Fair board, manager meet with commissioners

The grounds manager of The Great Northern Fair and some members of the board met with the Hill County Commission Monday to talk about how procedures should be handled at the fairgrounds, including hiring some people to help put on this year’s Great Northern Fair.

Fair Board Chair Paul McCann said new grounds manager Dave Brewer is working hard to make repairs and get things ready for the fair, but he will need some help.

“There is no way one guy is going to put that fair on,” McCann said.

McCann and Brewer, whom the board officially hired at its April meeting, along with board members Jack Solomon and Ray Kallenberger met with county commissioners Diane McLean and Mark Peterson and Clerk and Recorder Sue Armstrong for about an hour Monday.

The board members said they had planned to advertise for the position but were told that would require following hiring procedure including advertising for two weeks, which could delay the process.

The commissioners and Armstrong recommended finding someone quickly, interviewing them and hiring them rather than following that procedure.

Brewer said he would look for some people to hire and anyone who is interested in working at the fairgrounds for the next few months could call him at 265-7121.

Brewer is the third manager hired since Havre Mayor Tim Solomon, who started in 2003, resigned in March 2015 after the board proposed requiring the grounds manager live on the grounds.

The grounds were without a manager from the time Bob Horne resigned in November until Brewer started.

McCann said that was part of the reason the board wanted some direction from the county commission. Board members had stepped up to take care of the operation of the grounds, but that meant numerous people were working with people using the grounds, getting contracts, agreements, payments and so on, as well as dealing with other county officials such as the treasurer.

One of their actions, he said, is drafting a set of procedures for the board. Over the past few years the procedures have become fragmented, he said.

One of the policies discussed Monday was a proposal by the board that the grounds manager could make purchases for the grounds up to $500 but purchases of $500 or more have to be approved by the board in advance.

The group also went over the budgeting process — budgets for county departments have to be submitted to the commission and approved in time for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1 — and how to access funds for the fair, reports to know exactly what is available, how to take and track payments, contracts and so on.

McCann said the board wants to make sure it is properly following procedure and staying within its budget.

Brewer said he has been working since he was hired to familiarize himself with the grounds and map out what is where and what does what, such as what water hookups are where and what electrical hookups and meters go with what, as well as working to repair damaged infrastructure like water lines and working with the groups using the grounds.