https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2025/06/emails-between-elk-grove-sacramento-zoo.html?m=0
After the April 30 announcement that the Sacramento Zoo relocation to the Elk Grove project had collapsed, there was a passive-aggressive game of finger-pointing going on between the two entities. Each subtly hinted that the project's demise was not of their own doing.
Regardless of where the blame originated, emails between the two parties revealed frayed relations. After it was determined that the collapse of the plan would be announced on April 30, misunderstandings arose between the representatives of each entity.
One example is emails between Elk Grove Deputy City Manager Kara Reddig and Sacramento Zoological Society Board Chair Elizabeth Stallard, Interim Executive Director Robert Churchill, and zoo public relations representative Nancy Smith-Fagan. Reddig expressed frustration that the SZS announced the deal's collapse before the mutually agreed-upon time of 1 p.m.
Reddig started the email by saying, "We are deeply disappointed by your decision to release your announcement to the thousands of individuals on your Zoo Friends and Supporters list without coordinating with the City. We were actively and thoughtfully working to align on messaging and timing."
The email also highlighted the frayed relationship between the City and the SZS.
"While we fully understand the need to inform your immediate staff, the choice to widely
broadcast this message prematurely - despite ongoing discussions - demonstrates a clear disregard for the collaborative process. I can only hope that this action was a major oversight on your part, and not intentional to sabotage our joint messaging, that you requested of us. I cannot overstate how frustrating and counterproductive this has been."
Smith-Fagan was tasked with responding. In her response, she wrote:
"Hi Kara ‐ I am very sorry. That was indeed an oversight. The information was on an unpublished page on our website.
We didn't anticipate it being shared so immediately with the press.
Please know we intend to continue to put forth a collaborative message that acknowledges the work and investment at Elk Grove has done for this project, and our gratitude for you taking this journey with us.
Please feel free to give me a call if you would like to chat.
Nancy"
As noted in a previous story, some media outlets, including Elk Grove News, were leaked the closure announcement one day earlier with an April 30 morning embargo. Additionally, other emails between the City and the SZS noted that a Sacramento TV news outlet inquired about the closure at approximately 11:30 a.m.
As we will see in other correspondence between the City and the SZS, even though relations had broken down by the time the April 30 announcement was made, the project was already in a death spiral weeks prior.
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And during this zoo fiasco, the Zoo's Executive Director who pushed for a larger zoo abruptly resigns, and the City's Treasurer leaves office without the official fanfare that is usually given for high level City employees who leave...
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