan for deferred rent from the COVID-19 emergency.
**Reality** This is false. There was no signed repayment plan. While we negotiated a four-year repayment plan with City Attorney Dave Aleshire in 2022 to repay the deferred Covid rent, the RPA City Council members rejected it. They also inflated the repayment amount by $100,000 with interest, penalties, and attorney fees. 8 months...

2. **Claim** That we illegally subleased to other businesses (wineries) at Riggers Loft.
**Reality** This is false. These businesses are "Alternating Proprietors," which is specifically addressed as a permitted use in our lease agreement.

3. **Claim** That our rent payments were sporadic.
**Reality** We did fall behind on rent in 2016 and 2017 when the major funding for the renovation of Riggers
Loft fell through, requiring us to self-finance the entire project by selling our home in Alameda. We invested $2 million of our own money into the city-owned building. In late 2017, we established a repayment plan with the city. This was fully paid and retired within five years. Since agreeing to the initial repayment plan in 2017, we faithfully paid our rent every year and every month. Sometimes the rent was made in two payments within a month as cash flow dictated. (Cash flow is king in the small business world.) We only stopped paying rent a year ago when the City initiated an "Unlawful Detainer" action to evict us.

4. **Claim** That the city was "patient" with us while waiting for us to repay the deferred rent.
**Reality** This is false and implies a collaborative effort. It also implies that there was a signed repayment plan for the deferred COVID-19 rent.

There was no signed repayment plan because they had rejected it. They were not working with us, and there was absolutely no communication from them during this whole time.

5. **Claim** That Riggers Loft did not comply with BCDC (Bay Conservation & Development Commission)
**Reality** This needs an explanation. BCDC wanted us to open up the entire pier where Riggers Loft is situated to the public. The problem is the areas in question are actually under the city's jurisdiction and are not a part of our lease. Complying with BCDC required the cooperation from the city. The RPA City Council refused to cooperate. (This is one of the claims we lost in the Unlawful Detainer.)

6. **Claim** That Riggers Loft is a "money pit" and requires capital improvements from the City to remain open.
**Reality** This is false. We completed a total renovation in 2016, and the interior building is in fantastic condition. The city is responsible for the outside of the building and has been grossly negligent in maintaining not only the building but the surrounding pier.

7. **Claim** The City Attorney, Dave Aleshire was quoted in a recent Richmondside article stating that "The city
was happy to come up with a plan where some of the debt would be forgiven, but they didn't make any effort to pay any of the back rent."
**Reality** This is a flat-out lie. Rent forgiveness was never offered. Just the opposite. Instead of rent forgiveness for the COVID emergency, they added an additional $100,000+ to our outstanding balance. We did not back out of the repayment plan. The City Council did!!! In fact, on two separate occasions, the judge overseeing the Unlawful Detainer asked if the parties would be willing to negotiate. We said yes. The city responded with a resounding NO. They wanted to move forward with the Unlawful Detainer in order to evict us.

We possess complete email correspondence with the City Attorney, City Manager, and Port Director, along with supporting documents, to substantiate the truth behind the City Council's and the City Attorney's false claims.

*It is important to note that Council Member Cesar Zepeda is the only council member who has taken the time to understand the truth of the situation. However, he is outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the RPA council members, despite being the only truly pro-business council member.

Given that the City Council members' claims are false, we have several questions:

1. What is the real reason they want to evict Riggers Loft? What is their agenda?

2. If the City Council members genuinely believe their claims are true, who provided them with this information in the first place? Was it Dave Aleshire, the City Attorney? Was it the City Manager or city staff members? If so, what is their rationale for providing erroneous statements? What is their motive to have us evicted?

3. Does the City Attorney have any documentation to prove his claim about offering rent forgiveness? If so,then produce it.

4. Will the beautifully renovated Riggers Loft fall into disrepair and neglect, becoming just another empty, decaying, graffiti-covered Port building?

Statement: We began paying the full rent 9 months in advance of the Covid emergency being lifted. We were not required to do this but did it to show our good will and intent to repay the deferred rent. Despite our efforts, the city moved forward with their agenda to evict us.

Statement: If the city council had approved the 4-year repayment plan back in 2022, the city would have received 3/4 of the deferred rent by now. Furthermore, if the city had not slapped us with an Unlawful Detainer, we would have kept on faithfully paying rent this past year.

Statement: This eviction is not about money. There is another agenda about which the city is not being honest. Whether it is their desire to ready the port for wind farm support, or if it is their need to start fixing the dilapidated and crumbling port infrastructure, they should have been honest and told us why they needed us out.

Statement: The city should have offered to buy out the remaining lease and pay market value for the worth of our business and lease. With all the millions of dollars squandered by the City of Richmond, the city could have done the right thing by Riggers Loft and also by the citizens who enjoy Riggers Loft.

Statement: We have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in business (not to mention the thousands of people who would have come to Richmond) due to the uncertainty of the status of Riggers Loft since being slapped with the Unlawful Detainer.

Statement: Unlawful Detainers are court proceedings that do not allow any evidence of explanations. If we had been able to enter in evidence we would most likely have prevailed. The BCDC claim is a case in point. It required an explanation as to why we could not comply. We will be appealing the Unlawful Detainer against us, and in an Appeals court, evidence is allowed. Our chances of prevailing are quite high.

Statement: With the prospect of losing an Appeal to the Unlawful Detainer, the city is setting itself up for yet another lawsuit. If we prevail, as we are likely to, we will sue the city for an unlawful eviction, for the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars of business, and the loss of the value of Riggers Loft as a company.

But the worst part of all this is the citizens of Richmond will lose a beloved business. The city of Richmond will lose one of its greatest attractions for people visiting Richmond.