The Del Mar Fairgrounds board will elect new officers, evaluate its chief executive and receive an update on the district's formal letter to the City of Del Mar when it meets Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The 22nd District Agricultural Association (22nd DAA) board meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the fairgrounds boardroom at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., according to the posted agenda. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.

Officer elections

Vice Chair Lisa Barkett will present the nominating committee's report, followed by floor nominations and a vote on board officers effective Jan. 1, 2027. Chair Sam Nejabat and Barkett hold the top two seats on the nine-member board. The agenda does not name the nominees.

Del Mar letter update

CEO Becky Bartling is scheduled to brief the board on the district's letter to the City of Del Mar. The agenda lists the item under the CEO report but does not describe the letter's content.

The update comes after Del Mar officials pressed the board at its Oct. 13 meeting to consider a revised affordable housing proposal for the fairgrounds. At that meeting, Del Mar Mayor Tracy Martinez asked the board to place the city's "new streamlined proposal for affordable housing on site on the November agenda," according to the Oct. 13 board transcript. Martinez said the city submitted the proposal in a Sept. 28 letter.

Del Mar Deputy Mayor John Spelich also spoke at the Oct. 13 meeting, telling the board the proposal carried "no financial risk to the DAA" and that "Del Mar will shoulder the bulk of the work and all of the expense."

Contracts and spending

The consent calendar includes a two-year, $779,156 contract with Otis Elevator Company for elevator and escalator maintenance, running Nov. 11, 2026, through Nov. 10, 2028. It also includes a $765,187 amendment to a ticketing-services contract with Saffire, LLC, for the San Diego County Fair, bringing that contract's total value to $3,173,650.

The board will also vote on whether to delegate authority to the chair to approve contracts that exceed the CEO's spending limit between Nov. 11, 2026, and the Jan. 12, 2027, board meeting.

Closed session

Directors will meet behind closed doors to evaluate Bartling's performance. The closed session also covers potential litigation, including whether to initiate a lawsuit, and two pending San Diego County Superior Court cases: Melinda Carmichael v. 22nd DAA (Case No. 25-CU-047040C) and Brad Oates v. 22nd DAA (Case No. 26-CU-021197C).

Other business

Committee reports span finances, master site planning, emergency preparedness and fair operations. Director Donna DeBerry's audit and governance committee will update the board on the attorney general's determination on whether paying board members' legal expenses constitutes a gift of public funds. Director Kathlyn Mead's fair operations committee will unveil the 2027 San Diego County Fair logo and website.

The meeting is open to the public. Residents can comment on agenda items as they come up, with speakers limited to two minutes.